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Line of Duty fans react to shock death in season 5's opening episode 

Did you enjoy the opening episode of Line of Duty season 5?

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Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
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The problem with Line of Duty is that nothing is ever certain. No characters are safe, and so you never know when the next person you care about will turn out to be corrupt/be thrown down three flights of stairs/lie under oath (the list goes on). However, the opening episode of season five left fans seriously shocked on Friday night after the show killed off the lovable member of AC-12, Maneet Bindra.

line of duty balaclava© Photo: BBC

John ordered Maneet's death

Maneet had fallen in with the wrong crowd after she was coerced into feeding insider information to ACC Hilton from AC-12, then conspiring with the crime syndicate in order to help out her cousin. Unfortunately things went sideways for poor old Maneet, who ended up being murdered on the docks (the same site where Hilton was found dead in the season four finale), and naturally fans were shocked by the turn of events.

READ: 5 questions we have after watching Line of Duty season 5 episode 1

One person wrote: "I'm so heavily invested in #lineofduty that when Maneet was killed I was worried about her kids," while another added: "Didn't see that coming! Loving it and it's so twisty, turns already!" Another person joked: "Still thinking about Maneet hbu #LineofDuty." Speaking about her death scene to The Telegraph, Maneet actress Maya Sondhi said: "All I can say is you never know with Jed [Mercurio], do you? I mean, look what he did killing off Keeley Hawes in Bodyguard. And then Craig Parkinson came back in Line of Duty, didn't he? Do you really want to know?"

READ: All the hints that Ted Hastings is corrupt in Line of Duty

line of duty 3© Photo: BBC

Have you been watching season 5 so far?

Fans were also shocked when it was revealed that an undercover officer who was taking part in the crime operation actually turned out to be the ruthless John, when fans were led to think it was Lisa, John's hesitant right hand woman. Speaking about the plot twist, one person wrote: "Fantastic first episode of #LineofDuty last night with best plot twist ever! At last a reason to look forward to Sundays!" Another person wrote: "Cracking start to the new series of #LineOfDuty. Did not see that twist coming at all."

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