Luther (British TV Series)

If you have been reading my blog then you would be aware that I am an avid fan of detective or crime dramas and lately I have been exploring some crime series from Europe and other non English speaking countries namely series like Memento Mori (2023) from Spain and other French crime dramas which I had talked about extensively in my last few posts. Other crime series worth mentioning is Cardinal, a Canadian series with actor Billy Campbell as the main protagonist that lasted 4 seasons (2017-2020) and the 2020 remake of Van der Valk starring Marc Warren which despite being a British TV series is actually about a police detective in modern day Amsterdam. However, before migrating to these shows, what started the ball rolling for me were mostly my affinity for British crime series and there have been many over the decades. More recently shows like Temple (2019-2021), a medical crime drama (based on the Norwegian series Valkyrien) about a respected surgeon who runs an illegal clinic that treats criminals in the abandoned service tunnels below London's Temple Underground Station to fund his research on a cure for his terminally ill wife, and the ongoing crime drama Grace, set in Brighton and starring John Simm, has resuscitated my interest in them. However, there are a few shows that are standouts. Among them is a relatively newer series which I will reveal later but here I'm going to talk about an older series that until today many outside the UK or in the US might still be unaware of although many Americans are familiar with the lead actor for his role in the HBO series The Wire. Of course, I'm talking about the Neil Cross TV Series Luther and Idris Elba who plays the titular character DCI John Luther. Firstly, a little background on showrunner Neil Cross. He is a prolific British novelist and screenwriter for many TV projects including the pre-apocalyptic crime series Hard Sun (2018) produced by BBC One and Hulu which unfortunately lasted only one season. His other involvements also include the British series Spooks and Doctor Who. However, the force that catapulted both him and actor Idris Elba to fame was largely attributed to this series. So why is this series different from other crime British dramas? Besides the fact that both the show's lead characters are played by the very charismatic Idris Elba and accomplished actress Ruth Wilson (Jane Eyre, The Affair, His Dark Materials), the series is not exactly a "procedural police crime drama" and can be more aptly defined as a "psychological crime thriller". Personally, I feel that many British crime dramas that fall in the earlier category can sometimes be too mired in the details of the investigations or cases which makes them a little dry, humorless and meandering which ultimately makes viewing them a drudgery. Fortunately, this series does not suffer from this. In fact, from the opening scene and the first episode, the viewer is already aware that he/she is watching something very different. The series, which lasted 5 seasons, was aired on BBC One from 2010 to 2019. Because each season consisted of only 2 to 6 episodes, the story is fast paced with our main protagonist often embroiled in tense and challenging situations back to back. So who actually is DCI John Luther? Luther is a Detective Chief Inspector working for the Serious Crimes Unit. Intelligent but often obsessive and compulsive to the point of being detrimental to himself, he is often faced with demented criminals who are often then not also killers. He is also prone to using violence and questionable means to apprehend/ stop them if necessary which often lands him in trouble.

It would seem (up to this point) that this series is not very different from other British crime dramas. However, later in the first episode of the first season, we are introduced to Alice Morgan, a female psychopath and killer who has managed to commit the perfect murder. Here is where this series diverges from the others. Despite the series being named after the titular character, Luther is not only about DCI John Luther and the many criminals and killers he is up against but it is also very much about Alice Morgan and her complicated relationship with Luther throughout the series. Many might know that Elba won numerous awards for his portrayal of Luther but if you have seen this series, you would know that Ruth Wilson is truly mesmerizing when she appears onscreen as the brilliant, dangerous and complicated Alice. Needless to say, most scenes when they both appear together are often sexually charged and tense while the conversations between them can be liken to those between Dr Lecter and Agent Starling, albeit in a more understated manner. For those not acquainted with the series, Alice eventually becomes Luther's constant nemesis, romantic interest, companion and confidant throughout the seasons. As I mentioned earlier, the line between right and wrong is often blurred for Luther which makes him a fallible character and an interesting watch. Besides the interesting relationship between both leads, the series also offers enough action scenes and surprises in the course of Luther's investigations to hold the viewer's attention. Most of Luther's high profile cases involve insane serial killers and violent criminals. All episodes are written by Neil Cross who manages to put his own (and often unexpected) spin on each story. Each season is either centered on a single case or multiple cases depending on the number of episodes in each season which can vary greatly from only 2 to 6 episode and because the gaps between each season can be lengthy, the first episode of each season usually picks up with Luther in different stages of his life/ work.

By now you might have noticed that I did not mention about the film Luther : The Fallen Sun which is a feature film sequel to the series released in selected cinemas and later streamed by Netflix in 2023. The reason being that I had purposely avoided the movie despite being an avid fan of the series. Why? Because when most of my favorite TV series were adapted into feature films in the past, they always disappointed me and were lacking in some aspects (e.g. Joss Whedon's TV series Firefly which later spawned a feature length film of the same name). TV is a medium that is suitable for long story arcs and when TV series are adapted into film, the story is often rushed and this often changes the dynamics of the storyline. The other deciding factor was the absence of Ruth Wilson/ Alice Morgan whose role played a pivotal part in the series. So despite being written by Neil Cross and produced by Idris Elba, I still gave it a skip. A personal choice on my part but don't let me discourage you from checking it out if you are a fan of the series or even if you have never seen the series before. Lastly, if you're looking for a good British criminal drama that is different from the norm, this series should be your top choice. A story from one of the most promising British screenwriters of our times and career defining performances from Elba and Wilson ensures that this series will remain a favorite among many for a long time.  

(Video Courtesy of BBC Studios)

For those who are seeking this series to watch for the first time or simply to re-visit it, all five seasons of the series is available on Amazon Prime US. The Blu-Ray Boxset for Luther Season 1-5 is available on Amazon US. However, the set is the UK version in Region B/2. The feature film Luther : The Fallen Sun is currently unavailable on Amazon US. 

Luther Season 1-5 Amazon Prime (paid link)

Luther Season 1-5 Blu-Ray (Region B/2) (paid link)