Luther Season 1 (2010)
Luther is a 2010 BBC drama about a London cop who doesn’t always use conventional methods to get the job done. Recently estranged from his wife Zoe after suffering a mental breakdown, he returns to his job in the aftermath of letting a serial murderer fall to his doom, and becomes entangled with a woman who murdered her parents, not able to place a charge on her while she ensnares him with her wit and charm.
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Throughout Season 1, John Luther adapts to being part of the force again, while coming to terms with his broken marriage and the decisions that led to it. Alice, the girl who escaped arrest, positions herself as friend and protector, attempting to break his wife’s new relationship apart and killing Henry Madsen who has woken from the coma Luther sent him to. Eventually Luther does call on her in his hour in need, as the season culminates in the death of Zoe at the hands of another police officer who’s on the run for homicide and theft, placing the blame on John instead.
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The truth does eventually come to light, not before Luther is almost snubbed out by a sniper team, and the last episode ends with Alice taking the life of the guilty cop as Zoe’s bereaved partner Mark cheers her on. This leaves us uncertain for the future, as the department sided with the real criminal and threw our protagonist under the bus, taking his mental health as motive.
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This is a series I’ve never watched before, but I picked up Season’s 1 & 3 for free and I’ve been excited to give them a go. I think Idris is incredible and Ruth Wilson is a phenomenal actress, so I loved seeing their chemistry on screen, especially with characters that are so well defined and interesting. I really liked how psychological both characters are, analytical about the world around them and matching wits as Alice runs rings around Luther.
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It’s hard to pick a favourite episode because I felt all of the storylines were very strong, but ‘Episode 4’ shone for me because of how hard hitting and relevant it is to the danger women face, and the sense of justice at the end as the suspect’s wife ends his life after years of control and manipulation.
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It is very slow burn, but I still found myself completely invested. My Nan tried to get into it when it first aired on the TV but failed, yet rewatching it now got her hooked so it’s worth giving things another go. Unlike some crime dramas, Luther unmasks the antagonist early so that the viewer gets to go on the chase, and this adds alot of thrill and suspense.
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The special features includes a DVD exclusive short documentary, with the cast and creative team talking about all aspects of the show from set design to formation and character development. I can’t wait to watch and review the rest of the series in the future.
