Every once in a while, a show will come along that shows you what television is capable of when genuine creative thought is put into it. The procedural cop genre and the oft-used character of the maverick cop have been around for a long time and in the wrong hands, they can be tiresome clichés. However, in the proper hands, we get something brilliant like the BBC’s Luther. When a show this good comes along, it redeems the unoriginality and mediocrity of a whole genre. Luther is the best cop show to come along in years.
Created by Neil Cross, Luther is a gritty and relentlessly compelling drama that benefits from some outstanding performances. The first season of the show contains six episodes and each one is loaded with so much plot and characterization, it puts other dramatic shows to shame. At the center of all this is Idris Elba (Best known as Stringer Bell in The Wire) as the title character. Elba gives an amazingly nuanced and charismatic performance as an unconventional cop-on-the edge.
Luther tells the story of troubled police office John Luther (Idris) who is just returning to work at the Special Crimes Unit after being away on medical rest leave, due to the break-up of his marriage and job stress resulting from a serial killer case. Luther is a brilliantly intuitive investigator but he often causes trouble for the department due to his constant battles with the bureaucracy and his less-than-legal tactics. Luther is also in an endless struggle against his own dark side. He has a heroic nobility, prompting him to seek justice for the innocent but he has flashes of anger and violence that reveal the volcano beneath his world-weary surface. His inner-demons are always on the verge of breaking out. He continues to pester his ex-wife Zoe (Indira Varma) and her new boyfriend Mark (Paul McGann) despite her entreaties for him to leave them alone. Luther isn’t the type to accept defeat, not in crime fighting or in marriage, but his heavy-handed methods frequently cause trouble.
Although there is a continuing story arc among the six episodes, there is also a villain-of-the-week motif, requiring Luther to match wits with a new bad guy each episode. The villains are an outrageous lot, committing bizarre crimes. We have, among others, a Satan worshipper, a killer cabbie and an ex-marine sniper who likes to gun down cops. Yet despite the over-the-top nature of the antagonists, the story maintains its integrity and never gets silly or unrealistic.
One of the most interesting aspects of the series is Luther’s strange relationship with sociopath Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson). Alice is a suspect in the murder of her own parents in the first episode and Luther tries hard to break her, but Alice is as cool as ice. Luther determines that she has no human empathy and is capable of anything but he can’t muster the evidence to convict her. Alice goes free, but during the duration of their cat-and-mouse questioning sessions, Alice has become fascinated with Luther. Alice is as brilliant as she is cold, and she likes the fact that she’s met someone who challenges her intellectually.
Alice begins stalking Luther, interfering in his private and personal life, playing mind games reminiscent of the relationship between Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling. Luther wants her out of his life at first, but he soon realizes that they have more in common than he’d like to believe and Alice’s persistence leads to a fascinating love/hate relationship between two highly intelligent minds.
Idris Elba gives a commanding and charismatic performance as the loose-cannon cop with a self-destructive streak. However, the real gem here is Ruth Wilson as the enigmatic Alice. Wilson gives an amazing performance as an evil genius with no conscience. She is believable at all times and never goes over-the-top, as most actors due when playing a psychotic person. She steals every scene she’s in.
There is a lot of violence in Luther and some of it is rather grizzly. The overlapping plot strands come together nicely in the cliffhanger finale. Luther is an excellent piece of grim-and-gritty entertainment, anchored by the outstanding lead actors. If only there were more shows this could on television. Bravo to the BBC for creating Luther.
DVD Bonus Extras:
There is a short featurette called “Luther: The World of a True Maverick”.
"Luther" is on sale November 23, 2010 and is not rated. Crime-Thriller. Directed by Brian Kirk, Sam Miller, Stephan Schwartz. Written by Neil Cross. Starring Idris Elba, Indira Varma, Paul McGann, Ruth Wilson.
