Watching: Luther Series 1

Back of the box description

Golden Globe Winner Idris Elba stars as Detective John Luther in this thrilling new crime series from BBC America. A self-destructive near-genius, Luther might just be as dangerous as the depraved criminals he hunts. Luther follows his own moral code as much as the rules of criminal law. But he quickly becomes locked in a lethal battle of wits with Alice, a beautiful, highly intelligent mass murderer, and his decision-making process becomes increasingly murky. The strain begins to tell as he’s drawn deeper and deeper into a series of horrific murders, and the shadow of a former case threatens to bring him down. Forced to face his own capacity for violence, he struggles with why his wife left him and what draws him to Alice. As the stakes get higher and more personal, Luther’s lonely path pulls him towards the very edge of temptation. Is he a force for good or a man hell bent on self-destruction?

My Words

So I had been entertaining the idea of watching Luther upon the recommendation of my similarly tv-obsessed cousin. And then the right moment came along: it was $4.99 on Amazon Instant video. Can't complain when you can watch six quality episodes for less thank 5 bucks. What really hooked me on this series was the interrogation scene in the pilot episode. It was like watching an epic chess match between Luther and Alice.

And this series has some of the most interesting and beautiful shots I have ever seen on television. The use of negative space in some scenes is beyond comparison to any other show. But I'd place Luther as second artsiest show I watch (Breaking Bad being number 1).

The cases are not the most unique in terms of criminal procedural shows. But why reinvent the wheel? The difference here is how Luther and the rest of the unit react to the crimes and how they try to prevent it from reoccuring. It is not really a whodunit because we see the murder usually happen in the first few minutes.

Advice: Don't start episode 5 before you go to bed. Not that it is much scarier or grizzlier than the previous episodes. Once you finish episode five you'll want to start the finale immediately. So you'll have to explain to your boss why you're so tired the next day.

I highly recommend this show because it is pretty and Idris Elba is fantastic in everything he does and the first season is only 6 episodes. Why not spend $5 on good television?