(Show Review) Luther - Series 1

Time to read: 1 min read

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Alice, you may be very, very clever, but you're wrong. There is love in the world, so you lose.

Review

Idris Elba plays DCI Luther, the brilliant but self-destructive detective dealing with the most gruesome cases in London, such as serial killers and criminal conspiracies.

With only six episodes, the first series feels compact but intense. There is no filler and each episode is action-paced with heightened melodrama (although some of the plot-lines, such as those surrounding Luther's estranged wife played by Indira Varma, can feel too soap opera). The dark and almost neo-noir setting is well-executed but the main draw is definitely Elba's portrayal of the volatile and physically imposing Luther. I like how the writers made Luther an anti-hero character who, while having his own moral code, is willing to step outside the confines of the legal system, such as his unlikely friendship with Ruth Wilson's Alice.

Conclusion

A strong first season for a new detective character.

Overall rating: 7.9

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