Add it to your list.
It seems that we’re living in the golden age of TV right now because there’s so many good shows available.
It’s very likely that your friends have told you that ‘this series is great’ and ‘you have to watch this’ which is why we’ve decided to take a look at some of the best TV shows out there. This week, it’s Luther.
1) What’s it about? : Police shows often revel in the fact that the world they’re set in is strictly black and white and that there’s a very clear line between the good guys and bad ones.
Luther flips this narrative on its head because it tells the story of a self-destructive but near-genius detective who hunts down the criminals of London using his own abilities.
Sounds fairly formulaic so far but, to himself, he is also stuck in an apathetic, sterile and godless world where he has to face more personal demons than the people that he’s trying to catch.
The show mixes elements of the occult, murder mystery and classic serial killers but always manages to make it seem fresh.
2) It’s almost like : A grittier and more urban version of CSI that prefers more grime, melancholy and realism to the shiny aesthetic of Hollywood.
3) It’s worth your time because: Idris Elba has managed to make a character that’s almost as good as Stringer Bell from The Wire. Yep, it’s that good. The show also has a wonderful villain /anti-hero in Alice that you can’t help but root for despite her psychotic tendencies.
Every episode feels unique, fresh and ominous while the character of Luther is so absorbing that you’ll stick by him through thick and thin.
Elba’s turn as the tortured detective was so good that he even won a Golden Globe for Best Actor, no mean feat for a ‘foreign’ production in the tough circles of US TV.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV3sDGO9KxA
4) Did you know? : A US version is already in the pipeline but not before DCI John Luther makes a welcome return to the BBC with a two-part episode that should wrap up the series.
Now is the perfect chance to see why it’s so good and it’s available on Netflix.
5) One episode and you’re hooked : The Pilot should get you pumped but the ‘Dice Man’ murders arc is the definitive episode of because it shows just how much Luther is equally driven by his demons and genius.
6) If the show was a person then : It would be the most sinister people that you would meet on a bad Saturday in town with your mates. If you have one friend that can easily switch from being a genius to the worst company imaginable then you’ll love the character of Luther.
The show also has this wonderful ability to get under your skin and genuinely stay with you because some of the villains, murderers and kidnappers are genuinely creepy.
When the main character of a show is as unhinged as this, you know you’re in for a treat.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
