Spotlight ‘Luther’

Luther is a British television crime drama starring Idris Elba as Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, with season 1 in 2010 comprising of 6 episodes. The show returned for a second series from June 14^th through to July 15^th 2011 comprising of four episodes and this will be the focus of my critique.

What draws me to the character of Luther is the fact he is considerably active, extrovert and obsessive which are positive qualities for a protagonist employed in this type of genre. Also the concept of Luther as an ethnic sleuth sheds a new, fresh and interesting light when juxtaposing with elements and conventions
within a typical crime drama. He has reputable traits similar to those of Sherlock Holmes and even Columbo that exudes quirkiness and out of the norm which sets them apart from the rest of society; both a blessing and a curse. A sleuth with passive traits would arguably not be quite as inviting due to the
fact the audience is more likely to root for a highly pro active hero with individualist quirks that make an interesting and gratifying character development and arc.

The death of his wife Zoe still haunts him. This adds to Luther’s complexity and results in him being even more troubled than ever which is a good story technique. It is similar to the concept of author John Truby’s ‘Ghost’ technique where the hero is plagued by physical and/or metaphorical demons from the past that inhibit their actions in the present. In the first episode he is faced with the task of apprehending a serial killer whilst also trying to save the daughter of an old acquaintance. This purposefully forces
Luther to face his own demons since he has just lost someone dear to him also and is under pressure to intensify his focus in order to prevent a similar thing happening to his friend. This provides additional substance to his character rather than having the danger of him becoming just another Sherlock Holmes-esque wannabe.

The second series has a similar structural framework to Columbo where the killer is revealed at the beginning but Luther’s storylines are grittier with a heavy emphasis on his personal life and the protection of those closest to him which is usually his colleagues. This theme is similar to Bones where the team has more than a working relationship and they are more akin to a family which is mirrored by Luther’s determination to protect those around him, not unlike the character Seeley Booth. This is what I like considerably about Luther; the clever balance between conventional crime story structure and the unique variation of other shows which makes Luther stand out from the already established sleuths such as Sherlock Holmes and Poirot.

Over the entirety of the four episodes the dialogue flows well and the forming of relationships between the characters is pacey and straight to the point. For example, in the first episode Luther attempts to recruit Justin Ripley who works in a police station whilst metaphorically doing ‘time’ himself
for his past mistakes. The interaction between them is a successful mix of humour and seriousness that never detracts from the purpose of the scene. Luther’s dialogue is convincing and straight to point to place emphasis on showing rather than ‘telling’ the audience whilst the close ups of the characters relay the emotion extremely well.

 

However, the pace of the script seemed disjointed and convoluted at times by the fact that not only does Luther have to deal with the serial killer contained within the episode but he is also mired in a multitude of sub plots such as helping Jenny Jones to conceal a body whilst protecting her from gang members. There just seemed to be too many beats underlying one another that detracted from the three dimensional potential of Luther where it seemed a little overpowering and subsequently hindered his development. He had to deal with such a variety of sub plots that the script lost focus at times, even to
the point where at the moment of truth the expectation of a viable comeuppance for the killer seemed rushed and bordered on nonsensical. The killer had originally used basic weapons such as knives but by now had converted to highly advanced explosives. This coupled with Luther’s approach to stopping the villain seemed out of place, as shown by the dialogue he used which was somewhat disjointed and had the opposite effect of calming the killer down as he referred to him as the controller in charge of a video game. The bomb jacket worn by the antagonist further complicated matters raising the question of whether he is in fact a suicide bomber or not which was never clearly explained. The tension and
suspense leading up to the moment of truth was effectively built up but was then slightly diffused by the laid back approach of the killer which put into question whether he really had a strong enough intention to hurt anyone. The lack of payoff coupled with other subplots ran the risk of hindering the
development of Luther and the team.

The future potential of this drama may be problematic for it could become too rigid and formulaic; not breaking away from the Columbo-esque technique may have the effect of dragging the material down and thus becoming too repetitive. A suggestion for the script would be to have had two murders at the beginning that seemingly tie in with one serial killer. Then at the end it can be revealed that someone else was in fact responsible for one of the murders unbeknown to Luther or the team. One of them could develop into a Moriarty type figure that would become a strong and formidable nemesis throughout. Even though Luther had to deal with the gang harassing Jenny, the level of power and authority they wielded
in relation to the type of crimes they were committing would arguably not be strong enough. There needs to be a mastermind separate to the individual episodic villains who provides a substantial threat not only to Luther but his team also. This is incorporated within Bones where recurring antagonists appear throughout the series that brings the team closer and enhances the forming of a close knit family. And there is nothing more rewarding than a hero breaking the rules into order to protect the ones they love in heart wrenching and painful fashions as opposed to a conventional solution.    

Personally due to 21^st century technologies and the vast array of choices available within television there is constant competition for attention and I think you simply cannot afford not to challenge traditional
conventions within dramas, in order to make them unique, interesting and marketable. Also, in the modern age multiple sources such as the printed media and social networking sites provide ample opportunity to debate, criticise and expose any weaknesses within a programme. Luther has interesting elements. He is a likeable, ethnic sleuth who is obsessed and close to breaking point. He also has a recognisable team who defend and offer support whilst also questioning his morality and how far you should go to catch a killer. However, the script is somewhat conventional as in the case of Colombo and Sherlock Holmes whereby the same story beats are taken and incorporated. Most notably amongst these is knowing who the killer is at the beginning and also the extreme course of action taken by the sleuth in catching the killer. Therefore finding the right balance between established and new formats is essential as it allows us to take to and recognise the kind of genre we are watching but at the same time observing new and fresh material.