Now that the second series of Sherlock (if you could call three episodes that!) has finished on BBC, I’ve been missing something ‘clever’ to get my brain into. While I enjoy programs like CSI and Dexter they don’t really get my mind going in the way I want it to.
I caught the last episode of series two of Luther when it was on TV and really enjoyed it but never got round to investigating the program further. Last night, I did so! I’ll try not to give any spoilers away in case you haven’t seen it.
It opened with a little insight into the eponymous hero’s mindset, perhaps explaining his idiosyncratic behaviour and hinting at his analytical skills before moving to the present day. We move to a murder scene where Luther feels “something isn’t right” and while this isn’t expanded upon immediately, we soon get the nod that he’s correct.
Now this isn’t just an ordinary detective series and you’ll see why once Luther starts interacting with his prime suspect. It’s very much a psychological battle of wits, similar to the relationship between Sherlock and Moriarty. I found myself trying to beat them at analysing each other’s behaviour and this was pretty stimulating. It took me an hour or two for my brain to turn off after watching this first episode, so I think I’ve found a temporary replacement for Sherlock…
The show doesn’t just revolve around Luther’s work, mainly because his obsession with his job floods into his personal life. We see him with his wife and while marital turbulence is a common theme in TV detective shows, this doesn’t feel like it’s been done lazily.
I’m really looking forward to watching the next episode, and may well talk to you about it here!
