"Luther" Season One

Season One of “Luther” was a very well written but hugely intense detective show. Detective Luther is a brilliant sleuth, but he is also incredibly emotional. Not in the cry-at-the-drop-of-a-hat kind of way, but more in the way he gets enraged at the horrible people he has to defeat in order to protect society. Unfortunately, he usually has one hand tied behind his back; by the law he is trying to enforce.

It is a classic story that debates the system society sets up to protect people. We would all want to protect principles like, “innocent until proven guilty” if we were ever the victims of a misunderstanding. At the same time, we all increasingly have the suspicion that evil people are just taking advantage of our good intentions.

That is where heroes like Luther step in. He’s ethical standards are so high; he doesn’t always let little things like the law stand in his way. In spite of the justice he enforces, it doesn’t really work out so well for him or those around him. He betrays people he cares about. He is only ultimately able to relate to a psychopath. He alienates the woman he loves. Then things get worse.

This show is not for everyone. But it is an interesting study of the vigilante attitude that seems to be growing in today’s culture. That and it has some great writing and acting. Consider the scene below: