Luther, Season 2 (BBC/DVD/2011)
When the first season of LUTHER ended with much mayhem and the death of his wife, Zoe (Indira Varma), I figured that this was the satisfactory end of the series. But no, the producers figured out that star Idris Elba was too important in this role to let it go, so we have a very satisfactory sequel (more to come next season, too) in four hour-long episodes in which Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, an extremely bright server of the law, fights his equally extremely strong inner demons, is back in the police force after leaving it upon the tragic murder of Zoe.
Having to create a new supporting unit, the Serious and Serial department in the Metropolitan Police Force, Luther brings back a capable officer, Detective Justin Ripley (Warren Brown), a new, ambitious and incorruptible detective, Erin Gray (Nikki Amuka-Bird), and others new to the unit to help him track down and neutralize a particularly-gruesome serial killer, who wears grotesque masks while he guts his victims. It’s enormously riveting and Elba, along with his supporting actors, makes the most of it.
Known to Americans mostly for his work in “The Wire,” Elba presents an effective intensity to his roles. Not one to utilize charm when brute force will do, his John Luther is a complicated, highly-trained detective that creator and writer Neil Cross has stated is a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Colombo. One really doesn’t want to make him mad, I assure you.
Gritty and unpleasant at times, the series is intelligent and moving. How Luther and his team catch the serial killer is riveting, as well as entertaining. Ya can’t go wrong following this series.