What I\u2019m Watching<\/p>\n
\u2018Luther\u2019<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t remember how I heard about the BBC television show \u201cLuther.\u201d I do, however, remember watching the first few episodes via not-exactly-legal means in my dorm room and being floored by its graphic crime stories that were unlike anything else at the time. Following detective chief inspector John Luther, played by the wonderful Idris Elba, the show pits him against one twisted serial killer after another in the seedy underbelly of London.<\/p>\n
Picture CBS\u2019 \u201cCriminal Minds\u201d but way more dark and horrifying since it isn\u2019t limited by network television. The first season was the more episodic, crime-of-the-week format with a larger arc. Now, its fifth season is one psychological thriller story told in four parts.<\/p>\n
This show was my first introduction to Elba (I still haven\u2019t gotten around to watching \u201cThe Wire.\u201d Sorry!) and is why I bothered to see the lukewarm \u201cPrometheus\u201d and \u201cThor\u201d movies. His casting in \u201cPacific Rim\u201d was the cherry on top of a fun blockbuster and I, like many others, believe he\u2019d make a great version of James Bond.<\/p>\n
Yet Elba and Luther are only one part of the show. Mirroring him is the seductive and sinister Alice Morgan played by Ruth Wilson. Like Joker and Batman and Holmes and Moriarty, Morgan and Luther are fabulous foils that straddle the line between enemies and allies. While the crimes are an important aspect, the heart of the narrative is their emotional and mental states elevated by their strong, charismatic performances.<\/p>\n
The final episode of \u201cLuther\u201d airs Sunday, June 23, on BBC America. Catch up now because you won\u2019t want to miss it.<\/p>\n