Fantastic show with a few dips. The opening has Luther basically as a rage-monster. But that's not what Luther is. It's how Luther appears. Looking back it feels out of character for him.

Most seasons of this show could be summed up as "Cop has to deal with a crisis at work while someone else is giving him a personal crisis at the same time and neither of them can wait". Most of Luther is pile-on. There's a killer AND someone's trying to blackmail Luther. Things happen and next season he has a reputation for being bent when he's anything but.

Idris even from the jump has a strong screen presence and a slightly awkward posture. One that becomes iconic. I wouldn't be surprised if people walk like Luther. Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson) is a criminal I didn't expect to stick around. I thought she was almost interesting in her initial appearance but when Luther took the exceptionally interesting choice of befriending her to keep her under control that was wild. Their relationship isn't like a lot of the other cop-psycho relationships. She's not used as a source or a way to tap into the criminal element. Luther actually does a pretty good job of that himself. Idris gives you a Luther that's always tired, always compelling to do right even when it looks wrong, and never too concerned with what other people think of him. It's as admirable as it is sad how many people close to him end up dead. All over silly nonsense. Pettiness. The casualness with which a Luther-friend will get shot for basically no reason somehow never stops hurting. You feel for Luther having to add yet another tally to his board that he didn't want and wasn't able to stop and yet somehow will be blamed for.

The seasons are short but impactful. I'd want them to be longer but the show would have to restructure itself for that. Still it'd be nice to give Luther some breathing room for a minute.