Luther is a British BBC crime drama TV show, starring Idris Elba as a near-genius murder detective whose brilliant mind can't always save him from the dangerous violence of his passions.

This series sees a twisted fetishist targeting young women in London. Luther is convinced the man will strike again, but when the detective is ordered to investigate another case, the chances of catching the killer start to fall. But Luther's biggest threat could be closer to home, when it emerges that his own colleagues are willing to break every rule in the book to bring him down…

Elsewhere it looks like Luther might have finally found love again, but is he ready to leave his past behind? Finally, when a vigilante killer embarks on a crusade to punish criminals, Luther is forced to confront his own sense of morality. Can he walk the line between right and wrong and do his job or has he finally met his match?

Awards for series

• Won Royal Television Society UK Award, Best Drama Series (2012)
• Nominated for Satellite Award, Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television (2012)
• Nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards for: Outstanding Miniseries or Movie, Outstanding Directing, Outstanding writing (2012)
• Won Edgar Allan Poe Award, Best Television Episode Teleplay (2011)
• Nominated for Image Award, Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special (2012 & 2011)
• Won Vision Award, Drama (2011)
• Won Golden Globe Award, Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series/TV Film, Idris Elba (2012)
• Won Image Award, Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Idris Elba (2011)
• Won Black Reel Award, Outstanding Television or Mini-Series Performance Idris Elba (2012)

Luther Series 3 Review

"..Welcome to the world of DCI John Luther (Idris Elba, The Wire), a brilliant, troubled cop in the Serious Crimes Unit. While Luther always gets results, his means are often questionable, and there are always consequences: His wife was killed back in Series One, more than a few cops think that Luther's on the verge of a breakdown himself, and the only person who understands him is a murderous psychopath.

Series Three is the last go-round for Luther, and there's certainly an air of finality to the proceedings, a sense of old sins coming home to roost. Part of that comes from the initial case—Emily Hammond is found with a wig, made up in the manner of the Shoreditch Creeper, who terrorized the area thirty years ago. As the case begins, Luther's partner/pro­tégé Ripley (Warren Brown, The Dark Knight Rises) is confronted by DCI Erin Grey (Nikki Amuka-Bird, Coriolanus), a detective who crossed swords with Luther in Series 2. She takes Ripley to retired superintendent George Stark (David O'Hara, The Departed). For reasons known only to himself, Stark has come out of retirement for one last case: To put Luther behind bars.

Okay, let's get one thing out of the way: Do NOT attempt to make sense of the plot, that way lies madness. Luther has had multiple nervous breakdowns and yet is still on the force. Stark appears out of nowhere, with no backstory, a walking, talking plot device. Instead, just sit back and enjoy everything else—the crisp dialogue, the gritty feel of urban London, the sense of fetid despair permeating the air…but above all, just enjoy Idris Elba. The man is a force of nature, and I'll fess up to fanboy crushing on him hard. An actor with a tremendous physical presence, Elba needs to be in all the things. He needs to be in a special episode of Chef! as Gareth Blackstock's rival chef; he needs to be the next James Bond; Black Panther…I want to see him beat the shit out of The Expendables. He is so damn good he makes your teeth hurt. In one scene he can tear your heart out as he sits crumpled next to a victim; then he can turn boyish as he meets his new girlfriend Mary (Sienna Guillory, Resident Evil: Afterlife).

Elba's supporting cast, amazingly, do not pale in comparison. All turn in solid work, particularly Dermot Crowley as DSU Martin Schrek, Luther's boss—he has but a handful of scenes, but they are pivotal in establishing his support and concern for Luther—no small thing, since in the first series he was looking to take down Luther just as Stark is now. Ruth Wilson (The Lone Ranger) is back as Alice Morgan, the psychopath who only has eyes for Luther. She doesn't quite exude the save level of whackadoodle sensuousness that she brought to the first series, but part of that is that after three series, she's more of a known quantity.

At times, Luther: Series Three makes you want to tear your hair out. The twists and turns of the plot make no sense whatsoever, and the coincidences would make Charles Dickens blush with shame. But those faults are balanced by a rich atmosphere, sharply drawn characters, and above all, sterling performances, foremost of which is Idris Elba. It's a shame that the series has come to an end (assuming that Luther and Alice don't open a detective agency or something), though there are a rumors of a theatrical release that chronicles Luther's life right up to the beginning of Series One. If that's what it takes to get more Idrius Elba on my screen, I'm all for it." DVD Verdict