Luther (TV Series) Episode #1.4 (2010) User Reviews

Luther stays in the office

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 30 May 2010]

There is a serial killer operating in London but DCI Luther has been ordered to stay in the office because the man he allowed to fall and nearly die in episode one has woken from his coma. This doesn't mean he can't lead the cast though and as he sorts though the evidence he is soon convinced the killer is a taxi driver. Unfortunately that doesn't narrow the field of suspects too much as there are so many taxis and the availability of second hand cabs means the killer might not even be licensed. While Luther and his team are closing in on their target the killer is escalating his operations going after another woman each night.

This was a decent episode, I think it was improved by having Luther confined to his office rather than out on the streets losing his temper every few minutes... although he did lose it after one particular phone call from Alice because she'd done him a favour he didn't want. Rob Jarvis was good enough as killer but Nicola Walker was better as the wife who knew he was a bit odd but had no idea just how odd he was. Towards the end of the episode there was a nice reference to 'The Shining' as the killer tries to break through a bathroom door to get to a girl who is hiding from him.

He'll Never Be Happy

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 10 September 2017]

In this episode a sick, feckless man begins killing young women and posing them with the possessions from their purses. He is married and his wife hates him. The man that Luther allowed to fall and who could destroy Luther regains consciousness. Alice dresses as a doctor, uses a distraction, and suffocates the man. Internal affairs continues to investigate. There is just too much coincidence. Luther is kept in the office as the ugly little man is sought out for capture. Zoe is vacillating and this is causing great stress, to say the least. Luther's violent side resurfaces. Also, Alice begins to flip out and become adversarial. This is an incredibly violent episode. The show is so very dark. This is one of the darkest episodes. Still, it is well done.

A wow episode.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 23 March 2021]

Luther is on the trail of a serial killer, one who covers his tracks well.

Another tremendous episode, it's tense, dramatic, action packed, and exciting until the very last minute. The ending is mind blowing, and guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seat. The story is really great, but the best element of all here is the acting, it is absolutely first rate.

It is an absolute masterclass performance from Nicola Walker, her acting skills are incredible, here though I must also lay huge praise on Rob Jarvis, talk about menacing.

The regulars as always are phenomenal, the twisted dynamic continues between Luther and Alice.

It's terrific, 9/10.

Outstanding as Luther hunts a evil serial killer with a liking for The Shining.

[maureen_smith5 · 10/10 · 23 April 2015]

The previous episode was a slight down turn in form and was very gory but this fourth episode returns to sensational form with a fantastic cast on excellent form and a terrific plot that has similar traits to serial killer movies and a finale much like classic The Shining.

DCI John Luther(incredible Idris Elba)has to stay in his office when the killer he was after Henry Madsen wakes up from his coma screaming Luther's name. He has to do his work from the station and a creepy case crops up as a nasty serial killer called Graham is hunting ladies down in his taxi at night and taking their jewellery back to his unfaithful wife Linda.He is uncovered as the killer when Luther sees the wife wearing one of the necklaces and with her help and a undercover decoy named Layla Luther tries to trap him but will Linda ruin it. Meanwhile Alice Morgan(wonderful Ruth Wilson)is still making life hell for John and after she does something terrible he totally loses his cool in his office and knows she also has to be stopped.

A dark and brooding episode with Elba simply sublime and his loss of control in his office is quite stunning and I've never seen anyone lose it like that in anything before.Ruth Wilson isn't in it as much this time but makes her moments count and what she does will bring huge consequences for Luther,she is a phenomenal talent and she is like The Joker to Luther's Batman and if they are looking for a female Joker she has to be cast in it.Others are top notch like serial killer Graham(Rob Jarvis who is also bar owner Eddie in Hustle)who is truly chilling as someone who could snap and kill you any minute,his wife Linda(wonderful actress Nicola Walker)is always on edge with Graham but tries to stay quiet to not set him off and their scenes will have you peering through your fingers and its upsetting to think some woman live with horrible men like this in real life.Other cast regulars like Warren Brown,Saskia Reeves and Paul McGann are superb as ever and this is such a great cast.

This is such a tension filled hour with the main story of the killer dominating of course but also Alice and Luther's complex relationship is a huge part too along with Madsen waking up. The scenes with Graham creeping along dark allies on the hunt for attractive ladies are very creepy and is arguably the scariest the show has been up to the third series.The scenes too with Graham and Linda are very strong and with so much tension its incredible and you never know when the guy will explode even in public places.We also have the famous scene with Luther losing his cool in a explosive rage and totally rips his office apart.We finally have the action packed finale as Graham goes all Jack Torrance in a Shining homage and its one of the strongest last scene's in television history.

A fabulous fourth episode and even if it can be strong at times it is such a awesome plot with so much tension it nearly drips with it.The actors deserve so much plaudits not just regulars like Elba and Wilson but Jarvis and Walker as acting has hardly been better,this also contains so much twists and turns along with a tremendous finale that brings back memories of classic horror films namely The Shining.

Nicola Walker .....Best actress

[mccordcara · 10/10 · 3 December 2021]

Amazing story line and set up ....and Nicola Walkers's acting is Oscar worthy...best episode ever.. although gruesome, the stories are relatable in a stunning fashion. This series is disturbing on a personal level due to the acting... bravo to the writers, directors, ...

Masterpiece episode

[Julie-C-Sherwood · 10/10 · 16 January 2020]

The story, music, and acting in this episode is gold. Nicola Walker stunned me. Give this woman wayyyy more work.

1.4

[Seras11123 · 9/10 · 1 May 2021]

The best Luther episode so far, and steered my perception of this show around almost single-handedly. Whereas before I felt it a entertainingly slick modern noir show, if not partly cliched and underdeveloped. But this eliminates those problems. A heart wrenching and show stopping hour of programming. The most gruesome episode to date as well. Not just because of Sick Sod Graham getting his head caved in, but the amazingly intense "folder scene" with Norma Walker sorting through the pictures of his victims. Their relationship is so saddening and twisted that it makes Graham's psychotic breaks all the more nerve wracking to endure. And to top off, they even manage to take the partly stale character interactions between Alice and Luther and throw a 360 degree turn in it that revitalized my interest. Things look dire. Luther's professional career looks on the verge of collapse as a result of Alice's unwanted actions. And Zoe finally rejects him, so now he's left at wits end. Implosion appears to be incoming, and Luther (the show) has finally won me over.

A Husband Killer

[ZegMaarJus · 8/10 · 15 August 2021]

This episode begins with Graham, he left a woman's body in the grass. Luther arrived at the crime scene, a woman has been killed. John tells to Alice that Henry Madsen woke up, John may be in trouble. John tells to Alice that he don't want to see or speak her again. John has an affair with Zoe, his ex. Rose tells to John that Henry Madsen is talking. Trevor got arrested by Ian. Linda has an affair with Dennis. Alice suffocates Henry at the hospital, he died afterwards. Luther goes mad on Alice on the phone. Luther interviews Linda about Graham. Linda is in shock when John shows the pictures to her. Graham attacks Dennis and kills him. Graham has a date with Layla. Graham got arrested by Ian and Justin. Linda knocks Graham down with a hammer, he died afterwards. Nice Episode of Luther Season 1, what a great ending. A wife who kills here own man!

Calling it a crime series is a crime

[Harhaluulo54 · 13 April 2017]

This episode is such a logic failure. Against all protocol and police work that the great "twist" in the end can be seen a mile away.

The whole episode was basically written and created for the single twits at the end. Which could never happen in real life and which is exactly the reason why there are rules and protocol to go by to begin with. They ofc didn't follow any of those because that "amazing twist" could have never happened otherwise.

This sort of execution really pisses me of. No love from me. Will definitely drop the series if I see anything this wrong happen again.

The Luther in Winter

[Horst_In_Translation · 8/10 · 25 October 2021]

This is the fourth episode from the very first season of the British successful cop show Luther, which means it is the first episode from the second half of season one because the entire season only had six episodes. At approximately 50 minutes, it is also minimally shorter than the previous three episodes. The formula is once again similar to the earlier episodes. We have one key crime/case in the middle of it all and at the same time Luther's private life struggles are elaborated on and so is the Alice Morgan scenario, even if with the latter Luther emphasized that he does not want to be in touch with her anymore. This does not keep Morgan from committing another murder though and the victim this time is the child killer from the very start of episode one who has been in a coma ever since back then when Luther lets him fall down into that hole. Here the man awakens and seems on the road to recovery, so that he will put the blame on Luther for what happened back then. But Morgan, the devilish guardian angel gets in the way of that. This attracts further attention to the guy from internal affairs who is in charge of observing Luther anyway, especially with that really loud phone call. And as Luther is not happy at all with what Morgan did, she is not happy either and is angry because she does not get the appreciation she thinks she should be getting. As a consequence, she goes and talks to Luther's wife's new man that his girl/woman has been cheating on him with Luther again. So this story gets some new spice again as well. At the end, it seems as if he forgave her because she apologized to him in a heartfelt manner. This was also the biggest moment where the other man is once again depicted in a negative light, almost boastful, as he pretends towards the woman that he saw through it himself when reality is he had no idea and only knew because Alice told him as an act of revenge. By the way, Luther's wife is also quite a handful with what she is doing with several men here. I mean it's just the two, but still a constant back-and-forth. As for "just the two", it's still always very nice when Luther and Alice share the screen, even if it's not that often anymore. But I also want to mention the seductive theme song now, which is so Alice/Luther in terms of atmosphere, tune and temptation.

Before we move on to the case at hand here, it can be said that it's snowing in London, which is pretty nice to watch and the moment we see the killer's newest victim when we are initially led to believe they (almost) have him was a thing of beauty (despite the horror), also with the music playing at the same time. So yeah, what can be said about the killer this time? He seems like a really normal guy who snapped at some point because he thinks he is not getting the appreciation he should have been getting, in terms of both his former profession, but also in terms of his wife who has been cheating on him. His ego was characterized in that scene when he whispered something naughty into the ear of his "friend". In general, this episode once again is mostly worth watching for individual scenes and strong attention to detail. When the killer takes in the woman who initially doesn't want to, it's a scene as memorable as heartbreaking. Flaws are there, but not too frequent. Once again, the investigation process is a bit exaggerated in terms of how they find him. The conclusion that he must be a taxi driver feels as rushed as how he is selected from these over 20 other potential suspects. Still nothing too serious and I was well-entertained here too. The scene with the call girl near the very end was also as atmospheric and dramatic as it gets and the level this show has after four episodes is still immensely high. If you like what happens at the very end with the murderer's hammer and wife is up to you to decide. I think it was a very spectacular finish and I did not feel it was unrealistic, so I think it was pretty good closure. Maybe it also had something to do with the way Luther let the woman understand what was going on with her husband when he left her alone in the interrogation room. Smart scene and also nice to see Luther's completely lack of sympathy there. The necklace inclusion was also pretty memorable. In general, this show is not scared of killing off characters at all, which is something I applaud. No need for false harmony. Take the victim in the snow I mentioned twice already or also take the man who is the killer's wife's affair. Another easy thumbs-up without hesitation from me here. Start watching this show or keep watching this show. I surely will do the latter.

Not Even Remotely Realistic

[Warin_West-El · 1/10 · 6 February 2023]

I agree with the reviewer who wrote, "This episode is such a logic failure."

For example: Luther begins yelling and destroying property in his workplace. If anyone acted like that in a REAL workplace, they would be IMMEDIATELY SUSPENDED without pay.

In real life, the wife would NOT have been able to pick up that hammer, it's evidence.

The call girl sequence was ridiculous. She's told by the police to secure herself in a safe location and we're supposed to believe she doesn't possess enough composure to continue smiling?

Kudos to Nicola Walker for her amazing acting performance. The "folder scene" was truly stunning. You could feel the character's pain as you watched her slowly unravel.

What's fascinating is, the character I have the most respect for is Alice. Unlike Luther, she's not a chronic liar. She knows she's a psychopath and she doesn't run away from that fact.

Luther, on the other hand, is extremely tiring to watch. Whenever there's an easy way or a hard way to do something, Luther inevitably chooses the hard way. Such a person could never endure in the real world. A grown man consistently acting like a child strains the credulity of an adult audience. Especially when such childishness is seldom, if ever, punished.

The exceptional performances of actors like Ruth Wilson and Nicola Walker make this series worth watching. But so far, the stories (although sometimes clever) are imho, formulaic, unduly manipulative and not even remotely realistic.

Too Violent

[ctyankee1 · 23 January 2016]

One of the most violent episodes I ever watched in any series.

A man is killing women that are walking alone at night. He steals things from them and goes through their pocketbook.

In the episode it shows women that were killed all bloody and laying on the ground.

He steals the necklace off one of the dead women and gives it to his wife as a birthday present. She loves it and does not know it was stolen from a woman he killed. The violence started against other women because he read text on his wife's phone that she was cheating on him.

This shows how violent the man was even hitting his own head against a wall, stabbing a door to get a victim, punching a bathroom door and killing a man and wrapping him up in plastic.

This episode is disgusting and I don't understand who Luther is but he is a cop with problems.

Save yourself the trouble. No wonder so many nutters are out there programs teach them how to kill and get a kick out of the rage.