Eammon Jacobs reviews the third episode of Luther series 5…
After the second episode’s killer ending, Luther’s problems on both sides of the law only become increasingly complicated. The detective is spinning too many plates, and one of them has to come crashing down. While he scrambles to stay on top of both the investigation and keeping Alice in check, Luther has to save a friend from Cornelius’ wrath. Although giving the hero so many obstacles to overcome does prove how resilient he is, it does seem like he can’t catch a break in light of everything he’s had to endure over the years. Everything John touches dies sooner or later, and it’s more obvious than ever in the latest episode.
Although the stakes are (once again) raised to a deadly level, the third chapter seemed to sag slightly before it ramped up for the climactic ending. Luther seemed to spend half of the episode talking back and forth on the phone to various people promising them help and asking them for more time. But at least it never ground to a halt. It was evidently clear which storyline was the forefront of this instalment, as the devious pair of Doctor Lakes took a backseat this time around. The focus was instead on George Cornelius and the ticking time-bomb of Alice’s violent behaviour in the previous episode. Ruth Wilson once again proves that she’s a delight to watch, revelling in her actions and how they affect everyone around her. Her witty remarks prove the series can get comedic timing spot on when it wants to. Sorry DS Halliday, that doesn’t apply to you unfortunately… She’s a likeable character, but her humour doesn’t gel with the rest of the series.
Luther also still finds the time to develop characters on the sidelines in new ways, adding yet another interesting dimension to Martin Schenk. It was always obvious that he’s had some bite (he investigated John as a dirty cop in the first series, remember!) but that might go deeper than originally suggested thanks to one conversation in particular. Combine that with the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene in episode two where Schenk sips from a hip flask, and it seems that writer Neill Cross could be sowing seeds for a downfall later down the line.
Once Hermione Norris’ Vivien Lake has to deal with another of her husband’s plans, a pulse pounding race to the finish begins for Luther and Halliday. It creates an edge-of-your-seat level of tension as the drama unfolds, and for a brief few minutes the audience is left debating whether they’ll make it in time or not. But now the pair have discovered the secret rooms in the Lakes’ house, it will only push Jeremy to the brink now that he’s out in the open, setting the stage for the finale. Hermione Norris was criminally underused until the final few scenes, and it’s a shame that she hasn’t been given more to do thus far. Here’s hoping the final episode lets her performance really shine.
Without spoiling anything, the real conclusion to episode three brings back an old friend while also dragging them headfirst into the danger from Cornelius’ nefarious plans. However for the moment it doesn’t really serve any purpose aside from a brief surprise at their reappearance. It’s the brutal finish that will really strike a chord with longstanding fans of the series, and will likely make Luther more reckless than he’s been for quite some time. Look out Cornelius and friends.
While it hasn’t been the best episode so far (that’s still reserved for the first) it nicely sets the stage for what should be a dramatically explosive finale.
Eammon Jacobs
