Question about the Luther TV series

[singlecoil]

It's all on iPlayer so we thought we would give it a go

Brilliant but flawed detective (no surprises there then), unconventional and a bit of a rule breaker (no surprises there either).

My question is, how seriously are we supposed to take it? Assuming the answer is 'seriously' then it leaves me wondering why it would be so preposterous. Shouldn't a serious drama try to incorporate some element of believability?

[cobra kid]

I watched it all for the first time recently. Loved it. As a general rule, I don't take any television seriously as if I wanted to see accurate real life, I'd just walk the streets.

There is a disconnect between the final episode and the film though.

[simon_harris]

You do realise it is fiction right, not a hard hitting documentary?

If they made it true to life it would be boring as hell for the most part, take your brain out and just enjoy the show for what it is.

[singlecoil]

simon_harris said:

You do realise it is fiction right, not a hard hitting documentary?

If they made it true to life it would be boring as hell for the most part, take your brain out and just enjoy the show for what it is.

Yes, I do realise that it's fiction.

I'd like to be able to do as you suggest and watch it (and a great many other such shows) without letting the obvious bks bother me, but I've not been able to do that for a very long time. I do keep trying these things, every now and then I come across an absolute gem such as Breaking Bad. But most of the time I don't.

[StevieBee]

I'm not being rude but this is a 'you' problem.

Luther, like any other drama, is a character-led story.

What you need to be interested in is the relationships he has with colleagues, his inner-angst and how this plays out in what he does and how he fights to overcome the demons for good. Whilst the writer may have drawn inspiration from people he's met or knows, Luther is a figment of his imagination..... or it may be an accurate portrayal of somebody. Either way it doesn't matter.

I have no idea if there's a Serial and Serious division within the Met. Again, it doesn't matter. That's just the stage that the characters are played out on.

How do you get on with Science Fiction? or Cartoons? or Comedies?

Have you seen the film Rush? As a long time fan of F1, I could pick holes in the details all day long.... why was Enzo Ferrari sitting on a deck chair at the pit entry on Clearways at Brands Hatch? Why did they pretend Cadwell Park was the Nürburgring? And that F3 race at Crystal Palace wasn't at Crystal Palace as there's not a circuit there anymore..... But it's a brilliant film because it's about Hunt and Lauda and that's all that matters.

It's a little like magic. There is no such thing as 'magic'. It's all props, manipulation, diversion and sleight of hand.....You could probably work out how most tricks are done but why would you want to know? The pleasure is derived from observing something that isn't real!

Edited by StevieBee on Tuesday 4th April 14:14

[singlecoil]

I'm well aware that it's my problem.

All such shows are a mixture of good and bad. If there's enough good stuff then it outweighs the bad and I will watch and enjoy it.

Luther and many other such shows rely heavily on tropes, but that's not my only complaint. Good drama needs to contain various elements, one of which is motivation. There has to be reasons why the characters are doing what they are doing. But detective stories don't need that. All they need is a serial killer who is doing what he is doing because he is insane. It's been done to double death and back again.

[StevieBee]

singlecoil said:

Luther and many other such shows rely heavily on tropes, but that's not my only complaint. Good drama needs to contain various elements, one of which is motivation. There has to be reasons why the characters are doing what they are doing. But detective stories don't need that. All they need is a serial killer who is doing what he is doing because he is insane. It's been done to double death and back again.

It comes back to character-led drama rather than the theme itself.

There are only seven basic drama plots on which any film, TV Drama or play is based:

1. Overcoming the monster
2. Voyage and return
3. Rage to riches
4. The Quest
5. Comedy
6. Tragedy
7. Rebirth

It stands to reason therefore that you will get different takes on the same theme. For example; Marcella and Luther are both about the pursuit of serial killers (Overcoming the Monster) and both are told from the perspective of the principal character. But the focus is not on the serial killers but on the characters of those that pursue them. This is what makes them intriguing and interesting and hopefully entertaining and on the latter point, whether it is or isn't is entirely subjective.

but everything ever shot has, at the basic level, been done to death. Star Wars is essentially a re-telling of the New Testament!