Luther 2 takes things to the next level

BBC's Luther ends its first series on an incredibly dark note, with Detective John Luther (Idris Elba, The Wire, The Office) having been betrayed by his best friend and devastated by the murder of his wife, Zoe.

As series two, which consists of four hours split into two stories, begins, Luther has been wasting away working cold cases. He is given the chance to come back to investigate current crimes, but with his old unit gone, he will now serve under Martin Schenk (Dermot Crowley, Raw, Bleak House), a former police complaints officer who, with good reason, isn't sure that Luther should be a cop at all. Working with the ambitious Detective Erin Gray (Nikki Amuka-Bird, The Omen, Bad Girls), Luther also recruits his former partner, Justin Ripley (Warren Brown, Savage, Dead Set) to assist. The two, with their very different opinions on the titular detective, provide a nice counterbalance to each other.

Other familiar faces return, too. Mark North (Paul McGann), Zoe's guy at the time of her death, is now a good friend of Luther's. He even helps during a case. This is a strange reversal, as the two are so at odds previously, but it's nice that Luther retains McGann's talents in any fashion.

There is only a little bit of Alice (Ruth Wilson) in series 2, as she is in jail. One misses her presence, and it changes the tone of the series to have her out of the game. While it may be a relief to have a cold killer like her off the streets in real life, Luther needs her involvement to be the best show it can be. Hopefully, she will be freed be the time series 3 begins.

Luther, himself, is quite a bit different. He is still in a depressing place, occasionally contemplating suicide, but he no longer contributes to the darkness. In fact, he would like redemption for his wrongs. His conscience continues to bother him, but he's working to balance the scales in his favor. He may still be grieving, but he is finally moving on from the events of the first episode, and that's a good sign.

Luckily, Luther doesn't get much chance to dwell in his sadness, because there are two strings of killings that must be stopped in Luther 2. The first is done by a serial murderer who thrives on causing fear. He is played by the wonderful Lee Ingleby (White Heat, Inspector George Gently). The second villain is more elusive, and less showy. It takes all of Luther's considerable skill to take on these two criminals.

Elba is the heart of the series, and always will be. He shines brilliantly in this second batch of episodes, taking a character he already soars with, and adding new layers and depths. The accolades continue to pour in for his performance, and every one of them is deserved.

The sole fault with this release is the lack of extras. At least the first series boasted one, while Luther 2 has none. It is a great show, one that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. But it would be nice if some behind the scenes information was given, letting fans take a peek into how the show is made. Instead, the episodes are expected to stand alone.

Which isn't necessarily a terrible thing. After all, Luther is one of BBC America's most popular programs for a reason. It has complex, intelligent characters and stories, and is populated with some great actors delivering some truly impressive work. So if any gritty crime drama wants to stand alone, with no bonus features to support it, then Luther is the one to do so.

Buy Luther 2, on DVD now.

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Being Human picks up on the "Eve of the War"

Being Human returns to BBC American with "Eve of the War" this past weekend. The action picks up a few weeks after last year's finale. Viewers learn that, in the interim, Nina (Sinead Keenan) has been killed in retribution for George's (Russell Tovey) slaying of Wyndam (Lee Ingleby). Now, George is a shut-in, protecting his unnamed infant daughter by not allowing her out of her nursery. That is, until Tom (Michael Socha) shows up with information about Griffin (Alex Jennings, Whitechapel, The Queen), Wyndam's replacement who ordered Nina's murder.

Tom and George have their work cut out for them in the revenge game. Griffin is a few steps ahead, bringing in the Old Ones, and plotting to kidnap George and Nina's daughter, the first baby born of two werewolves. Disappointingly to the vampires, the baby appears all-human. The Vampire Recorder, Regus (Mark Williams, the Harry Potter films), reveals that the baby is prophesized to wipe out all the vampires from the face of the Earth, so Griffin decides to kill her.

The new vampire characters in "Eve of the War" are interesting, if a bit murky in their motivation. Is Regus really willing to see the annihilation of his entire species just to allow a prophecy to come true? Yes, he has dedicated his life to such works, and without prophecy fulfillment, his efforts seem to be a waste of time. But this is a serious offense against himself and his people, not to mention, he is missing a third of the scroll, and doesn't even know the whole story. Perhaps he is a good guy who just can't stand to see a baby killed?

The new vampire villain looks to be Cutler (Andrew Gower, Monroe), who is far more suited to modern times than Griffin is. Cutler tries to warn Griffin that his plans will fail, and is cunning enough to hide in the shadows when all hell breaks loose in the vampire place. Cutler will surely take over the local hive, and possibly the plans for world domination that Griffin aspires to. As such, Cutler will be the face of evil our heroes must defeat. Or so it seems from the season premiere alone.

It's a shame that Being Human kills Nina off screen. With the injuries she suffers near the end of last season, that seems a cleaner time to end the character than with an unseen hit. However, her death, and the way it is carried out, gives great motivation to George, who seeks to avenge her any way that he can, which eventually leads to his own reckless downfall. George dies a hero, in a powerfully moving scene, because the result of his actions is the saving of his daughter, whom he names Eve. Awesome way to take out George, which makes Nina's disappearance all the more regrettable.

This leaves Annie (Lenora Crichlow) with plenty of story going forward. Not only does she have to serve as a mentor to new housemate, Tom, but she has to raise George and Nina's baby. This is surely a lot for a ghost to handle, given her limitations. It also makes Annie even more the heart of the series than she previously is, which Crichlow should be able to handle with the ease that she has demonstrated repeatedly already.

To round out the house, because Being Human fans know that a vampire, werewolf, and ghost must band together to protect the human race, "Eve of the War" introduces Hal (Damien Molony). Hal has long been part of a similar trio as the main characters of this show, but his werewolf pal is dying. It is unknown what will happen to the ghost that he lives with, but Hal should have some guidance and wisdom to offer Annie, being that he has been a protector of mankind for so much longer.

Oh, and there's a plot set in a dystopian 2037, where a young woman (probably a grown Eve, though that is unconfirmed) has her friend kill her so she can, as a ghost, kill a baby and save the world. No idea how this works into the rest of the story yet, other than the prophecy connection, as she has Regus's scroll, including the missing piece.

"Eve of the War" is a fantastic season premiere. It changes the tone of Being Human into something a good deal more exciting than the original premise, and certainly a faster moving series. The new characters are interesting, and the plot arcs just beginning look to be really cool. One could not ask for a better premiere!

Being Human airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

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Being Human (UK) fires "The Wolf-Shaped Bullet"

     The British show Being Human ended its third series last night on BBC America. Not to be confused with the American version on Syfy, which ends its first season Monday (check back Tuesday for that review). The finale is amazing, quite possibly the best episode they've done yet, at least the final ten minutes or so. It is a real game-changer, taking the characters and plot to unexpected places. It's hard not to wonder if the American version will be so open to such drastic developments when they reach the same part of the story.

     Before the ending, there is resolution on a number of running stories. Firstly, Lia (Lacey Turner) tricks Annie (Lenora Crichlow) into returning to purgatory. It is presented as a mission Annie must undertake, creepily delivered by a dead body in rhyme, but actually, Lia just wants to deprive Mitchell (Aidan Turner) of his love. Annie is forced to watch a major confrontation among her friends, helpless to do anything, so that Lia can take her revenge. Surprising to Lia, revenge isn't nearly as satisfying as she assumed it would be. Chastised, and realizing she is creating new victims, she lets Annie go.

     Though relatively small, this is a wonderful piece of the finale, and a pay off from the series three premiere featuring Lia. The writers really dig down into what it means to get even, and how collateral damage is assured. Lia's thinking it too narrow, not considering how what she has done will impact people she doesn't even think about. Revenge can become a never ending cycle, which is what Lia seems to realize by the end of the whole mess. Well done!

     Tom (Michael Socha) also concludes his run with McNair (Robson Green), who is killed in the penultimate episode. McNair knew chances were great that he would not survive, so he has left Tom a note asking him to stop the cycle of violence. Unlike Lia, McNair realizes the bigger implications of what he has been doing, and doesn't want Tom to get caught up in the same things.

     Sadly, a note is not nearly enough to sway Tom in his anger and grief. Tom goes after McNair's killer. Luckily, Mitchell stops him, and that's the last we see of Tom, for now. Tom is not a strong character, always having had someone by his side to guide him and teach him. It is likely that Tom will begin to quickly come into his own, and return to the series next season a more formidable werewolf. For now, pursuing the revenge would have only gotten him killed, so it's a very good thing someone is there to prevent that.

     The vampire that Tom wants revenge on is Herrick (Jason Watkins), who is killed by George (Russell Tovey) at the end of season one, only to be resurrected from the dead. His return to top villain status has been a very slow burn, and it's not clear that Herrick ever becomes as much of a threat as he once was. Sure, he leaves behind a huge pile of bodies, but he never gets to the point where is making any dent against society at large, his goal. However, what Herrick represents is very dangerous, and he seems to only be the appetizer to a much bigger obstacle.

     Side note, how exactly did Nina (Sinead Keenan) survive and heal so quickly after Herrick's attack on her? Sure, Annie does something at the hospital, which while unexplained, seems to heal Nina. Annie's powers aside, Nina may be a werewolf, but she goes from the brink of death to walking around in a kitchen in what seems like a day or so. And how is the baby completely unharmed? The knife went in pretty close to where the little whatever-it-is is growing. At best, the hospital would have a lot of questions about the miracle. Her rapid recovery is definitely the weakest link in the entire episode, and screams for further explanation.

     Back to Herrick, he used to be smart. In the finale, he puts Mitchell and George in a cage and expects they will fight to the death. Does he seriously believe that any goading he provides will cause the two to battle so fiercely? George has a much deeper bond with Mitchell than Herrick ever had, and after observing them from his attic these past few weeks, he should have realized that. Especially once it becomes apparent that George already at least suspected Mitchell is behind the massacre of the Box Tunnel Twenty, and looked the other way.

     Herrick's ending is perfect. In this episode, especially, Herrick's affection for Mitchell is often shown, but it is much less acknowledged that Mitchell feels something back for Herrick. The two have much shared history, and were very close for quite awhile. Mitchell knows he cannot allow Herrick to go on, because he knows that what Herrick has done, and what Mitchell has done when emulating Herrick, is wrong and must be stopped. But Mitchell decides to give Herrick a parting gift, allowing him to die while looking at a spectacular view. It is a nice acknowledgement of their past association, while still serving the purpose. Mitchell could have been cruel, but it emphasizes the good he strives for to have him give Herrick a final touch of mercy.

     Would the American version of Being Human ever kill off one of the main trio, especially with so much more story left to go? Somehow, that seems hard to believe, since American shows seem so much more tied to their central characters than British ones. Yes, there are exceptions, but I'm speaking as a general rule. From a storytelling standpoint, it's brilliant. It almost provides a reboot, and pushes the show to be different, trying some alternate paths. From a fan perspective, it's much sadder, and if not done right, can kill a series. It remains to be seen which is in evidence here, as the fourth series is far off, but I'm already inclined to lean towards this being a good move.

     The death itself is done with so much care and sadness. There is a very long sequence where the characters debate whether Mitchell should be killed, then say goodbye once the decision is made. Against stereotype, the girls are the ones arguing for execution, citing that they will be responsible for any future murders Mitchell commits if they let him walk out of the house alive. Of course, they aren't the ones being asked to take his life, so it might be a little easier for them to judge. Nina also doesn't have that close love and connection that George and Annie do for Mitchell, so there's that.

     For a second, a reprieve seems likely, as Edgar Wyndam (Lee Ingleby) (next season's Big Bad?) shows up and interrupts George. But George turns and does it anyway, to stop Mitchell from being forced to massacre others under orders from Wyndam. As George proclaims he is doing this because he loves Mitchell, and Mitchell replies that he knows that, one of the sweetest deaths ever shown on screen unfolds. All the characters have previously had tears in their eyes, and viewers everywhere likely joined them by then. Perfectly executed. Excuse the poorly timed pun.

     So what next? Wyndam seems bent on vampire world domination, and George is equally determined to stop him. I, for one, am just as curious as Wyndam about what will come out of Nina's far-too-rapidly growing stomach. Annie is promised more ghosts, and as she seems to have the power to stop Nina from dying, it looks likely only the tip of her powers have come out. And I think it's safe to count on more action, danger, and bloodshed in series four than in this past season. I can't wait!


Article first published as TV Review: Being Human (UK) - "The Wolf-Shaped Bullet" on Blogcritics.

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