List of Luther characters
This is a list of fictional characters in the British psychological crime drama television series Luther, its international remakes and film continuation.
Overview
Main characters
John Luther
Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, portrayed by Idris Elba, works for the Metropolitan Police Service, in the Serious Crime Unit. He is a legendary figure on the force both for his dedication and his ingenious approaches to solving cases. However, the horrors of Luther's job have given rise to emotional demons which often put him at odds with colleagues and loved ones. Because of this, he constantly breaches protocol and uses unorthodox methods, such as breaking into properties without warrants to find clues or violently threatening suspects or witnesses. He is also given to belligerent fits of anger. Nevertheless, he is known to hate firearms, and he refuses to kill or directly cause the death of suspects.Luther studied English at University, where he met future spouse Zoe.
Luther returns from leave to investigate the double murder of Alice Morgan's parents, and quickly realises that she committed the crime. However, Morgan's methodical destruction of evidence keeps Luther from conclusively proving her guilt. A peculiar relationship develops between Luther and Morgan, and Luther approaches her for help on occasion. Morgan insinuates herself into Luther's relationship with Zoe with the intention of helping their marriage, yet her means only further complicate Luther's personal problems.
When Zoe is shot and killed by Luther's best friend, the corrupt Detective Chief Inspector Ian Reed, Luther – known for his violent temper – is blamed for the murder because Reed sets up the crime scene to implicate him. Luther subsequently becomes the focus of a citywide manhunt. Events transpire during which Alice kills Reed during a confrontation between him, on one side, and her, Luther, and Zoe's boyfriend Mark on the other, at a deserted Waterloo station. After providing proof that Reed murdered Zoe, Luther is allowed to return to the service, where he has now been assigned to the reorganised Serious and Serial Crime Unit, headed by DSU Schenck.
At the start of the second series, Luther has moved into an unmaintained flat at the Aylesbury Estate and shows suicidal tendencies. Luther also desires to leave the Met. He is approached by Caroline Jones, the wife of one of his former suspects, who asks him to locate her delinquent daughter, Jenny. When Luther tracks down Jenny and rescues her from a pornography shoot, the production's backers, Toby Kent and his grandmother, "Baba", violently pressure the inspector to hand her back. Rather than doing so, Luther strikes an illegal deal to provide them with information, in exchange for setting Jenny free. When Jenny kills Toby in self-defence, Luther manages to cover up her crime and threatens Baba with a visit from Alice if she continues to harass Jenny and her mother.
Idris Elba said of his character, "You know when you watch the news and someone has killed their children? And your instinct is to be like, 'Oh, if I got my hands on them'? Well, his instinct is to do that but he's a police officer. And when he does get his hands on them, he doesn't necessarily follow procedure. He will be as vindictive as the criminal".
Alice Morgan
Alice Morgan, played by Ruth Wilson, is a research scientist with a genius-level IQ. When first introduced, Alice has murdered her parents – and their dog – in such a calculated fashion, that not even Luther is able to prove her guilt, of which he is absolutely certain. Alice's core belief, that nothing in life ultimately matters, comes into direct conflict with Luther's own beliefs. She frequently insinuates herself into Luther's professional and personal life, both as an enemy and ally, with behaviours ranging from stalking him and those close to him, to helping him avoid criminal prosecution. She also provides Luther with a unique insight into the criminal mind. Luther describes Alice as a malignant narcissist.At the beginning of Series 2, Alice is in a mental institute following the events of Series 1. Luther goes to visit her, whereupon it is revealed she tried to kill herself by cutting her wrist. While visiting, Luther offers Alice an apple. She declines it, but after he leaves, he throws his half-eaten apple over the wall of the mental institute's gardens in which Alice is walking. When she picks the apple up, it is revealed that Luther has stolen a swipe card and given it to Alice to help her escape.
After escaping, she visits him one last time, asking Luther to come away with her to travel overseas. However, he refuses, as he cannot shake his dedication to being a police officer, and – he says: "I am who I am, and you are who you are". Alice then leaves him behind. She returns in the Series 3 season finale, when Luther is wrongly accused of arranging for [|DS Ripley's] murder by a killer vigilante. After freeing him from police custody, Alice aids Luther in proving his innocence, and in the vigilante's capture. Having made her interest in developing a relationship with Luther clear, after again evading arrest, she meets up with Luther, and the episode ends as they debate what to do next.
Alice's apparent death in Belgium is announced in the first few minutes of Series 4. It is revealed that she and Luther have secretly been in regular communication by burner phone, and had been planning to flee to São Paulo. Her apparent death, and Luther's investigation of it, is a key component of the two-episode series.
Morgan is eventually revealed to be alive in Series 5, having faked her death when she realized Luther was never truly going to run away with her. Luther attempts to protect her and himself from Alice's robbery of crime boss George Cornelius, but eventually their relationship reaches its inevitable destruction when Morgan murders DS Catherine Halliday. Ultimately culminating in a struggle with Luther and Morgan falling to her apparent death and Luther's arrest for the deaths of Morgan, Halliday, and Benny Silver. Series creator Neil Cross later confirmed that Alice survived the fall.
Justin Ripley
Detective Sergeant Justin Ripley, played by Warren Brown, is a young policeman eager to be partnered with a detective like Luther, but he doesn't quite realise what doing so will entail.After Luther is framed for Zoe's murder and flees, Ripley is the only one who believes that he is innocent and aids Luther in destroying the main piece of evidence against him. Ripley is arrested at the end of Series 1, after saving a fugitive Luther's life from a police marksman. For this action, he is put back in uniform and told he will remain in uniform for two years. At the beginning of Series 2, Luther has Ripley reinstated as a detective and puts him back on his team. DS Gray remarks that DS Ripley was a rising star but has now tarnished his career. At the end of Series 2 episode 1, Ripley is kidnapped by Cameron Pell, who tortures him throughout the next episode before Ripley manages to escape and aid in Pell's arrest.
In Series 3, Ripley is questioned by DSU George Stark and DCI Erin Gray, who are attempting to bring down Luther. At first, Ripley seems to be helping them, but he later tells them he has been honoured to work with Luther. In episode 3, Ripley chases the vigilante killer Tom Marwood into an alleyway and corners him. Despite Marwood's insistence, Ripley refuses to back down, so Marwood fatally shoots him.
Martin Schenk
Detective Superintendent Martin Schenk, played by Dermot Crowley, initially works for Police Complaints and is universally feared for his steel-trap mind. A highly intuitive and observant individual, who appears unassuming, Schenk is determined to rid the force of corrupt officers which, despite Schenk's high regard for Luther's abilities, may include Luther himself.In The Calling, he investigated Luther for the first time after Luther set Julian Crouch's Jaguar on fire. He tells Zoe that he is married, and that he used to be a murder detective until he was stabbed.
Schenk appeared in episodes 3 to 6 in Series 1 and returned in Series 2 to head up the new Serious and Serial Crime Unit, replacing Rose Teller as DCI Luther's boss.
Benny 'Deadhead' Silver
DS Benny "Deadhead" Silver, played by Michael Smiley, was first introduced in Series 1, when Luther needed some technological expertise. In Series 2, he has become a full-time employee of the new Serious and Serial Crime Unit. He gets his nickname Benny Deadhead from his laid back nature. In his first appearance, as well as the final two episodes of Series 2, he is shown to have an interest in role-playing games as well as World of Warcraft. This knowledge comes in handy in Series 2, when the SSU is trying to catch twin killers for whom murder is part of a game.Erin Gray
DCI Erin Gray, played by Nikki Amuka-Bird, is a new member of the team in Series 2 as DS Grey. She is highly intelligent, capable and ambitious, She makes it clear in episode 1 she doesn't want her name tarnished like Ripley's, and she keeps her distance from Luther. Luther keeps her on because she is good at her job and eager to please. During a fire evacuation she witnesses him leaving Shenk's office, she attempts to find evidence of wrong doing by having Shenks account audited, but Ripley eliminates the evidence to protect Luther.Without evidence, she is accused of attempting to smear Luther and is humiliated when she confronts him. She leaves the Serious and Serial Unit under a cloud. Between Series 2 and 3 she joins anti corruption and is inexplicably promoted to Detective Chief Inspector; apparently missing the rank of Inspector completely. Working with Detective Superintendent George Stark in an investigation against Luther, Grey convinces Ripley to wear a wire to prove Luther is clean. She starts a fake relationship with Ripley to throw Luther off the scent. Grey is last seen being taken to hospital following an attack from the vigilante killer Tom Marwood.