Luther Season 5, Episode 2 recap: Together, at last
By Kevin Lever
Luther Season 5, Episode 2 brings back a fan favorite, while raising the stakes and delivering a stronger episode than the premiere.
Luther has, at times, struggled with convoluted stories or taking its time. Here, though, on Luther Season 5, Episode 2, the show is in high gear, setting up a war between Alice and Cornelius, with Luther in the middle.
Bringing Luther and Alice together again is long needed. There’s been times the show felt a little listless without Ruth Wilson’s Alice, and so for her to be back in full force brings a breath of fresh air back to events.
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That Alice is actually the one behind Cornelius’ son’s disappearance ties up a lot of Luther Season 5, Episode 1‘s story issues. Of course Cornelius would think Luther’s involved if Alice is: they are so bound to each other.
Even Alice is saying as much, saying her fake death would bring him peace. It didn’t; not so much, at least.
Ruth Wilson is excellent throughout the episode. The way she glides through her parent’s home, remembering their murders and almost enjoying the sights and sounds of her past, is a chilling moment. She speaks of those events almost as though it’s nostalgic.
The episode does good work in providing a closer view on Luther and Alice, and what makes them tick. While Luther is driven by the act of saving lives, Alice is driven by the act of taking them, either for benefit or for revenge. But both find the other appealing, opposites attracting, and though that part of their past may be locked away, there’s still something lingering between them.
Alice taking the nuclear option, by killing Cornelius’ son, is a rather surprising way to close out the episode. The episode makes it sound like her “option two” is to take out Cornelius, but she appears to want to do so by tearing him down in the process, rather than a simple strike.
It will likely lead to a lot of pain and anger ahead, and leaves the door open for the show to go down some dark paths.
The episode also starts to give us a larger look at Jeremy Lake, Vivien’s husband who we see briefly during Luther Season 5, Episode 1, masked and sobbing uncontrollably. He’s hard to read, professional at work but unnerving in private.
There are cracks there, though. His pompous, confident, and flippant demeanor to Luther and Halliday shows his lack of respect, and the surgery shows he’s not in full control. Perhaps the MRI Luther notices him holding during their talk is Jeremy’s, and he’s deteriorating rapidly (as hinted at with Jeremy’s discussion with Vivien outside).
Luther himself is a little sidelined on the episode, left to be referee to all of the chaos around him. Cornelius is proving to be a reckless force, unable to be reasoned with, and paired off against Alice, there’s likely a whole lot more bloodshed to come.
What did you think of the episode? Let us know in the comments below!