Luther Season 5, Episode 3 recap: Lost hope

By Kevin Lever | Jun 16, 2019

Idris Elba as DCI John Luther - Luther _ Season 5, Episode 3 - Photo Credit: Des Willie/BBCAmerica /

Luther finds himself in a game where no one wins on Luther Season 5, Episode 3.

As the walls close in on Luther, some situations call for drastic actions. But unfortunately for him, he’s being pulled in two different directions. The main mode of the episode appears to be to distract Luther from keeping on a single track. He’s stuck in a battle with Cornelius, Alice goading him to finish things for good, all while attempting to help in the murder case.

At least Halliday is solving things at a rapid pace, completely self-reliant and proving to be a rather fantastic investigator. After coming across as a potential roadblock for Luther, Wunmi Mosaku manages to become a cheery addition to the show, Halliday’s work going above and beyond to solve things rather quickly and efficiently.

She’s progressively becoming a favorite.

Jeremy’s complete disregard for Vivien by drugging her and bringing the kidnapped victim to their home is a sign of broken boundaries that are no longer possible to mend. He’s broken the trust between them now, and so with Vivien arrested and Jeremy on the loose, it makes you wonder if she will actually end up helping him or not.

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He’s not in his right mind, as Halliday’s detective work nearly (but basically) confirms the MRI he previously looked at is his, and he suffers from a tumor. It is heading down a dark path, with Jeremy lacking any control.

Vivien attempting to clean up his mess and murder the woman in their basement herself reads like self-preservation on Vivien’s part, rather than helping her husband out.

The scorched earth plan by Cornelius over his son’s death leads to Luther’s friend and co-worker Benny getting killed. It’s a shame, too, as Michael Smiley is always a fun performer, and not having him around will be disappointing. His sacrifice is in order to save Mark, and so it is not in vain.

The best part of the episode comes from an engaging discussion between Superintendent Schenk and Cornelius, talking about the old days and the way things were back then. It’s two seasoned professionals, at far lengths of the law from one another, reminiscing on the glory days. Dermot Crowley mostly has to resort to passing glances in some episodes, as Schenk doesn’t get a ton to do episode-to-episode, but this scene helps bolster his talents and sell him as seasoned and weary.

With Luther and Cornelius fully at their breaking points, it will be fascinating to see where both are willing to go to meet their ends. Luther’s lost so much to get to this point, and has reached peak exhaustion as the pressures mount up. Is it possible Alice will push him where he needs to go, or step in if he can’t go all the way in his battle with the gangster?

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Luther Season 5 Episode 3 is a solid set-up for the finale, by crushing down the escalation so that it’s now two simplified focuses. Jeremy on the loose without guidance is a level of chaos Luther and Halliday may not be ready for, all while Cornelius goes after everything Luther loves and cares about.

The finale will have a lot on its mind. Let’s hope Luther can clear his own. What did you think of the new episode? Let us know in the comments below!

Luther airs Sundays at 8/7c on BBC America.