MovieChat Forums > Luther (2010) Discussion > Season 2 Episode 1 - what the heck!

Season 2 Episode 1 - what the heck!


Can somebody please explain this one to me? The squad is at the first murder scene. Luther tells his detectives to confiscate the cellphones of the onlookers as murderers of this type are apt to return to the scene of the crime. He spots Sgt Bacchus, I mean Cameron, on the outskirts of the onlookers and immediately pegs him as a suspect. Huh????? What made him pick out Cameron as a suspect besides his slightly shifty demeanor? I'm starting to get used to Gently, Lewis and Barnaby with their "Eureka!" moments but this one was over the top! Thanks!

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... as murderers of this type are apt to return to the scene of the crime.

This informs us John is a student of criminology. As he instructed his detectives, he was eyeing the onlookers while answering his own question, "Where would the murderer place oneself to gain the pleasure?"

Would the murderer be in the front row, collecting the ambience? Or would the murderer stand away from the gathered crowd to savor the spectacle the deed created? John chose the latter!








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Est modus in rebus sunt certi denique fines quos ultra citraque nequit consistere rectum Goldilocks

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When he saw Luther looking at him he looked shifty. Then when Luther went toward him he clearly went into evasion mode. Had Pell just stood there and not avoided John he would not have made himself a suspect.

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That's how I interpreted it also but to me it was somewhat of a stretch that Luther zooms in on Pell so quickly. After seeing the finale, I guess Pell felt vulnerable without his mask which made him act so suspiciously.

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it was somewhat of a stretch that Luther zooms in on Pell so quickly.

I guess we are meant to believe that he was lucky to look in Cameron's direction right off.

As for Luther picking out Cameron when he saw him, Cameron was the only one who wasn't looking where everyone else was looking, he was looking at Luther and immediately looked away when Luther's gaze came toward him. He began slinking away, looking guilty, looking like he was trying to escape without notice.
I didn't find this part hard to believe, especially since cops have a great deal of experience seeing and recognizing guilty people's behavior.

It was the next episode, season 2 episode 2 where I saw something I had trouble buying.

It was when Luther was called by the sex worker girl's mother to that meeting with the head of the criminal firm that owned the adult film and prostitution ring. At that point Luther had not done much that he could not get out of. He arrested a girl on suspicion of selling controlled substances to get her away from the criminals, and he held her at a secret location so they could not find her. He did not book her, so he would be in a little trouble if it were found out. But, not so much that he could not get out of it.

The bit I found hard to buy was this: his hand was nailed to the table by the criminal firm and he was told to commit a crime for the firm or else the firm would murder the mother and daughter. And Luther caved in to their demands.

I guess we are meant to believe that this criminal firm is so powerful and so connected that they are virtually immune to prosecution. But Luther had them on a felony assault (would be in the US, don't know what it is in the UK) and issuing death threats, and also bribing and threatening a police officer to commit a crime.
The mother and daughter could have testified against the firm, and put into witness relocation.

And the Luther is a strong character who doesn't like being pushed around. So when he caved I thought the writers stretched that plot device too far. But they needed him to cave in to the firm and agree do what they asked him to do. Then the firm has him over a barrel; they recorded him agreeing to their demands.

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I also thought it was a stretch that Luther honed in on him so instinctively. Plenty of people look shifty, especially when there are a lot of policemen around. As for the killer, I just couldn't take him seriously as a scary psychotic. Even when he was torturing poor Justin, I couldn't help thinking he's going to be in a lot of trouble when George Gently hears about this.

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To me he'll always be little Sammy's Dad from Life on Mars....

'tler

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He definitely would've gotten one of Gently's legendary speeches for his behavior. On a serious note I think it was just too much fanciful dialogue and not so much the acting. I'm not sure who could have played that role and seemed believable saying those lines. I love this show but man are the villains over the top. I think it was said on another show which I can't recall right now that criminals are usually not that interesting or disturbed and they're actually pretty boring and predictable.

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For me, I noticed the coat. Same coat as in the CCTV footage. I figured that coupled with the shifty eyes was more than enough to tip off his well honed instincts.

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It's an old cop trick - roll up on em and if they run they are holding.

Also the guy did look out of place. He didn't show any emotion, not curious, not disgusted or sorry. Just standing there and grinning like a psycho, as Sgt. Doakes would say.

I think the scene works well, it is supposed to show how clever Luther really is.

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Funny you should mention Doakes as it was in Dexter that this also happened. Dexter was just looking at the crowd and spotted Colin Hanks' character (Series 6) and immediately *knew* he was the killer.
Spidey Sense.

'tler

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I wonder if there is any truth to this in television. And I wonder if I could spot some psychopath who is "off" like this.

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Columbo made a career out of knowing who the killer was straight away.

'tler

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