Make no mistake about it, the spring/summer of 2018 was a brutal time for television shows. Because there were so many fan favorites that found themselves on the chopping block for various reasons, and of the many shows that I saw disappear from the airwaves, there was one that I felt was axed from the lineup well ahead of its time, and that’s Designated Survivor. For a story about a good man thrust in the midst of chaos, and forced to hold a nation together isn’t a story that finds its voice overnight, it takes time to learn what a guy like President Tom Kirkman stands for when the dust has finally settled and that’s why I’m so happy that Netflix took the time to give this show new life by giving it a well-deserved third season.
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Because now, we can see Tom Kirkman’s journey come to its logical conclusion and see it unfold in realistic fashion and really, that’s the first thing that I noticed is different when it comes to this series; the fact that it is trying to tie into our everyday world for a change. Which is a wonderful thing to say the least. Because this series has always flirted with social commentary by presenting the Kirkman Administration with situations that served as allegories for issues that we seem to be dealing with right now. But it would often keep the commentary in vague territory, instead opting to quickly shift the story to how Tom and his staff will meet the challenge before them in the noblest and classiest way imaginable because that’s how Tom rolls.

But with rhetoric and showmanship and selfishness at an all-time high in Washington right now, the show is clearly ready to push its commentary to the next level by taking the right kinds of shots at politics in general, since this premiere took the time to remind its audience that the President and Congress serve the American people over anything else and that Washington has lost its way by becoming so self-serving and isolated from the nation it works for. If anything, the realism and the message here were brilliant to say the say the least, because it immediately draws the viewer in, since you’re instantly curious to see how a show that often takes the high road with issues is going to maintain that positive veneer when criticizing modern politics and well, it handles that just fine by not insulting anyone or any party, it just sticks to the facts and that’s refreshing to say the least.

But, beyond all that, what Tom did in this tale to reinforce the message was powerful and inspiring to say the least. Because I simply cannot get the impromptu rally at the mall out of my head since it said so much about where we are as a country right now and what we need to do to get out of the rhetoric rut we are in, and hearing someone talk about unity and brotherhood and turning our anger into something useful for a change definitely gave me pause because, Kirkman is 100% correct and it’s wonderful to see a story declare ‘enough’ when it comes to rhetoric and it was equally as impressive to see Tom Kirkman take the time to really listen to the people and ponder upon how the office can truly make a difference for others over the individual…

If anything, this premiere was a wonderful way to reintroduce the world to Tom Kirkman, all while continuing his wonderful story and I am so happy to see this series back on the air. Because it really is a different kind of political show, one that truly works to highlight the best parts of our nation and the human condition when we are faced with adversity, and I am so looking forward to seeing Tom campaign in the days ahead as he pushes toward a second term and of course, I’m also curious where this bioterrorism plotline is headed as well. Because commentary or no, this series has presented us with some fascinating crises for the Kirkman Administration to tackle and this may be its most interesting one to date, and it should be intriguing to see what Hannah uncovers in regard to the problem brewing in Florida. But, that’s just me getting ahead of myself, because I’m simply filled with joy to be enjoying this show once again, and if this season premiere is any indication, we are going to be in for one powerful and moving ride, and I am going to relish every single second of it. Until next time.

Over the past few recaps, we’ve definitely had some healthy dialogue about the past and present and potential future of The Handmaid’s Tale. Because many of us are invested in this storyline, and we’ve followed June’s harrowing journey for several years now and the future is definitely on the minds of the fanbase because there really is only thing we want to see from this series; revolution. For we know at this point that the Republic of Gilead is a vile place, and we know that its leadership and law enforcement caste care little of anyone’s rights outside of white males and well, seeing this awful place collapse and burn, and seeing America restored would be the best possible way to reward the fans for sticking by a story that quite frankly, has socked us in the gut more times than we would care to admit and it would seem, that we are finally marching toward that proverbial reward at long last.
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Because ‘Useful’ is quite the important chapter in this harrowing saga, simply because, I would like to think that this episode will signal the beginning of a grand fight to bring Gilead to its knees. For a lot of what happened here, felt as though we were bearing witness to the proverbial spark needed to start a revolution and oddly enough, we have the structure of Gilead and Commander Lawrence to thank for that because the veil surrounding him was lifted away in this episode, allowing for us to get a better understanding of what the man really stands for and well…suffice to say what we learned about Lawrence was supremely disappointing when all is said and done. Because the fact of the matter is, he’s no different than anyone else when it comes to the leadership branch of Gilead, if anything, it would seem that his vision of Gilead and what it stands for was designed to outright amuse him and give purpose to a world that he incorrectly views as chaotic and lost and that’s a shame, because it really did seem for a moment there like Lawrence had potential.

But his desire to see people be useful in this world and toy with them and their morality, brought about some serious conflict with June as the episode rolled on since he outright asked June to help him with one twisted conundrum. For the city of Chicago was about to become part of Gilead, and that meant prisoners were already showing up in Gilead facilities, meaning that fates had to be decided and with only so many slots open in the city, many would be sent to the Colonies to die and Lawrence, wanted June’s help in deciding who would live and suffer, and who would suffer and die and that…damn near broke her. Because no one should ever have to face that kind of decision, but here was June, tasked with either making the choice or letting Lawrence do it as he has many times before and it was in that moment that she came to realize that she would never find any allies in the executive branch of Gilead’s leadership, and for a time, she was listless and afraid, and that was only compounded further by the fact that Nick is being plunged into that caste of cold-hearted men since he’s now a Commander, one that will lead the final push to re-take Chicago and other disputed territories and June may never see him again.

Which when you think about it, all of that sounds pretty hopeless and awful, to the point where no spark can come about from that kind of despair. But therein lies the trick. For this story also focused heavily on Serena Waterford as well, and she was equally as listless in this tale since she couldn’t reconcile the pain of Nichole’s loss and where her life had taken her. For Fred was now demoted, and she lost a finger for her role in this mess and well, it became clear to her while she was at home with her mother that her desire to perfect the world, instead ruined it and countless lives, and a visit with June only helped her to reinforce this epiphany and well, it would seem an unspoken bond was created between these two women, the kind that finally saw them come to an understanding about what must be done when it comes to Gilead. And the closing moments of this episode, wherein June began to outline her plans for the future, is what gave me a sense of hope and direction. Because June did make the hard choice after all, and she picked the smartest and most cunning women she could find, so that they could join the fight and now, with June’s leadership, the clock is now ticking on the Republic of Gilead. For minute by minute, and hour by hour, while the men of Gilead go about their day believing that their utopia is safe, the silent women of this awful place will be plotting and planning and working…to bring it to an end.

If anything, this is hands down the most inspiring episode of this series I’ve seen to date, and while there isn’t a grand plan for revolution in place just yet, who cares? Because June is slowly starting to bring it all together, and it seems she finally has the right ally in Serena, since she can hopefully provide the resistance with intel and information, the kind that will bring Gilead to its knees in record time and well, this really is the moment we’ve all been waiting for, and while some have said, this has taken too long to get to, I’m not sure I agree with that. For sometimes in life it takes us forever to wake up and make the changes we need for whatever reason, so there’s a sense of relatability when it comes to June’s decision to act now and to push hard to end this madness and well, I’m more excited than ever to watch this series and I’ll definitely be counting down the minutes to tomorrow episode to see what the next steps are in the fight against Gilead. Until next time.  

The sense of discovery is something that I absolutely adore when I’m starting a new television series. Because when you first dive into a new universe, you know nothing of it, or the people that inhabit it, and being able to get to know the characters and learn more about what their world entails is just a genuine delight and really, that’s where I’m at when it comes to BBC America’s Luther right now. For now I get to immerse myself in the gritty world that DCI John Luther inhabits, and fill my mind with knowledge about his life and the people that he’s surrounded himself with and well, thank heavens that the series is smart enough to know that I’m not the only one diving into this angry new world right now, since the next episode of the series took the time to fill in some important blanks.
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Because I hadn’t a clue who was on John’s doorstep in the closing minutes of the season five premiere, but thankfully, ‘Episode 2’, took the time to give everyone a crash course on Alice, and the impact she’s had on John’s life and well, what we came to uncover really wasn’t all that great. Because we quickly came to learn…she’s the one who kidnapped George’s son, thus making her responsible for all the problems John’s been dealing with when it comes to ol’ Georgie. As to why she did that exactly, well it relates to an old grudge from a couple of years ago, wherein the wily gangster found a way to botch a diamond deal for her, ruining her chances at financial security in the process and she would not rest until she was made whole again. But despite making it known to George that she was in possession of his flesh and blood, the old gangster refused to pay up, and she’s the one, he clipped with a shotgun in last week’s tale, and her injuries are what brought her to Luther’s doorstep.

Yet what happened after their reunion is what I found to be supremely fascinating since her time with John made it evident that they are now on two different paths. She wants out of the regular world and away from everything that matters, and George’s money will help make that happen. Whereas John still needs the world and all the good and the bad that comes with it and unfortunately for John, it’s obvious he still loves Alice and cares for her, and emotions cloud and confuse us in situations such as these and that complication was reinforced when John tried to end this peacefully since both George and Alice believe their path is the only way to make things right. Now poor John is stuck in the middle of it, and that will only make his days ten times more difficult since George wants DCI Luther to offer his ex on a platter in order to save Benny’s life and of course, Alice is going full bore on her revenge plot since she put down George’s son without giving it a second thought.

However, while all of that was impressive and fascinating in its own right, there is still a murder case to deal with in this story, and we learned a lot about Vivian’s serial killer of a husband, Jeremy, who as it turns out is a talented heart surgeon and well, it would seem this pairing have quite the unhealthy relationship. Wherein Vivian believes she can defeat his murderous urges and Jeremy, well he just loves to kill. In fact, he nearly wiped out a patient on the operating table just to enjoy the thrill of taking a life in front of an audience, and despite his reassurances to Vivian, he is addicted to killing and he won’t be stopping anytime soon and while that’s chilling in its own right, what makes this worse is that Jeremy is quite brilliant in general, and he knows how to play the game that Luther and Halladay are throwing his way and that will make him supremely hard to corner and catch, and let’s be honest, right now, a mistake is precisely what Luther needs to bring Jeremy in and I’m just not sure that’s going to happen in the slightest when playing it safe is basically a family motto for the Lake family…

So, if that seems like a lot to unpack, you’d be right. Because this episode really did jam in a ton of plotlines and well, that made for one magnificent tale. For all of these plotlines allowed for the story to move at a breakneck pace, and it also added a sense of urgency to everything that happened here since you never quite knew if Luther was going to be safe from George’s thugs, or whether or not Jeremy was going to just give into his bloodlust and do something supremely twisted to put on a show and well, all of those elements are precisely why I loved this particular episode. It was simply a tour de force, one that took us on one hell of a ride and dang it, I’m hooked. I have to know how Luther is going to get out of this mess, and whether or not his career will survive after this, since others now know about Alice, which means I’m already in mental agony, because I am hungry for more and sadly, all I can do at this point is count down the minutes until next Sunday’s episode. Until then. 

If there’s one universal truth that I’ve learned when it comes to television shows, it’s that, you know a series is doing something right when you simply cannot wait to settle in to watch another episode. Because it means that the story has completely drawn you in, and you simply must know what comes next or how something important Is going to unfold and for the first time in a long time, that’s precisely where I’m at when it comes to The Handmaid’s Tale. For the stellar season three premiere truly hinted at the genesis of a revolution in Gilead at last, prompting me to enjoy the second episode of season three as soon as humanly possible to see if by chance that particular promise was going to be fulfilled, and as it turns out, while ‘Mary and Martha’ may not have offered up a hail of bullets and the fall of Gilead, it definitely provided us with a fascinating story filled with tidbits related to revolution.
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Take for example the fact that this particular tale dug deeper into the insurrectionist network that the Marthas run, something that the series has only scratched the surface of really, and it continues to leave me in awe just how organized the Marthas are on a consistent basis and their network was on display here once again, because one of their own, who was good with explosives, needed to get out of Gilead ASAP. And well, June wanted in on the operation and was granted the grand opportunity to help the Marthas out, allowing for her to see first-hand how they work and how they pull off such wonders and really, we came to learn that their success is related to the fact that no one really pays much attention to the Marthas in Gilead, and their standing as an afterthought is what allows for them to work seamlessly to disrupt life in the republic, and clearly their power and their sway is growing and something tells me their ability to blend in will be instrumental in the fight to come.

Yet, while that was all fascinating to see and learn, there was a lesson for June to learn in this story, in that, revolution is a dangerous business, the kind that costs people their lives and that’s a lesson that came about shortly after June thought her mission was accomplished since sadly, the Martha that needed to be moved, returned to the Lawrence household with a bullet in her abdomen, forcing June and everyone present to try and save her life. while hiding her existence and location from the Guardians roaming about. But sadly, the brave Martha in question lost her battle for survival, giving June an up close and personal taste of the spoils of war and how difficult a road she has ahead if she wants to fight the sheer power of Gilead, and to hammer that point home Lawrence made her bury the body of this unfortunate soul, an act that didn’t deter June in the slightest from her long term goals, but it definitely gave her pause and it also helped to remind us of her enduring strength and resolve.

However, we do need to take a moment and discuss the enigma that is Commander Lawrence, because unfortunately, this particular tale didn’t quite inform us as to whether or not he is a friend, or a foe. If anything, all this episode did reveal is that he is highly intelligent and observant and prefers the truth at every single turn. But, whether or not he will help June in the fight has yet to be revealed. For while he is aware of, and seemingly okay, with the insurrection that brews beneath his roof, his attacks on June, and his empty threats leave one to wonder exactly where his loyalties lie. Is he trying to bring down Gilead from the inside? Or is he toying with everyone in his household to satiate some twisted curiosity? Or is this all another complicated plot on the country’s part to maintain some weird semblance of control? Time will tell I imagine, but make no mistake about it, Commander Lawrence has quickly become the most fascinating character of the season thus far, and his back and forth with June in this tale is why I enjoyed it so.

Because it’s nice to have a mystery to toy with, and a sense of security for a change since Lawrence seems to be disinterested in The Ceremony and all it entails, and it was surprising to see Aunt Lydia return to the fray as well. But outside of all of that, it was June’s journey in this tale that mattered the most. For Lawrence definitely helped her, and in turn the audience, understand that the fight ahead is going to be as ugly as it gets, and that there will be brutal sacrifices and losses along the way. And while that seems like a threat on Lawrence’s part, it’s not, it’s just harsh fact, the kind that June, and we the viewer need to be prepared for as the revolution in Gilead gets underway, because this won’t be pretty in the slightest. But the end will justify the means since a place like the Republic of Gilead, has no place in this world, and the people suffering ‘under his eye’ right now, deserve to be free. Until next time.

I have to admit, that while I’ve thoroughly been enjoying everything that season two of CHiPs has offered up, since it’s been filled to the brim with some wildly inventive storylines that challenge our characters like never before. I have noticed that some of the stuff that fans of the show truly love about this series, has taken a bit of a backseat in year two. I’m talking of course about how Ponch and Jon try their best to make the world a better place by way of their moral code and their actions, and while there have been moments that feature such nobility in this second season, it just hasn’t been the focal point of any particular tale and it would seem that I’m not the only one who noticed this since the writer’s room and everyone behind the scenes, decided to make it the focus of the next episode in this saga.
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For ‘The Sheik’ took the opportunity to once again allow for our heroes to rise to the occasion in by way of a unique chance encounter. Because whilst on patrol, Ponch and Jon had a run in with a particularly arrogant man from another country named Barney, and this encounter was nothing short of an outright disaster since Barney slapped Ponch rather than comply with his requests and that of course, meant the handcuffs went on before a true surprise came into play. For we came to learn that Barney was actually a Sheik, and his homeland had a wonderful relationship with the United States, thanks to its oil reserves, which meant that Barney had diplomatic immunity and had the charges against him dropped and this chance encounter is what allowed for Ponch and Jon’s moral code to shine in this tale.

Because they kept running into Barney during their travels since he kept disobeying the law and since they were oddly becoming uncomfortable friends, our favorite duo worked to try to teach him how things work outside of his country, to the point where they turned down a bribe in the hopes of teaching him that respecting others and the law matters more than any amount of money and well, despite their best efforts, they simply could not through to him. But eventually, a ride along arranged by Barney’s father allowed for him to see first-hand what it means to respect the rules of the road, and the value of life since Ponch forced the Sheik to help out at an ugly accident scene, and thankfully, this helped Barney greatly, allowing for him to grow and change, to the point where he even showed gratitude for a change by buying the dynamic duo a pair of fancy cars that sadly, they couldn’t accept.

If anything, I really loved this episode through and through because this is CHiPs at its finest. Because Ponch and Jon were about as noble as they can be, and I really loved how they tried to teach the Sheik a lesson not out of arrogance or a desire to wield power, but because they really do value life and believe their efforts out on the road keep people safe, and it was cool to see them express that in subtle and earnest fashion. Plus, I also loved how the cultural divide was handled in this tale since Ponch and Jon dealt with it in the classiest of fashion. They knew Barney was unfamiliar with customs in America, and rather than chastise him or insult him, they made it clear how things are done here, and they were firm but friendly about the matter and by taking the time to find ways to reach him, they found common ground and you really cannot ask for a better resolution than that when it comes to two different worlds colliding.

If anything, that just goes to show that this series was light years ahead of anything on television at the time. After all, any kind of television episode involving unity and understanding in this manner was relegated to an after school special or special event episode back then, yet here was CHiPs, doing its thing and making it known that its characters are made of the highest moral fiber and seeing this, and some of the sillier moments in this tale, like when Ponch and Jon spent time on the Sheik’s boat, simply brought a smile to my face because this one was just a treat to sit through and I’ve said it before and I will say it again, season two is quickly establishing itself to be something special, because I just cannot get over how many dynamic stories I’ve enjoyed in year two, and we are only nine episodes in. So, on that note, I need to get my rear in gear and watch some more, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to the 101. Until next time.  

I think it is safe to say at this point, that fans of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale have a bit of a ‘love/hate’ relationship with the series. Because more often than not, this series is outright brilliant, since it offers up a challenging and powerful plot line that at times echoes our fears when it comes to the current political climate in America. But at the same time, it’s portrayal of a United States that’s basically gone off the rails makes this series supremely difficult to watch at times since it goes to some dynamically dark places, to the point where it seems that there is no hope for our characters, which in turn means the audience is wondering why it is sticking around to watch, when this story appears to be prepping us for a disastrous finale.
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However, it would seem that taking us to the darkest recesses of the human soul and breaking our spirt along the way is all part of the plan, one that I suppose is designed to help us relate to these characters so that we rise up with them as we see what wonders they can actually accomplish in a world gone mad. And at first, I wasn’t quite sure if the series was actually going to let us witness a fight against Gilead, since every uprising and tough moment for this armpit of a nation seems to be brushed off by its executive leadership. But ‘Night’ proved that the insurrection we witnessed at the end of season two, was the beginning of something special, and that a fight is preparing to get underway and hopefully, it’s going to be led by June since her actions in this story were nothing short of breathtaking.

Because she was able to accomplish something that we all believed was impossible in this tale, in that, she reminded a pair of Commanders wives that Handmaids are more than objects or breeding vessels, they’re human beings and in some cases, mothers, and she accomplished this incredible feat by making her way to Commander Mackenzie’s house in order to nab Hannah, and while that part of her quest was unsuccessful, her determination took Mackenzie’s wife off guard. In fact, she was so stunned and unsettled by the fact that June continued to find ways to be close to her daughter that she finally took a moment to let down her guard and let June know how her baby is really doing and where she’s at in life and it was just incredible to see a shred of humanity and understanding come from a Commander’s wife and the wonders of this episode didn’t end there.

For upon her return to the Waterford residence, June was able to properly express the pain that the Commanders and their ridiculous beliefs have caused her and so many since she outright told Serena that one of the deciding factors in taking Nichole away from her was to help her understand how it feels to lose a daughter by force, just like how it was for June on that fateful day when Gilead’s thugs pulled Hannah away from her and it would seem that particular admission and everything that happened to Serena in season two, flipped a proverbial switch. For she was despondent for the rest of the episode and angry, and the disdain she felt over everything that’s led to her this moment, prompted her to set fire to the bed she shares with her ‘darling’ husband, which in turn burned the Waterford home to the ground, which was, a satisfying moment indeed and well, the symbolism here was not lost upon me. For in essence, this was a cleansing for so many and what will rise from the ashes should be glorious.

For June seemingly has a new ally at her side since she was posted to Commander Lawrence’s household and well, his disgust for Gilead may serve her well in the days to come, and while this episode didn’t feature all out revolution in this stupid nation, this was a satisfying episode to say the least. Because for the first time in a long time, there is genuine hope present in this story, especially when one considers that Emily and Nichole made it to Canada safely and also because, the spark of revolution is growing and well, I do hope this is the beginning of the grand reward we’ve all been waiting for in this story, in that, this is the beginning of the end of Gilead, and that June will be instrumental in its collapse. But, that’s me getting ahead of myself, and in the here and the now, I’ll just take a moment to bask in the wonder of an episode that didn’t beat me down before I hit play on the next episode. Until next time.  

I think we can all agree, that few things in this world, are more irritating than people who simply do not take responsibility for their actions. Because when people refuse to do that, or they blame others instead for their woes, they become outright annoying to be around. For they take every opportunity to talk about how they’re a victim or how the system or others are out to the get them and well, it’s something we’ve all seen more often than we care to through the years and we always wonder precisely why these folks refuse to own up to the fact that they’re at fault and that really is quite the complex mystery when all is said and done, one that oddly enough, the next episode of CHiPs took the time to explore, in the most fascinating way imaginable.
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Because ‘The Grudge’ started off in an innocuous manner, with Ponch and Jon on patrol and trying to help out an RV that was heading toward a tunnel too quickly, and if the driver of that vehicle reached his destination, they would ram into construction scaffolding and well, the driver simply didn’t pay attention and hit the gear as expected and that’s when things took a turn for the interesting. For we came to learn that this car was filled to the brim with Frat Boys who were trying to evade Ponch and Jon because they had a boatload of weed stashed in their ride and unfortunately for them, our dynamic duo found the marijuana when their wreck set it ablaze, putting these boys in a world of trouble because hey, this is 1978 and pot was still the Devil’s Lettuce back in the day.

But all jokes aside, the fallout from this particular meeting is what made this episode so frustrating and intriguing all at the same time. Because rather than take responsibility for their actions and live with the consequences, they blamed Ponch and Jon for all of their ills and set out to get revenge upon them by way of quite the elaborate scheme. Phase one of the plan was to put a little fear into our dynamic duo’s hearts by leaving them cryptic notes at work and on the road since they took the time to leave a parked car with a note on the highway, and they accelerated their plan by tossing fake money onto the highway, all in the name of making life hell for Ponch and Jon and while that’s all pretty creepy and awful in its own right, since their money scheme nearly got some people killed, they weren’t quite done just yet with the plan.

For the final phase of this twisted scheme, involved the Open House that the Central CHP office was hosting, and the idea was to embarrass Ponch and Jon by delivering pot laced brownies to the event that everyone would consume and well, this was the only ‘genius’ part of the plan because that would definitely lead to a PR nightmare when the news has to report to the public that kids were high as a kite at a Highway Patrol sanctioned event and that would definitely put people out of jobs as well. But thankfully, it never came to fruition since Ponch and Jon were able to stop the and well, when all is said and done, this really was quite the gripping episode. Because this one, hands down, featured the most complex collection of Creeps of the Week to date, since these guys really did work overtime to assemble a dastardly scheme.

But what’s more impressive is that the series tried to put together a genuine threat for Ponch and Jon to deal with, without putting them in the kind of danger that would shatter what this series stands for and I have to say, it was successful in doing that. Because this scheme was just creepy enough to make you worry about our dynamic duo’s safety, yet at the same time, it was loose enough to at least give you hope that they would figure it out and well, I loved this episode, plain and simple. For this really was quite the unique tale, and I love that season two continues to try and experiment storytelling wise. Because while we’ve seen guys mad at Ponch and Jon before, we’ve never seen them go after our favorite Chippies like this and well, this made for one effective and engrossing story, one where you definitely hate the villain because these guys were just the worst and it’s clear that in this case, sometimes a sense of entitlement is what causes people to feign responsibility, and hopefully these punks learned a valuable lesson, in that, others are rarely the reason you find yourself in a bad place. Until next time.  

I’ve come to learn through the years, that there are actors out there who are so skilled when it comes to their craft that they instantly suck you in when they appear on the screen and they do such a fine job portraying different characters that you’re instantly drawn to see more of their work and bask in the wonder of their talent, and one such actor that’s accomplished that for me, is Idris Elba. Because it really doesn’t matter what the heck he’s acting in, I’m simply compelled see the incredible performance he’s about to deliver and that’s led to me watch unique movies and shows from across all genres to see what Idris will do with the character in question.
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But of the many fictional people he’s portrayed over the course of his illustrious career, there’s one that I’ve been dying to learn more about, and that’s Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. Because the thought of Idris playing a tough as nails police officer sounds supremely appealing and considering that he tends to gravitate toward roles with supreme depth, could only mean that Luther is something special. But alas, I’ve simply missed out when it comes to prior seasons of this show. So, when I heard that Season Five of this series was on its way, I made sure to clear my schedule and carve out time to watch this because I wasn’t missing any more of what this show might have to offer and as it turns out, I am so glad that I made an effort to check this series out, because it outright took my breath away.

It accomplished that particular feat, by plunging me into an incredibly dark universe, one populated with gangsters and violent crime and a DCI who is utterly consumed by his work and well, that’s precisely what allowed for me to enjoy this. Because it’s clear that Luther’s world features the same heartbreak and chaos as our own and it takes a tough person to survive that kind of environment and that kind of struggle is just compelling to watch and thankfully, John Luther is as tough as they come, and I was equally impressed by the insight he provides to his fellow officers since he seems to know exactly what’s unfolding when it comes to the case that presents itself in this tale and while he’s supremely savvy when it comes to navigating these angry streets, I was extremely pleased to see that some of his former nemeses are equally as intelligent, allowing for a wonderful cat and mouse game to play out when it comes to the story involving George Cornelius’ missing son.

But the true centerpiece of this story, is the twisted serial murder case that’s dropped at John’s feet. For this particular plotline featured all kinds of incredible twists and turns since we learned over the course of the hour that a psychiatrist named Vivian Lake is doing her best to conceal the fact that her husband is a twisted murderer, one that she may have inadvertently created with her unique therapy techniques and well, everything present here was just chilling to say the least. For the murders in question were downright terrifying through and through since they were so cold and calculated and savage at times and I’m also quite curious as to why the good doctor is so intent on keeping her honey out of Luther’s hands. Is it because she thinks she can cure his murderous tendencies? Or is this all related to far more nefarious motives, and she’s the one, pulling all the strings…

I’m certain of course, that time will tell, so patience will be key, but that’s honestly a tall order when all is said and done because this show is simply phenomenal, and I feel bad that I’ve waited this long to dive into John Luther’s world. Because everything that happens here is intense and fascinating, and I love how the series wastes no time in telling its story, and that this premiere did a phenomenal job of setting everything up in the weeks to come and well, it looks like Luther is about to go through complete and utter hell before he cracks this case. Because the young woman that showed up at his door cannot have any good news to give him, and George heading his way is bad news as well, and while I’m not exactly thrilled that I have to wait a week to see what comes next for this series, the way this episode played out tells me, it will all be worth it, in the end. Until next time.