Luther

BBC America, Netflix, iTunes

Oh Idris.  I love saying that … Idris.  Good morning, Idris.  More coffee, Idris?  Oh, er, sorry ’bout that, but every time I try to write about the fantastic British drama “Luther,” I start drooling over my keyboard thinking about its sexy star, Idris Elba.  But now I must write about it, because his equally charismatic co-star, Ruth Wilson, aka Alice, is starring in a new series on Showtime (“The Affair”*), and there I go dreaming about that Luther/Alice thang all over again.

In “Luther,” Wilson plays Alice, a scheming, sociopath-turned-advisor of sorts to Chief Inspector Luther (Elba), and their dynamic is utterly fascinating.  She’s dangerous, he’s the law, yet they’re captivated by each other’s minds and begin to rely on one another in wholly unexpected ways.  Thankfully, their strange, can’t-look-away connection is an ongoing thread throughout this tough and taut three-season series, as all of their scenes together crackle with an undeniable spark and almost sexual charge. In true TV detective fashion, Luther’s mind is brilliant and his soul is tortured, and oh yeah, did I mention sex-on-a-stick Idris Elba?!  But it’s the Luther/Alice relationship that will keep you on your couch for hours.  See below, go forth and binge.

*For you fellow Idris Elba devotees out there, it’s cool to note that Wilson’s co-star in “The Affair” is none other than Dominic West, Elba’s co-star a decade ago in “The Wire.”   Jimmy McNulty, meet Alice!