Honestly, if you ask a room full of Idris Elba fans about the luther tv series season 4, you’re going to get some very confused looks.
It’s the middle child of the franchise. It’s the "did I miss an episode?" season.
Basically, back in 2015, we were all dying for John Luther to come back after that cliffhanger ending in season three. We thought he was done. He’d thrown the coat in the Thames! He was going to live happily ever after with Alice Morgan, right?
Well, not quite.
The Two-Episode "Season" That Confused Everyone
The first thing you have to understand about the luther tv series season 4 is that it isn’t really a season. It’s more of a two-part special that the BBC decided to label as a full series.
It’s only two hours long.
Because of that, the pacing is absolutely mental. It starts with John living in a ramshackle cottage by the sea, looking like he hasn’t slept since 2013, and ends with him basically back in the thick of the London underworld.
Writer Neil Cross didn't have much time to play with here, so he just went full throttle.
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What Actually Happens? (The Alice Problem)
The biggest shocker of the luther tv series season 4—and the thing that still pisses off fans to this day—is the news that Alice Morgan is dead.
Supposedly.
We’re told she was murdered in Antwerp. Luther gets a visit from two colleagues, Bloom and Lane, who drop this bombshell. Instead of mourning, John does what he always does: he puts the gray coat back on and starts breaking the law to find out what happened.
Enter Megan Cantor.
Played by Laura Haddock, Megan is this "clairvoyant" who claims Alice is speaking to her. She’s creepy. She knows things she shouldn’t, like details about an old case involving a kid named Stacey Bell.
The Cannibal in the Fridge
While John is busy having an existential crisis about Alice, there’s a new monster in town.
Steven Rose is a cannibal serial killer who eats his victims' organs and leaves their bodies in increasingly creative, horrific displays. He’s played by John Heffernan, who manages to make "staring at a fridge" look like the scariest thing you’ve ever seen.
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It’s classic Luther horror. It’s the kind of stuff that makes you check behind the shower curtain before you go to bed.
The New Partners: Rose Leslie and Darren Boyd
Since Justin Ripley is gone (RIP to the best sidekick), Luther needs new people to shout at.
Rose Leslie, fresh off Game of Thrones, joins as DS Emma Lane. She’s great. She’s younger, greener, and she actually tries to follow the rules until the world of John Luther breaks her.
Then there’s DCI Theo Bloom, played by Darren Boyd.
Spoiler alert: he doesn’t last long. He gets blown up by a booby-trapped bomb early on, which is basically the show's way of saying "don't get attached to anyone who isn't Idris Elba."
Why Season 4 Felt So Different
A lot of people felt like this season was a bit of a rush job. It tried to pack three different storylines into 120 minutes:
- The search for Alice Morgan’s killer.
- The Steven Rose cannibal investigation.
- A side plot involving George Cornelius (played by the legendary Patrick Malahide) and some missing diamonds.
It’s a lot.
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Because there are only two episodes, the luther tv series season 4 doesn’t have the breathing room that the first three seasons had. You don’t get those long, brooding scenes where John just thinks. Instead, it’s just one explosion or gruesome discovery after another.
The budget clearly went up, though. London looks darker, grittier, and more like a comic book than ever.
Is It Worth Re-watching?
Look, even a "bad" season of Luther is better than 90% of the crime dramas on TV.
Idris Elba is still a force of nature. Even when the plot feels like it’s being held together by duct tape and Idris’s charisma, you can’t look away.
The confrontation between Luther and George Cornelius—specifically the radiator scene—is iconic. It’s peak John Luther: brutal, efficient, and slightly terrifying.
Also, seeing Laura Haddock play a psychological manipulator against John is a fun dynamic, even if she’s not Alice.
Real Insights for the Fans
If you're going back to watch the luther tv series season 4, keep these things in mind:
- It’s a Bridge: This season exists mostly to set up the much bigger, four-episode season five.
- The Coat Return: Pay attention to how the show handles the return of the coat. It’s symbolic. He can’t escape who he is.
- The Alice Mystery: Don't take everything Megan Cantor says at face value. The show loves to lie to you.
Your Next Steps
If you’ve already finished the luther tv series season 4, don't just stop there. You need to jump straight into season five to get the payoff for the Alice Morgan storyline.
For the best experience, watch the two episodes back-to-back like a movie. It flows much better that way than as a split television series. If you're looking for more grit, check out Neil Cross’s novels—they have that same "don't turn off the lights" energy that makes the show so addictive.