John Luther (Idris Elba) is the Detective Chief Inspector of the UK’s Serious Crime Unit. His work is his life and he often goes above and beyond normal police work, resorting to violence and impulse to solve a case.
Luther focuses so much on his murder cases that they torment him. In the first season, he develops a mysterious relationship with the brilliant psychopath Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson).
The Serious Crime Unit team includes Rose Teller, Dermot Crowley, and Justin Ripley, all of whom back Luther up and his unconventional practices.