Luther series 5 starts filming and fans are worried about one BIG change

Let’s start with the good news. The BBC has confirmed that Luther series 5 has started shooting in London, and it’s even given us the first footage from the set – featuring Idris Elba in his iconic coat.

Which is obviously incredibly exciting.

But Luther fans haven’t reacted as overwhelmingly positively as BBC execs might have expected, mainly because today’s official press release missed out a (very) key name.

“The Golden Globe and SAG Award-winner actor Idris Elba returns to his iconic role as DCI John Luther, for the fifth series created by Emmy-nominated writer Neil Cross and produced by BBC Studios.”

“Dermot Crowley, Michael Smiley and Patrick Malahide will return for the four-part series as DSU Martin Schenk, Benny Silver and George Cornelius; and Wunmi Mosaku, who won a Bafta for her performance in BBC One’s Damilola, Our Loved Boy in 2017, will join as new recruit D.S. Catherine Halliday.”

Which all sounds great, except there’s no mention of Ruth Wilson’s absolutely essential character, Luther’s nemesis/soulmate Alice – and fans aren’t happy.

Of course, there’s a very real chance that the showrunners have deliberately left Alice / Wilson off the cast-list because her return is a massive twist on the show, or possibly they fancied some of that sweet social media controversy hype.

Whatever the reason, we’ll find out Alice’s fate when Luther returns later this year.

Here’s the official series five synopsis:

“When the moonless shadows of London give birth to a new nightmare, DCI John Luther must once again confront the depths of human depravity. As a series of monstrous killings becomes ever more audacious, Luther and new recruit D.S. Catherine Halliday are confounded by a tangle of leads and misdirection that seems designed to protect an unspeakable horror.

“But even as the case brings him closer than ever to the nature of true evil, a reluctant Luther must also face the ghosts of his own past. Striding back into the line of fire, he must choose who to protect… and who to sacrifice. Whatever his next move, it will have devastating consequences for those around him — and change John Luther forever.”

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