History Series / Luther

* PaperThinDisguise: Luther has to disguise himself to [[spoiler:steal the gun Reed planted on the crime scene.]] Alice points out that a huge ScaryBlackMan he's difficult to disguise. Luther replies that it's all about deniability in court. Seen earlier when Luther dresses up in shades and an earwarmer beanie to assault Lucian Burgess. [[spoiler:The idea is that Burgess should know exactly who assaulted him, so he'll panic and think Luther is setting him up when the latter carefully wipes blood off Burgess' nose.]]

* WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou: [[spoiler:Reed, after stabbing Luther and then repeatedly kicking him]] screams "NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'RE MAKING ME DO!" (by not allowing him to commit SuicideByCop.

* ToThePain: Alice when threatening Zoe's life.

* TheUnfettered: Luther has a whatever it takes attitude to beating the criminals. He threatens serial killer Henry Madsen with the prospect of death unless he reveals where his latest victim is, and still lets him drop a couple stories to the ground after Madsen tells him. [[spoiler:To keep Alice away from his wife he threatens to frame someone for the murder of her parents, denying her the narcissistic pleasure of being the centre of their murder mystery. He also casually mentions that he will kill her if she persists in stalking his wife. The fact that he means it may be one of the reasons Alice likes him so much.]]

* WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou: [[spoiler:Reed, after stabbing Luther,]] screams "NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'RE MAKING ME DO!" (by not allowing him to commit SuicideByCop.

* WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou: [[spoiler:Reed, after stabbing Luther, shouts that he caused this to happen (by not allowing Reed to commit SuicideByCop). He says the same thing to Luther after shooting Zoe.]]

* PaperThinDisguise: Luther has to disguise himself to [[spoiler:steal the gun Reed planted on the crime scene.]] Alice points out that a huge ScaryBlackMan he's difficult to disguise. Luther replies that it's all about deniability in court. Seen earlier when Luther dresses up in shades and an earwarmer beanie to assault Burgess -- [[spoiler:the idea is that Burgess should know exactly who assaulted him, so he'll panic and think Luther is setting him up when the latter carefully wipes blood off Burgess' nose.]]

* PaperThinDisguise: Luther has to disguise himself to [[steal the gun Reed planted on the crime scene.]] Alice points out that a huge ScaryBlackMan he's difficult to disguise. Luther replies that it's all about deniability in court. Seen earlier when Luther dresses up in shades and an earwarmer beanie to assault Burgess -- [[spoiler:the idea is that Burgess should know exactly who assaulted him, so he'll panic and think Luther is setting him up when the latter carefully wipes blood off Burgess' nose.]]

* WhyDidYouMakeMeHitYou: [[spoiiler:Reed, after stabbing Luther after his failed SuicideByCop gambit, shouts that it's all his fault. He says the same thing to Luther after shooting Zoe.]]

* VillainousBreakdown: Happens once an episode. Notably subverted [[spoiler:when Reed pretends to be suffering this to lure Luther into a trap (fortunately Luther knows what he's up to).]] Probably the best example is when (on the advice of Alice) Luther deliberately engineers this in SmugSnake Lucien Burgess.

** Luther seems to have done one in episode four, when he finds himself under investigation for the aforesaid attempted murder of serial child killer Henry Madsen. When Madsen wakes up from his coma his accusations place Luther's career in jeopardy. [[spoiler:Luther visits Alice Morgan and informs her point blank he can never speak to her again due to this investigation. Her cries of 'No' at this news don't seem to surprise him. He's pretty much unleashing one killer on another -- she murders Madsen to save Luther.]] A case of [[ManipulativeBastard Luther pretty much pushing]] Alice's {{BerserkButton}} for his own benefit.

** In the same scene Alice tells Luther [[spoiler:that if he killed Zoe, he must have had a good reason. Luther then states that he didn't do it. Alice fall faults as if she was hoping he'd say the reason was her.]]

* UnresolvedSexualTension: They may live on opposite sides of the law and at opposite ends f the moral spectrum, but Luther and Alice spend an uncomfortable ammount of time taunting\confiding\flirting with each other. Joking with each other and going into fits of rage over the others actions and comment .[[{{FoeYay}} This troper is waiting for inevitable hate sex]] to follow.

* BerserkButton: Luther, anytime someone threatens Zoe. [[spoiler:When Zoe is murdered by Reed, Alice warns Luther that his temper is a weakness and Reed will use this to provoke Luther into attacking him (so he can be shot by SO19 snipers). Luther says it won't happen, but it nearly does anyway.]]

----

-->'''Burgess:''' Well, DCI ''Luther''. First you umm...you assault me. YOU [[ThisIsSparta PUBLICLY-ASSAULT-'''ME!''']] WHY CAN'T YOU SHOW ME SOME RESPECT?!

* BeserkButton: Luther, anytime someone threatens Zoe. [[spoiler:When Zoe is murdered by Reed, Alice warns Luther that his temper is a weakness and Reed will use this to provoke Luther into attacking him (so he can be shot by SO19 snipers). Luther says it won't happen, but it nearly does anyway.]]

VillainousBreakdown: Happens once an episode. Notably subverted [[spoiler:when Reed pretends to be suffering this to lure Luther into a trap (fortunately Luther knows what he's up to).]] Probably the best example is when (on the advice of Alice) Luther deliberately engineers this in SmugSnake Lucien Burgess.

* RussianRoulette: With five pulls of the trigger, no less.
** [[spoiler:And against in series two, only with one trigger pull this time around]]

* JohnMunch: In ShoutOut form only -- "I want you to get on the phone to Detective Munch in New York."

* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Luther tends to tower over most of the women he's seen with. Hilarously, in the pilot, Teller barely passed shoulder height. Same goes with him and Alice to a lesser extent.

--> '''Luther''': Stay away from Zoey!\\