Episode 1 left us with a seemingly smitten Luther ending what was a rather long, tough day at the office, given all that he had to wrestle with (read my episode 1 recap post HERE to catchup), in the company of one Ms Mary Day – the waifish blonde he met, thanks to a minor fender-bender that introduced themselves to each other.

Apparently, as the start of episode 2 suggests, they spent the entire night together – clothes on though. Nothing frisky. Drinks, chatter, that kind of thing. So clearly, there’s a connection there.

A slightly awkward missed opportunity at a smooch.to seal the deal, interrupted by Luther’s ringing cell phone, although they were both all smiles in the end.

But his quickly fades away, once he answers his phone –  a call to yet another crime scene, left by the so-called fetish killer, whose motivations aren’t entirely clear at this point in the episode. What’s he trying to recreate with his victims? Who do they remind him of? What’s he trying to capture? Who’s he really trying to punish with these crimes?

There he meets his partner Ripley, with whom he had an altercation the night before – an altercation that Luther isn’t yet sure of its motivation, given how strange Ripley had been acting the prior day, culminating with his physical attack on Luther. Yes, Luther thinks Ripley might be seeing Erin Gray, but, given how smart our man is, with his spider sense always working, he probably feels that there’s something even more going on, which he later uncovers in what I thought was a rather good scene, in which he confronts Stark, Gray and Ripley in their “dungeon” plotting against him, and essentially, with some grandstanding, guts the entire operation within a matter of minutes, a few words, and hard stares.

Although I did wonder, if Stark is so smart, how he and Erin Gray as well, wouldn’t have considered the possibility that, with Luther seemingly suspecting something was up, given what they know about his tenacity, that he’d eventually find out the truth. Or, at the very least, that he might put a trace on Gray and/or Ripley, to learn of their whereabouts, which was what eventually led him right to them.

Not very smart of Stark & Gray. They should’ve known exactly the kind of detective they are dealing with.

As Luther himself said as he, like a proud cock, perused their “secret” meeting place, “not very covert is it?“

So it’s plan B for Stark and company – whatever plan B is. Although, as you would’ve seen in the previews of episode 3 (which airs tonight), during the end credit sequence of episode 2, it looks like Mary Day’s purpose as a character in this series will be made clearer.

Ripley still likes Ken Barnaby for the revenge killing of the internet troll, and stays steadfast on that particular line of investigation, even though Luther is much more concerned with our fetish killer, whom he does later catch in the act – after previously just missing him while on a visit to his “mentor.”

We learn about his history and motivations, and it all eventually ends for him, sadly and violently, as he takes his own life by leaping through a window from a top floor of an apartment building, seemingly putting an end to that entire case. Unless I just missed something, episode 3 previews didn’t indicate that there would be a continuation of it; instead, it appears there’ll be a brand new case (or maybe 2 or 3, why not?) for Luther to tackle.

Ripley formally arrests Barnaby, cuffing him to his hospital bed (he’s there because of his little blender *accident*).

And episode 2 ends just as episode 1 ended – another eventful day comes to a close for Luther, it’s night-time, and there’s Mary Day to make him forget all of it, all over again. And this time, the kiss does connect.

Fade to black.

2 more episodes to go – tonight, and tomorrow night. And it’s all over! Fin! The end! No more Luther – until the movie anyway. 

Are you watching? I hope so, given how excited a lot of you were leading up to the season. 

If you are watching, how are you liking the season, after 2 episodes, thus far? As I said in my episode 1 recap, the pacing is quick, and the audience has to wrestle with a lot in what feels like a relatively short period of time. But it’s not impossible. I’m still not sure how this season compares to the first and second. I think I’ll have to let it all digest, after season 3 ends, and then return with a proper diagnoses of all 3. 

But so far, I’m entertained, and curious to see how this all comes to a close. I’m expecting it’ll go out with a bang, leaving fans anxious for the proposed big screen adaptation that’s supposed to shoot next year.