Luther Season 2 Overview: More Alice Please

There are only 4 episodes in season 2 of "Luther" so I'm reviewing it as a whole. When we last caught up with Luther (Idris Elba), his wife had been murdered. He was framed for her death but later exonerated thanks to help from psychopath/bestie Alice.

Now Luther is back and working for the new Serious and Serial Unit. He tries to help a girl named Jenny who has been involved in the world of prostitution and pornography. There's also almost two separate episode crime stories. The first is a random serial killer wearing a Punch mask. He sees killing as concept art. Bad guy kidnaps and tortures Ripley (who eventually manages to escape). The second involves some really heinous acts of violence committed by twins based on a the throw a dice. The office killing spree was especially hard to watch. But have no fear, Luther outsmarts the dudes in an interesting final standoff.

At the end of last season, Alice (Ruth Wilson) was confined to a mental hospital. Luther helps her escape. We didnt see much of her after that-- which is a shame. There is a veiled threat by Luther that if certain parties dont behave themselves, he has a "friend" who will pay them a visit. We can only hope.

Grade: 4 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). Idris Alba continues to be mesmerizing on screen. The story lines in this very short season are compelling and the killers brutal. I just wish there was more of Luther and Alice together. They are what makes this show magical.