Narrative

• The set episode has a pre-title sequence exploring earlier events. This sequence is established tension from the start and the exposition sheds light on Luther's character and places the audience in a privileged spectator position, leading the audience to have expectations of how the protagonist will behave subsequently.
• The episode follows a conventional narrative of a police procedural crime drama with a linear structure containing key moments where the narrative is advanced. For example when Luther starts to suspect Alice and the confrontation on the bridge leaves a cliffhanger for an overarching plot
• Action codes are typical to this genre and in Luther they set in motion elements of the narrative, for example, Alice finding Zoe's whereabouts and threatening her causes Luther to react and embark on a particular journey.
• According to Propps Luther demonstrates attributes of the hero figure which is established through the cinematography, framing, narrative, and his interactions. He also demonstrates anti-hero traits in that he is flawed and doesn't conform to expectations. This is established from the beginning when he lets Henry Madsen fall.
• According to Propps, both Henry Madsen and Alice perform as villains despite Madsen only appearing at the beginning. He is a constant reminder to us that Luther is not a typical detective as the opening scene shows blurred lines between hero and villain
• Intially Alice is presented as the damsel in distress but is revealed to be the villain with an astute mind and an ability to manipulate and control people and situations.
• Zoe both conforms and subverts the role of the princess. She is married to the hero, she is threatened by the villain and needs the protection of a male character (Mark). However she also has her own power base, she is a successful lawyer and decided to leave Luther and take her life in a different direction.
• DC Ripley assumes the role of helper/sidekick
• The audience is introduced to Zoe through a birds-eye view of her office where she is several floors up and surrounded by windows, a typical motif connoting power and prestige.
• The way an audience is introduced to main characters through media language such as cinematography framing and shot composition all create meaning.
• Luther is introduced to an audience in the initial chase sequence being in darkness as he is indistinguishable from the villain, Henry Madsen. This could be foreshadowing Luther's assumption as the maverick within the narrative.
• The first shot we see of Alice is portraying her as vulnerable and afraid as she cowers, blood-stained in her home which misleads an audience to view her as a victim in this scenario.
• Technical codes influence the meaning of interactions between characters as well as advance the narrative. For example, in the interrogation scene, the composition of shots and expressions show the audience the change of Alice from a victim to a manipulative villain. The deduction of this made by Luther also shows his extreme skill as a detective.