Luther Page #10

Season #1 Episode #1

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She approaches. Tentative at first.

ALICE:

Ask me.

LUTHER:

Do you want me to?

ALICE:

Very much.

Long beat.

LUTHER:

No.

(shows her the wedding ring)

Stay away from Zoe.

ALICE:

Make me.

He grabs her - throws her into the wall. Holds her there. Hand

at her throat.

LUTHER:

Don’t make me.

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1 Page 52.

ALICE:

Well, you can kill me if you want. I

can’t imagine I’d be able to stop you.

The hand tightens on her throat.

She doesn’t fight back. Just fixes him with bright, cold eyes.

ALICE:

Is this what you did to Henry Madsen?

Beat. Then Luther lets go. Steps back. A moment of reeling

horror

In which Alice revels.

ALICE:

Do you think me a monster?

LUTHER:

You’re not a monster. You’re broken.

You don’t know it’s wrong to take

life.

ALICE:

Is it?

LUTHER:

Yes.

ALICE:

Why?

LUTHER:

Because it’s all there is. So it

matters.

ALICE:

We don’t “matter”. We are matter. Set

fire to me, I burn. Bury me, I rot.

(pointed beat)

Drop me, I fall.

Luther surveys the room. The mess he’s made - the strewn

papers, the ash.

LUTHER:

There’s more than that.

ALICE:

No. There’s nothing. There is

absolutely nothing.

Luther looks at the ring in the palm of his hand. Passes it

through his fingers.

LUTHER:

You’re wrong. There’s love. There is

love in the world.

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1 Page 53.

ALICE:

Show me where. Put on that ring. Showme honour and sacrifice. Show me

fidelity.

Heat between them. Perhaps not all of it anger.

Then Luther very pointedly slips the ring onto his finger.

ALICE:

Where are you going, in such a hurry?

LUTHER:

To prove that I’m right.

91 EXT. ALICE’S PLACE - DAY 4 - 12.29 91

Luther exits.

92 INT. ALICE’S PLACE, LIVING ROOM - DAY 4 - 12.30 92

Alice waits there, deep in thought. Then from her pocket shetakes - the BURNED REMAINS OF THE GUN! A look of impish

satisfaction -

She puts the pieces in the urn. Begins to refill it with ash.

Then returns the urn to the mantel.

She turns to the door, no Luther - nobody there to witness her

final flourish. And satisfaction turns to frustration.

93 SCENE 93 OMITTED 93

94 EXT. MARK’S PLACE - DAY 4 - 13.07 94

Luther parks outside Mark’s place - walks to RIPLEY’S CAR.

Squats there, as Ripley opens the window.

LUTHER:

Thanks, Justin. But you can go home

now.

RIPLEY:

(uncertain)

You sure?

LUTHER:

Yeah. I’m fine. I’m good.

RIPLEY:

(worried beat)

Sure, okay. You sure?

LUTHER:

Very sure.

RIPLEY:

Okay.

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1

Page 54.

With great reluctance, he starts the engine, pulls away. Luther

looks at the house. Unreadable. Steeling himself.

He walks to the door

95

INT. MARK’S PLACE, LIVING ROOM - DAY 4 - 13.08 95

The doorbell rings. Mark looks out the window. His POV: John

Luther - filthy, unshaven, dusted in grey ash - is at the door.

He turns to Zoe. They share a look.

95A EXT. MARK’S PLACE - DAY 4 - 13.08 95A

Luther keeps his finger on the doorbell. It rings and rings.

Relentless.

95B INT. MARK’S PLACE, LIVING ROOM - DAY 4 - 13.08 95B

Zoe can’t take it any more. She lifts her phone. Mark puts out

a hand to stop her.

MARK:

He’ll leave. Just let him go.

ZOE:

No. Sod him. He doesn’t get to do

this.

She dials. Nine...nine...nine

ZOE:

Police?...Look, I hate to do this, but

it’s my ex-husband...I don’t

know...you just need to come...

In the background, the bell rings...and rings...and rings.

Mark looks at Zoe with disquiet - he doesn’t like doing this -

it doesn’t feel right.

96 EXT. MARK’S PLACE - DAY 4 - 13.08 96

The door opens. Mark steps out.

LUTHER:

Hi. Mark, right?

MARK:

It’s Mark, yeah. You need to leave

John. I called the police.

Luther laughs at that.

MARK:

This is mad. What do you want?

LUTHER:

I just, I need to speak to Zoe.

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1 Page 55.

MARK:

That’s not going to happen. Not today.

You need to go.

LUTHER:

Okay, I can see that. But here’s the

thing - I need to speak to her. I

really do.

MARK:

Give her some time. Then call her,

okay? But she’ll need time, a few

days.

LUTHER:

One minute. I know I’ve got no right

to ask. But just one minute.

MARK:

No. You need to go.

LUTHER:

I can’t.

MARK:

(shoves him)

Leave her alone. Just leave her.

Luther stumbles. Steps forward again.

LUTHER:

Seriously.

Mark hits him. Luther falls. Then stands, grabs Mark - throws

him with back-breaking force into a parked car.

Which is when TWO POLICE CARS pull up. FOUR UNIFORMS emerge.

LUTHER:

Oh, come on.

The FIRST OFFICER takes Luther’s elbow. Luther shakes him off.

The officer grabs him again. Luther shakes him off, more

aggressively.

LUTHER:

I just need to speak to my wife. All I

want to do is speak to my wife.

Shaking them off becomes resisting - resisting becomes a

scuffle - then he disengages - backs away - holds up his hands -

LUTHER:

Whoah! All right! I’m done! I’m done!

But they grab him - manhandle him - probably with excessive

force, to the car.

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1 Page 56.

Zoe is at the window, watching.

Luther allows himself to be taken - he’s humbled - beaten -

compliant -

97 SCENE 97 OMITTED 97

98 EXT. MARK’S PLACE, EXT./INT. POLICE CAR - DAY 4 - 13.14 98

Zoe emerges. Tentative, upset. One of the officers is about to

slam the car door.

ZOE:

Wait! Please!

The officer hesitates. Leaves the door open. Luther is disabled

by the beating and the CS Spray. Hands cuffed in front of him.

ZOE:

Oh, look what they did to you.

He grins through blood and chemical tears. A moment.

LUTHER:

I just came to tell you something.

ZOE:

To tell me what?

LUTHER:

That - y’know. It’s okay. You need to

be where you need to be. That’s good.

I love you. And I’m sorry.

ZOE:

(emotional)

Don’t be sorry. Don’t be sorry.

The police officer has waited long enough.

Zoe stands. Steps back. The door is slammed. Police cars pull

away. As Zoe stands there, watching.

Ripley at the kerb, handkerchief pressed to his bloody nose.

99 EXT./INT. POLICE CAR - DAY 4 - 13.15 99

Luther in the back of the car. Calm now. Watching London go

past. He smiles to himself. Produces his phone. Dials.

100 INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDORS - DAY 4 - 13.15 100

Alice strides happily through what looks like a hospital.

Sprightly and carefree, she answers her phone.

ALICE:

Hello.

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1 Page 57.

100AEXT./INT. POLICE CAR - DAY 4 - 13.15 100A

Luther on the phone.

LUTHER:

You might be clever, Alice. But you’rewrong. So you lose.

He hangs up before she can speak. Pockets the phone. Sitsthere.

Helpless. Vanquished. And triumphant.

INT. HOSPITAL, O/S MADSEN’S ROOM - DAY 4 - 13.16101 101

Alice smiles as she pockets her phone. She walks on, just a

little further. Then stops. Peers, cat-like, through a SMALL

WINDOW.

Sees:
HENRY MADSEN on a LIFE SUPPORT MACHINE. Hissing.

Breathing - Hissing. Breathing. Hissing

She’s interrupted as a POLICE OFFICER enters, holding the fresh

coffee he’s just got himself. Gives her a warning look.

Alice moves on. Feet silent on the hospital linoleum.

Smiling privately as she goes.

END OF EPISODE:

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