Luther Page #7

Season #1 Episode #1

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TWO VETS manhandle the dog into the incinerator...Where the dog

is consumed in jets of bright blue flame.

62 EXT. ALICE’S PLACE, WALKWAY BRIDGE - DAY 4 - 08.44

Luther is waiting, lost in grim introspection, as Alice Morgan

approaches on the walkway.

Alice holds open her bag - an urn inside.

ALICE:

They burned my dog.

LUTHER:

It’s protocol. It’s what happens.

ALICE:

He was only a dog. It seems unduly

pitiless to me, to burn someone’s dog.

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1 Page 35.

LUTHER:

It seems kind of pitiless to shoot the

dog in the first place.

She reads him. Sees his weariness. Reaches out. Touches him.

Scans him with laser-bright eyes.

ALICE:

You look exhausted. Would you like to

come in?

63 INT. ALICE’S PLACE, LIVING ROOM - DAY 4 - 08.47

Alice and Luther enter. Alice places the urn on the mantel.

Luther gazes at the PICTURES on her wall: images taken from the

Hubble Space Station. Graphics of the early universe. Vast

galaxies. Exploding stars.

LUTHER:

How are you?

ALICE:

Fine. Unburdened.

LUTHER:

Good. It’s good to feel unburdened.

ALICE:

Are we being listened to?

LUTHER:

Would it make a difference?

ALICE:

Who knows?

LUTHER:

Well, we’re not.

ALICE:

So you’re not here to interrogate me?

LUTHER:

No.

She smiles, a little. Stands at his shoulder. Very close.

ALICE:

Liar.

She points out the LARGEST PHOTOGRAPH. It stands over the

mantel, over the urn.

ALICE:

This is a black hole. It consumes

matter, sucks it in - crushes it

beyond existence.

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1 Page 36.

ALICE (cont'd)

When I first heard that, I thought,

that’s evil at its most pure.

Something that drags you in, crushes

you, makes you nothing.

(Off Luther’s reaction)

What’s wrong? Don’t you believe in

evil?

LUTHER:

I have to. I’ve seen it.

ALICE:

Ah. Henry Madsen.

LUTHER:

Him. Others like him.

ALICE:

Me?

LUTHER:

Conceivably.

ALICE:

What’s happening to your marriage?

(off his reaction)

Last time I saw you, there was a ring.

Today:
no ring. Is someone else

involved?

LUTHER:

That’s not what I’m here to discuss.

ALICE:

Is he handsome?

LUTHER:

If you like that sort of thing.

ALICE:

Are you in pain?

LUTHER:

You don’t understand love, Alice. It’s

not your fault. You can mimic it, you

can recognise it in others - but you

can never understand it.

ALICE:

Did you come here for sex?

LUTHER:

No.

ALICE:

Because you’d be surprised by how many

men do. Do you think they have any

idea how fatuous they look?

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1 Page 37.

LUTHER:

I think a lot of us are afraid of

that, yeah.

ALICE:

Then why?

LUTHER:

To tell you I know you kept the gun.

ALICE:

Well, why would I do that?

LUTHER:

Because you couldn’t help yourself.

ALICE:

And how did you arrive at this

diagnosis?

LUTHER:

See, you think you’re unique - but so

does everyone else with your disorder.

You’re all unique in exactly the same

way.

ALICE:

Wouldn’t it make things easy for you

if that were true. But it’s not.

There’s no gun to find.

LUTHER:

Keeping it wasn’t a rational decision.

It was a compulsion, something you did

because you needed to. That compulsion

makes you weak in ways you can’t see

and don’t understand. And it will

bring you down. Always does. Tick

tock. Tick tock.

ALICE:

Are you threatening me? Because

honestly, I wouldn’t.

LUTHER:

And why’s that?

ALICE:

Come, now. Really. Because I’d be hurt

and angry.

LUTHER:

You trying to frighten me now?

ALICE:

Why, are you frightened?

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1 Page 38.

LUTHER:

Because I don’t think you’d do that

unless you were scared - and you

wouldn’t be scared unless you thought

I might be right.

ALICE:

So you’ve identified my critical

defect. Let’s move on. Let’s talk

about yours. What’s your weakness?

What makes you afraid?

LUTHER:

You do know I can see you, the actual

you:
I can see the mess two inches

behind your eyes.

ALICE:

Such insight. I wonder - why did your

wife turn her face from you, John? Why

would she do that? Is it because you

shine so bright?

Eye contact. She looks at him with great tenderness. Almost

pity.

But Luther turns away from it.

LUTHER:

I’m coming for you.

ALICE:

Not if I come for you first.

He exits. She watches him. Her expression deeply ambiguous.

64 EXT. STREETS BY FORD & VARGAS - DAY 4 - 09.09 64

Luther is deep in thought. More shaken by Alice’s words than he

first appeared. Thinks. Checks his watch. Scowls. Makes a

decision. Walks towards the building.

64A INT. ALICE’S PLACE, KITCHEN - DAY 4 - 09.11 64A

Alice is in the kitchen. Deep in thought. Half unconsciously,

she’s toying with a VICIOUS HATPIN - moving it through her

fingers - round and round, round and round.

She turns to leave. Slipping the hatpin up her sleeve.

65 EXT. FORD AND VARGAS - DAY 4 - 09.46 65

Through the glass we see Luther enter via the main doors. He

strides past reception. Badges the security guards. Vaults the

turnstile and strides to the lift.

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1 Page 39.

66 INT. FORD AND VARGAS, LIFT/ RECEPTION/ CORRIDOR - DAY 4 - 09.4766

The lift opens. Luther emerges. STAFF look with alarm as he

walks down the corridor to Zoe’s office - and through the door.

67 INT. FORD AND VARGAS, ZOE’S OFFICE - DAY 4 - 09.48 67

Zoe is with SEVERAL SENIOR PARTNERS. All of whom look up in

alarm as Luther bursts in.

LUTHER:

Morning. Everybody out.

ZOE:

John

LUTHER:

(claps hands)

Everybody OUT! Raus! Raus!

Reluctantly, the SENIOR PARTNERS stand. Exchanging glances.

LUTHER:

If you’re thinking about calling

security, don’t bother. Call the

police. Ándale! Ándale! Arriba!

Arriba!

ZOE:

He’s joking. This is his sense of

humour. Everybody, this is my husband.

John.

LUTHER:

(ushering them)

Out! Out!

Zoe makes a gesture, reassuring them. They exit. And Luther

jams a chair under the door handle.

ZOE:

Way to get me sacked.

He sprawls on the chair. No threat in him.

ZOE:

John, the people in this office, they

don’t know you. They’re scared. They

think you’re going to do something.

LUTHER:

Do I embarrass you?

ZOE:

Right now? Right at this moment?

Absolutely. Yes.

LUTHER:

Is that what this is all about?

LUTHER by NEIL CROSS Episode 1 Page 40.

ZOE:

No.

LUTHER:

Then am I boring? Is that what it is?

Because personally, I don’t think I’m

boring.

ZOE:

You’re not boring. You’re the opposite

of boring.

LUTHER:

So he’s boring? Rupert Fanshaw-

Pendleton or whatever his name is.

ZOE:

His name is Mark.

LUTHER:

So does a woman just reach a stage in

life when she wants a man to be

boring? Because I have to tell you -

nobody warned me about this.

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