Luther: The Fallen Sun expands the franchise’s timeline further, raising questions as to where exactly it fits into the overall series.
Warning: This article contains minor spoilers for Luther: The Fallen Sun.
Luther: The Fallen Sun provides an extension to the series for audiences, but it’s not immediately clear whether that’s by being a sequel or prequel to the original Luther show. With Fallen Sun covering another case for its DCI protagonist, it’s conceivable that the movie could fall into any part of the series’ history, which revolves around Luther dealing with various serial killers and criminals. Having run for five seasons, Luther built up a lot of preexisting lore into the timeline for Luther: The Fallen Sun to contend with and potentially incorporate into its plot.
Viewers don’t strictly need to know where Luther: The Fallen Sun lies in the Luther timeline in order to enjoy the movie. Indeed, the film is made so audiences who don’t remember or didn’t see all of the original show – or potentially even any of it – can still enjoy the plot and drama. However, certain aspects of the plot are enhanced by understanding whether Luther: The Fallen Sun is a prequel or sequel from the outset of the movie.
How Luther: The Fallen Sun Reveals It’s A Show Sequel
Those who don’t know the original show may miss the detail that reveals Luther: The Fallen Sun is a sequel that takes place after the final season of Luther. This is because the main nod to when the movie takes place uses the antagonists from Luther season 5. In the news scene that describes Luther’s court case, it’s mentioned that he’s just finished dealing with the case of Vivien and Jeremy Lake – which concretely places the events of Luther: The Fallen Sun as taking place soon after the Luther ending.
Why Luther: The Fallen Sun Is Better As A Sequel Than A Prequel
Luther: The Fallen Sun works best as a successor and sequel to the original Luther show rather than a prequel or story placed into the mid-point of the series for two reasons. Firstly, it allows a broader audience to connect with the movie. Those who watched the show benefit from a greater understanding of Luther’s motivations and history, and those who are newcomers meet Luther at a point wherein his story is relatively simple. Introducing audiences to more complex figures in the life of Idris Elba’s Luther, like his estranged wife Zoe, or figures like Jenny or Alice, would have potentially complicated things.
Secondly, Luther: The Fallen Sun works best with the pressure of not knowing what happens to the titular character. In a prequel, there would be a level of protection afforded to Luther – as he obviously can’t die before his story begins in the show itself. In Luther: The Fallen Sun, Luther’s future is unclear, and he could just as easily die as he could get his perfect ending. While the movie isn’t clear about what exactly might unfold for the franchise going forward, it does suggest more installments could be impending for it – which may even lead to a prequel as well sometime down the line.
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