WARNING! This article contains spoilers for Luther: The Fallen Sun.
The plethora of clues dropped by Luther: The Fallen Sun's killer may come off as plot holes in his characterization, but there's more to them than meets the eye. Starring Idris Elba as the titular detective, Luther: The Fallen Sun makes subtle changes to its parent BBC series' narrative and spins a new yarn of action, chaos, and mystery-solving into Luther's overarching narrative. The Netflix movie sequel does an incredible job of portraying the inner turmoil and doubt that John Luther must overcome to overpower a worthy evil adversary, played by Andy Serkis.
Throughout Luther: The Fallen Sun's runtime, Andy Serkis' David Robey keeps Luther on his toes with his criminal schemes. Even after Luther finds a way to escape prison, the sadistic killer tries to take him down by cleverly using blackmail and manipulation to pit the police force against him. However, what eventually blows Robey's cover is his inability to keep the details of his crimes to himself. The fact that he intentionally gives away so many crucial clues despite being objective enough to control an entire city with his crimes initially makes no sense. But a closer examination of his motives shows why he makes these mistakes.
Luther: Fallen Sun's Killer Clues Explain His Motivation
In Luther: The Fallen Sun's opening arc, the killer keeps his victims strung up and then risks calling their loved ones to find them. Later in the Netflix film, he even drops a major clue through the radio for Luther in prison. These actions seem a little too careless for a villain like David Robey, but they portray how he derives pleasure from other people's suffering. The mere acts of hacking into the online secrets of innocents and blackmailing them are not enough for him. He wants his victims to suffer in the worst possible ways and wishes the same for their families.
Luther: The Fallen Sun's killer also seems to give hints of his crimes only to the ones he believes are emotionally vulnerable or in helpless situations. For instance, he leaves the victims' families grief-stricken and shocked by his actions, which prevents them from stopping him. Even Luther gets the radio clue when he is helplessly trapped behind bars in the Netflix movie sequel. The killer purposefully does this because it makes him feel more powerful. He loves watching others suffer and feels potent while misguiding innocents and luring them into dead ends with his clues.
Why Luther: Fallen Sun's Killer Clues Aren't A Plot Hole
Luther exposes the killer by telling his online viewers how he anxiously grinds his teeth and, no matter how much he tries to establish dominance over innocent people, he is still a weak man. This affirms that even though Robey deduces an almost perfect long-term plan to continue his cyber-crime streak, his motivation becomes his biggest pitfall when he gives away too much to Luther. In his mindless pursuit to prove that immoral people like him can get what they want, he dismisses the possibility of facing a fearless vigilante like Luther.
Therefore, what is initially a plot hole in Luther: The Fallen Sun later becomes an effective narrative device when it adds layers to the flawed motives of an imperfect villain. The killer's misleading clues also add depth to Luther's characterization as they establish that he is not immune to making bad decisions and falling for the villain's traps. However, what eventually helps him overcome these stumbling blocks in Luther: The Fallen Sun is his strong sense of justice and relentless grit.