Compared are the International Version (German Blu-ray by Polyband / FSK 16) and the UK Version (UK Blu-ray by 2entertain / BBFC 15).

16 differences, consisting of
- 10 additional scenes
- 5 extended scenes
- additional end credits
- Length difference: 428.1 sec resp. 7 min 8.1 sec

The Show

Luther is a British crime drama from 2010. So far, there are 4 seasons consisting of 16 episodes in total: Season 1 consists of 6 episodes, the seasons 2 & 3 of 4 episodes each and season 4 consists of 2 episodes only. In June 2017, a fifth season was announced for 2018. Without any spoiler alerts, it is safe to say that fans of British shows will enjoy Luther if one does not have an aversion of crime dramas in general.

The Versions

Like other shows before (e.g. Life on Mars & Ashes to Ashes), Luther is yet another example for shorter, international versions (in comparison to the original UK Version that is). In order to do so, all the episodes are two-part episodes now and numerous alterations have been made. Often, the missing footage focuses on a or several particular characters but there are a few alterations that have censorship all over it. Certainly, the International Versions are still watchable, no argument there. But the better version is the uncensored UK Version, no doubt.



Time index refers to
International Version (German Blu-ray) – UK Version (UK Blu-ray)

Additional Scene
09:27 / 09:27

Luther's phone starts ringing, he answers.
Luther: "Babe."
Zoe: "John. Can I see you?"
Luther: "Absolutely. Ehm… I just got a lot of stuff going on here. Can I call you later?"
Zoe: "OK but I really need to see you. It needs to be today."
Luther: "No, me too. Alright? Ehm… I'll call you the moment I get a chance. Alright."
Luther hangs up and so does Zoe.

27.8 sec




Additional Scene
12:50 / 13:18

The op is much longer in the UK Version. While Teller and Benny keep an eye on the surveillance cams, Luther and the others are on site. The International Version only contains the first few seconds and continues at some point in the middle of this rather long seqence.
(Teller: "Entrances and exits covered."
Man: "Received.")
Teller: "Echo 1 in position. Echo 2 in position."
Man #2: "Affirmed."
Teller: "Carrodus coming into position."
Luther: "Eyeball on Carrodus."
Benny: "OK. Here we go, people. What… What's this?"
Benny zooms in.
Luther: "Couple of hoodies."
Teller: "Subject's been handed something."
Luther: "It's a note. Instructions. Pick 'em up, Ripley."
Ripley: "Yeah. I'm there."
Teller: "John, stay on Carrodus."
Luther: "I'm gonna move then."
Teller: "Visual on the coffee bar."
Benny: "Nope. No visual."
Now Carrodus. A bag is being handed over to him.
Carrodus: "Thank you very much."
Carrodus leaves and the puts the diamonds in the bag.
Luther: "Diamonds are in the bag."
Teller: "Received. Benny, track the hoodies."
Benny: "Tracking."
The "Hoodies", as Luther calls them, meet some buddies.
Ripley: "Are you getting this, Benny?"
Benny: "A wasp in a wheelie bin."
Ripley: "Yeah. Have uniform pick 'em up, they're no kidnappers. Just kids that'll have been given money to give Carrodus that note."
Benny: "Well, go."
Luther: "Eyeball on Carrodus. Level 2."

71.5 sec resp. 1 min 11.5 sec



Additional Scene
17:16 / 18:55

Additional dialog at the station.
Teller: "Anything?"
Ripley: "Not a word. No prints on record. No nothing."
Luther: "You know, she may not even have been our problem up until now but she'll have been someone's. You don't start off at kidnapping. You work your way up to it. Why don't yu send her details to Detective Munch in New York. He's Special Victims Unit there." (character from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
Ripley: "Sir."
Ripley gets up and leaves. Teller nods at Luther - meaning he should come see her in the office.

23.6 sec



Extended Scene
20:43 / 22:46

As before, only the UK Version contains the Law & Order SVU reference. For that reason, Luthers conversation with Ripley starts a little earlier.
Luther: "You speak to Munch?"
Ripley: "Eh, yeah. "

The rest of the conversation is identically equal.

2.2 sec



Additional Scene
22:50 / 24:55

Jessica does not want Meyer to ungag her.
Meyer tries to calm her down: "Please. I know they're inside of you. If you do not let me help you, he's gonna cut them out. So, please, please help me here."
Jessica agrees resp. she nods.

13.8 sec



Extended Scene
26:21 / 28:40

The shot of Tom Meyer's dead body is longer in the UK Version: The camera keeps panning to the right. As a result, one gets to see the severed fingers on the ground in front of him.

3.1 sec



Additional Scene
31:07 / 33:29

Reed's conversation with Winingham is longer.
(Reed: "That's good, Bill. That's really reallly good. That might help us.")
Winingham: "Will you be OK?"
Reed: "Oh, Bill, this is not about me. I'm nothing. Jessica Carrodus is dead and I'm gonna have to try and live that somehow. But you've got to understand that this has grown. And if I go to prison for this, then every case that I've ever convicted will be questioned. And all the murderers, the rapists, the predators, they might get out. They might be back on the street. And whatever they do after that, whoever they hurt, that'll be my fault. And I can't live with that. I can't. I just… I just can't."
Winingham: "I'm sorry, son. (Do you want a drink?)"

46.1 sec



Additional Scene
32:08 / 35:16

Luther's conversation with Alice is longer.
(Luther: "This is such an interesting place.) John Milton was burried here. You know Paradise Lost?"
Alice: "Mmm. Very well. He wrote it to justify the ways of God to men. But even he couldn't do that. God emerged as a tyrant, Satan as a hero. (Where is this leading?)"

23.8 sec




Additional Scene
32:33 / 36:05

Once again, Luther has more to say.
(Luther: "There is no love. Not really, you know? Most of it is just cruel and deceitful, just matter.) I saw a lot of matter today. Matter all over the place. There is nothing. (There's absolutely nothing.)"

14.1 sec



Additional Scene
32:48 / 36:32

Alice: "(I did what I did to Henry Madsen because I wanted to help you.) I put my liberty at risk because I couldn't… bear to see you hurt so what I did, I did for… holy, unselfish reasons."
Luther: "I don't…"
Alice: "Yes, you do. 'The mind is ist own place and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.' The universe isn't evil, John. It's just indifferent. That hasn't changed. It can't. But what I did for you proved something to me. Something I hadn't… belileved… until that moment."
Luther: "What?"
(Aice: "It's you who's right. There is love in the world.")

53.9 sec



Additional Scene
42:59 / 47:37

Luther, Teller and Schenk are in Sugarman's hotel room.
Schenk: "There were no diamonds found and the concierge… says that eh… this is the gunman."
Schenk shows Luther a sketch of the suspect on his computer.
Luther: "Yeah. (small pause) I don't know."
Teller: "Alright, that's enough. Go and get yourself checked out. Eat. Get some rest."

27 sec




Additional Scene
43:31 / 48:36

Reed gets his weapon and puts it to his head but he does not have the guts to pull the trigger. Eventually, he tosses the weapon. Also, the subsequent shot of him putting the hands behind his head starts earlier in the UK Version.

48.7 sec



Extended Scene
49:42 / 55:35

Reed longer after the phone conversation with Luther.

5.6 sec



Extended Scene
49:46 / 55:45

The shot of Reed sitting on the ground is longer (after he throws up) plus he turns his head to the left.

3.4 sec



Extended Scene
51:54 / 57:57

The final shot is slightly longer.

0.9 sec


Credits
51:57 / 58:00

Only the UK Version contains end credits & a preview of the next episode.

62.6 sec resp. 1 min 2.6 sec