'Luther' Premiere: Detectives Join Forces To Take Luther Down (VIDEO)

According to series creator Neil Cross, "Luther" is "finished" because series star Idris Elba has "gone on to be a big movie star." Thankfully for American fans, though, the third -- and final? -- season of "Luther" is just getting started on BBC America. The four-part season is airing like a mini-series this week, running from Tuesday through Friday at 9 p.m. ET each night.

It's a good and a bad thing for fans of the dedicated detective. It means not having to wait a week to see the next chapter of a superb serial. But it also means that it could all be over by the end of this week. At least Cross is holding out hope that "Luther" could continue on the big screen with a prequel story.

For now, the present tale picks up with retired DSU George Stark forcing Ripley to help him take down Luther, at any cost. Stark hated the fact that Luther has a tendency to cut corners on the job, despite his results. While Ripley was reluctant at first, by the end of this first hour, he was starting to see Stark's side of things.

“You’re right. Somebody needs to stop him," Ripley said. With three hours left to go, are these two the guys to do it?

The Guardian's Stuart Heritage couldn't get enough of the new bad guy for the season, but pointed out that this can't end well for Luther. Still, HuffPost TV's Maureen Ryan can't wait to see what the rest of the season holds for Luther, praising Idris Elba's performance in the title role.

"Luther" continues every night through Friday this week at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.