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The Biggest Similarity Between Criminal Minds And Luther

When the BBC One series "Luther" made its debut in 2010, it drew fans of many other existing crime dramas, including those of the CBS serial killer procedural "Criminal Minds," which premiered in 2005. While "Criminal Minds" focused on the members of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, or BAU, in the FBI as they traveled around the country stopping serial killers, "Luther" kept its focus on DCI John Luther. Played by Idris Elba, Luther worked in the Serious and Serial Crime Unit in the London police force, where he helped stop crimes in the city with a group of trusted associates.

Despite their major differences, however, the two shows shared a number of similarities. Both shows examined the underlying theme of how dealing with heinous crimes on a constant basis affects the psychology and mental health of the investigators, but that was far from the only thing the two shows shared. This is the biggest similarity between "Criminal Minds" and "Luther."

Gaming experience played a role in cases on both shows

The computer experts on both shows, namely DS Benny Silver (Michael Smiley), better known as Benny Deadhead, on "Luther," and Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) on "Criminal Minds," are both avid gamers in their spare time. Both of their gaming experiences become key aspects of cases the team gets intertwined in.

In Episodes 3 and 4 of "Luther" Series Two, Luther and the SSU team encounter Robert and Nicholas Millberry, twin brothers who are revealed to be competing with each other, choosing what crime to commit by rolling dice. Benny helps figure out the book code the two brothers are using, which helps Luther pinpoint the second brother and corner him before he can continue his crime spree.

Penelope Garcia, the BAU's computer and tech expert on "Criminal Minds," similarly finds her pastime of online roleplaying games becoming crucial to the case, specifically in the Season 1 finale, titled "The Fisher King, Part 1," and the Season 2 premiere, titled "The Fisher King, Part 2." The team comes up against a serial killer by the name of Randall Garner, whom they pursue across both episodes to try to save his next victim. It's revealed that Garcia and Garner were both in the same online game, which Garcia played on the BAU network. This allowed Garner to access the BAU systems and discover personal information about the team.

"Luther" is currently available on Hulu and HBO Max, while the first 14 seasons of "Criminal Minds" are available on Paramount+.