Indira Varma has spoken briefly with TV Guide about her two newest small-screen ventures.
She'll first be seen as Zoe Luther, an experienced attorney who is separated from her spouse, obsessive detective John Luther (Idris Elba), in the BBC's Luther. (Although I would disagree with the article saying she's "emotionally terrorized" by him.) Making its US debut on Sunday night at 10, this dark, twisty crime thriller is one of the best I've seen in years, in either country.
Varma said she's amused by the Stateside reception to the series, which has been overwhelmingly positive, as opposed to the initially cold reception it got in the UK. "Because of Idris, they were unfairly comparing it to The Wire and saying Americans do it better. By episode three, they loved it so much they were going insane!"
The Rome and Torchwood actress also had some minor dish about her new regular gig on FOX's Human Target, which returns on November 17. Varma plays Ilsa Pucci, a billonaire's widow who ends up buying the team after Chance and Co. save her life. What she had to say might induce some groaning among hardcore Human Target fans.
"It really needed a burst of estrogen. Ilsa is not some fluttery-eyed damsel in distress. These macho guys have to answer to her and they resent it." On the subject of a romantic relationship between her and Chance (Mark Valley), she added, "They're certainly going to tease it."
Count me among the camp that disagrees with her assessment; the show certainly didn't need estrogen to continue, although her appearance hasn't been detrimental to the series. I also have to admit that the idea of a Chance and Ilsa romance only makes me cringe. It seems both cliche and unnecessary. Having Chance swoon over somebody is about the last thing I'd consider for the fast-paced, high-intensity action series.
That said, with having to add a woman to the show, they couldn't have done any better than Indira Varma, who's proven to be a reliable actress in Rome, Torchwood (she played the villainous Suzie Costello) and The Whistleblowers.
What do you think? Are you excited for Luther? Dreading the idea of romance in Human Target? Leave your thoughts below. Don't forget to check back as I will be bringing you episode-by-episode coverage of both Luther and Human Target - two shows you definitely shouldn't miss.
I'm definitely not aboard the "HT Needed More Women" ship, but I'll give the new season two or three episodes before I pass final judgement.
My biggest gripe with Isla's character (based on how Mark Miller, the other main actors, and Indira Varma herself have described her) is that she doesn't seem to have a purpose beyond being a nuisance to the core team. If there's one thing I can't stand in live action tv/film, it's characters who consistently botch things yet whose behavior is either unremarked upon or brushed aside in favor of the storyline. If her sole reason for being is going to be plunging the core trio into life-threatening situations because she's inept yet can't resist the urge to tag along on missions, then that'll be a show killer for me.
I’m definitely not aboard the “HT Needed More Women” ship, but I’ll give the new season two or three episodes before I pass final judgement.
My biggest gripe with Isla’s character (based on how Mark Miller, the other main actors, and Indira Varma herself have described her) is that she doesn’t seem to have a purpose beyond being a nuisance to the core team. If there’s one thing I can’t stand in live action tv/film, it’s characters who consistently botch things yet whose behavior is either unremarked upon or brushed aside in favor of the storyline. If her sole reason for being is going to be plunging the core trio into life-threatening situations because she’s inept yet can’t resist the urge to tag along on missions, then that’ll be a show killer for me.
I've seen the premiere, and I have to say her character was better than I expected in that episode, but then she was essentially the client. I agree with you – if she becomes a nuisance, I'm going to get very annoyed, very fast.
I have more hope for Ames– though she sounds like the stereotypical quirky female sidekick, at least she'll bring something to the team. And her interaction with the trio should be interesting, given her shared field of work with Chance/Guerrero and her presumed opposition to Winston.
Ames makes more sense at least on paper, though I don't know Janet Montgomery from Eve, so I'll have to see how she pans out. I will say part of her introduction is stereotypical in an eye-rolling way, but she does have more of an opportunity to be useful to upcoming cases than Ilsa does. Like you said, it's very much a wait and see deal.
Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. I kind of rather liked the actress in Rome – but I REALLY don't like the potential for "romance" – I rather liked Chance with the FBI gal, actually. And having a snarky woman as a foil seems more annoying than anything. I'm wondering if Mark Miller was the writer who wrote some of the more cringe worthy episodes for Chuck, for that matter.
How does one "buy" the team anyway? Ugh.
Basically? They're in need of money after the events of the season 1 finale and she's got it. That's the gist of it (without spoiling).
Like you, I have nothing against Indira Varma, but one of my biggest pet peeves with TV is how every show must have a love subplot written into it somewhere. It's in every single show now, just for the sake of doing it, and it's tired. On a show like this, it's not something I would consider necessary – and if written badly, could probably drag the series down with it. I'm thinking, for example, of how Without A Trace devolved when it started putting so much emphasis on the interoffice romances.
As for Emma Barnes, you probably won't see her back; not right away, anyway. Emmanuelle Vaugier is doing Covert Affairs on USA, so I've been told there are no plans to see Emma again as of yet.
I love this show to no end, though, so I'm going to wait and see and hope for the best.
I like the addition of ilsa and ames but I do not like the idea of a possible romance between ilsa and chance.There should be no romance involving chance at all.