The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: Set 5
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Movie Reviews of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: Set 5
Movie Review: British mystery at its finest!
Summary: 5 Stars
It is hard to imagine not being glued to the telly when watching an Inspector Lynley mystery. He is amazing and with out his side kick it would not be the same. They are the typical mysteries we have come to expect from the British. Complicated and complex to the end. Not since Inspector Morse has there been such a duo that is so intertwined in and outside the mystery. Movie Review: Better than Midsomer
Summary: 4 Stars
For all thos of you who love British mystery, this is a must watch. Unlike previous seasons where one could guess the outcome, this season has episodes that are cliffhangers till the very end. The settings are true to life and the main characters suitably flawed to give them a believability. While I would still say that this would not make it to the top of the British mystery list (I still prefer Morse, Frost, Poirot et al), I would rate this series better than Midsomer. Worth owning.Movie Review: Needs to get away from its gothic romance background or work with it
Summary: 3 Stars
I have to say that I still enjoy this series but that my affection for it is largely due to Ms Small, whose character Inspector Havers has developed amazingly well over time. She almost singly handedly carries the series in my opinion. Faced with a variety of real life problems, she seems to have grown with her trials as a real person would. She`s vulnerable without being sappy, caring without being clingy, and tough as nails when she has to be. She's a survivor; she has a history and consistancy. Hers is a very complex character, as those of real people usually are.
My problem with this series is the same as that with the Inspector Jury series. The gothic romance hero gets more and more annoying because he never seems to learn anything. He remains as screwed up as he starts out. While the secondary characters are allowed to grow and mature into normal people with occasional problems, the hero wallows in self criticism and self pity and creates more problems for himself with every decision. The urge to say "get help" is overwhelming.
I find no fault with the actor playing the role of Lynley, but the writers need to carry him beyond the dark, brooding, gothic romance hero he started out. Either that or send him back. Instead, their answer to the difficulty of his womens-romance origin is simply to make him look a little seedy and pathetic--to show he`s a "sensitive kind of guy" maybe. They either need to work with the actor's strong points, which are his elegance and aristocratic features and bearing, or create a new character. The latter probably would not carry the magic of the relationship with Havers. The solution is almost certainly to let the character grow; it`s not as if he can`t. He grew a great deal when he needed to face the issue of his mother's attachment to his father's former doctor and to his own failure to "be there" for his younger brother.
Lynley is a member of the aristocracy, but where's the gliz and glammer of the roll. What does it really mean? What duties are historically his? What relationship does he have with the royal court if any? My feeling is that his family predates that of the present monarchy by centuries. What does that mean? What does being Lord of the Mannor mean to those who live in the region that is his? Do they like him or are they indifferent? Does he have any real roll to perform or is he just an anachronism? Does he have enough money to manage his estate, and what does that mean? What is the family history? Why does he seem so apologetic about having a family that has had roots in England--and probably in France as well--since Heck was a Pup? Where is the glamour that having an aristocrat as a central character should provide the series. Does Havers get involved in this aspect of his life? How does she deal with it? What kind of interesting flash backs to the history of his family could be interjected that might tie to the present generation in interesting ways? Was there a Havers-like character in the family's past? What happened to her. Is there a present collateral branch of the family establish by illicit romantic liasons in the past? How do they relate to the "legitimate" branch of the family. Are they close, indifferent, hostile? Doesn't anything goofy or funny ever happen to an aristocrate? Or do they just brood.
Either the writers have to let go entirely of the gothic romance aspect of the character or they have to make good use of it. The emotional mess thing really gets old.
Movie Review: Also cheated
Summary: 1 Stars
I, too, was cheated. Owning all previous series, I neglected to check for close captioning before purchasing. I am hearing impaired, even with hearing aids, and have difficulty understanding the British accents, relying on captioning to enjoy the DVDs.
Continuing to buy the series, though the writers decided they could improve on Elizabeth George's plots, I enjoyed the characters though the plots suffered. Without captioning, this will be the last that I purchase.
Movie Review: Excellent Series
Summary: 5 Stars
If you haven't seen this series, then you're really missing a very well acted cast with excellent writing. Since we've been watching this series, we've seen the characters develop, handle challenging life situations, and solve crime. This series is an investment in quality intertainment.