The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (TV Series) Know Thine Enemy (2007) User Reviews

A good send-off

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 14 January 2013]

This is the last in the Inspector Lynley series, and I'm sad to see them go. However, the show goes out with a very strong episode.

Lynley and Havers investigate the murder of a teenage girl and the disappearance of another one, this girl a diabetic in need of insulin. Fairly early in the show, they think they have a line on their man -- but how to find where he has stashed the girl and how to get enough proof for warrants becomes difficult. Havers goes to work on the man's wife, a battered wife who won't leave her husband and won't be disloyal to him.

A really good episode, a little different from what the show did in the past, where clues to a murder are found in happenings from long ago. In "Know Thine Enemy," other questions beside that of the identity of the killer are involved and cause friction between Lynley and Havers.

I love Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small in their roles and also together. They made a terrific team. I'm just sorry it ended.

Signing off in style.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 12 November 2021]

Lynley and Havers investigate an upsetting case, the distressing discovery of a schoolgirl, found dead in water, the killer is clearly sadistic.

First off, this looks incredible, It has an almost film like quality, the camera work, location work etc are all first rate, very impressive.

The style is matched by substance however, the content has the same quality as the visuals, it's a terrific story, first rate, one of the show's best. The content is bleak, almost upsetting, but it will have you engrossed, the ending will shock you.

The spark comes in the conflict between the two leads, it builds up, and of course there's the big scene, the pair are terrific together.

The acting is first rate, I couldn't believe how small a part Mark Bonnar took, surprising. However this sees James D'Arcy and Honeysuckle Weeks both giving terrific performances, the latter was so impressive, so different to her role as Samantha Stewart, shows just how good an actress she is.

I wish we'd had a parting scene of note, what a shame the show came to an end here, it really did get better with time, I should have run a little longer.

Excellent send off, 9/10.

Ending left us in limbo?

[patlightfoot · 8/10 · 20 July 2015]

It was a great episode, but the ending? I suspect the Ms George is one of the best detective writers on line with P.D.James and Ruth Randell. However, I would have liked a better ending. Both exhausted and depleted at the end of this horror case, one wonders if they questioned their career in the police. Or would they both shake themselves and get up to face more cases? That is what I felt, particularly after the tragic shooting of Helen, Tom's estranged wife.

The message was firmly placed in our minds. Not just the police's job is a hard one but often takes on that even if they solve a case, it affects them emotionally. They appeared totally drained and one wouldn't blame them for chucking in their job.

Possibly Ms George wanted us to wonder how much trauma a police officer can take but see them recover and go on to solve more cases. Probably too romantic, but to see Lynley tap Havers on the shoulder and say,'OK, let's go home and move on..." Might have been the ideal ending.

The Last One

[safenoe · 10/10 · 7 August 2017]

Inspector Lynley is one four British detective dramas that I love from the 2000-10 period, along with The Last Detective, Rosemary and Thyme, an Judge John Deed. It's a shame Inspector Lynley didn't continue, and in 2016 Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small revealed in a BBC radio interview that whilst ratings for the show were impressive, a new management team decided to axe the show:(

Also it's worthwhile checking out the interview between the two stars in 2016: Google EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Nathaniel Parker & Sharon Small revisit The Inspector Lynley Mysteries

Anyway, in this finale there are numerous twists and I didn't want the show to end. If Twin Peaks can be revived and who know what else, how about Inspector Lynley?

Know Thine Enemy--Last of Inspector Lynley

[ctyankee1 · 23 December 2012]

This is the last episode of the Inspector Lynley Mysteries.

The episode is about young teenage girls showing up dead. It appears they were sadistically hurt and held captive.

Some witness say a woman with red hair was seen talking to two of these teens along with a man. A well known writer is questioned when his wife, a red head is beaten up and goes to the hospital. The DJ boyfriend of one of the girls is questioned is also considered as a suspect.

Tania the redhead is played by Honeysuckle Weeks the wife of a author that beats her up. Ms Weeks is a great actress she plays a driver for Inspector Foyle in another series called "Foyle's War" which is a British series that is wonderful and touching.

Lynley and Havers question different people as well as the parents of the girls gone missing. They also question a writer and his wife, the red head.

This episode was not to bad, lots of different conclusion and questions. Also internal problems with supervisors. I am kind of sad this is the last of the series. I do think an hour and a half is too long.

Nathaniel Parker/ Lynley and Sharon Small/Barbara Havers make this series interesting and I am sure will star or have acted in many videos/movies/series since Inspector Lynley Mysteries. I have a lot of respect for both of them.

The ending is a surprise.

Based on the notorious Canadian serial killers case

[mayuus · 10/10 · 24 January 2018]

This episode is based on the Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo case. Of course some Canadians feel the police were out-foxed on that one by the serial killer they made the deal with.

"Ripped from the Headlines"

[junkmail123 · 7/10 · 19 December 2007]

Its a shame that a quality show like the Lynley mysteries is stooping to "ripped from the headlines" stories now, especially one which has been used on other shows. This was done a number of years ago on Law and Order. This is clearly a re-imagining of the Paul Bernardo-Karla Homolka case which has appalled Canada for the last fifteen years. The supposedly meek woman who was actually an active participant, the video tapes, the drugging and death of a relative of the woman, all point to that case. That said, it still was a well-written and well-presented show, and no doubt those in the United Kingdom for whom the story was originally written are for the most part unaware of the real case.

Unprofessional D I Lynley!

[davyd-02237 · 6/10 · 23 June 2021]

In the 1st place, for this last epistle we have an assistant chief constable with an obvious hatred of Lynley. 2nd, on several occasions during the viewing Lynley shouts at police officers and members of the public, surely this is unprofessional conduct. In Lynleys case everyone has to be wrong-but him! What could have been a cracking way to finish a decent series is nothing like real police work. Lynley even puts a member of the public at risk in the way he interrogates his principal witness. He clearly has no idea what is going on. What is odd is a few years later in a "Jesse Stone" episode, we have a similar scenario involving a married couple. Having watched all of these now, the earlier ones were better than the latter and just as well they didnt continue with them.