Inspector Lynley Mysteries V6

I mentioned when writing about season five that this delicately etched and excellently acted series on PBS's "Mystery" was my favorite. It still is. I truly believe it is the finest show on television. Nathaniel Parker's Inspector Thomas Lynley and Sharon Small's Barbara Havers are eagerly awaited with passion each season by this viewer like nothing else on television.

Based on Elizabeth George's characters, the BBC show has grown and matured into something really special. The mysteries are always well-written and the lead characters have been allowed to let life and what each brings to the table change both themselves and how they view each other. Parker and Small are a fabulous duo who balance each other out.

The dashing Lynley was originally paired with Havers because it was taken for granted he would not be distracted by her in a romantic way. But the two quickly found there was more to each other than their reputations, and proved a great team. They also became quite close, their deep friendship and affection for each other rarely dwelled upon but always there beneath the surface.

Havers has given the dashing Lynley depth and complexity while he has given her a softer appearance over time. Small really looked terrific in season five with her hair down. Though some griped it was a deviation from the books, it is this intelligent lack of stagnation which has kept things fresh.

Season five ended tragically as Lynley's world changed in the blink of an eye when his beloved Helen was killed. One of the most poignant moments of the series found Havers sitting with Lynley after her funeral to make the world wait a few moments. It is intelligent and very real moments such as that which make this show tower head and shoulders above everything else out there.

It is for that reason that a massive campaign is being waged to persuade the BBC to continue to produce the show so that PBS fans in America can enjoy these richly mature and intelligent mysteries. The carefully nuanced performances of Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small as Lynley and Havers would be harder to live without than Lynley's beloved Bristol.

Until that happens, we can at least enjoy the two episodes here on season six. In "Limbo," first aired in Australia, the remains of Lynley's godson are discovered twelve years after he was reported missing. Lynley becomes deeply involved with the deceased's sister and will become the prime suspect in a second murder. In "Know Thine Enemy" one young schoolgirl kills herself to escape captivity and Lynley and Havers try to find another before tragedy strikes twice.

The Inspector Lynley series is smart and atmospheric, Debbie Wiseman's opening music setting the tone for each intriguing installment. Fans cherish this show and hopefully this won't be the last we see of our favorite detectives.

The BBC and Masterpiece Theater's long running Inspector Lynley series has produced its sixth and possibly last installment. Nathaniel Parker returns as aristocratic Inspector Lynley and Sharon Small as working class Detective Sergeant Havers.

This installment contains two episodes. In the first, "Limbo", Inspector Lynley, still grieving from a personal loss (see Set Five) is dragged into a mystery involving the prior disappearence of his godson. Lynley's efforts to help the family deal with new police evidence ends up enmeshing him in the case as a suspect when the missing boy's sister dies on the street in front of Lynley's temporary residence. Lynley must rely on Sergeant Havers to run down the evidence that will keep him out of jail long enough to solve both cases. Havers herself will be in desperate need of assistance by the time the murderer is identified. The second case,"Know Thine Enemy", involves the murder of a young girl and the potential threat to an additional victim. Lynley and Havers must sort through the clues under considerable time duress to try to save the living. The two will also have to resolve a major difference of opinion over who the real murderer or murderers are.

The heart of this series is still the relationship between Lynley and Havers, who have complemented each other in increasingly nuanced ways over the years. This viewer hopes BBC won't let Set Six be the end of their partnership. "The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Set Six" is very highly recommended to fans of this well-done series.

I would have reviewed every other series of the Inspector Lynley Mysteries by giving them five stars. I think this one is more disappointing for two reasons; the BBC clearly took an abrupt decision to end the series, and the suddenness of that decision can be felt in the unsatisfactory last scene of the final episode [of the two, I much prefer 'Limbo', despite some plot inconsistencies]. The scriptwriting, especially in the final episode, is poor, and I think the story was based largely on a real crime. Lynley's language and behaviour have changed so totally from previous episodes that he reminds me of an ill-bred thug rather than a well-bred aristocrat. I found myself wondering if the scriptwriter had read the books at all.

I still give it four stars because of the quality of the acting of Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small. Even given a badly-written script they did a superb job as they have done throughout. Their partnership [both in character and as actors] is one of the most compellingly fascinating I have ever seen on TV.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 26 reviews  4.8 out of 5 stars