History Recap / InspectorLynleyS01E03ForTheSakeOfElena

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, this example was removed. Please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

%% * GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* KavorkaMan: Philip Weaver, lampshaded in-universe by an incredulous Lynley. He's a slightly pudgy, balding, forty or even fifty-something academic. His second wife is a late-twenties icy blonde straight out of classic Creator/AlfredHitchcock (including the aversion of the DumbBlonde stereotype), and his mistress is a passionate, lovely, FamedInStory artist that Lynley himself refers to as 'fascinating'.

* IfICantHaveYou: This is why Sarah Gordon killed Elena -- she was frustrated at Philip's reluctance to leave his family.
** Actually, it’s a lot more meta than that; problem is, they don’t show it in the TV adaptation. If you read the book, it comes across as far more Greek Tragedy – in fact, given that Elena is a variation of ‘Helen’ (HelenOfTroy), George might very well have [[MeaningfulName chosen the name in order to evoke that very mood ]]. Sarah Gordon spent years (given her age, possibly ''decades'') tormented by personal doubt and crippling Artist’s block, never sure whether she had more Hype than Talent. It was Weaver who convinced her that she had worth as an artist after all; the painting she made for him was the culmination of years of catharsis, gratitude and love. She regarded it as her greatest work, of her entire life. Then Julia Weaver found out about the affair and (justifiably) went ballistic. As a way of severing their relationship, she forced Phillip to vandalize the painting in front of Sarah (you can see the damage when Lynley and Havers get Helen’s sister to x-ray the painting). The way Sarah saw it, Phillip destroyed the greatest thing she ever created, so she destroyed the greatest thing Phillip created – his child. We see several scenes that hint around the edges of this (especially the scene that shows the vandalized painting), and Cheri Lunghi was definitely a skilled enough actress to portray it effectively, so I can only assume the scenes were cut for time.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Philip Weaver, Elena's father. He is called out on this by his present and former wives as well as his lover, Sarah Gordon, who blames Elena's death on this trait.

** to be fair, Elena really does come across as a fairly major bitch to everyone except her adoring mother and lesbian room-mate (and pet mouse). Given the way Elena treated the people around her, particularly men, (she did her best to conceive a deaf baby as part of a campaign to hurt her father; she seduced a deaf friend to conceive the baby, ditched him without a qualm and had no intention of telling him; then seduced a professor at the university into marrying her - presumably as a means of support)the most surprising twist of the story is that she isn't killed by one of the men she's used and discarded.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* KavorkaMan: Phillip Weaver, lampshaded in-universe by an incredulous Lynley. He's a slightly pudgy, balding, forty or even fifty-something academic. His second wife is a late-twenties icy blonde straight out of classic Creator/AlfredHitchock (including the aversion of the DumbBlonde stereotype), and his mistress is a passionate, lovely, FamedInStory artist that Lynley himself refers to as 'fascinating'.

** mind you, Elena really does come across as a fairly major bitch to everyone except her adoring mother and lesbian room-mate (and pet mouse). Given the way Elena treated the people around her, particularly men, (she did her best to conceive a deaf baby as part of a campaign to hurt her father; she seduced a deaf friend to conceive the baby, ditched him without a qualm and had no intention of telling him; then seduced a professor at the university into marrying her - presumably as a means of support)the most surprising twist of the story is that she isn't killed by one of the men she's used and discarded.

** Actually, it’s a lot more meta than that; problem is, they don’t show it in the TV adaptation. If you read the book, it comes across as far more Greek Tragedy – in fact, given that Elena is a variation of ‘Helen’ (HelenOfTroy), George might very well have [[MeaningfulName chosen the name in order to evoke that very mood ]] . Sarah Gordon spent years (given her age, possibly ''decades'') tormented by personal doubt and crippling Artist’s block, never sure whether she had more Hype than Talent. It was Weaver who convinced her that she had worth as an artist after all; the painting she made for him was the culmination of years of catharsis, gratitude and love. She regarded it as her greatest work, of her entire life. Then Julia Weaver found out about the affair and (justifiably) went ballistic. As a way of severing their relationship, she forced Phillip to vandalize the painting in front of Sarah (you can see the damage when Lynley and Havers get Helen’s sister to x-ray the painting). The way Sarah saw it, Phillip destroyed the greatest thing she ever created, so she destroyed the greatest thing Phillip created – his child. We see several scenes that hint around the edges of this (especially the scene that shows the vandalized painting), and Cheri Lunghi was definitely a skilled enough actress to portray it effectively, so I can only assume the scenes were cut for time.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: {{Invoked}} by Havers as she tries to find a suitable euphemism to note that a suspect stripped down in her presence.
--> '''Havers''': How shall I phrase that in my notes, sir? Would "hung" and "donkey" cover it?

* BuryYourGays: Averted. Both halves of the lesbian couple survive to the end of the episode - in fact, the reason one survives is that she's gone home to come out to her family, so [[KilledByMistake another jogger]] is killed instead.

** Actually, it’s a lot more meta than that; problem is, they don’t show it in the TV adaptation. If you read the book, it comes across as far more Greek Tragedy – in fact, given that Elena is a variation of ‘Helen’ (HelenOfTroy), George might very well have [[MeaningfulName chosen the name in order to evoke that very mood ]] . Sarah Gordon spent years (given her age, possibly ''decades'') tormented by personal doubt and crippling Artist’s block, never sure whether she had more Hype than Talent. It was Weaver who convinced her that she had worth as an artist after all; the painting she made for him was the culmination of years of catharsis, gratitude and love. She regarded it as her greatest work, of her entire life. Then Julia Weaver found out about the affair and (justifiably) went ballistic. As a way of severing their relationship, she forced Phillip to vandalize the painting in front of Sarah (you can see the damage when Lynley and Havers get Helen’s sister to x-ray the painting). The way Sarah saw it, Phillip destroyed the greatest thing she ever created, so she destroyed the greatest thing Phillip created – his child. We see several scenes that hint around the edges of this (especially the scene that shows the vandalized painting), and Cheri Lunghi was definitely a skilled enough actress to portray it effectively, so I can only assume the scenes were cut for time.

* AnimalMetaphor: When Barbara [[spoiler: takes her mother to to the asylum]], there is a programme on TV about how pet animals dumped at the shelter wait to be taken by a new owner. It becomes clear that Barbara draws a parallel between the poor, unwanted dogs and [[spoiler: her mother whom she's about to leave at the asylum]]. The moment is something of a TearJerker.

* IfICantHaveYou: This is why [[spoiler: Sarah Gordon killed Elena -- she was frustrated at Philip's reluctance to leave his family.]]
* ItsAllAboutMe: Philip Weaver, Elena's father. He is called out on this by his present and former wives [[spoiler: as well as his lover, Sarah Gordon, who blames Elena's death on this trait]].
* JoggersFindDeath: Elena is killed while out jogging. A second jogger notices her killer. [[spoiler: Later, a third jogger is killed after being mistaken for the jogger who noticed the killer]].

* RewindReplayRepeat: Philip Weaver watches a video recording of his deceased daughter over and over again in a bid to [[spoiler: get over his guilt at being mortified by her deafness]].

* WickedStepmother: PlayedWith. Justine was clearly not too fond of Elena [[spoiler: but she had no issue with Elena's disability, unlike Elena's father, Philip]].

* ShirtlessScene: Lynley gets one. Nobody's complaining, that's for sure.
* SpeakIllOfTheDead: During the investigation, several people reveal the unflattering aspects of Elena's character. In the words of her own stepmother, Elena was "a promiscuous little slut."

* SpeakIllOfTheDead: During the investigation, several people reveal the unflattering aspects of Elena's character. In the words of her own stepmother, Elena was "a promiscuous little slut."

-> '''Lynley''': God, Havers, the mess people make of love.

* SpeakIllOfTheDead: During the investigation, several people reveal the unflattering aspects of Elena's character. In the words of her own stepmother, Elena was "a promiscuous little slut."