History Series / InspectorLynley

* ShipperOnDeck: Barbara appears to be this for Lynley and Helen. Whether she a) genuinely wants them to get together, b) genuinely wants them to get together and doesn't realize she's in love with Lynley, c) genuinely wants them to get together but is in [[{{Starboarding}} unrequited love]] with Lynley anyway, or d) is in unrequited love with Lynley and is encouraging him in order to hide her own feelings is a matter for endless debate.

* BeautifulDreamer: In a meta instance of this trope, "[[Recap/InspectorLynleyS04E02InTheGuiseOfDeath In The Guise Of Death]]" gives viewers a lovely shot of the normally-frumpy Barbara sleeping peacefully, her hair a [[FieryRedhead halo of reddish-gold]] around her face. Then she's [[NotAMorningPerson woken up]] by her irritatingly cheerful partner knocking on her door asking her to go traipsing about Cornwall with him... and he [[WhatAnIdiot doesn't even let her]] [[MustHaveCaffeine drink her coffee first]]. HilarityEnsues.

* TheyFightCrime: He's a Lord with a title and a complicated personal life. She's a cranky, foul-mouthed working-class junk food addict with massive class resentment issues.

%% * 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.
* GutFeeling: If Barbara Havers feels uneasy around someone, that person is either shady or an outright villain (or aristocratic, which in Barbara's mind is pretty much the same thing). The only times this fails, the characters involved are [[spoiler:working-class, like Barbara, and being kicked down by society, ''also'' like Barbara]], which blinds her to their true natures.

George is one of only two American writers[[labelnote:*]]the other is Tony Hillerman[[/labelnote]] whose novels have been adapted for Creator/{{PBS}}' ''MYSTERY!''

* [[InstantDeathBullet Instant Death Stab]]: Averted in "[[Recap/InspectorLynleyS01E02PaymentInBlood Payment In Blood]]", where a single stab through the throat is enough to kill the victim, but only because it impales her to a mattress, allowing a bleed-out.

* StuffedIntoTheFridge: [[spoiler:Helen, at the end of series 5]], because her character dies in the books. (Despite the fact that the television series had abandoned the novel canon three series earlier). This also renders [[spoiler:DieForOurShip]] unnecessary, as it [[spoiler:clears the way for [[FanPreferredCouple Lynley/Havers]] in just about the most convenient manner possible]].

** "[[Recap/InspectorLynleyS03E02ATraitorToMemory A Traitor To Memory]]" also shows this between Chief Superintendent Webberley and Detective Sergeant Leach, who were partners years before, who're [[NotSoDifferent another upper-class/working-class pair]].

* EpiphanyTherapy: Lynley goes through this in "[[Recap/InspectorLynleyS05E01NaturalCauses Natural Causes]]", realizing he wants to make it work with Helen. He does it while "undercover" at a center that's a cross between a rehab clinic and a ChurchOfHappyology. [[spoiler: It turns out the head of the center is behind a RealEstateScam:, not the murders.]]

* AlternateContinuity: Adapting Elizabeth George's novels to television resulted in such massive changes to both characters and storyline, particularly after the programme OvertookTheSeries, that the two are generally seen as entirely separate entities. See the trope page for details.

* OvertookTheSeries: Done midway through the third series. "[[Recap/InspectorLynleyS03E02ATraitorToMemory A Traitor To Memory]]" is the last episode to be based on a book.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Barbara Havers has a quite earthy[[note]]read: perverted[[/note]] sense of humour, and some of her quips can make viewers wonder how this ever got aired before the watershed. For instance, during the episode "[[Recap/InspectorLynleyS01E03ForTheSakeOfElena For The Sake Of Elena]]" after one of their suspects has, er, exposed himself:
-->'''Havers''': How shall I phrase that in my notes, sir? [[GagPenis Would "hung" and "donkey" cover it?]]

* EpiphanyTherapy: Lynley goes through this in "[[Recap/InspectorLynleyS05E01NaturalCauses Natural Causes]]", realizing he wants to make it work with Helen. He does it while "undercover" at a center that's a cross between a rehab clinic and a ChurchOfHappyology. [[spoiler: It turns out the head of the center is behind a real estate land-grab, not the murders.]]

** The "shower scene" in "[[Recap/InspectorLynleyS05E02OneGuiltyDeed One Guilty Deed]]", when they dance around each other in tight quarters while she's in pyjamas and he's in - a ''towel''.

* {{Oxbridge}}: Lynley is an Oxford alum, and this plays a plot-important role in several episodes.
-->'''Havers''': One tug on the old school tie and you come running.

* ShipperOnDeck: Barbara appears to be this for Lynley and Helen. Whether she a) genuinely wants them to get together, b) genuinely wants them to get together and doesn't realize she's in love with Lynley, c) genuinely wants them to get together but is in [[ListingShip unrequited love]] with Lynley anyway, or d) is in unrequited love with Lynley and is encouraging him in order to hide her own feelings is a matter for endless debate.

* CharacterDevelopment: Through his partnership with Barbara, Lynley becomes less snobbish and elitist, not to mention less likely to fly off the handle. Through her partnership with Lynley, Barbara begins to let her softer side show more often and learns that the world isn't out to get her and that it's okay to trust people and let them in.[[note]]This doesn't even ''begin'' to cover what these two do for each other over the course of the series, but it's a start.[[/note]] In the end, they are not only more effective detectives due to their partnership, they are, quite simply, better ''people''. And it is [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming beautiful]].

* CryIntoChest: Played textbook straight when Barbara [[TearsOfFear falls apart after being held hostage at gunpoint]] and suffers a FlashbackEcho. See also SecurityCling, InelegantBlubbering and CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.

* WorthLivingFor: Lynley and Havers, for each other. A CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming for the entire show.
-->'''Lynley''': How do you do it? Living alone.
-->'''Havers''': Oh... you get used to it. I've never been married, never had anything you could call a relationship. So you get to a point where you just have to accept what you are, what you have. And then you find something else, and that gives you the reason to get up in the morning. And I have that, don't I.

* YouCalledMeXItMustBeSerious: Suffice it to say that when Lynley calls Havers "Barbara," it's either a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming or a massive, massive TearJerker - like when [[spoiler:Havers gets shot]], at which point Lynley loses it quite spectacularly and can only say, "[[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming Barbara?]] ''[[TearJerker Barbara]]??''"

* JerkassFacade: Barbara. Yes, she is and always will be a blunt, outspoken, cranky, DeadpanSnarker SarcasticDevotee, but by and large, her harsh personality is a defense mechanism against a lifetime of torment and ridicule. Arguably the most critical moment of her first case with Lynley is him catching on to the fact that it ''is'' a facade and telling her she doesn't have to do it any more; he knows she's a good person, and in fact he genuinely cares about her. This freaks Barbara the hell out, but she gets used to it. Eventually.

* LoveMartyr: Goes along with LivingEmotionalCrutch, although it's not openly romantic. Barbara sticks with Lynley even though he is, at first, a frankly high-handed and often arrogant berk to pretty much everyone, even when he later takes all his pain out on her because she's the only safe outlet he has. Meanwhile, Lynley sticks with Barbara despite her being, initially, a JerkassWoobie who deliberately [[JerkassFacade pushes everyone -- especially him -- away with harsh words]] because she's [[HopeIsScary too scared to believe]] anyone could possibly like and/or respect her for herself. In addition, both have a DarkAndTroubledPast with a cartload of baggage and family issues galore. Any sane person would have gone running, and in fact [[HighTurnoverRate all of their previous partners did just that]]. Fortunately for them both, they find exactly what they need -- although not always exactly what they ''want'' -- in each other.

* DefectiveDetective: Lynley and Havers, both of them. One is a [[MarriedToTheJob workaholic]] with a personal life worthy of a soap opera; the other is a BrokenBird who has raised antisociality and [[JerkassFacade self-protection via jerkassery]] to an art form. Somehow, they become [[LikeAnOldMarriedCouple incredibly]] [[TrueCompanions close]] [[TheNotLoveInterest friends]] anyway, which spawns an absolutely glorious amount of CharacterDevelopment for both of them. And [[ThePowerOfFriendship it]] [[ThePowerOfTrust is]] [[ThePowerOfLove beautiful]].

* FlashbackEcho / {{Trigger}}: In "[[Recap/InspectorLynleyS04E01InDivineProportion In Divine Proportion]]" when Barbara [[spoiler:is held hostage at gunpoint]]. Her flashback is to the [[Recap/InspectorLynleyS03E04IfWishesWereHorses previous series' finale]], in which [[spoiler:she was shot in the abdomen]]; she shows obvious signs of PTSD throughout the episode and goes a little nuts at the end. It takes -- who else? -- Lynley literally [[spoiler:pulling her off the guy]] and administering a CooldownHug to bring her back to normal. (No actual flashback occurs; because the triggering event happens in the previous episode, however, the audience is quite clearly supposed to draw the parallel.)

** Especially since Lynley [[GenreSavvy realised this was the plan]], and was doing his best not to give in, because while he didn't like her (yet), Havers ''was'' a good copper.

->- '''DI Fiona Knight''', ''The Inspector Lynley Mysteries'', "[[Recap/InspectorLynleyS05E01NaturalCauses Natural Causes]]"

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'''''The Inspector Lynley Mysteries''''' was a [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] series that ran from 2001--2007, starring Creator/NathanielParker as aristocratic Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley, [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever 8th Earl of Asherton]], and Creator/SharonSmall as his working-class partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, both of UsefulNotes/ScotlandYard. The first eleven episodes were based on novels by the American author Elizabeth George, though the author's plots and characters were often significantly altered, and the show went its own way from that point on. Most, if not all, fans consider the television show to take place in an AlternateContinuity from the books.

* BritishAccents: Lynley is of course R.P., while Havers speaks what appears to be Estuary English with an East London twist (which fits, as one of the centerpieces of her character is that she is solidly working-class).

'''''The Inspector Lynley Mysteries''''' was a [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] series that ran from 2001--2007, starring Creator/NathanielParker as aristocratic Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley, [[TheBritishTitleSystem 8th Earl of Asherton]], and Creator/SharonSmall as his working-class partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, both of UsefulNotes/ScotlandYard. The first eleven episodes were based on novels by the American author Elizabeth George, though the author's plots and characters were often significantly altered, and the show went its own way from that point on. Most, if not all, fans consider the television show to take place in an AlternateContinuity from the books.

* AbilityOverAppearance: Creator/SharonSmall was supposedly too pretty to play the plain Barbara Havers, but absolutely nailed the character in the pilot and won author Elizabeth George completely over. Her performance is to this day lauded as one of the best aspects of the series.

* FakeBrit: The very Scottish Sharon Small as the very working-class ''English'' Barbara Havers.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: In this case, the network was the BBC.

* TheOtherDarrin: Lynley's wife Helen was played by three separate actresses: Emma Fielding in the pilot, Lesley Vickerage in series one through three (up until she separated from Lynley), and Catherine Russell in series five.

George is one of only two American writers[[note]]the other is Tony Hillerman[[/note]] whose novels have been adapted for Creator/{{PBS}}' ''MYSTERY!''

* {{Deuteragonist}}: Havers, in a ''rare'' example of an [[TheInspector Inspector's]] partner being this. Unlike most non-protagonist Detective Sergeants in British mystery fiction, Havers' storyline gets almost as much focus as the eponymous protagonist's right from the get-go. In addition, though she frequently acts as TheWatson to her partner, it isn't uncommon for ''him'' to act as TheWatson to ''her'' (for instance, the majority of "[[Recap/InspectorLynleyS05E01NaturalCauses Natural Causes]]", or the caravan site in "[[Recap/InspectorLynleyS05E02OneGuiltyDeed One Guilty Deed]]"). This very trope has been cited as one of the things that sets this series apart from other {{Detective Drama}}s of its kind, and as one of the best aspects of the show.