Line #24 Series/TheLastDetective


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_last_detective.jpg]]
2	->''"Dangerous" because he's not, and "[[TitleDrop The Last Detective]]" because he's the last detective they'd send on a case.''
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4	British mystery series starring Creator/PeterDavison as [[UsefulNotes/BritishCoppers Detective Constable (DC)]] "Dangerous" Davies; based upon the novels and characters of Leslie Thomas. Davies is a gentle, somewhat old-fashioned officer who clashes with his JerkAss colleagues, and is a rare example of a ButtMonkey protagonist, facing a separation with his wife and various incidents of ill-luck along with his colleagues' taunting. Despite this, he is a clever detective and always solves the case, often aided by his genius slacker friend Mod.
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6	There had previously been a MadeForTVMovie called ''Dangerous Davies, the Last Detective'' starring Creator/BernardCribbins.
7
8	!!Contains examples of:
9	* AccidentalMurder: Rather a lot of it, often tragic. However, since the description of the death usually comes from the [[UnreliableNarrator perpetrator]], it's not always clear if the victim fell or was pushed.
10	* BewareTheNiceOnes: DC Davies is a genuinely nice man who cares about the people who want police help, but he's still a copper. He's also [[TheMissusAndTheEx a bit of a prick to his wife's boyfriends]].
11	* BloodIsSquickerInWater: A crime boss shot in his own swimming pool.
12	* ButtMonkey: Nearly every episode begins with something undignified happening to Dangerous.
13	* CowboyCop: Dangerous' [[UsefulNotes/BritishCoppers DI]] is a washed-up, alcoholic [[Series/LifeOnMars2006 Gene Hunt]] type who misses the good old days of honorable {{London Gangster}}s and PoliceBrutality. He's also an interesting version of NobleBigotWithABadge though, as he's actually ''less'' prejudiced than Dangerous' more modern fellow officers and often defends Dangerous from their taunting.
14	* DeathbringerTheAdorable: Dangerous is called that "because he's not".
15	* DeadpanSnarker: There's a strong undercurrent of snark beneath the niceness.
16	-->'''DI Aspinall:''' And the silly cow's got the cheek to complain about us - about ''me! Complain'' about me, can you credit that, Davies, somebody ''complaining'' about ''me?''\
17	'''Dangerous:''' As you say, it's hard to credit.\
18	'''DI Aspinall:''' And do you know what I say?\
19	'''Dangerous:''' I don't know, Guv, probably something beginning with 'bollocks'.
20	* DeadPersonImpersonation: The episode "Lofty".
21	* DeadlyPrank: A non-lethal variation. In one episode, Dangerous sees his wife dancing with one of her boyfriends, and in a fit of pique, pulls the building's fire alarm to trigger the sprinklers, drenching them. In the resulting chaos, however, the boyfriend gets injured and has to go to hospital, which Dangerous feels guilty over.
22	* DefectiveDetective: Dangerous' willingness to go after police corruption when he finds it leads to him being seen as one of these. His alcoholic boss, DI Aspinall, is a straighter case: at one point he gets into serious trouble when he loses a casefile in a pub.
23	* DiesWideOpen: Deconstructed when a still, open-eyed woman is taken for dead, which turns DisposingOfABody into AccidentalMurder.
24	* DirtyCop: Any officer considered a mentor or friend by Dangerous' DI will turn out to be one of these.
25	* DogWalksYou: Dangerous and his [[BigFriendlyDog pony-sized dog]], and Mod, who never walks less than a dozen dogs at a time.
26	* EmbarrassingFirstName: Mod is short for Modesty (after Tchaikovsky's brother).
27	* EnhanceButton: Used somewhat realistically in the episode with a SnuffFilm.
28	* EurekaMoment: Dangerous has one at least once per episode, generally during conversation with Mod.
29	* HehHehYouSaidX: DS Pimlott and DC Barrett may be grown men, but when it comes to this trope they're mental ten-year-olds, and anything from innuendo to Pac-Man is grist to their mill.
30	* GagPenis: One episode has Mod's current girlfriend inform Dangerous' wife that Mod is rather well-endowed.
31	* GoodCopBadCop: With Dangerous as the good cop and the other officers as the bad ones.
32	* GodzillaThreshold: A weird inversion. Davies being assigned to cases is not supposed to mean "he's the only detective who can solve the case" so much as "all of the other cops [[{{Jerkass}} care jack about helping you]]".
33	* GeniusDitz: Mod is extremely well-read, but lacking in practical social skills.
34	* IdenticalStranger: One episode has Dangerous investigating some gangsters, aided by an informant who looks a lot like Mod. Mod ends up getting badly beaten by the gangsters, who mistake him for the informant.
35	* IronicNickname: Detective "[[NiceGuy Dangerous]]" Davies gets two, one of which ("The Last Detective", as in "[[GodzillaThreshold he's the only detective who cares about taking your case]]") is the TitleDrop.
36	* KavorkaMan: Mod frequently manages to hook up with gorgeous women (sometimes shown on camera, sometimes not) despite being an utter slacker.
37	* TheLastDJ: Dangerous himself.
38	* TheLastTitle: The title. An odd application of this type of title in that it's an insulting nickname.
39	* TranslationByVolume: After the other detectives introduce themselves to a deaf woman, DC Barrett steps in with this trope. She asks, not unreasonably, if he's simple.
40	* MaleGaze: The episode "Christine" has Davies and DI Aspinall interviewing a financial advisor with a very short skirt. Several shots were from behind her legs and showed (as well as the aforementioned limbs) the DC and DI with suspiciously rigid expressions.
41	** The same episode presents a gender-flipped version in which Mod's legs get an airing. Viewers may differ as to the results.
42	* MotiveRant: Averted as generally the criminals (generally murderers) will have understandable reasons for their crimes and accept arrest with calm resignation.
43	* MurderDotCom
44	* NeverTrustATrailer: The [[OnTheNext preview]] for "Dangerous and the Lonely Hearts" seems to set up a ClearTheirName plot for DI Ray Aspinall. In the episode proper, his connection to the crime was tangential at best and he's never under any real suspicion.
45	* NoNameGiven: Dangerous' real first name is never revealed. His ''dog'''s name is never revealed, either.
46	* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Detective Davies is constantly called "[[IronicNickname Dangerous]]" if anybody calls him anything other than "[[LastNameBasis Davies]]", and his first name is never revealed.
47	* PluckyComicRelief: Mod
48	* ReadingLips: Helps identify the unknown victim of a snuff film, with the twist that the translator can't understand what she's saying. The sounds, written down phonetically, are eventually recognised as Polish.
49	* SnuffFilm: The plot of "Dangerous Liasons" revolves around a 20-year-old snuff film and the murdered man who apparently recorded it.
50	* StalkerWithACrush: The title character of the episode "Tricia" who almost messes up Dangerous' life as badly as she had that of several previous men.
51	* TarotTroubles: At the beginning of the episode "Dangerous and the Lonely Hearts". As is common for this trope, Dangerous' card isn't as bad an omen as the script seems to think: he gets the Hanged Man, associated with (among other things) transformation and hard-earned wisdom.
52	* ThoseTwoGuys: DS Pimlott and DC Barrett, Dangerous' rivals on the force. They're not nice guys.
53	* {{Yandere}}: The eponymous character in "Tricia" is also one of these.

Context Series / TheLastDetective