My Own Worst Enemy

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Season 1
  • Network: NBC
  • Series Premiere Date: Oct 13, 2008
Metascore
61

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 25
  3. Negative: 3 out of 25
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Critic Reviews

  1. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Robert Bianco
    37
    You might be able to forgive the sloppiness of the premise if something else in the episode worked, but it's all a contrived, derivative mess.
  2. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Tom Shales
    30
    My Own Worst Enemy can be recommended only to people who can imagine themselves saying, "I'm in the mood for a mediocre version of a fairly good spy movie."
  3. Newark Star-Ledger
    Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    30
    There isn't a series here; just the pitch meeting for a very expensive, very loud, very dopey action movie.

Awards & Rankings

64
#64 Best TV Season of 2008
21
#21 Most Discussed TV Season of 2008
23
#23 Most Shared TV Season of 2008

User Reviews

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User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 55 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 55
  3. Negative: 4 out of 55
  1. Tss5078
    Jan 11, 2015
    4
    My Own Worst Enemy was one of the critics picks to be the big winner of the 2008 Prime time TV line up, but was cancelled after just nineMy Own Worst Enemy was one of the critics picks to be the big winner of the 2008 Prime time TV line up, but was cancelled after just nine episodes. Despite gaining a cult following, and being released on DVD, the show was very expensive to make and just wasn't that interesting. Christan Slater plays Henry Spivey, a simple businessman with a wife and two kids. Every day when Henry goes to work at his Insurance office, he looks into the elevators retinal scanner and is transformed to another person, Edward Albright, a top spy for an unknown U.S. Government agency. The first problem I had with this show is that the whole family situation could have been copied and pasted right from the film True Lies. If that was the only issue, I could have gotten passed it, but the truth is the every episode in the series was nearly identical and the show just went around in circles. Something breaks in Edward/Henry's brain and he keeps switching back and fourth at the most inopportune times. The two are made aware of each and often have to take each others place. They even leave digital messages for one another. That fact is that this show just wasn't that original, not to mention it was very predictable and extremely frustrating to watch. You had to know that almost every time Edward went on a mission Henry would appear and have to do something he wasn't trained for. It was cute the first time, but by the fourth or fifth time, I had more than enough of it. The same is true with the Edward showing up during family time and seeming strange to his wife and kids.The bottom line, My Own Worst Enemy had a great cast, but a mediocre, predictable story, that just went around in circles. All the guns, explosions, and special effects in the world would have been enough to save this show.… Full Review »
  2. Sabrinna
    Dec 14, 2010
    10
    Christian Slater delivers a brilliant performance portraying two characters who are a split personality. They are the same man but differentChristian Slater delivers a brilliant performance portraying two characters who are a split personality. They are the same man but different to one another, so there are parallels between the characters which makes for a difficult job for the actor who somehow makes this look easy. One of the supporting cast has the same job to do; two connected characters in one man and unfortunately doesn't pull it off. one character is complete while the other is too emotionally dead and without personality. It's only toward the very last two episodes that he begins to 3 dimensionalize the spy character. Sadly, this is another brilliant series that has been cancelled. I am beginning to get annoyed with the networks lack of follow through.… Full Review »
  3. TrudiF
    Aug 6, 2009
    10
    Fantastic show. At last something intelligent on tv. Exciting, origional and amazingly gripping. Are all the people who decided to cancel it Fantastic show. At last something intelligent on tv. Exciting, origional and amazingly gripping. Are all the people who decided to cancel it temporarily insane...?… Full Review »
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