My Own Worst Enemy

:

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. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Verne Gay
    100
    Far, far, far and away NBC's best new pilot of the season and one of the best new shows of the season, on any network -- commercial or cable.
  2. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Glenn Garvin
    90
    My Own Worst Enemy is by far the best drama of the fall season, a bold and brainy spy thriller that practices a sort of armed existentialism.
  3. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Andrew Herrmann
    75
    If you can buy into the fantasy, Slater delivers on his part of the deal, playing both characters with just enough unique quirks so viewers can tell them apart. Usually.
  5. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Linda Stasi
    75
    The action is pretty non-stop, the stars terrific and, if you're willing to do the work to follow the complicated plot, the show can be lots of fun.
  6. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Ray Richmond
    70
    My Own Worst Enemy holds our interest despite its utter preposterousness because if there is anything Slater knows how to do, it's present a believable head case.
  7. Kansas City Star
    Reviewed by: Aaron Barnhart
    70
    Surprise! It’s not nearly as bad as I thought.
  8. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    70
    My Own Worst Enemy sets up what could be an overly complicated premise and miraculously makes it all seem perfectly acceptable and clear by the end of the first hour.
  9. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Alessandra Stanley
    70
    Worst Enemy has a convoluted premise that is cleverly wrought and holds up well, and Mr. Slater does a remarkable job of only subtly signaling each personality
  10. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Mary McNamara
    70
    [Christian] is in rare form here. Which is a good thing since the show's success or failure rests solely on his dramatic agility and general appeal.
  11. Salon
    Reviewed by: Heather Havrilesky
    70
    While you do have to wonder where the show will go from here, since it has the plot of a two-hour movie, not a 20-hour series, it has the benefit of being far more original and unpredictable than 90 percent of the new shows to hit the airwaves this fall.
  12. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Robert Abele
    70
    The show’s biotechnological twist on the double life of spies--or any superhero/alter ego construct--certainly satisfies the popcorn-thriller needs of My Own Worst Enemy, but I wasn’t expecting it to be as thematically resonant as it was.
  13. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: John Leonard
    70
    Slater, whose career has gone pretty much downhill since "Heathers" (1989) and "Pump Up the Volume" (1990), is surprisingly perfect as both of them, adjusting not much more than the brow of an eye, the curl of a lip, and the hiss of a sibilant to indicate the seismic shift from James Bond to Willy Loman.
  14. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Maureen Ryan
    63
    The first episode of Enemy ended up being a relatively compelling hour of television. As competent as it is, though, it’s hard not to think that the premise contains some holes.

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

All reviews »
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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