When you love a good detective duo
Fictional TV investigations are always better when the detectives are as fascinating as the crime stories.
A phone rings. A new lead in a case prompts two detectives to throw their coats on, leave their coffees behind, and slide into a car to hunt that lead down.
Which TV detective duo are you picturing in this scenario?
Investigative TV crime series are riveting to watch, but they’re even more compelling when the detective duos trying to crack the cases are dynamic, layered characters with great chemistry.
Following typical crime genre conventions, one detective is usually older and either more cynical or more “by the book”, while the other is younger and more idealistic or impulsive — or both. Their personalities and work styles often clash, and at least one of them struggles with some sort of addiction, past trauma, or personal crisis. This is not to say that each series and detective duo is not unique, but these conventions are necessary to give us what we expect from an investigative crime series.
Excellent shows featuring detectives usually follow these types of conventions and also intelligently subvert them. They also tend to feature well-developed characters whose own stories and backstories are often as fascinating as the crimes they investigate.
This week’s recommendations offer you unique detective duos from three engaging TV series that may burn a bit slowly but feature well-drawn characters and satisfying plot twists.
So, without further ado, and with full acknowledgment that I’m leaving out phenomenal examples from The Wire, True Detective, and The X-Files, please enjoy my recommendations for when you love a good detective duo:
*Light spoilers ahead*
THE KILLING
You’ll like this if you like: The Fall, Broadchurch, The Sinner, rainy day vibes, flawed characters, true crime podcasts
Based on the Danish series Forbrydelsen (which translates to “The Crime”), this Nordic noir series looks and sometimes feels more like a David Fincher film than a classic police procedural.
Set in Seattle, Washington, The Killing (2011-2014) stars Mireille Enos as Detective Sarah Linden, a serious homicide detective with an unrelenting dedication to solving her cases. Linden is the more experienced detective in this duo, and she’s not one for small talk. She’s intense, impatient, emotionally guarded, and quietly intuitive. Mireille Enos expertly portrays Linden as a tough yet fragile detective and mother with a complicated backstory.
When the series begins, Linden is planning to leave Seattle for a new life in Sonoma, California. The arrival of her replacement, Detective Stephen Holder, coincides with a new homicide investigation. The case is assigned to Linden, so her stay in Seattle is extended, and she is asked to show Holder the ropes, which leads them to work as a duo.
Holder is younger, less experienced, and brings street smarts to the job. He has good instincts, but he can be impulsive because he leads more with his heart than his head. Joel Kinnaman brings softness and charm to his portrayal of Holder, the charismatic, funny, and vulnerable detective.
This detective duo brings their past traumas along with them as they go on quite an intense journey investigating homicides together. It’s easy to become emotionally invested in Linden and Holder as you vicariously solve crimes with them.
Where to Stream: Disney Plus
Where to Rent or Buy: Apple, YouTube
Fun Facts: This show was canceled twice but was revived both times! First, AMC renewed it for a third season, and then it found a new home on Netflix for its fourth and final season (although it is not currently available to stream on Canadian Netflix).
He plays an American in The Killing, but Joel Kinnaman is originally from Sweden.
Mireille Enos’ real-life partner is also an actor: Alan Ruck. You may know him from his most notable film & TV roles: Conor Roy from Succession or Cameron Frye from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
MARE OF EASTTOWN
You’ll like this if you like: Gone Baby Gone, Fargo, Sharp Objects, Kate Winslet, small-town stories
The detective duo in Mare of Easttown is only one interesting aspect of this complex, riveting crime series. Starring Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown (2021) is a 7-part miniseries that tells the story of small-town detective Mare Sheehan as she navigates personal grief and investigates local crimes.
Mare (Winslet) goes from solo to duo when Detective Colin Zabel (Evan Peters) arrives to help her solve a homicide. This duo has a mentor-mentee energy, with friendly, naïve Colin learning from Mare, whose experience and deep connections in her community help the investigation.
Like Sarah Linden in The Killing, Mare Sheehan is fiercely independent, and she is extremely committed to her work. Colin brings a wholesome, almost labrador retriever-type energy to Mare’s life, which she initially rebuffs.
I’ll stop there, as I don’t want to spoil this one.
Where to stream: Crave (with HBO add-on), Amazon Prime (with Crave Channel)
Fun Facts:
The finale episode of Mare of Easttown became the most-watched episode in HBO Max history to date. There were so many viewers, that they crashed the streaming server temporarily.
The Director of the series, Craig Zobel was not an inspiration for the character Colin Zabel despite the similarities in their names.
In case you’re in the mood for something a little lighter:
MINDHUNTER
You’ll like this if you like: True Detective, Zodiac, Se7en, 1970s vibes, Jonathan Groff
A real-life investigative duo is depicted in David Fincher’s series Mindhunter (2017) through the characters of Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany). The series is based on the 1995 book, “Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit”(Douglas, Olshaker) which detailed the work of John Douglas and Robert K. Ressler, FBI agents who pioneered the field of criminal profiling in the 1970s.
In the series, Holden Ford (Groff) is the young, booksmart, unconventional, and idealistic counterpart to McCallany’s Bill Tench — an older, more seasoned, gruff, and more methodical special agent. Holden’s cerebral charms contrast with Bill’s tough, no-nonsense approach to their collaborative work. It’s interesting to follow each character throughout the series to see them evolve as they navigate their professional and personal lives. Also, their banter is excellent.
Later in the series, this duo becomes a trio with the addition of Anna Torv as Wendy Carr, a psychology professor who joins Holden and Bill in their quest to answer the question that is posed in the pilot episode: “Are criminals born — or are they formed?”
Where to stream: Netflix
FUN FACTS:
The development of this series began when actor Charlize Theron gave the book, “Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit”(Douglas, Olshaker) to Director David Fincher.
An actor with range, Jonathan Groff has also played musical theatre phenom Jesse St. James in Glee, the voice of Kristof in Disney’s Frozen, Smith in The Matrix Resurrections, and King George in the Broadway musical, Hamilton.
Who’s your favourite detective duo? Tell me in the comments!
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I truly appreciate your support!
Enjoy the detective duos,
Heather
Streaming and rental sources listed are limited to the services and websites I subscribe to and/or have access to (in Canada) at the time of publishing. Feel free to search your streaming and cable services for these titles.