Top 10 Damaged Detectives in TV

Cop shows are a prominent and enduring brand of television. They often focus on elite police units or brilliant detectives. These heroes use their vast resources, sharp instincts, and unwavering determination to solve horrific crimes in record time. It’s a comfortable formula, but it’s also unrealistic and predictable. That’s why some shows go the opposite route.

Certain cop dramas craft crime-fighters with crippling amounts of baggage. They usually have some past events feeding intense psychological trauma in the present. Unable to exist in everyday life, they throw themselves into their work. Even then, their coping mechanisms and persistent memories impede their progress. The setup is depressing, to say the least, but the ensuing pathos is undeniably intriguing. Not only are you curious about the mystery at hand, but you wonder what made the hero so conflicted.

Related: Ten Inspirations for Famous Fictional Detectives

10 James Cormack

To say that James Cormack has daddy issues is an understatement. The Brisbane boy of Black Snow is typically a collected detective who works on cold cases. The only time that cool demeanor fades is when discussing his own cold case. As a child, he suffered repeated abuse from his drunken father. One day, an altercation resulted in his mother dying and his brother going missing. The incident was enough to leave an impact on anyone.

In the present, the mere thought of speaking to his dad sends James into a nervous fit. A prison call from the man causes Cormack to hit or smash anything in sight. Moreover, it prevents him from focusing on the case at hand rather than retreating into himself. The faint hope of finding his missing brother is the only reason he’d willingly revisit these events.^[1]

9 Reyka Gama

Speaking of missing children, Reyka Gama was one such child. The girl was taken by a deranged man named Angus, who sought to start a family with his depressed wife. “Adopting” Reyka fulfilled that need for a time. Their relationship was a bizarre blend of paternal love and captive fear. That mix made it difficult to rationalize the experience.

As a result, an adult Reyka is consistently unhinged. She knows that what Angus did was wrong and unhealthy, but his fatherly influence prevents her from hating him. Such conflicting feelings pull her in opposite directions, leading to several nervous breakdowns and ostracizing her from family and friends. On the upside, her intimate exposure to insanity gives her a great understanding of a madman’s methodology. It just comes at the cost of normal relationships.^[2]

8 Jesse Stone

This police chief seems like a stalwart oak in an uncertain world. In reality, Jesse Stone is a recovering alcoholic. His drinking habits cost him his job in the LAPD. More importantly, they wrecked his marriage, causing him and his wife to separate. Though sober now, he still feels the weight of his mistakes.

Stone’s work as a small-town police chief seems to be the only thing keeping him going. Home life isn’t fulfilling, as he now lives on his own in a gloomy cottage. Not to mention, even as his wife tries to reconnect, he’s not comfortable facing her. That frustration fuels episodes like binge-drinking and ripping the phone out of the wall. Any attempts to help him out of these slumps meet with stonewalling or outbursts. Suffice it to say, he’s not exactly big on talking about his feelings. The only exception is his therapist (a former cop himself), but even his progress is slow. Jesse’s shame is truly a vicious cycle, pushing him to isolation and growing stronger as a result.^[3]

7 Amanda Pharrell

Plenty of TV detectives kill people in the line of duty, but that’s not what happened to Amanda Pharrell. One half of the crime-solving duo in Troppo, she is reintegrating into society after a long prison sentence. The crime was killing her friend, and she was guilty. In her defense, though, she was under the influence of a spiked drink, causing her to lash out in fear. The accident inspires her to help the unfortunate as a private investigator, but it also has lasting effects on her mental health.

This single incident turns Amanda into a temperamental wreck. The guilt of her friend’s death weighs heavily on her mind, especially when confronted with the victim’s family and friends. What’s worse is that she can’t be in a car for a prolonged period of time, as the drugged killing occurred in a vehicle. At least her partner, Ted, helps her through these obstacles in his boorish way. As a falsely accused cop, he knows a little something about being a pariah.^[4]

6 Jessica Jones

Trauma is inherent in most superheroes. Even by that standard, though, Jessica Jones has a shocking past. A car accident robbed her of her parents and her brother, putting her in a coma for months. During that time, she was the subject of unethical experiments. Although this experience gave her super strength, it wasn’t the end of her misfortune. As an adult, she fell under the thrall of Kilgrave, a villain with extreme powers of persuasion. He kept her captive for months as an unwilling lover/bodyguard. It took her being forced to kill someone to break his hold. Sadly, the damage was done.

Jessica obviously has her share of post-traumatic stress. Although her strength (and cynicism) aids her as a private eye, it drives a number of people away. Granted, her volatile behavior doesn’t do much to assuage that. The thought of reencountering Kilgrave fills her with dread. Not only is she repulsed by his presence, but she’s deathly afraid of becoming his slave again. She’s even fearful of normal human connection, lashing out at her few loved ones whenever they try to get close. There’s a tragic irony in someone so strong being so emotionally fragile.^[5]

5 Matthew Shardlake

Living in Tudor England was hazardous to one’s health, especially for disabled people. Matthew Shardlake knows that better than most. Born with a hunchback, he spent his life being viewed as a freak. His infirmity inspires revulsion and mockery from onlookers, and it cost him several prestigious opportunities. This constant rejection gave him a massive chip on his shoulder. Moreover, it made him desperate for companionship yet reluctant to let people in. On the upside, that impersonal outlook proved useful in the king’s service.

Shardlake works for Henry VIII’s court—specifically his counselors—as a lawyer/detective. He’s in charge of finding information and solving the mysteries that block the ruler’s will. Even that pursuit proves dangerous, though, as Matthew’s individualist tendencies sometimes differ from the king’s wishes. Crossing this particular monarch obviously carried fatal consequences. In short, Shardlake’s tumultuous upbringing is both a blessing and a curse.^[6]

4 Marcella Backland

It’s common for cop characters to have messy personal lives, but Marcella Backland takes it to an extreme. Her show starts when her longtime husband decides to leave her for his mistress. Although this separation prompts her to return to work in the Met, it exacerbates her chronic blackouts. These episodes trigger during periods of intense stress. Considering her turbulent family dynamic and recurring cases of killers, they happen ever more frequently. She’s naturally afraid of what these timespans may hide, but nothing could prepare her for the truth.

While trying to calm her crying baby, Marcella accidentally killed the infant. She initially repressed the memory, but exploring her blackouts brings it to the surface. The shock causes her to cut her face and go on the run. Granted, this event makes her ideal for an undercover op, but her heart just isn’t in it anymore. Marcella committed the cardinal sin as a mother, so she’s truly hit rock bottom.^[7]

3 Joe Leaphorn

Joe Leaphorn has it hard enough in his day job. As the police chief of a Navajo reservation, the Dark Winds protagonist has to cover a vast area with a handful of officers, all while dealing with government and tribal bureaucracy. More difficult than all that, though, is the loss of his son. Years prior, the teenage Joe Jr. was involved in a mine explosion. His death fractured the Leaphorn household.

Joe Sr. grows cold and distant despite himself. The cause of the explosion prevents him from getting closure, and the other victims’ families remind him of that whenever he speaks to them. What’s worse, he doesn’t want to spend time at home due to the feeling of emptiness. That absence sours his marriage, leaving his lonely wife searching for purpose. Although this behavior makes him readily available to his officers, it doesn’t do much for his work-life balance.^[8]

2 . Will Graham

Being friends with Hannibal Lecter is crazy enough, but Will Graham constantly skirts the line of insanity. The criminal profiler has the unique gift of empathizing with the maniacs he chases. As he inhabits the mindset of killers, he understands their twisted logic and can predict their next moves. The major downside is that he starts to lose himself. Embodying these deranged individuals threatens to snap his own psyche. Not everyone sees that as a bad thing, though.

Will’s problems multiply upon meeting Dr. Lecter. The cannibalistic psychiatrist views Graham as a worthy companion, so he covertly encourages his descent into madness. On top of pitting him against other killers in tense struggles, Hannibal uses his mental conditioning techniques to drive Will further down the rabbit hole (and away from his loved ones). By the end, the supposed hero is more messed up than most of the villains.^[9]

1 Everyone in True Detective

Despite being an anthology series, True Detective has a pattern. That pattern involves torturing its heroes. Each season features a pair of deeply unhappy cops. Their unhappiness invariably stems from some past case gone south. This previous caper shakes the officers to their core, pushing them to unethical actions and ultimately driving them apart. Of course, that storyline is only half the equation.

The season also has a modern setting where the characters reflect on their past failures. Hindsight is 20/20, after all. This retrospective inspires the partners to reunite. Together, they examine the controversial case and ultimately reach a more conclusive resolution. The formula applies to all True Detective protagonists to an extent. Throughout the four seasons, trauma paves the way to closure.^[10]