Lately I’ve noticed a trend in cop shows, namely, eccentric women consultants working with police detectives.
First, start with Astrid & Raphaëlle, a French show going strong since 2019. which Wikipedia tells me has also aired in the United Kingdom as Astrid: Murder in Paris, in Poland as Kryminalne Geniuszki, in the United States simply as Astrid, in Spain as Bright Minds,and in South Africa as Koel Kop, Warm Hart. A brilliant if impulsive Paris detective meets a reclusive police archivist whose ability to solve puzzles and recall of every case becomes more and more important to solving crimes. Going on its eighth season, the long story is how their growing friendship helps Astrid who is autistic come out of her shell while remaining herself. And Raphaëlle becomes much more organized, including her chaotic love life. Of course, no crime remains unsolved.
Another French show, which just ended, is HPI. Standing for “High Intellectual Potential” in English, the first episode begins with Morgane Alvaro, a 160 IQ who is cleaning in the homicide devision when she spies an active case. She leaves a note that solves the crime, much to the consternation of the unit’s commander, Céline Hazan, and its lead detective, Adam Karadec. Unlike Astrid, who is almost painfully restrained, Morgane is a wild woman, in clothes that are so gaudy you have to laugh. And while she becomes a brilliant consultant, her…
