10 Smartest TV Detectives

Which sleuth tops the IQ charts?

True Detective Matthew McConaughey
HBO

The detective drama is one of TV’s most enduring formats, and it’s not hard to see why. People love to solve mysteries - it fulfils our desire to tell stories as we put the pieces together, and to get one over on others as we outsmart the televised criminals.

Even better than solving the mystery ourselves, though, is watching a genius detective do the legwork for us. Come up with a good TV detective and you’re golden. So long as you can keep coming up with scenarios, your character can last for years.

TV has brought us some razor sharp detectives over the years, of all different flavours. There are the self destructive ones, married to the job and unable to function unless they’re knee deep in a case; then there are the detectives who seem to solve mysteries like it’s a second nature, never allowing the string of murderers they investigate to get in the way of their cheery disposition, and even their day job.

It takes all sorts, but one thing you’ve got to have is smarts. These detectives may be screw ups in other faucets of their lives, but when it comes to brainpower, there are few finer.

10. Hank Schrader (Breaking Bad)

Helen Mirren Prime Suspect
AMC

The evolution of Walter White to Heisenberg is the primary arc of Breaking Bad, but Vince Gillian and co pulled off almost as impressive a transformation with Hank Schrader. Starting off, he’s Walt’s brash brother in law, a well meaning oaf who can’t quite get his head around the bookish, quiet Walter.

By season five, he’s pretty much the hero of the piece. Far from the meathead we first met, he’s just about the smartest man in Albuquerque, seeing through Gus Fring’s personable disguise and finally figuring out Walter during a moment of toilet-based inspiration.

What’s more, Hank cuts a ludicrously determined figure. He’s shot, he’s discredited, he deals with a highly dysfunctional family, but doesn’t let any of this get in the way of cracking the case. Breaking Bad does a great job of evolving, rather than rewriting, the character. Hank is still one of the boys, but there’s far more to him than that.

His murder is the moment many fans lose any shred of support for Walter, and it’s easy to understand that. Hank grows into a truly honourable figure, but the cruel world of Breaking Bad is too much for him to overcome.

Contributor
Contributor

Yorkshire-based writer of screenplays, essays, and fiction. Big fan of having a laugh. Read more of my stuff @ www.twotownsover.com (if you want!)