One of the most appreciated narrative patterns in the police drama universe on the small screen concerns the bond between the disillusioned veteran and the idealistic new recruit. Often two such strong and divergent ideologies form the basis of a relationship that is complex yet necessary to complete a mission: in police procedurals, for instance, it helps to solve a mystery or a crime, drawing on both the veteran’s experience and the enthusiasm of the newcomer. Lanterns, for example, blends these elements, offering the audience not only a superhero story but a true police drama to shed light on a terrible crime. At the heart of the story is the disillusioned Hal Jordan, known as Green Lantern, and the new recruit John Stewart, both called to investigate a murder that occurred on Earth. There are certainly misunderstandings and tensions in this pair of investigators, but it is precisely this that shapes their chemistry, a pair of imperfect detectives who find a way to fuse the two viewpoints. Those seeking similar stories on TV will be pleased to discover these three titles that celebrate the dynamic between the tired mentor and the young idealist.
Before Lanterns: the three police TV series that made the veteran-recruit duo iconic
True Detective
TV series anthology particularly appreciated by audiences is True Detective, a police drama launched in 2014 and to date consisting of four seasons that follow new locations, new stories and new characters that change with each season. The first, for example, is set in Louisiana and tells of detectives Rust Cohle and Marty Hart involved in a multi-decade investigation into a local serial killer. The two detectives could not be more different: Rust is a man scarred by trauma, while Marty is a more conventional detective. Over the seasons the mentor-recruit bond recurs, highlighting how the former has lost faith in the world that reminds him and how the latter seeks to follow the sense of justice. The series is available for streaming on HBO Max.
Mindhunter
Even though audiences are still waiting for a third season that is unlikely to arrive, the first two seasons available on Netflix are enough to appreciate the genius of Mindhunter. Conceived by Joe Penhall and based on the volume Mindhunter: The Real Story of the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, Mindhunter follows Holden Ford, who teams up with agent Bill Tench and Dr. Wendy Carr to study a new type of killer: the serial killer. Following a new investigative method called profiling, the duo visits different prisons across the United States, interviewing the worst murderers in circulation. While Holden is an intuitive, idealistic agent obsessed with theory, Tench is pragmatic, much more cautious and scarred by the horrors of the world. Holden proposes an innovative push, while Bill acts as the brake on reality.
Mare of Easttown
As of today, those who appreciated Mare of Easttown are still awaiting news of a possible second season, but it began as a miniseries starring Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet as Mare Sheehan, a detective in a small town in Pennsylvania shaken by a brutal murder that tests everything. Accustomed to working solo, Mare is forced to team up with county detective Colin Zabel, a young man full of enthusiasm who follows the academic method, convinced that the system works. Mare, however, is a woman worn down by failures and her personal dramas, with a more cynical attitude in her profession that clashes with the idealism of the young colleague. Comprising seven episodes, the series is available on HBO Max.
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