Television’s female detectives are bright, hardworking and hard as nails. But who’s the best at taking bad guys (and gals) off the street?
Rizzoli & Isles
Detective Jane Rizzoli (portrayed by Angie Harmon)
Hailing from the Boston suburb of Revere, Jane Rizzoli is everything you’d expect a good detective to be. She’s physically capable of taking down a perp, and clever enough to outwit the creepiest of criminals. She’s also motivated. After almost falling victim to one of her serial killer targets, the business of putting bad guys behind bars has become personal.
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Law and Order: SVU
Detective Olivia Benson (portrayed by Mariska Hargitay)
A victim of rape, raised in a fatherless home with an alcoholic mother, Olivia Benson knows how it feels to be a victim. That empathy has made her stand out in NYPD’s Special Victims Unit. Even though Benson has been stalked, attacked, stabbed and sexually assaulted in the line of duty, her advocacy for crime victims has never wavered.
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The Mentalist
Teresa Lisbon (portrayed by Robin Tunney)
The oldest of four children, FBI agent Teresa Lisbon lost her mother at age 12 and lived with an occasionally abusive and alcoholic father until he committed suicide. Perhaps it was Lisbon’s role as surrogate mother to her siblings that made her want to help people who have become victims through no fault of their own. Lisbon is sassy but dedicated, at times impatient but also has a playful side. Her chemistry with partner Patrick Jane has given viewers several seasons of “Will they or won’t they” anticipation, until Jane kissed Lisbon at the end of Season 6.
Homeland
Carrie Mathison (portrayed by Claire Danes)
CIA agent Carrie Mathison (who discovered she is bipolar while in college) is a bit of a rogue agent. Her unauthorized contact with an imprisoned CIA asset in Iraq caused an international incident and got Mathison sent back to the states. She now works for the Counterterrorism Center in Langley, Virginia. Mathison’s sometimes unpredictable behavior jeopardizes her career and results in decisions that are not typical of someone committed to law and order. It is this occasionally odd behavior that makes her exceptionally intriguing, and surprisingly effective.
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Poll ends June 17th, 2014.
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