DEX PARIOS

Will She or Won’t She? Only Her Stumptown Producers Know for Sure

- Kevin Burton Smith

Once upon a time, American television screens were jammed full of private eyes, tearing down the mean streets, shooting up the place, slugging it out with the bad guys, knocking on doors, and taking down names. You couldn’t toss a brick at your TV screen without bonking some poor, hapless dick on the head.

But even more unbelievable? All these gumshoes were…men.

I know, right?

Because if you’ve only recently tuned in, the most intriguing and interesting PI stuff on American television over the last few years has all featured women as the detectives. While they vary widely in approach, they all have one obvious thing in common: these dicks are janes.

And British and Australian imports such as Shakepseare & Hathaway, Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries, and My Life Is Murder only rub salt in the unwoke, “this is an unsuitable job for a woman” wound.

Veronica Mars and Jessica Jones, of course, have been key players on PI television for several years now (Veronica made its debut over 15 years ago). But Netflix has officially pulled the plug on the divine Ms. Jones after its third season, which aired earlier this year, and many a Marshmallow has melted over the savage, final twist of Ms. Mars’ decidedly dark, noirish, Hulu-streamed fourth season. Rest easy, though—there’s a new girl in town, and she may be even more compelling than either of them.