Murder, she rewrote

What's better than a woman detective? A team of two. New shows and films are making the most of the partnership, giving crime drama and comedy an edge

- Sneha Krishnan

One welcome side-effect of this burst of crimefiction on screen? Stories are finally shedding law-enforcement cliches. There's no good-cop-bad-cop dynamic. It's a gritty world out there - everyone's gotta be a good cop, dammit! There's no casual brutality even hick-town sheriffs and security guards now brood over a forceful arrest, a bungled-up cold case.

And without anyone realising it, women detective duos are setting the new couple goals. The hothead and the stickler find common ground as they work late (domestic responsibilities be damned), checking dusty evidence boxes. Each has the other's back; they have to. The killer is still out there. No one takes women seriously. And when the autopsy report won't be here until Monday, someone has to yell, "WELL, THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" How can romantic plots match up?