Probably not a surprise but I’ve never really liked the original Law and Order.  Too vanilla and boring.  Also no SVU spin-off for me – at this point I’ve been familiar with thousands of sexual assault fact pattens, that this is just needless torture.

I will say though that the iteration I will go to bat for is Criminal Intent.  This got me ready significantly for my career as it focuses on the psychology of the criminal.  The lead detective, Robert Goren, is also fascinating.  A former military police, his keen understanding of human nature, the world, and facts gives him the necessary intuition and edge.  Not every detective is like him, but they do exist.  

This type of intelligence isn’t the classic academic one, but rather the fluidity of an autodidact and Renaissance man.  The shows first few seasons are the best and one can learn a ton about human nature by watching.  The other worthy shows in this genre are Homicide : Life on the Street and The Wire.