I guess I mostly turn off that part of my brain when I watch cop shows. (Which is why I have no cop shows that are must sees for me.) Because just about all of them have cops who first decide who the bad guys are and then do whatever they can to get them - within the rules or not. Which leads in the real world to really brutal cops. So if I could not turn off those particular brain cells I cant think of many cop shows I could watch. There may be a few, not a universal to cop shows, but pretty common.

A show like NYPD Blue or The Wire is pretty clear about showing the grey (or really dark) spaces that cops go to in order to punish who they see as the lawbreakers, or just to exploit their power. I respect that.

Then I watch Steve McGarrett plough through tons of innocent people (and co-workers!) just doing their jobs just in order to escape (admittedly unjust) detention. Nothing made of it. Because he's the man. Action hero, living on the edge.

Ack. Ptui.

Since the whole premise of The Closer is to get the perps to confess to their crimes, it portrays cops unapologetically crossing ethical lines more often than other cop shows, IMHO. I had to stop watching it.

Who is Steve McGarret. Sorry action heroes not big in my life. Except Jackie Chan. Maybe sometimes Jame Bond, but Bond is not a hero. He is a supervillain who happens to fight other supervillains much of the time.

The Wire has cops who are bad(like the one who broke the kid's arm in the fourth season) and some drug dealers, like Bodie, who are decent young guys. they do an interesting thing in re McNulty being the "cop who makes his own rules' in that, as in real life, it bites him on the butt. Mostly, I think *we* still cheer for him(a testament to Domenic West's performance, in my opinion,) but his department finds him a huge pain in the ass because he's so dedicated, doesn't care about the chain of command, and makes work for his supervisors every chance he gets. And then there's Prez, who makes one of the biggest character turnarounds since Wesley(although he doesn't quite make it to that whole bitter and hot thing, occasionally I found myself thinking Mrs. Prez was kind of lucky.) But on most shows, screwing up that badly as a cop would cost you protagonist status.

Who is Steve McGarret

Hawaii 5-0, previously played by Jack Lord in the first version, now Action Hero Steve as portrayed by Alex O'Loughlin in a not-bad American accent. It's filled with the pretty boys and girls, the pretty islands, and the snarky dialogue, so I watch it strictly for the popcorn value.

I like the cop shows where they occasionally talk about having to make a case for the DA or leaving angles that the defense can work with.

There was even a Bones where they weren't able to take the person to court because the bad guy kept his mouth shut and they didn't have compelling evidence.

He is a supervillain who happens to fight other supervillains much of the time.

What makes a supervillain for you? Surely the guy fighting to save the world and stop mass destruction isn't your average nor your super sort of bad guy?

it portrays cops unapologetically crossing ethical lines more often than other cop shows

I loved the potential premise that she could out-think people into giving confessions by running circles around them. But she relies so much on emotional intimidation that I don't find her obvious talents worthy of respect. As noted, though, I think she has one of the best supporting casts on TV right now, so I keep coming back. I can see why they might keep working under her, but for the life of me I can*not* get her husband. That creeps me out.

A show like Castle either manages to keep everyone "nicer" or to just keep amusing me so that I'm distracted by laughter and charisma. Haven't worked out which. But when I watched McGarrett injure EMTs on his way out it was over for me with regards to his character and even any shipping, really. Again, just in it for the Danno, and the wish that they'd do more with Daniel Dae Kim's character. Kono's about alright. Okay, she can still make me cry every now and again.

Yeah, that diminished my enjoyment of H50. But I do still enjoy it, whereas when Person of Interest demonstrated that as long as the only people who were killed were not the ones identified by the machine, their deaths were of no importance I quit watching. Not sure what the difference is, or if there really is one.

I don't get Person of Interest, but I started watching pretty late on in the season, relatively speaking. I can barely get through the mangst to the weekly plot.