While there might be things that don't make sense about cop shows and police procedural dramas, they always have the same general character: a detective, lawyers, police chief, and, of course, a forensic investigator. Usually one of the first people on the scene, the forensic investigator, scientist, or other title variation of the job, examines the situation and the dead body to try and determine the events that led up to mishap and the cause of death before handing the body off to the coroner.
Usually, these characters are portrayed in a handful of ways, often being socially awkward and detached, quirky, and sometimes even eccentric, but they always have one thing in common in that they fantastic scientific minds. Some of the best forensic investigators on television shows have even become stand-out characters above and beyond the leads.
Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Bones)
On Bones, the forensic investigator is actually the lead and title character. Technically a forensic anthropologist, Temperance "Bones" Brennan, one of the toughest female detectives on television, is actually loosely based on a character in the series of Kathy Reichs crime novels.
Together with Special Agent Seeley, she is called onto cases that can use her expertise. She loves working them despite the fact that, as a published author, she is also very wealthy and doesn't really need to work. While she tends to have a very scientific approach to everything, her social skills improve over time.
Gil Grissom (CSI)
Despite having left this long-running series as a regular way back in season 9, Gil has appeared a few times as a guest star. The character will also return for the CSI: Vegas revival sequel in 2021. Even after being succeeded by Laurence Fishburne and Ted Danson, Gil Grissom remains one of the most engaging of the characters to play the lead role. He and his partner from the original CSI series, Sara, were also one of the top 10 couples from crime shows.
A forensic etymologist, he immerses himself fully in his job, often at the expense of personal relationships. He comes across as cold and unfeeling, which often caused rifts between himself and his colleague Catherine Willows. But, when it comes to his CSI work, there's no one better at connecting dots from even the most obscure pieces of evidence than Gil.
Abby Sciuto (NCIS)
Working as a forensic scientist in the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Abby's expertise is in ballistics, digital forensics, and DNA analysis. But, what sets this NCIS scientist apart from the others is that she's a dark-haired Goth who is obsessed with death and the supernatural.
However, she bucks typical Goth stereotypes by being hyperactive and enthusiastic instead of surly and monotone, particularly when it comes to her work. The character was a main cast member on the long-running series for its first 15 seasons.
Ella Lopez (Lucifer)
It's completely unexpected that a woman who studies dead bodies for a living would be as upbeat and positive as Ella on Lucifer, but she is a ray of sunshine within the police department. While there are often hints that she harbors deep darkness beneath her effervescent surface, the forensic scientist is inherently sweet, kind, and fun.
Constantly cracking corny jokes at crime scenes or using silly puns and plays on words, she loves hanging out with her co-workers during or after hours. She craves a social life, and she never turns down a good hug, often dolling them out to unsuspecting people. Despite Ella's extreme scientific intelligence, however, she constantly brings up her terrible luck in love.
Edrisa Tanaka (Prodigal Son)
Like Ella, Edrisa from Prodigal Son is upbeat, sweet, and quirky, and also desperate to find love. But, she also has an obvious crush on Malcolm Bright, using every opportunity she can to try and awkwardly flirt with him. While it's clear he doesn't reciprocate, she seems to get a kick out of acting out a grade school crush.
A medical examiner, Edrisa works every case along with the department, both at the scenes and inspecting the bodies once they arrive at the medical facility. It also seems that despite her sweet and innocent persona at work, Edrisa is into some pretty dark and twisted things in her personal life that seems completely contradictory to her personality. But, that's precisely what makes Edrisa such a layered and interesting character and one of the most likable characters on Prodigal Son.
Dana Scully (The X-Files)
One of the most iconic scientific characters on television, Dana Scully from The X-Files was both an FBI Special Agent and a medical doctor who hinged all of her beliefs on the fact that everything could be explained with scientific reasoning.
This made her a perfect partner for Fox Mulder, who wholeheartedly believed in supernatural happenings. On The X-Files, which has been referenced by many other TV shows, demonstrating its tremendous influence, Scully did start to come around after seeing things she just couldn't explain through science. Yet, her deep knowledge often had an explanation that could prove the reasoning behind the seemingly unexplainable.
Dexter Morgan (Dexter)
A skilled forensic specialist, Dexter Morgan on Dexter chose his occupation strategically since he was leading a double life as a serial killer. Not only did his job provide the knowledge of how to clean up a crime scene so as not to get caught, but it also gave him access to information on suspects he could use to his advantage.
While Dexter was socially detached, he did his best to play the part of a "normal" human by bringing his co-workers donuts, joining a bowling league, and putting on a fake smile. He was able to direct his dark urges to kill only those he felt were deserving. Even though Dexter changed a lot from the first episode, he would never have been able to pull off anything he did without being in this line of work.
Vince Masuka (Dexter)
Also from Dexter, Vince is worth including because he was the polar opposite of Dexter. Also a forensic specialist in the Miami Metro Police Department, he loved being around people, telling silly stories, and telling corny jokes. He was always the life of the party, even if he sometimes annoyed people.
Dexter had a tough time dealing with Vince's incessant need to be his friend, which sometimes put Dexter in compromising positions. Vince's constant presence and his skill in the job meant that Dexter often had to hide his true intentions or discoveries so he could get to a criminal or killer first.
D.B. Russell (CSI)
One of several characters to take over the lead in the original CSI series following the departure of the character Gil Grissom, D.B. leads the Next Generation Cyber Forensics team. He is fairly laid back despite the tough nature of his job, though he tends to be swept up in cases, resulting in friction in his personal life.
Interestingly, while many other forensic specialist characters work "by the book," D.B.'s approach lacks conventional rules; he's willing to do whatever it takes to solve the case, and he often emerges successful using his unorthodox methods.
Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes)
When thinking of forensic characters on television, Sherlock Holmes is among the best. While he's technically a private detective, he has a specific proficiency in forensic science and using logical reasoning to deduce a course of events that might have led to a crime.
Portrayed by a number of actors throughout the years on both television and in movies and based on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle character, BBC's Sherlock is the latest series to interpret the character. On that series, Sherlock is eccentric, highly intelligent, and brilliant when it comes to solving crimes based on forensic science and other related methods.