Cop Shows early in DS9 and VOY

[Trekwatcher]

I am rewatching VOY again (having just finished rewatching DS9 again) and I cannot help but notice how both series leaned on what I call "cop shows" (shows that are really about solving a crime, with some sci fi themes thrown in) early on.

DS9 had A Man Alone, Vortex, The Passenger, Tribunal, and to some extent even Duet.

VOY had Ex Post Facto and State of Flux in their truncated 1st season.

I wonder if this was the case as early on they were looking for things they could do with the characters as they existed in the writer's bible. I.e. Odo is a constable, Tuvok is chief of security, etc. As both series progressed, these types of stories faded away and the shows focused more on the arcs they developed internally.

Am I missing other examples of this? Do others see this in TNG or ENT? TOS had a few cop shows but they were few and far between (The Conscience of the King comes to mind).

 

[Turd Ferguson]

One of my favorite Voyager episodes is Meld.

The one where Tuvok investigates the murder of an engineer and the killer is revealed to be a sociopathic Betazoid named Lon Suder (Brad Dourif). My favorite part about it is that he's discovered early, but Tuvok doesn't understand that Suder didn't have to have a motive when it came to murder, he just did it for the hell of it (or, in Suder's case, said engineer looked at him the wrong way).

It showed that not everybody aboard a Federation starship was all hunky dorey and goodie-twoshoes and that a deranged crewmember or two could be on board.

Also, don't forget the DS9 episode Field of Fire, where Ezri has to call upon Joran Dax to get into the mind of who's murdering station personnel, who happens to be a Vulcan.

 

[USS Kongo]

I always thought DS9 lent itself very well to "cop show" episodes thanks largely to Odo, who was basically a cop himself.

Sean

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Someone should make an avatar with Odo pulling of shades dramatically.

 

[LeadHead]

Then make a video with the CSI Miami theme music and the DS9 main titles.

 

[Trekwatcher]

One of my favorite Voyager episodes is Meld.

Another good example!

 

[Star Wolf]

One of my favorite Voyager episodes is Meld.

The one where Tuvok investigates the murder of an engineer and the killer is revealed to be a sociopathic Betazoid named Lon Suder (Brad Dourif). My favorite part about it is that he's discovered early, but Tuvok doesn't understand that Suder didn't have to have a motive when it came to murder, he just did it for the hell of it (or, in Suder's case, said engineer looked at him the wrong way).

It showed that not everybody aboard a Federation starship was all hunky dorey and goodie-twoshoes and that a deranged crewmember or two could be on board.

.

Even though Janeway declared it a Starfleet ship and crew wasn't he Maquis thus didn't go through Federation and Starfleet assement and indoctrination?

 

[Starbreaker]

I like procedurals. It's the best of both worlds for me... ok, that was unintentional. Sorry.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

One of my favorite Voyager episodes is Meld.

The one where Tuvok investigates the murder of an engineer and the killer is revealed to be a sociopathic Betazoid named Lon Suder (Brad Dourif). My favorite part about it is that he's discovered early, but Tuvok doesn't understand that Suder didn't have to have a motive when it came to murder, he just did it for the hell of it (or, in Suder's case, said engineer looked at him the wrong way).

It showed that not everybody aboard a Federation starship was all hunky dorey and goodie-twoshoes and that a deranged crewmember or two could be on board.

.

Even though Janeway declared it a Starfleet ship and crew wasn't he Maquis thus didn't go through Federation and Starfleet assement and indoctrination?

Yep.

Not only that, but even though Suder was a Betazoid, he was not empathic - he had none of the abilities common to his species. He said something like "Most Betazoids can read other people's thoughts and emotions...I can hardly read my own." (Given this, I'm forced to wonder why the writers even made him a Betazoid at all...)

 

[barnaclelapse]

I always thought DS9 lent itself very well to "cop show" episodes thanks largely to Odo, who was basically a cop himself.

Sean

Absolutely, and I thought Sisko lent himself very well to an embattled police chief type.

 

[Danny99]

I always thought DS9 lent itself very well to "cop show" episodes thanks largely to Odo, who was basically a cop himself.

Sean

Absolutely, and I thought Sisqo lent himself very well to an embattled police chief type.

Between singing about thongs I presume.

Spelt Sisko, not Sisqo.

 

[barnaclelapse]

Awww....son of a bitch...