What people misunderstand about the benefits of watching crime shows

1. Play on Our Fear

There have been moments where I have walked down the street and kept looking over my shoulder due to my fears and anxiety, especially since I am guilty of watching crime shows and investigation shows all the time. Crimes are happening everyday, unfortunately, and we are constantly hearing about crime through the news reports. We need to start seeing the good in the world. We want to feel comfort in knowing that the bad guy will get caught in the end. The criminal will be held responsible. Even with seeing that the criminal is caught, we always wonder if that could happen to us. Since crime shows play on fear and strive to relieve, this is one of the reasons why we love crime shows.

2. Channel Anger

There are times where anger takes over you and you just want to scream or throw something at a wall. Who doesn’t? We’ve all heard stories of violence. These stories get you wondering, what if I were in that situation; what would I have done; could I have done something so awful? There’s a need to explore the dark side of human nature. There’s a need to figure out what could make us so angry; what makes us tick; what makes us break the law of civilized society. After listening and doing the right thing, we wonder about the consequences. This anger leads to thoughts that lead to both fantasy and fear. If you're looking for more investigative thrills, check out some of the best detective movies ever made.

3. Play on Emotion

Criminal shows seriously play on our emotions. In just one episode, love, anger, suspense, empathy, and sympathy may all be expressed. Many romance crime shows are also deep-seated love stories. Murder has intense emotions and nothing intensifies emotions more than interacting and involving the people closest to you. A killer can be someone very close to the victim or a total stranger. We would do anything to protect the ones we love, so knowing that sometimes our protection won’t do much is scary—another emotion. There is often serious emotion seen when you see a detective struggle to maintain her emotional distance from the case. Not only are your emotions being played, so are the characters'!

4. Finding Justice

Usually when it comes to the last couple of minutes of CSI, we see some type of closure and justice, which is not always found in the real world. Being that most shows are murder mysteries at the most basic level, there is a murder and in the end there is a punishment. In today’s shows there is a clear vision of what is right and what is wrong. A crime show dives in and explores the human response to evil. This provides a sense that there are good people in this big bad world of ours, people that will do the right thing. It gives the watcher a sense of hope in the human condition. If you need a new series to binge, here are the top crime dramas to watch right now.

5. Thinking the Unthinkable

Yes, bad people do walk upon the earth and bad things happen on this earth. Crime fiction lets us, the viewers, attempt to understand the horrific crimes that are committed through the safety lenses of fiction. Throughout an episode of a show such as Criminal Minds, we see the profiling of a criminal, which helps to reveal the criminal’s twisted motivation. Other shows such as CSI: Miami and Law & Order show the impact of murder and other gruesome crimes on the lives of those left behind. Since these offenses are fictional, the acts are seen as bearable. Murder series provide a peek into the realm of human evil without the terror that goes along with the real thing.

6. Edge of the Seat

Picture this, you’re watching NCIS with your bowl of popcorn and you notice that there is two minutes left of the show; the closer the team gets to catching the killer, the faster you shovel in the popcorn. This is just one prime example of how criminal shows keep you on the edge of the seat. As gross and full as we feel at the end of the show, just admit, you loved the apprehension and tenseness as the bad guy was being caught. At the beginning of the show where the hook is, and at the end when justice is being served, there is always concern and edginess. It's a key reason pulse crime enthusiasts find these shows so addictive; they give us the chance to live and beat life-altering events without actually experiencing the nasty reality.

7. Awareness

While watching crime shows, you become aware of what sort of crazy people and events can be found in the world. There are many useful tips and tricks to learn and be informed of. I have learned to wait and unlock my car door once I actually get to my car and not a second before. Another memorable tip is to always be mindful of the setting you are in. If you are in a parking lot, a park, just walking around town—no matter where you may be—take caution. These safety insights are among the practical benefits of watching crime shows that the audience can use in their daily lives.

Evil exists in the world and crime fiction shows us how good people cope with the evil and the tragedy. We watch these crime shows due to the challenge that they project. We become the detectives; we become one with the show. Crime shows have the human mind solving a puzzle and seeing through intricate situations. These skills are useful in society and have a stimulating effect. Crime shows are exciting and take us where we would never go or think about ordinarily. What are some of your favorite crime shows with romance, and what are your reasons for loving them?