My schedule doesn’t permit me to watch episodic T.V. shows on a regular basis. So I buy them, and gorge on particular shows.
Long-running dramas inevitably have people framed or falsely accused of murder. And almost all of the accusations could be overturned by the paraffin test. And it bugs me that I don’t know whether to be bugged by that or not.
See, I get why otherwise competent T.V. folks don’t wear gloves when committing crimes. Most actual criminals aren’t too bright, and a lot of them watch a lot of television. They don’t see gloves being used, so they don’t think to use gloves in their crimes. So I credit shows with being civic-minded when leaving fingerprints all over the scene.
But what’s the downside of featuring paraffin tests? It would be so easy to show the falsely accused at a firing range, or otherwise discharging a firearm. That enriches the drama. More correborative evidence! Instead everybody goes the lazy writing route. “It’s your gun, you must be the murderer!” If I hadn’t shot a gun recently, my reflex would be to say, “paraffin test me”.
So does it bug you that these things bug me? Don’t blame the victim! It’s a medical condition.