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.