There have been a lot of claims to that title over the years. Perhaps the original was Sherlock Holmes. Batman also developed that reputation. And the list doesn’t end there…
Recently, I watched all of House. I had seen part of the first season, but didn’t really get into it, and then I watched season four. Being the compulsive person that I am, I had to go back and watch everything in between, too. The resemblance between him and Sherlock is uncanny. He’s aloof and frank, his attention to detail is unsurpassed, he has assistants who he mostly has do busy work and then explains everything to, and he even uses drugs despite the misgivings of his assistants. The twist is that he’s solving medical problems, not chasing down criminals.
Then, I started up Monk. He’s even more like Sherlock, at least in a superficial/circumstantial way. He’s a private investigator with an assistant who frequently helps the police with difficult cases. Again, he’s got the amazing attention to detail. In fact, his twist is that his attention to detail is so strong, it bleeds into every aspect of his life and cripples him. The assistant thing seems to be a must. Almost as if it was a way for the genius character to explain things directly to the audience. Damn literary devices! Note to self… if I ever write a mystery, must include like-able but slow character to explain everything to.
But I guess my point is that everyone enjoys a good mystery. They want to “coalesce the vapors of human existence into a viable and meaningful comprehension” and solve the problem, whether it’s the meaning of life, global hunger, or a murder.
Oh, and on a related note, I’ve been playing Phoenix Wright, too. The game is fun, but also frustrating. Often, I’ve figured out the case without getting all the clues yet, but I still need to do everything in the proper steps to get a win. Why can’t I present the “decisive evidence” at the start?!