Happy Saturday TV Fans! I hope you are having a fabulous weekend full of shopping and binge-watching. For today’s topic, I am going to be ranking the top 5 TV female characters who give Nancy Drew a run for her money. Do you ever wonder how some of these characters solve the mystery in the nick of time while maintaining their grades, high school drama, and keeping up with the latest fashion trends?
For today’s ranking, I am only looking at female amateur sleuths. If they work for any type of federal/government agency, they are not included since they are considered professionals.
My top 5 TV female characters who give Nancy Drew a run for her money are:
5
Dr. Joan Watson from CBS’s Elementary.
While the original Dr. Watson from the classic Sherlock Holmes series is male, Lucy Liu proves that gender need not apply in order to have the smarts and wit to keep up with Sherlock Holmes himself.
While Dr. Watson does eventually consult with the police, she started off her career as a doctor and then shifted to helping others through addiction. Even before Sherlock mentored her and taught her the ways of being a detective, her compassion for others and attention to detail made her a force to be reckoned with.
Joan is even able to get through to Sherlock and break through his shield of bottled emotions to help him cope with his own issues. Through every test and case, Dr. Joan Watson proves to be a worthy partner of Sherlock’s and is capable of solving the mysteries on her own if needed. But we love to see these two working together for sure.
4
Nancy Wheeler from Netflix’s Stranger Things.
While a lot of the series centers on Nancy’s younger brother and his friends dealing with the threat of the upside down world, Nancy steps into the lime light herself to reveal that she is more than a stereotypical teenage girl. When her best friend, Barb, vanishes, she is devastated but refuses to just accept it.
Nancy will stop at nothing to find out the truth about what happened to her and to make things right. She finds herself in the middle of a love triangle, dealing with conflicting feelings for both Steve and Jonathan, but puts that on the back burner initially so that she can focus on the mystery at hand.
3
Betty Cooper from the CW’s Riverdale.
Betty is pure of heart and has enough bounce in her blonde ponytail to bring school spirit to anyone even remotely close to her. But that’s not what makes her so intriguing on Riverdale. While she is concerned with doing the right thing and her image is close to perfection, Betty has some serious skills as an amateur sleuth and other characters on the show have even referred to her as Nancy Drew jokingly.
Unfortunately for Nancy Drew, she didn’t live in a world filled with technology at one’s finger tips and Betty uses this to her advantage. She puts her family and friends above everything else and is great at analyzing the missing pieces of the puzzle to bring the truth to light.
2
Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily from Pretty Little Liars.
While “A” has been revealed and the show is over, we can’t forget about the constant twists and turns these girls had to face. The beginning of the series opens with their friend Alison’s supposed death and the girls are left to pick up the pieces and figure out what happened to her.
The fun doesn’t stop here; however, as someone going by the name “A” is after them and putting them through hell. The girls don’t give in so easily, as they work together as a team to bring down “A” and figure out the mystery at hand. Individually, each character has their own strengths, but together they are an unstoppable force and their bond and friendship keeps them from breaking along the way.
1
Veronica Mars from Veronica Mars.
Following in the shadow of her father who is a private detective, Veronica is a high-school student who works closely with him and shows that she has just as much talent and a real knack for the business. Her best friend was murdered and the series begins with her trying to figure out who did it by piecing together the evidence.
During this, she also takes on cases at school on behalf of her friends and classmates. What’s so great about Veronica is that you almost forget she is a teenage girl. Her wit and humor is hilarious and you find yourself rooting for her with each new case coming her way.
Veronica was once popular, but is now considered an outsider at school, but this doesn’t stop her from helping others and making a statement against bullies and other threats along the way.
I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post some of your own favorites below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!
Best,
Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl
