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* HappilyMarried: Although she was already dead before the series, he and his wife Mary were this.
* AmicableExes: Although he and his wife have long since divorced, they remain friendly with one another and he even intervenes to help her with her gambling problems.
* BerserkButton: In spite of his mostly calm and stoic demeanor, he has two: don't harm his biological or professional family, and don't disrespect veterans. It won't end well on either front if you do.
* ByTheBookCop: He's adheres to the law and expects his team to do the same, even when it comes to cases with a SympatheticMurderer and/or an AssholeVictim or if the case personally upsets him.
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%%* AFatherToHisMen: Especially to Lilly.
%%* MarriedToTheJob: Official explanation of his divorce [[spoiler: before [[RetCon Agent Yates]] showed up.]]
%%* MarriedToTheJob: Official explanation of his divorce [[spoiler: before [[RetCon Agent Yates]] showed up.]]
to:
%%*
* MarriedToTheJob: Official explanation of his divorce [[spoiler: before [[RetCon Agent Yates]] showed up.
* TheRival: To Deputy Commissioner Doherty during seasons 6 and 7 due to him previously arresting his son for drug possession.
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* EmbarrassingOldPhoto: She shows one to Vera at the end of "Stand Up and Holler."
to:
* EmbarrassingOldPhoto: She shows one to Vera at the end of "Stand Up and Holler."Holler" of herself in high school.
* DiedInYourArmsTonight: One of the victims from "8:03 AM", Skill Jones, was discovered by her while she was working undercover and passed away shortly as she held him. [[ThatOneCase It made her determined to solve his murder for years afterwards.]]
* GoodParents: She's this to her young daughter, Veronica, and is often seen with her when off the job or referencing her.
* DiedInYourArmsTonight: One of the victims from "8:03 AM", Skill Jones, was discovered by her while she was working undercover and passed away shortly as she held him. [[ThatOneCase It made her determined to solve his murder for years afterwards.]]
* GoodParents: She's this to her young daughter, Veronica, and is often seen with her when off the job or referencing her.
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* SixthRanger: Is also the latest to join the Cold Case unit, although she then becomes a fully fledged member.
to:
* SixthRanger: Is also the latest to join the Cold Case unit, although she then becomes a fully fledged member. member, and is often partnered with either Jeffries or Vera.
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The Hero wick cleaning
* AlwaysGetsHerMan: Established in the pilot as TheHero of the show as she instigates the investigation of a cold case, refusing to give up or to be intimidated. She's always concerned with getting justice for the dead, no matter who they were.
Deleted line(s) 19 (click to see context) :
* TheHero: Established in the pilot as TheHero of the show as she instigates the investigation of a cold case, refusing to give up or to be intimidated. She's always concerned with getting justice for the dead, no matter who they were.
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* NonIdleRich: Discussed. In "The Hitchhiker", he says he won't retire even if he wins the lottery.
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[[folder: Detective Chris Lassing]]
->'''Played By''' Creator/JustinChambers
* WeHardlyKnewYe: He's transferred after four episodes due to his diabetes as well as [[Series/GreysAnatomy deciding to become a doctor in Seattle.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Detective Josie Sutton]]
->'''Played By''' Creator/SarahBrown
* DislikesTheNewGuy: Played with: while the rest of the squad is cordial, if not a little distant, from her, Detective Vera is outright hostile to her, even implying that she rose through the ranks due to her good looks.
* NaiveNewcomer: She is unprepared for the emotional toll that the division takes on her, and leaves the squad prematurely as a result.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: She's gone only five episodes into season three, being unable to handle both the job and Vera's harassment.
[[/folder]]
->'''Played By''' Creator/JustinChambers
* WeHardlyKnewYe: He's transferred after four episodes due to his diabetes as well as [[Series/GreysAnatomy deciding to become a doctor in Seattle.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Detective Josie Sutton]]
->'''Played By''' Creator/SarahBrown
* DislikesTheNewGuy: Played with: while the rest of the squad is cordial, if not a little distant, from her, Detective Vera is outright hostile to her, even implying that she rose through the ranks due to her good looks.
* NaiveNewcomer: She is unprepared for the emotional toll that the division takes on her, and leaves the squad prematurely as a result.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: She's gone only five episodes into season three, being unable to handle both the job and Vera's harassment.
[[/folder]]
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* TheStoic: He is easily the most even-tempered member of Philly's cold case squad.
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* TragicKeepsake: Lilly keep pictures of the victims on her night desk when she is working on a case and she shown in multiple episodes to keep the pictures of the case she solved in a box. Lampshaded by Kat who note it's kinda creepy when you think about it, but Lilly say that's a way to remember that there are real people behind every cases.
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Deleted line(s) 123 (click to see context) :
* [[OverprotectiveDad Overprotective Mom]]: Is very resistant to let her daughter meet her father despite that the guy seems to have fully recovered and reinserted into society. The actual reason is that she's embarrassed of their former relationship and protecting her daughter is just a pretext.
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dewicking Badass Baritone
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* BadassBaritone: Has a very deep voice and is very cool with it.
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[[foldercontrol]]
! Main Characters
[[folder: Detective Lilly Rush]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/97728_d1627rc_full_6615.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''" It's so much easier to believe monsters do these things. Not men."'']]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/KathrynMorris
* AloneWithThePsycho: In "Mind Hunters", "The Woods", and "Stalker" she has a face-off with the killer, trying to talk him down.
* BigSisterInstinct: Despite her terrible relationship with her sister throughout the series, in the finale, she goes all out to find her when Christina kidnapped by her abusive boyfriend and is ready to kill the guy. The final moments of the finale indicate that she's going to do everything she can to take care of her sister and newfound niece.
* BrokenBird: Lilly's hard exterior protects a broken interior, as she is afraid to get hurt again and refuses to let anyone in, which is a significant factor in her relationship failures.
* DamselInDistress: Has a higher tendency to be shot, kidnapped or thrown off a bridge than other characters, specially in season finales.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Lilly's parents were both alcoholics, and her father abandoned her when she was six due to his toxic relationship with her mother. Her mother neglected her, preferring alcohol over her children, forcing Lilly to take on the unappreciated role of the caretaker of the family. When she was 10, this resulted in Lilly getting violently assaulted as her mother had her sent out in the night to get her more alcohol. Once she thought she would finally be happy and got engaged, her sister and her fiancé slept together.
* TheDutifulDaughter: Despite her mother's neglect, Lilly keeps taking care of Ellen when she needs her.
* DyingDream: [[spoiler: She has one in “Into the Blue”, putting together the clues of the current case while she is drowning]].
* TheHero: Established in the pilot as TheHero of the show as she instigates the investigation of a cold case, refusing to give up or to be intimidated. She's always concerned with getting justice for the dead, no matter who they were.
* KindheartedCatLover: Lilly Rush has two cats that she adores. One of them is missing a leg, the other an eye.
* MarriedToTheJob: Her job has caused her to break off a relationship and that's only in the last seven to eight years.
* MommyIssues: Her mother, Ellen, was an alcoholic who neglected her and never appreciated Lilly for taking care of her. This has caused her to develop major trust issues, and she becomes extremely suspicious of women that remind her of her mother.
* MySisterIsOffLimits: Lilly is less than thrilled to learn that Scotty has been seeing hers.
* NoodleIncident: One reason that her relationship with her sister is so strained is that Christina stole Lily's fiancé in the 90s but the whole incident has never been fully explained.
* ParentalAbandonment: Her father left the family when Lilly was a child due to his toxic relationship with her mother, later telling her he couldn't stay with Ellen and survive. She reconnected with him as an adult, by when he'd already gotten his life together and started a new family.
* ParentalNeglect: Her mother Ellen neglected her due to her alcoholism, at one point sending her out to get a drink in the middle of the night, resulting in Lilly being violently assaulted. Ellen didn't take care of her after that, and refused to take responsibility for it, even decades later.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Until Kat became a regular, Lilly was (famously) the only female homicide detective.
* TwoGirlsToATeam: After Kat joins the squad.
* TheUnFavorite: To her mother, who prefers her sister Christina despite the fact that it is Lilly who keeps taking care of her.
* VigilanteExecution: A major part of her character arc in the final season is whether or not she'd ever be willing to cross this line. She considers killing Moe Kitchener after he pulls a KarmaHoudini in court [[spoiler: but Kitchener's victim's father beats her to him]]. Then she has to talk down Diane Yates from doing this to Paul Shepard in "Bullet." In the GrandFinale, however, she finally decides to do it to [[spoiler: her sister's abusive boyfriend... only for Scotty, who in the prior episode had become accessory in the death of a serial rapist, to tell her it isn't worth it]].
* WhiteSheep: She is the only upstanding member of the family. Her mother is an alcoholic who neglected her children her whole life, her sister is involved in crimes, gets hopped up on doxy, and ends up having a relationship (and baby) with a drug dealer, and her father is an alcoholic who abandoned his family - though he, at least, cleaned up his act later in life.
* WideEyedIdealist: She really has a thing for pursuing old cases and bringing justice where everyone else considers it impossible, to the point of investigating cases that are 80 or 90 years old just because some distant descendant of the victim asks her to.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Detective Scotty Valens]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/valens_scotty_8506.jpg]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/DannyPino
* TheCharmer: Scotty is cocky but chivalrous, and always ready to flirt with an attractive woman - though his affairs often get him in trouble.
%% * FairCop
* GoodIsNotNice: He cares about justice and doing his job as much as the others, but it doesn't stop him from coming off as arrogant, combative or downright insensitive when it comes to dealing with suspects, witnesses or even victims and their families themselves. One episode had him questioning why a WholesomeCrossdresser service veteran who was repeatedly attacked for his persona doesn't just stop acting that way, only for the man to reply back, [[WhatTheHellHero "And you're a detective?"]]
* HotBlooded: Scotty's temper is his probably his FatalFlaw and has landed him in plenty of trouble. He is easily angered and provoked, especially when some of his personal issues (like mental illness) or women are concerned, leading to a number of violent outbursts.
* IdiotBall: In "Breaking News", when he learns that Frankie has lied to him about being divorced and that she's still married. He is disgusted but when he meets her later in a bar he goes to play bed bondage with her... ''in the middle of a crime investigation''.
* JerkassBall: Usually alternated between him and Vera, although other squad members have been known to hold it on rare occasions.
%%* KarmaHoudini: More often than not. While many fans consider his CowboyCop antics "heroic" and "[[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight the right thing to do]]", in reality, his actions would have him either demoted, fired or even imprisoned. Heck, other team members ended up ''taking his punishments for him instead.''
%%* LatinLover: But '''not''' to Lilly, no matter what the Fandom wants to believe. The GrandFinale shows how much they care about each other though.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: A particularly noteworthy case is Offender, where he unwittingly gives Mitch Hathaway the information he needs to deduce the identity of his son's killer. This leads to Hathaway nearly killing the murderer, and is one of the things Internal Affairs uses against Scotty during the first half of season 5.
%%* RabidCop: He's sometimes [[{{Irony}} as bad]] [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute as]] [[Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit UnStabler]].
* WriterOnBoard: Danny Pino wrote the episode "Stealing Home", which shows both the actor's love for baseball and his hatred of the Castro dictatorship. It is a Scotty-centered episode.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Detective Nick Vera]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vera_nick_4256.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"You don't mind a little dirt, do you, Rush?"'']]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/JeremyRatchford
* CopCriminalFamily: When looking for suspects in an old police ledger he says: "South Philly thugs. I probably have relatives in this book."
* FatIdiot: Subverted. His appearance, and general attitude give this impression of a bumbling overweight guy, but he's actually a good detective. He once figured out that a seemingly random sequence of letters and numbers was a periodical number. Another time he cracked a case by noticing the color of the victim's luggage.
* FormerlyFit: A flashback to his rookie year showed that he was once in very good shape.
* GentleGiant: Despite being snarky, he's amazingly good with children and as Rush tells a rape victim: "He only ''looks'' like a Neanderthal."
* HeroicBSOD: In "Flashover", after realizing he had arrested wrong man who subsequently died in prison. This ends with him [[TurnInYourBadge giving up his badge]].
* HiddenDepths: Loves musicals. Can't sing, though. Also speaks Russian, though he admits he's not exactly fluent.
* HollywoodToneDeaf: Implied at the end of "Wilkommen", when his singing causes everybody around to cover their ears. And he claims to have played Danny Zuko in a ''Theatre/{{Grease}}'' play in high school...
* MaybeEverAfter: At the end of season 7 he is shown getting closer with his OldFlame Megan, possibly rekindling their relationship.
* NoodleIncident: His "woulda had a 19 year old" with Megan now, mentioned in "Ravaged".
* WhatTheHellHero: Any time he uses violence to force a suspect to confess.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Detective Will Jeffries]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jeffries_will_2577.jpg]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/ThomBarry
* BadassBaritone: Has a very deep voice and is very cool with it.
* BerserkButton: Punches Danner when he not only finds evidence that the main Danner railroaded was innocent, but also sees Danner smarmily try to justify his actions.
* ButtMonkey: If there was one teammate who could qualify as this, it's him. PlayedForDrama against suspects, who aren't ashamed to act racist towards him (in fact, the only other squad member who gets as much crap from suspects is Lilly herself, being a woman), but PlayedForLaughs among his fellow detectives, especially since he ''usually'' takes it in stride.
* CoolOldGuy: He is sixty... [[WritersCannotDoMath something]], but when he loses his temper ([[GentleGiant and that's hard]]), he loses it, as that ADA learned in "Death Penalty: Final Appeal."
* EmbarrassingOldPhoto: Vera finds a photo of him at his high school prom and distributes copies of it at the station to prove the "hottie" that accompanied Jeffries and whom he has bragged so much about wasn't hot at all. Jeffries then counterattacks distributing copies of Vera's prom, but Vera is ''delighted'' if anything.
* GeniusBruiser: Former football player and boxer. Aspiring writer (once he retires) with quite more culture than his teammates.
* GentleGiant: He's the tallest and brawniest of the men on the squad, but is also the kindest and least prone to anger and violence.
* {{Mangst}}: For his wife, who was run over by a truck in the 90s. He got better after confronting, and ultimately forgiving, the man who accidentally killed her.
* NumberTwo: To Stillman. He is placed in command when Stillman is temporarily suspended.
* OneTrueLove: Married his high-school sweetheart, Mary. She was killed in a hit and run in 1995 while changing a tire on the road.
* WritersCannotDoMath: In "Strange Fruit", he is shown to be 12 in 1963 but in “Best Friends” (aired in 2005), it's his 60th birthday. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in "November 22nd":
--> '''Will''': [talking about the day Kennedy was assassinated] I was playing touch football at recess.
--> '''Scotty''': Recess? I thought you were, like, forty-five when that happened.
--> '''Lilly''': No, you're thinking of when Lincoln was shot.
--> '''Will''': Keep it up. See what happens.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Lieutenant John Stillman]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stillman_john_4688.jpg]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/JohnFinn
%%* BenevolentBoss: Especially to Lilly. Extremely kind, supportive, and understanding.
%%* TheCaptain: Well, technically, Lieutenant.
* CoolOldGuy: Is not ashamed of calling out criminals and other witnesses when he needs to and is progressive and supportive.
* DaChief: The lead of the Cold Case unit (most of the time).
%%* AFatherToHisMen: Especially to Lilly.
%%* MarriedToTheJob: Official explanation of his divorce [[spoiler: before [[RetCon Agent Yates]] showed up.]]
%%* PapaWolf : To his daughter Janie.
%%* TeamDad: As befitting his calmness and supportiveness.
* TenMinuteRetirement: Took a forced leave in place of Scotty in season 5 but helped the squad extra-officially anyway.
%%* TheMentor: To Lilly.
%%* ShellShockedVeteran: Implied more than really shown and seems to have gotten over it years ago (mostly).
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Detective Kat Miller]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/miller_kat_3775.jpg]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/TracieThoms
%%* AffirmativeActionGirl
* EmbarrassingOldPhoto: She shows one to Vera at the end of "Stand Up and Holler."
* [[OverprotectiveDad Overprotective Mom]]: Is very resistant to let her daughter meet her father despite that the guy seems to have fully recovered and reinserted into society. The actual reason is that she's embarrassed of their former relationship and protecting her daughter is just a pretext.
* SassyBlackWoman: Especially in her scenes with Vera.
* SixthRanger: Is also the latest to join the Cold Case unit, although she then becomes a fully fledged member.
* {{Tomboy}}: She describes her young self as one in “Wednesday Women”.
* TwoGirlsToATeam: With Lilly.
[[/folder]]
! Law Enforcement
[[folder: Deputy Commissioner Patrick Doherty]]
-> '''Played By:''' Creator/KeithSzarabajka
* CharacterDevelopment: It's eventually revealed that the reason he's such a hardass in regards to John is because he was the one who sent his drug addicted son to prison for a series of petty crimes. He comes to reluctantly admit to John that his son going to prison was the best thing that ever happened to him, as it helped him get his life back on track.
* DirtyCop: He was a known associate of various crooked city officials (including [[spoiler:the killer in "Jurisprudence"]]) from his first appearance, but isn't revealed to personally be dirty until the GrandFinale, where it transpires that he [[spoiler:covered up a manslaughter committed by his son]].
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: In "Street Money" and "Jurisprudence".
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Frankie Rafferty]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/TaniaRaymonde
* EnhanceButton: Most of her job as a Video Lab Tech.
* TheUnfairSex: Thinks it is OK to lie to Scotty about her marriage and cheat on her husband because they are going to divorce anyway (the guy doesn't seem to be aware of the last part, though).
[[/folder]]
[[folder: ADA Curtis Bell]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/JonathanLaPaglia
%%* BunnyEarsLawyer
%%* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt: Inverted.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Agent Diane Yates]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/SusannaThompson
%%* {{Angst}}
* BestServedCold: The entire point of her career is [[spoiler: to find who killed her boyfriend when she was 18 and kill the murderer herself]].
* BloodSplatteredInnocents: Her high school boyfriend was murdered right in front of her, his body fell on her while she was in the backseat of his convertible, and she is shown covered in his blood.
* CowboyCop: She uses her position as an FBI agent and her former relationship with Stillman to make the PPD re-open her [[ThatOneCase One Case]] and help her investigate it. As it turns out, she's doing so completely on her own, but her supervisor has to suck it up and let her continue the investigation because his position would be the most threatened if the whole thing was uncovered.
* IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim: [[spoiler: Lilly manages to convince her to not kill her boyfriend's murderer when she has him handcuffed, though interestingly she does so without using these exact words]]
%%* JerkAss: Oh so much.
%%* MrsRobinson
* NewOldFlame: To Stillman. She admits to Lilly that she broke up his marriage, and by the end of the series they have rekindled their relationship.
* NoWomansLand: She claims the PPD was this when she left for the FBI.
%%* ReallyGetsAround
* TheReveal: [[spoiler: She is the young woman seen in the Drive In at the beginning of her first episode]]
[[/folder]]
! Family & Friends
[[folder: Ellen Rush]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/MeredithBaxter
* AddictionDisplacement: Tried coffee during the short period she actually stopped drinking alcohol.
%%* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: To Lilly.
* BusCrash: A disputed case. While she wasn't exactly PutOnABus, her death was off-screen and her funeral never showed up on the series.
* DyingAlone: Her main fear. She's so obsessed with it that she marries four times in her lifetime. [[spoiler:Ultimately happens, as her last husband leaves her, her younger daughter is nowhere to be found and her older daughter is always working.]]
%%* IWasQuiteALooker
* KilledOffForReal: Is hospitalized and then [[spoiler:dies of cirrhosis of the liver due to her prolonged alcoholism.]]
%%* LadyDrunk
* NeverMyFault: She was the one who sent Lilly out to buy her beer late at night as a child [[spoiler: which caused her to be assaulted]], but she then claims that Lilly went out under her own volition.
* OffTheWagon: Ultimately leading to [[spoiler: her death]].
%%* TooDumbToLive
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Christina Rush]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/NickiAycox
%%* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Well into adulthood.
%%* LongBusTrip: With [[TheBusCameBack the bus coming]] BackForTheFinale.
%%* ReallyGetsAround: Until she winds up with an [[DomesticAbuse abusive boyfriend]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Mike Valens]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/NestorCarbonell
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Paul Cooper]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/RaymondJBarry
[[/folder]]
! Main Characters
[[folder: Detective Lilly Rush]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/97728_d1627rc_full_6615.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''" It's so much easier to believe monsters do these things. Not men."'']]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/KathrynMorris
* AloneWithThePsycho: In "Mind Hunters", "The Woods", and "Stalker" she has a face-off with the killer, trying to talk him down.
* BigSisterInstinct: Despite her terrible relationship with her sister throughout the series, in the finale, she goes all out to find her when Christina kidnapped by her abusive boyfriend and is ready to kill the guy. The final moments of the finale indicate that she's going to do everything she can to take care of her sister and newfound niece.
* BrokenBird: Lilly's hard exterior protects a broken interior, as she is afraid to get hurt again and refuses to let anyone in, which is a significant factor in her relationship failures.
* DamselInDistress: Has a higher tendency to be shot, kidnapped or thrown off a bridge than other characters, specially in season finales.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Lilly's parents were both alcoholics, and her father abandoned her when she was six due to his toxic relationship with her mother. Her mother neglected her, preferring alcohol over her children, forcing Lilly to take on the unappreciated role of the caretaker of the family. When she was 10, this resulted in Lilly getting violently assaulted as her mother had her sent out in the night to get her more alcohol. Once she thought she would finally be happy and got engaged, her sister and her fiancé slept together.
* TheDutifulDaughter: Despite her mother's neglect, Lilly keeps taking care of Ellen when she needs her.
* DyingDream: [[spoiler: She has one in “Into the Blue”, putting together the clues of the current case while she is drowning]].
* TheHero: Established in the pilot as TheHero of the show as she instigates the investigation of a cold case, refusing to give up or to be intimidated. She's always concerned with getting justice for the dead, no matter who they were.
* KindheartedCatLover: Lilly Rush has two cats that she adores. One of them is missing a leg, the other an eye.
* MarriedToTheJob: Her job has caused her to break off a relationship and that's only in the last seven to eight years.
* MommyIssues: Her mother, Ellen, was an alcoholic who neglected her and never appreciated Lilly for taking care of her. This has caused her to develop major trust issues, and she becomes extremely suspicious of women that remind her of her mother.
* MySisterIsOffLimits: Lilly is less than thrilled to learn that Scotty has been seeing hers.
* NoodleIncident: One reason that her relationship with her sister is so strained is that Christina stole Lily's fiancé in the 90s but the whole incident has never been fully explained.
* ParentalAbandonment: Her father left the family when Lilly was a child due to his toxic relationship with her mother, later telling her he couldn't stay with Ellen and survive. She reconnected with him as an adult, by when he'd already gotten his life together and started a new family.
* ParentalNeglect: Her mother Ellen neglected her due to her alcoholism, at one point sending her out to get a drink in the middle of the night, resulting in Lilly being violently assaulted. Ellen didn't take care of her after that, and refused to take responsibility for it, even decades later.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Until Kat became a regular, Lilly was (famously) the only female homicide detective.
* TwoGirlsToATeam: After Kat joins the squad.
* TheUnFavorite: To her mother, who prefers her sister Christina despite the fact that it is Lilly who keeps taking care of her.
* VigilanteExecution: A major part of her character arc in the final season is whether or not she'd ever be willing to cross this line. She considers killing Moe Kitchener after he pulls a KarmaHoudini in court [[spoiler: but Kitchener's victim's father beats her to him]]. Then she has to talk down Diane Yates from doing this to Paul Shepard in "Bullet." In the GrandFinale, however, she finally decides to do it to [[spoiler: her sister's abusive boyfriend... only for Scotty, who in the prior episode had become accessory in the death of a serial rapist, to tell her it isn't worth it]].
* WhiteSheep: She is the only upstanding member of the family. Her mother is an alcoholic who neglected her children her whole life, her sister is involved in crimes, gets hopped up on doxy, and ends up having a relationship (and baby) with a drug dealer, and her father is an alcoholic who abandoned his family - though he, at least, cleaned up his act later in life.
* WideEyedIdealist: She really has a thing for pursuing old cases and bringing justice where everyone else considers it impossible, to the point of investigating cases that are 80 or 90 years old just because some distant descendant of the victim asks her to.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Detective Scotty Valens]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/valens_scotty_8506.jpg]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/DannyPino
* TheCharmer: Scotty is cocky but chivalrous, and always ready to flirt with an attractive woman - though his affairs often get him in trouble.
%% * FairCop
* GoodIsNotNice: He cares about justice and doing his job as much as the others, but it doesn't stop him from coming off as arrogant, combative or downright insensitive when it comes to dealing with suspects, witnesses or even victims and their families themselves. One episode had him questioning why a WholesomeCrossdresser service veteran who was repeatedly attacked for his persona doesn't just stop acting that way, only for the man to reply back, [[WhatTheHellHero "And you're a detective?"]]
* HotBlooded: Scotty's temper is his probably his FatalFlaw and has landed him in plenty of trouble. He is easily angered and provoked, especially when some of his personal issues (like mental illness) or women are concerned, leading to a number of violent outbursts.
* IdiotBall: In "Breaking News", when he learns that Frankie has lied to him about being divorced and that she's still married. He is disgusted but when he meets her later in a bar he goes to play bed bondage with her... ''in the middle of a crime investigation''.
* JerkassBall: Usually alternated between him and Vera, although other squad members have been known to hold it on rare occasions.
%%* KarmaHoudini: More often than not. While many fans consider his CowboyCop antics "heroic" and "[[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight the right thing to do]]", in reality, his actions would have him either demoted, fired or even imprisoned. Heck, other team members ended up ''taking his punishments for him instead.''
%%* LatinLover: But '''not''' to Lilly, no matter what the Fandom wants to believe. The GrandFinale shows how much they care about each other though.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: A particularly noteworthy case is Offender, where he unwittingly gives Mitch Hathaway the information he needs to deduce the identity of his son's killer. This leads to Hathaway nearly killing the murderer, and is one of the things Internal Affairs uses against Scotty during the first half of season 5.
%%* RabidCop: He's sometimes [[{{Irony}} as bad]] [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute as]] [[Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit UnStabler]].
* WriterOnBoard: Danny Pino wrote the episode "Stealing Home", which shows both the actor's love for baseball and his hatred of the Castro dictatorship. It is a Scotty-centered episode.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Detective Nick Vera]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vera_nick_4256.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"You don't mind a little dirt, do you, Rush?"'']]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/JeremyRatchford
* CopCriminalFamily: When looking for suspects in an old police ledger he says: "South Philly thugs. I probably have relatives in this book."
* FatIdiot: Subverted. His appearance, and general attitude give this impression of a bumbling overweight guy, but he's actually a good detective. He once figured out that a seemingly random sequence of letters and numbers was a periodical number. Another time he cracked a case by noticing the color of the victim's luggage.
* FormerlyFit: A flashback to his rookie year showed that he was once in very good shape.
* GentleGiant: Despite being snarky, he's amazingly good with children and as Rush tells a rape victim: "He only ''looks'' like a Neanderthal."
* HeroicBSOD: In "Flashover", after realizing he had arrested wrong man who subsequently died in prison. This ends with him [[TurnInYourBadge giving up his badge]].
* HiddenDepths: Loves musicals. Can't sing, though. Also speaks Russian, though he admits he's not exactly fluent.
* HollywoodToneDeaf: Implied at the end of "Wilkommen", when his singing causes everybody around to cover their ears. And he claims to have played Danny Zuko in a ''Theatre/{{Grease}}'' play in high school...
* MaybeEverAfter: At the end of season 7 he is shown getting closer with his OldFlame Megan, possibly rekindling their relationship.
* NoodleIncident: His "woulda had a 19 year old" with Megan now, mentioned in "Ravaged".
* WhatTheHellHero: Any time he uses violence to force a suspect to confess.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Detective Will Jeffries]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jeffries_will_2577.jpg]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/ThomBarry
* BadassBaritone: Has a very deep voice and is very cool with it.
* BerserkButton: Punches Danner when he not only finds evidence that the main Danner railroaded was innocent, but also sees Danner smarmily try to justify his actions.
* ButtMonkey: If there was one teammate who could qualify as this, it's him. PlayedForDrama against suspects, who aren't ashamed to act racist towards him (in fact, the only other squad member who gets as much crap from suspects is Lilly herself, being a woman), but PlayedForLaughs among his fellow detectives, especially since he ''usually'' takes it in stride.
* CoolOldGuy: He is sixty... [[WritersCannotDoMath something]], but when he loses his temper ([[GentleGiant and that's hard]]), he loses it, as that ADA learned in "Death Penalty: Final Appeal."
* EmbarrassingOldPhoto: Vera finds a photo of him at his high school prom and distributes copies of it at the station to prove the "hottie" that accompanied Jeffries and whom he has bragged so much about wasn't hot at all. Jeffries then counterattacks distributing copies of Vera's prom, but Vera is ''delighted'' if anything.
* GeniusBruiser: Former football player and boxer. Aspiring writer (once he retires) with quite more culture than his teammates.
* GentleGiant: He's the tallest and brawniest of the men on the squad, but is also the kindest and least prone to anger and violence.
* {{Mangst}}: For his wife, who was run over by a truck in the 90s. He got better after confronting, and ultimately forgiving, the man who accidentally killed her.
* NumberTwo: To Stillman. He is placed in command when Stillman is temporarily suspended.
* OneTrueLove: Married his high-school sweetheart, Mary. She was killed in a hit and run in 1995 while changing a tire on the road.
* WritersCannotDoMath: In "Strange Fruit", he is shown to be 12 in 1963 but in “Best Friends” (aired in 2005), it's his 60th birthday. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in "November 22nd":
--> '''Will''': [talking about the day Kennedy was assassinated] I was playing touch football at recess.
--> '''Scotty''': Recess? I thought you were, like, forty-five when that happened.
--> '''Lilly''': No, you're thinking of when Lincoln was shot.
--> '''Will''': Keep it up. See what happens.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Lieutenant John Stillman]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stillman_john_4688.jpg]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/JohnFinn
%%* BenevolentBoss: Especially to Lilly. Extremely kind, supportive, and understanding.
%%* TheCaptain: Well, technically, Lieutenant.
* CoolOldGuy: Is not ashamed of calling out criminals and other witnesses when he needs to and is progressive and supportive.
* DaChief: The lead of the Cold Case unit (most of the time).
%%* AFatherToHisMen: Especially to Lilly.
%%* MarriedToTheJob: Official explanation of his divorce [[spoiler: before [[RetCon Agent Yates]] showed up.]]
%%* PapaWolf : To his daughter Janie.
%%* TeamDad: As befitting his calmness and supportiveness.
* TenMinuteRetirement: Took a forced leave in place of Scotty in season 5 but helped the squad extra-officially anyway.
%%* TheMentor: To Lilly.
%%* ShellShockedVeteran: Implied more than really shown and seems to have gotten over it years ago (mostly).
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Detective Kat Miller]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/miller_kat_3775.jpg]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/TracieThoms
%%* AffirmativeActionGirl
* EmbarrassingOldPhoto: She shows one to Vera at the end of "Stand Up and Holler."
* [[OverprotectiveDad Overprotective Mom]]: Is very resistant to let her daughter meet her father despite that the guy seems to have fully recovered and reinserted into society. The actual reason is that she's embarrassed of their former relationship and protecting her daughter is just a pretext.
* SassyBlackWoman: Especially in her scenes with Vera.
* SixthRanger: Is also the latest to join the Cold Case unit, although she then becomes a fully fledged member.
* {{Tomboy}}: She describes her young self as one in “Wednesday Women”.
* TwoGirlsToATeam: With Lilly.
[[/folder]]
! Law Enforcement
[[folder: Deputy Commissioner Patrick Doherty]]
-> '''Played By:''' Creator/KeithSzarabajka
* CharacterDevelopment: It's eventually revealed that the reason he's such a hardass in regards to John is because he was the one who sent his drug addicted son to prison for a series of petty crimes. He comes to reluctantly admit to John that his son going to prison was the best thing that ever happened to him, as it helped him get his life back on track.
* DirtyCop: He was a known associate of various crooked city officials (including [[spoiler:the killer in "Jurisprudence"]]) from his first appearance, but isn't revealed to personally be dirty until the GrandFinale, where it transpires that he [[spoiler:covered up a manslaughter committed by his son]].
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: In "Street Money" and "Jurisprudence".
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Frankie Rafferty]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/TaniaRaymonde
* EnhanceButton: Most of her job as a Video Lab Tech.
* TheUnfairSex: Thinks it is OK to lie to Scotty about her marriage and cheat on her husband because they are going to divorce anyway (the guy doesn't seem to be aware of the last part, though).
[[/folder]]
[[folder: ADA Curtis Bell]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/JonathanLaPaglia
%%* BunnyEarsLawyer
%%* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt: Inverted.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Agent Diane Yates]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/SusannaThompson
%%* {{Angst}}
* BestServedCold: The entire point of her career is [[spoiler: to find who killed her boyfriend when she was 18 and kill the murderer herself]].
* BloodSplatteredInnocents: Her high school boyfriend was murdered right in front of her, his body fell on her while she was in the backseat of his convertible, and she is shown covered in his blood.
* CowboyCop: She uses her position as an FBI agent and her former relationship with Stillman to make the PPD re-open her [[ThatOneCase One Case]] and help her investigate it. As it turns out, she's doing so completely on her own, but her supervisor has to suck it up and let her continue the investigation because his position would be the most threatened if the whole thing was uncovered.
* IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim: [[spoiler: Lilly manages to convince her to not kill her boyfriend's murderer when she has him handcuffed, though interestingly she does so without using these exact words]]
%%* JerkAss: Oh so much.
%%* MrsRobinson
* NewOldFlame: To Stillman. She admits to Lilly that she broke up his marriage, and by the end of the series they have rekindled their relationship.
* NoWomansLand: She claims the PPD was this when she left for the FBI.
%%* ReallyGetsAround
* TheReveal: [[spoiler: She is the young woman seen in the Drive In at the beginning of her first episode]]
[[/folder]]
! Family & Friends
[[folder: Ellen Rush]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/MeredithBaxter
* AddictionDisplacement: Tried coffee during the short period she actually stopped drinking alcohol.
%%* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: To Lilly.
* BusCrash: A disputed case. While she wasn't exactly PutOnABus, her death was off-screen and her funeral never showed up on the series.
* DyingAlone: Her main fear. She's so obsessed with it that she marries four times in her lifetime. [[spoiler:Ultimately happens, as her last husband leaves her, her younger daughter is nowhere to be found and her older daughter is always working.]]
%%* IWasQuiteALooker
* KilledOffForReal: Is hospitalized and then [[spoiler:dies of cirrhosis of the liver due to her prolonged alcoholism.]]
%%* LadyDrunk
* NeverMyFault: She was the one who sent Lilly out to buy her beer late at night as a child [[spoiler: which caused her to be assaulted]], but she then claims that Lilly went out under her own volition.
* OffTheWagon: Ultimately leading to [[spoiler: her death]].
%%* TooDumbToLive
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Christina Rush]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/NickiAycox
%%* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Well into adulthood.
%%* LongBusTrip: With [[TheBusCameBack the bus coming]] BackForTheFinale.
%%* ReallyGetsAround: Until she winds up with an [[DomesticAbuse abusive boyfriend]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Mike Valens]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/NestorCarbonell
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Paul Cooper]]
-> '''Played By''': Creator/RaymondJBarry
[[/folder]]
