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The Three Investigators, a great example of a balanced Freudian Power Trio
Jupiter, Pete, and Bob almost perfectly encapsulate what it means to be a non-powered Power Trio with Jupe as The Leader who is wise, Pete as The Lancer who is their strength, and Bob as The Heart who is The Smart Guy. They are also a Big, Thin, Short Trio and Blonde, Brunette, Redhead who are Color-Coded for Your Convenience.Jupiter and Pete are great Foils of each other, almost complete opposites. While Jupiter (the Superego) is intelligent, wise, logical, a natural sleuth, but not physically active, Pete (the Id) is the most athletic of them all, but is rather Book Dumb, superstitious, and his deductions skills could use some work. Also, Jupiter is the most dedicated to detective work, never backing down from a case however dangerous it might be, Pete is the one who always pushes back about cases, especially when it becomes more dangerous. When it comes to deciding what to do in a case, these two provide the main two sides of the argument and cause the most conflict.
This is where Bob, The Heart and the Ego, comes in. Compared to Jupe and Pete, he is the most balanced of the two. Unlike the other two, Bob tends to hear the two sides and will side with one of them instead of creating his own side or he will blend the two sides and create a compromise. He errs on the side of logic like Jupiter and can be just as daring as he is, but he is also realistically cautious and understands when something does get too dangerous, though not to the point that Pete is. He also plays a more compassionate role to the other two, who tend to be more assertive and brash in some ways, and will usually attempt to make them feel better when their investigations go wrong. (This also often extends to his attitude toward clients and Innocent Bystanders.)
In the end, the three fill each other's weaknesses and strengths perfectly and the team wouldn't feel right if one of them were to be replaced (which may be the reason why Crimebusters ultimately failed), which is likely why the audience didn't often enjoy the girlfriend characters because they intruded on what is already a very balanced team, or split them up (which is different than splitting up in the mystery as it isn't moving the mystery forward). Guest-Star Party Member characters feel usually more tolerable because they are treated as such, someone temporary who only exists to move the mystery along and not intrude on the existing dynamic.
Peter Crenshaw, the difference between Bravery and Courage
It is pretty clear who of the Investigators is the least brave: Peter. Jupiter is known for having Nerves of Steel and Bob is pretty daring when it comes to it and these two often tease Pete for being a coward. As the series went on, this Cowardly Lion trait has gotten more and more highlighted which provides some interesting conflict between the team during investigations. All the more, Peter is incredibly superstitious and as Jupiter puts it: "[Pete] hears a rat and thinks there's a murderer lurking. The wind howls and he sees spooky ghosts". You can say it's not a Three Investigators story if Peter isn't complaining how they should drop the case because it's too scary or dangerous, especially if there are curses or ghosts involved.But the thing is, Peter is not a coward. The word 'coward' basically means 'to lack the courage to do something', but if one really takes a look at him, Peter is actually incredibly courageous. Because every time Jupiter asks him to do something dangerous or scary, he will eventually come around to do it, despite how scared he is. And he has done this time and time again. If danger does arise, who's the one who jumps into action first? The one who eagerly will tackle a gunman to save his friends? To go into the dark and spooky cave because he's the most athletic? It's Pete practically every time.
In fact, Jupiter, who is definitely portrayed as being the bravest of the three, often dips his toes into being a Fearless Fool. On occasion, he has done things that are genuinely dangerous and put the lives of his friends and himself at stake for the sake of the mystery, which even Bob finds ridiculous at times. Yes, Peter is terrified of ghosts and really just wants to avoid danger as much as possible. He's not brave and pretty Weak-Willed, but he is courageous. Using the word 'coward' is just not accurate to his actual character at all.
