I know this is probably a common topic. For me, I’m not sure if it’s a “trope” or just totally misinformed writing, but it’s how many authors approach alcoholism. Some examples are Girl on the Train and The House Across the Lake, among HUNDREDS. If anyone else here has struggled with alcoholism, you know it’s not just "i woke up after downing an entire bottle of whiskey but was able to shower, down a cup of coffee, and solve a murder. "
Not for nothing but, at least in the law & order vein, they are actually legitimately police propaganda. People who routinely watch those shows will skew towards a positive opinion of the police because they’ll imagine that any interaction with the policy is actually them working with Olivia Benson, SVU detective-extraordinaire.