Rizzoli & Isles
This week’s Rizzoli & Isles left me with many conflicting emotions. The episode has been receiving a lot of criticism by the online community, and while it wasn’t close to becoming a favourite of mine, I do not believe it garnered the amount of negativity that it did.
The Good:
Though the fighting between Jane and Maura had become a source of many laughs, seeing them back to their old ‘BFF’ ways was something I loved. They are still extremely funny together when they aren’t fighting; it is just a different type of banter. The most amusing part must have been when Maura told Jane not to touch the old piece of art she’d just bought, so as Maura walks away, in true Jane fashion, she pokes it three times with a look of defiance. The two of them tend to act both extremely childish around each other, and like an old married couple, all at the same time. It is an absolute pleasure to watch.
I really enjoy the ‘bromance’ that seems to be growing between Frankie and Frost’s characters. Both are amazing characters, and even more amazing together. And when Frost arrested Maura after catching her tagging the side of a building, I could barely contain my laughter. Especially since Maura was so adorable when she was freaking out about going to jail. Because god forbid our fashion queen ends up in a bright orange jumpsuit. Maura’s adventurous side was brought out by her new love interest, Dennis, played by hunk Eddie Cibrian. It was fun to see Maura being more daring, even though someone that feels very untrustworthy brought out that side of her. Not sure what it is about Dennis, and whether it was intentional, but he gives off the impression that we’ll need to keep a close eye on him. It always seems like Jane and Maura have a hard time finding ‘Mr. Right’.
The scenes between Maura and Angela always prove to be some of the best during the episodes. There’s nothing more amusing than them gossiping about men, and more specifically, Jane’s men. I think Lorraine Bracco remains to be one of the most underrated actors on television these days. Every line is delivered to perfection, and her facial expressions are just remarkable. Angela’s character may have come off as annoying at times if it hadn’t been for Bracco, whom you can’t help but love.
Among the guest-stars who returned this week, Jane’s confidential informant, and fan-favourite, Rondo, was one of the most pleasant surprises in the episode. Rondo has to be one of the most comedic characters and him and Jane’s exchanges are hilarious. I hope to keep seeing more of him and ‘Detective Vanilla’ in the future.
My favourite part of the episode had to be the ending. Jane and Maura walking off arm-in-arm to go have a girl’s night, because, no matter what happens with work or guys, in the end they always have each other. However you want to take it, romantic or platonic, they are extremely cute and have insane chemistry.
The Bad:
The crime plot this week failed to keep my attention. I liked the focus the episode had on graffiti seeing as it has such a big role in art-culture these days, as well as the mix with the army and its soldiers. However, there just felt like something was missing. And the end, which should’ve been emotional, flopped, because of my lack of dedication to the scenes that preceded it.
One guest-star whom I could’ve done without was the return of Jane’s love interest, Casey, played by Chris Vance. Normally, I find this show excels in its casting, yet Chris Vance never seemed to shine. I feel as though Casey could have been someone I could see Jane ending up with, but I do not find Vance’s portrayal convincing, and there is a serious lack of chemistry between him and Angie Harmon. Though I will admit, even though I saw it coming, I did feel bad for him and his disability. And while some people have a newfound appreciation for their relationship because of that, I feel almost as if they are trying to guilt me into liking them together.
But overall, it was a decent episode with a few hiccups. Had this episode not followed the two phenomenal ones the season started with, there may have been a more positive reaction to it.
Catch an all-new Rizzoli & Isles next Tuesday at 9/8c on TNT.
