Rizzoli & Isles

I do hope that the series based on author Tess Gerritsen's characters of Boston Homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles keeps going. I think that's a sure bet if the quality of episodes keeps up from what I've seen.

It's nice to see the return of Angie Harmon to series television. When she was on Law And Order she was by far my favorite second chair Assistant District Attorney to Sam Waterston. The two women so opposite in temperament and background work well together to solve crime every week, though due to the her job Harmon seems to take the lead. Maybe we'll see more of Sasha Alexander as Maura Isles as things progress.

Probably due to her broad educational background Alexander's character has no discernible Boston accent. Why Harmon's character doesn't is a mystery. She sounds the same as she did on Law And Order, a new ADA whose previous employment on that show was in the Harris County DA's office in Texas where Harmon is from. Maybe she'll work some hard 'A's into her speech patterns in future episodes. Right now the only one in the cast who sounds like Boston is Donnie Wahlberg as her lieutenant and that's where he's from.

The two leads are flushed full dimensional characters and I'm sure we'll see more dimensions as time goes on. TNT has a winner here, I hope the TV watching public thinks so too.

Being a fan of NCIS I was disappointed at the departure of Sasha Alexander and I hoped that she would appear in another television series doing something she really enjoys. But I was never a fan of Angie Harmon and she was my least favorite Assistant D.A. on Law and Order. It was hard for me to imagine Angie Harmon playing a tough, tomboyish Boston detective. Actually, I was thinking before the show aired that the roles should have been reversed. I could buy Sasha Alexander being the tough cop more than I could Angie Harmon.

However, I am happy to admit I am wrong. Angie Harmon shines in Rizzoli and Isles and it is apparent from their chemistry that they are both having a great time doing a project they are completely committed to. The dialog between the two of them is so funny and entertaining especially when Maura goes on a tangent and provides useless facts with such sincerity and genuine intent to educate.

The dynamic between them was cemented in the episode, Money for Nothing, when the working class girl and the débutante had to decide if they were going to have each other's backs.

I hope the murders become more interesting and the cases more complex. The show has a wonderful supporting cast-- the cop that gets queasy at the sight of blood, and the hard nosed cop that has a soft spot for furry creatures. Very funny stuff.

Rizzoli and Isles is becoming my favorite show.

I've had a crush on Angie Harmon ever since I first saw her in 'Good Advice'. Not my usual type (in the words of George Burns: too tall); but she has amazing eyes and I could listen to her talk all day. Teamed up with Sasha Alexander, the best thing from NCIS, they make a great pair.

Of course the show itself could have been awful, but thankfully it isn't; and I'm settling into the world of tough lady cop with a busybody ma (a great cameo for Lorraine Bracco) and her borderline-Asperger pathologist friend like a comfy chair. I'm also glad I haven't read the books, so I don't have any expectations of what it "should" be like - Angie's "TV family" are just fine for me, and it's a nice change to have a series set in Bahston instead of SoCal or Florida.

The other regulars (Bruce McGill - who I've always liked - Leigh Thompson Young and Jordan Bridges) fit into their slots seamlessly, and add some nice depth to the proceedings. The writing is also well above average, with great touches of humour, and enough incidental stuff outside the main storyline to let you feel you're getting to know the characters.

I certainly hope I don't put the kiss of death on it by saying I'm a big fan; but I'll definitely be watching it for as long as it's around.

9/10

Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) is a Boston police detective. Chief medical examiner Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) is her best friend. Her brother Frankie (Jordan Bridges) is a junior cop. Her sassy mother Angela Rizzoli (Lorraine Bracco) keeps butting in. There are fellow detectives Vince Korsak (Bruce McGill) and Barry Frost (Lee Thompson Young). Maura has an unknown criminal biological father. Through it all, there is the unbreakable friendship.

The centerpiece of this show is the sisterhood. Some have claimed sensing lesbian undertones. It's just friendship but I can't hate on the shippers. This works as a police procedural. There are good serial runs. The show runs into a road block when Lee Thompson Young committed suicide. It puts a cloud over the show but it is able to maintain for three more seasons. The ladies are able to steer it over any rough waters but eventually, the show just gets old.

Overall I enjoyed the show. I loved the friendship between Jane and Maura. I loved the female leads. I was able to identify with their emotions. That's rare for a woman watching a crime procedural!

As the show progressed, I found that the side characters took away from the show. Angela Rizzoli is one of the most irritating characters I have ever watched on TV.