Rizzoli & Isles (2010) Summary A drama that zeros in on two disparate gal-pal crimefighters from Boston, assertive detective Jane Rizzoli and steady medical examiner Maura Isles. Hailing from very different economic backgrounds, the strong, competent women effectively work together to solve the city’s most puzzling crimes.
This series is on the TNT basic cable network, and has just started its second season recently. A cop show that features female leads, they lean towards the foremsics/procedural end of the mystery format, with a female brawler and female brainiac. The mysteries are uneven, as most of the short first season was character exposition, only a few are particularly memorable. This is a minus as the best stories are strong on character AND plot.
The leads are interesting with weaknesses and advantages, and are a nice example of how being female should not be an issue, like it still was in the days of Cagney and Lacey. Unfortunately, Rizzoli’s family did not all get that memo, which is still too true. Her newly divorced mother is so much a cliche about it, I hope she gets kidnapped by Cylons.
But at the office, it’s the work, which is as it should be. That they are professionals is just expected. Some of the buddy things could have been taken from cop shows decades back.
First season was good, this season where the whiney mother has been given more air time, I’d been really looking forward to. As much as I like the Rizzoli and Isles, I hate the mother and am on the edge of dropping the show after only 2 new episodes. The mother not only has no competence or purpose 0f her own, like the stereotypes of the mid 20th century, but she actively acts as a negative pull on the leads.
Verdict: Good, but in danger from character kidnapped from the 50s.
