S06.E11: Fake It 'Til You Make It

[cooksdelight]

When a body turns up with links to another murder in Los Angeles, Jane and Maura hop on a plane.

[LisaM]

Cracked up at "fish out of water" Jane in LA. I actually like the mystery tie back to the fire at Jane's apartment.

 

Strange to see Gregory Harrison playing such a minor role (unless this is the precursor to him being a homicidal maniac).

[mythoughtis]

We've moved from Jane being in Maura's kitchen before work, to Maura being in Jane's living room before work.  Do they share one car - because it appeared that Jane was expecting Maura to take her to work.  Does Frankie ride with them? Boston is a big town, is Frankie's on Maura's way.  If so, then Jane must have lived outside of town to have Maura's be on her way before.  Who dreams up these filler scenes?

 

So which former perp or boyfriend is Jane's hacker?

[shapeshifter]

Strange to see Gregory Harrison playing such a minor role (unless this is the precursor to him being a homicidal maniac).

So which former perp or boyfriend is Jane's hacker?

Could it be Gregory Harrison's character? I've always thought Vince and Angela were an end game OTP, even though if they were real people I would not hesitate to be the person who has a reason why these two should not be joined in un-holy matrimony (because it's frickin' Angela). So Angela's boyfriend could be just stringing her along to get to Jane. But why???

And why hack Jane's accounts but not empty them? That seems way too good to be true.

[Bastet]

I was so bored by the L.A. storyline; yeah, everyone who lives here is crazy, unlike everyone back home (even if it's another big city like Boston).  Especially with the idiots and their camera phones; that behavior is everywhere.  And since they were in a touristy area, most of those people weren't even Los Angelenos.

 

I like that the fire was a deliberate act against Jane, although the randomness of identify theft had its own potential as a storyline (especially to compare and contrast Jane with all those who can't call upon the resources of a major police force to investigate).  And thank you, Frankie, for clarifying "before the fire" when Jane noted the footage was of her apartment building.  It's not as if the episode hadn't previously noted, more than once, the fact she'd lost her building to fire.  Just horribly clunky exposition.

 

I'm glad the weirdness between Kiki and Angela's boyfriend turned out to be something so mundane, but I'd have rather it been something unrelated to dating altogether.  (Does Kiki only date older men?) 

Edited August 26, 2015 by Bastet

[zillabreeze]

 

When we saw Gregory Harrison, I said "Mama Rizzoli did all right for herself!"

After I saw his name in the credits, I was waiting....  You never know how some of the older stars have aged or how badly they have f-ed up or overdone the plastic surgeries.

He's def had work done, but it was Quality!

[pennben]

I'm almost embarrassed to say I know this, but the "explosive diarrhea" storyline, first date/awkward/never saw each other again storyline is nearly identical to one on The Big Bang Theory last year (in that case, it was Howard/Bernie going out with Raj's new girlfriend, who spent time trying to remember how she knew Howard, same resolution). I'm assuming show runners/writers don't have a lot of time to watch other shows so it was likely coincidental rather than intentional.

Edited August 26, 2015 by pennben

[shapeshifter]

I'm almost embarrassed to say I know this, but the "explosive diarrhea" storyline, first date/awkward/never saw each other again storyline is nearly identical to one on The Big Bang Theory last year (in that case, it was Howard/Bernie going out with Raj's new girlfriend, who spent time trying to remember how she knew Howard, same resolution). I'm assuming show runners/writers don't have a lot of time to watch other shows so it was likely coincidental rather than intentional.

Or subconscious--like Helen Keller thinking she had written a new story about the Frost King fairy, except the R&I writers would not be deaf and blind, but more likely under the influence or sleep deprived.

Or both sets of writers read a real life story about date diarrhea on some silly Internet site.

[pennben]

Interesting.  I wasn't familiar with that Helen Keller story and obviously at this point have only googled it, but controversy has been around forever, I guess.  Anyway, I really don't think there was anything nefarious going on, just a weird note of hearing an explosive diarrhea first date story on two different shows within a year.

 

As for this show, some noted in the episode thread with the kid and his psychiatrist files talking about arson and such, before graduating to killing women, that the story of Jane's apartment burning was unresolved.  Well-played to you!  My guess is that the father of the kid is involved in the arson.  I wish I still had it on DVR but don't, and it's not on the website anymore, so I can't pinpoint why I think that.  

[BellaLugosi]

The fish out of water thing was way over the top.  I'm sure Boston has breakfast burritos and juice bars. It's not like Jane operates out of Cabot Cove or something. 

[rainsmom]

It was "No worries" that jumped out at me. You don't say "No worries" in the NE? Huh. Interesting. (We do in Seattle.)

[33kaitykaity]

I thought Jane had insane chemistry with her LA detective counterpart. 

 

This ep was fun.  

[Bastet]

I loved the Cagney & Lacey reference (and Maura's counterpart pointing out C&L were both cops, so it's not the same).  On general principle, because it's one of my favorite shows, but also because that show also did an episode in which they had to go to L.A. on a case.  (Mary Beth was more realistic than Jane in her fish out of water experience, however.)  I'd been thinking of that C&L episode from the beginning, so hearing a shout-out to the show was a treat.

[Latverian Diplomat]

And why hack Jane's accounts but not empty them? That seems way too good to be true.

If you take the money, it has to go somewhere, which is a clue the perpetrator might not be willing to give. And he really just wanted to send a message anyway.

 

I'd like to think that in a case like this, the bank or their insurance would make Jane whole, even if the money were taken. But, I don't know that for sure.

 

I do like exasperated Jane, so while the LA/Boston stuff was not groundbreaking material, Angie Harmon did a good job with it. 

 

Probably not an appropriate thing for me to say, but Angie in a sleeveless dress really looks scary thin, IMHO.

[Scamp]

I thought Jane had insane chemistry with her LA detective counterpart. 

 

This ep was fun.  

"Insane chemistry"  Really?  Admittedly I am prejudiced. since I ship Rizzles, but they struck me as collegial work partners.  Chemistry?  No.  

[Bastet]

I thought they had nice chemistry as colleagues, and noticeably so; when they said they enjoyed working together, I found it a nice moment, because I'd enjoyed watching them work together.  But I didn't see any romantic or sexual chemistry.

Edited August 26, 2015 by Bastet

[LisaM]

I liked the fact that Rizzoli and the LA detective got along very well. Too often tv shows will depict detectives from different departments to be competitive enemies. This worked well.

[shksabelle]

rainsmom, I think "no worries" may be more of  West Coast thing.  I have been in the Bay Area quite a while and my brother in upstate New York mocks me when I say "no worries".  Just my experience.

[cooksdelight]

I live in the South and never hear "no worries"... for what it's worth. :) I hear people say "no problem" far too much.

[33kaitykaity]

"Insane chemistry"  Really?  Admittedly I am prejudiced. since I ship Rizzles, but they struck me as collegial work partners.  Chemistry?  No.  

What's Rizzles?  

 

Tomato, tomahto, potato, potahto, to each their own.  You didn't see it.  I did.  And I imagined his fish-out-of-water story as a native Angelino in Boston, oh, fun.  

Edited August 27, 2015 by 33kaitykaity

[andromeda331]

The fish out of water thing was way over the top.  I'm sure Boston has breakfast burritos and juice bars. It's not like Jane operates out of Cabot Cove or something.

 

 

I thought so too. The stuff she was annoyed and/or being surprised with really shouldn't have been. Boston has juice

bars and breakfast burritos. Isn't Maura into health food or used too? I would have thought she'd been to them in

Boston.  Also the cameras when they took down a suspect. Isn't that also common? I don't know why they were

acting like none of that happens in Boston. Or that Boston is suddenly some tiny hick town.

[craziness]

I know this is shallow of me, but I didn't like Jane's straight hair when she was acting as a "high roller". But I did think it was funny, that she had Maura act as a famous person incognito by reading her phone with sunglasses on.

I did like their interactions with the LA cop and Medical Examiner - mirror personalities.

[Scamp]

What's Rizzles?  

 

Tomato, tomahto, potato, potahto, to each their own.  You didn't see it.  I did.  And I imagined his fish-out-of-water story as a native Angelino in Boston, oh, fun.  

Rizzles: The relationship pairing of Detective Jane Rizzoli and Dr Maura Isles in a romantic way. Of the show Rizzoli & Isles on TNT.  (per Urban Dictionary)

[Latverian Diplomat]

rainsmom, I think "no worries" may be more of  West Coast thing.  I have been in the Bay Area quite a while and my brother in upstate New York mocks me when I say "no worries".  Just my experience.

 

I first remember hearing it on a trip to Australia about 10 years ago (in it's "no worries, mate" form). Perhaps it is marching eastward across the globe. :-)

Edited August 27, 2015 by Latverian Diplomat

[alias1]

Rizzles actually being in the Urban Dictionary is one of the dumbest things I ever heard (read).  Not a fan of made up names.

[Clanstarling]

Rizzles actually being in the Urban Dictionary is one of the dumbest things I ever heard (read).  Not a fan of made up names.

I'm not either, but if I were, I'd like the ones my spouse and I would have - one version's a powerful god, the other a Homer Simpson expression.

As for this show, some noted in the episode thread with the kid and his psychiatrist files talking about arson and such, before graduating to killing women, that the story of Jane's apartment burning was unresolved.  Well-played to you!  

Funny thing is, though I was one of those who complained, I didn't even connect it when I watched it. LOL.

 

As for "no worries" I'm on the west coast and I've gone from hating it to using it all the time. Not sure I'm proud of it, but it rolls of the tongue pretty easily.

Anyway, I really don't think there was anything nefarious going on, just a weird note of hearing an explosive diarrhea first date story on two different shows within a year.

I have a vague memory of a Seinfeld episode having a story like this too. I can think of more embarrassing things, but some folk love the potty humor.

[Badsamaritan]

I definitely think the Gregory Harrison character is a closet psycho. It's Angela's turn. Jane had the crazy white haired guy that stalked her, Maura had the hot serial ho killing sculptor, and Korsak had the wacko mom & son tag team. All that's left are Angela, Frankie, and Nina, and Angela won the rock, paper, scissors, lizards, Spock contest in the writer's room this time around.

[shapeshifter]

I did think it was funny, that she had Maura act as a famous person incognito by reading her phone with sunglasses on.

Especially since she was reading bone dry journal articles. For me, the episode was worth watching for that bit, but not really anything else.

I definitely think the Gregory Harrison character is a closet psycho. It's Angela's turn. Jane had the crazy white haired guy that stalked her, Maura had the hot serial ho killing sculptor, and Korsak had the wacko mom & son tag team. All that's left are Angela, Frankie, and Nina, and Angela won the rock, paper, scissors, lizards, Spock contest in the writer's room this time around.

Any chance they'll kill her off? Of course she is the type to come back an haunt them.

[BellaLugosi]

Any chance they'll kill her off? Of course she is the type to come back an haunt them.

 

She'd just come back as a long lost twin who is even more pushy. 

[St. Claire]

I live in MD, and hear "no worries" fairly often, so it must not be a purely West Coast thing. Also, I ate a breakfast burrito today. Take that, Jane! (On second thought, don't take that. I want it. It's got delicious bacon in it.)

[l star]

This was a very forgettable episode. It wasn't bad particularly, just utterly unremarkable. It mainly left me with a lot of inane questions. Like why does Frankie have espresso beans if he doesn't like them? Does Jane suddenly like them? So is it now official that Maura is the work carpool driver? Or since Angela has also been seen driving Maura's car, do they take turns? Since when does laying on the floor help lower back pain? I get that Angela lives with Maura but is this 'guest house' just like a bedroom/bathroom suite and they actually live and entertain together?

 

On that note, I don't care about Angela/Ron and I am increasingly not caring about Korsak/Kiki. That bad date story was mind numbing. I saw it on Big Bang Theory but wasn't a version of it also on Friends and/or Two and a Half Men? I will say that Angela did good for herself. A good looking cardiologist? No wonder she doesn't want him to see her with her kids. I still see absolutely nothing between Korsak and Kiki and finding out that he is not the first noticeably older man she's dated doesn't help that.

 

They were grabbing some really low hanging fruit with that call mix-up in the beginning. Her mother calling from the bar or somewhere would have been better. It took Jane a really long time to connect all the weird calls to the declined cards and get to a major problem. Sure you're a detective Jane? All in all, nothing about this storyline so far is making me excited for the finale.

I do like exasperated Jane, so while the LA/Boston stuff was not groundbreaking material, Angie Harmon did a good job with it. 

 

Probably not an appropriate thing for me to say, but Angie in a sleeveless dress really looks scary thin, IMHO.

The trip was okay with me for the fact that Jane had no interest in going and was made to go while Maura was like vacay! Vacay I can call work! and volunteered herself. I do agree with the wonderfully apt comment that it's not like Jane is from Cabot Cove though. Her disgust with LA could have been chilled by several degrees. Frankie was impressively childish about not going. I was okay with his early tantrum but when he whined about it while on a video call with the LA detective I was out. Grow the hell up Frankie.

 

Angie Harmon has always looked model thin so I'm thinking it's age. At some point, thin becomes skinny even if the actual number on the scale doesn't change. Angie Harmon looks to me like she's there.

 

That was a baby blue Aston Martin was it not? That's a hell of an upgrade Maura. I was rolling when she handed Jane some cash to cover her drinks and Jane said it wouldn't work. Maura just looked at her like you have got to be kidding me. That told me all I needed to know about the lousy drinks even before she told Jane she didn't want her martini. Then to underline her point she even told Jane to make it work. When she was finally just like I will cover your high roller scheme but now I am getting the hell out of here, bye, the episode was made for me.

 

Jane could have at least told the squad that the gifts were from Maura too since Jane obviously couldn't have bought them herself. The fact  that Maura also upgraded them to an Aston Martin she was smart to leave out though. That probably would have given Frankie a stroke, even if Jane didn't get to drive it.

[Scamp]

Angie Harmon has always looked model thin so I'm thinking it's age. At some point, thin becomes skinny even if the actual number on the scale doesn't change. Angie Harmon looks to me like she's there.

 

Angie's looking good (with her three daughters; photo from current People):  https://instagram.com/p/67qrwpNlWv/

[sinkwriter]

Did I miss a line during the dialogue? I feel a bit confused by the whole bank accounts explanation at the end. All episode Jane couldn't use her credit cards. At one point, she asked, "Did they clean me out" as in did they take all my money? They said, no, they just closed your accounts. But that doesn't make sense to me. If you close an account, you take any remaining money with you. The money doesn't just stay in oblivion. So.. from my view, they did clean out Jane's accounts, when they closed them. Even if they did it all online, the money would have had to go somewhere in order to hack and close an account.

 

What am I missing?

[zoey1996]

It mainly left me with a lot of inane questions. Like why does Frankie have espresso beans if he doesn't like them? 

That one I can answer - he bought espresso beans because he was buying coffee beans and didn't read the label.  After buying them, he felt like he had to use them up before buying more.  Jane didn't like them; he was trying to make the best of the situation.

[Clanstarling]

Did I miss a line during the dialogue? I feel a bit confused by the whole bank accounts explanation at the end. All episode Jane couldn't use her credit cards. At one point, she asked, "Did they clean me out" as in did they take all my money? They said, no, they just closed your accounts. But that doesn't make sense to me. If you close an account, you take any remaining money with you. The money doesn't just stay in oblivion. So.. from my view, they did clean out Jane's accounts, when they closed them. Even if they did it all online, the money would have had to go somewhere in order to hack and close an account.

 

What am I missing?

I'm missing the same thing. That confused me too.

[cooksdelight]

If someone stole the money in her accounts, emptied and closed them, the bank will replace her money once she files a claim and shows it wasn't her at the helm. It's on the bank to then file charges against the thief to get the money back. Which rarely happens, and it's why identity theft is such a lucrative "business."

[Scamp]

Nina  Your credit cards are just the tip of the iceberg. You've been hacked.

 

Jane  Well, did they clean me out?

 

Nina  No, which is the weird part. Your accounts haven't been overdrawn. They were simply canceled. Same with your bank account.

 

Jane  Canceled? [sighs] Doesn't somebody have to do that personally?

 

Nina  Someone with a way to verify identity and answer your security questions. This hacker is in deep.

 

Read more at: http://transcripts.foreverdreaming.org/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=20083&sid=f3ad651b45936c6d40b0946fa9edb088

[sinkwriter]

See, that's why I don't get it. "Did they clean me out?" "No... Your accounts haven't been overdrawn. They were simply canceled. Same with your bank account."

 

How can an account be cancelled without also cleaning out the accounts and taking the money? The money has to go somewhere. If not taken by the thief / arsonist, then what's the point? How is it even possible to cancel without taking the money? And if the money wasn't taken, there's nothing to get back. They should be able to reinstate her accounts (with new numbers) and put that money into the new accounts.

 

The way it's written is very confusing.

[cooksdelight]

For an account to be closed/cancelled the money has to be withdrawn. Period.

[shapeshifter]

I think I've got it: It's only credit cards, not her bank account. For example, when I recently thought I had lost my credit card, I canceled it, and they issued me a new one. In another example, I simply closed a credit card account. There isn't money in a credit account, only potential debt (a fact lost on many young, first-time credit card users).

So, when Jane asked: Did they clean me out?, I'm guessing she meant: Did they run up a debt that has already been paid out of her savings account?

Confusing dialog, nonetheless.

[sinkwriter]

But then what did this part mean? "They were simply canceled. Same with your bank account." That seems to say the bank account was canceled too.

[Bastet]

Exactly; the dialogue was fine when it referred to her credit cards, but "same with your bank account" doesn't work.  The only way the money could still be in her account but her not able to get it is if the account was frozen, not canceled.  But freezing is something that would be initiated by someone other than the "customer" (meaning the identity thief posing as the customer) -- the bank, the court, etc.  If the "customer" cancels the account, the money doesn't just sit there.

Edited August 29, 2015 by Bastet

[shapeshifter]

So the word "same" in "same with your bank account" must refer to it not being "cleaned out" rather than being "canceled." Not clear, but not impossible either. No Emmys for writing.

ETA: Assuming my interpretations of the scripted lines are correct, Jane's stalker hacker is likely trying to "teach her a lesson" "for her own good," 'cause, y'know, there are bad hacker stalkers out there.

Edited August 29, 2015 by shapeshifter

[craziness]

Possibly the line "same with your bank account" meant they cancelled her debit cards/ATM cards in addition to her credit cards. But yes, poor writing.

[romantic idiot]

Or they'd applied for account closure, but hadn't moved he money yet. 

[cooksdelight]

Isn't it funny how something so simple and small in this episode has us all scratching our heads?

[sinkwriter]

 

Isn't it funny how something so simple and small in this episode has us all scratching our heads?

 

Yes! Bad writing will do that.  ;)

[Scamp]

I wondered if the hacker froze her accounts instead of cancelling them -- you know, like that commercial that shows the chick freezing everyone while she retraces her steps to find her credit card.

 

I find lying on the floor great for relieving back pain, especially after a long day of gardening. Think Pilates or yoga, and the "find your center" stuff. My mom said my grandfather did it, too (not Pilates, just lying on the floor).

Lying on the floor is good for back pain only if knees are raised.  Otherwise you may further damage your back.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Scamp

[romantic idiot]

But she said it was to relax.

[Black Knight]

I was rather irritated by Jane's attitude about the camera phones, even though Angie Harmon's delivery was very funny and I especially cracked up at the one cop who was totally smiling and waving at the crowd until Jane noticed and yelled at him. I know Jane's attitude is in line with that of some cops, but as she's supposed to be a good cop it annoyed me. It's getting harder for bad cops to get away with their shit now because they are getting filmed - by dashboard cams, by body cams, by camera phones held by onlookers - and I totally applaud that. Cameras mean accountability (and it goes both ways - cameras will help catch those who murder cops), so I didn't at all care for Jane's "This is a problem!"

 

Maura pulling out the headscarf in preparation for driving the car was classic. If only she'd added sunglasses to complete the look!

 

Jane: "There are more of you." Hee!

 

I loved Maura waving hello at the guy on camera at the rental car kiosk. She's always so polite. Since the show established that he lives in Boston, I assume we'll be seeing him again. Initially I thought he would be for Jane, but then he seemed to form a rapport with Maura.