S07.E02: Dangerous Curve Ahead

[tessaray]

The entire Boston Police Department sets out on a search to find Alice Sands, who has been missing ever since the shooting occurred; the team investigates a somewhat suspicious car accident; a new romance begins to blossom.

[Bastet]

To avoid the risk of discussing something that happened in the first episode in the thread for the second, I'll put everything here.

Fundamentally - oh, come the fuck on!  Because the series is drawing to a close, the only possible thing we can do is hook everyone up with a romantic partner - because that's the sole key to happiness - so we encourage Maura to date the weirdo Kent and, even more inexplicably, prod Jane to call the creepshow that is Martinez. 

Yeah, because that's why I watch the show.

Angela "keeps her mouth shut" about people's personal lives?  Since when?

The kid Annabeth Gish took hostage is old enough to testify, and can speak to what she said (pretty much all of which is a hearsay exemption/exception), so what’s the big suspense going forward?

Petty stuff:
- The directing was pretty ham-fisted in general (e.g. the dissolve from one stained-glass shot to another), and there were continuity errors as well, such as switching back and forth from a tight shot when Jane has her hands at her waist as per usual to a longer shot when they're at her sides. 
- Maura's wound, however it was sealed to minimize infection risk and avoid infection, would be mostly closed.  Two steri-strips in the middle with an open wound on either side is not right.

[tessaray]

44 minutes ago, Bastet said:

To avoid the risk of discussing something that happened in the first episode in the thread for the second, I'll put everything here.

I'm assuming you meant the second episode in the thread for the first?  That said, I haven't seen this episode yet but in the first episode, the pairings/issues are so glaring.  (My eyeballs still hurt from all that rolling when Angela dumped the doctor for his own good.) I hate when shows think they have to do this.  If you have a OTP, then yes, you probably do have to address the HEA but other than that...  (Although I would like to see Frankie find someone.)  

[craziness]

They are definitely setting Frankie and Nina up to become a couple. 

I thought there was discontinuity between the first and second ep,  that I probably wouldn't have noticed if they had not run back to back.  At the end of the first ep,  R&I were at Jane's new place (which looked like the set of Maura's guest house at first), and it seemed like Maura had been there before (she seemed comfortable),  then my DVR had a slight glitch,  and at the begining of the second ep, which appeared to be a day or 2 later,  seemed like Maura had hardly ever been there. 

During the hostage situation,  Jane should have pointed out that if Alice killed the kid,  and Jane them killed her,  that people wouldn't think Rouge cop Jane just went nuts,  cause alice killed the hostage.  Alice's logic made no sense.  

But all in all,  happy to have them back on my screen.  I hope Maura has no lasting memory damage from the gunshot/graze. 

Oh,  one last thing from the first ep,  I couldn't tell where Nina was in relation to Jane,  but since Jane was standing out in the open after the first shots,  Alice was a really bad shot.  And where was Jane hiding her gun? ?????

Edited June 7, 2016 by craziness

[andromeda331]

 I agree Alice's logic made no sense. From the get go to holding the boy hostage. I was really hoping Jane would tell Alice that she was a crappy shot and how the police department dodged a bullet with her.

Does anyone know if Jane's new home was in another show? It looks so framiliar to me but I can't place it.

I loved Maura ringing a bell and that it was Kent's idea.  I love Frankie and Nina are getting together. I also liked Frankie's case and how he originally assumed it was the parents fault Layla killed herself then realized it wasn't.

Not a fan of Angela breaking up with Ron I hate when characters do that.

I'm really going to miss this show. Its really fun to watch. I love nearly all of the characters and their friendships with each other.

Edited June 7, 2016 by andromeda331

[Pop Tart]

Quote

Not a fan of Angela breaking up with Ron I hate when characters do that.

That was almost the last straw for me in terms of the eye-rolling. She's breaking up with him because she now sees the fragility of life so she's going to devote herself to taking care of her two grown children? Made absolutely no sense. If they only had the actor for a few eps, then just have him be off screen for this last handful. And if I had a nickel for how many times Jane found herself alone with Alice? She's the only one running after her after the shooting. She's the only one there in the sewer (did none of the cops think to check to make sure they'd be able to get in at the other entrances?). She's the one who gets locked in the room with Alice and a hostage. 

I enjoy the show when it's just procedural and banter-y between Jane and Maura but, as with many of these types of shows, when they throw in a "BIG-BAD" it goes off the rails in implausibility and the writers twist themselves and the characters into knots to keep the "BIG-BAD" going for another day. 

[maraleia]

Seriously I love the actors but I'm glad the show is done this summer. We only have five episodes left and if they focus solely on romance I will be royally pissed.

I am glad they hooked Frankie and Nina up because Nina is awesome and deserves happiness.

Why does Angie do that raspy voice thing all the time because she wasn't that way on her episode of Who Do You Think You Are?

[UncleChuck]

Quote

...Jane found herself alone with Alice? She's the only one running after her after the shooting. She's the only one there in the sewer (did none of the cops think to check to make sure they'd be able to get in at the other entrances?).

Jane was in that sewer with her squad and a LOT more Boston police.  As they got ready to go, each of them took a door "you go to that door...I'll get this one", yet somehow Big Bad with her posse of mindless minions was ready and waiting for Jane at the only unlocked door, as all the rest had been blocked.  How in holy heck did Psychic Big Bad know which door Jane would pick??????

[rainsmom]

5 hours ago, tvaddict44 said:

Aren't we getting 13 episodes for this last season?

I think they gave them 7 to wrap up the show.

[Kate213]

8 hours ago, tvaddict44 said:

Aren't we getting 13 episodes for this last season?

Yes, there are 13 episodes, but it's a split season again.  With 8 episodes airing now, and the final 5 in the spring of 2017 (at least according to IMDB).

[Latverian Diplomat]

I was half expecting the hostage kid to be one of Alice's thralls and claim he was never a hostage and Jane shot a surrendering Alice.

And because R&I Boston is apparently the one place in the Universe where judges are skeptical of police testimony in favor of that of homeless people and other bystanders, it must might have worked.

[rainsmom]

16 minutes ago, Kate213 said:

Yes, there are 13 episodes, but it's a split season again.  With 8 episodes airing now, and the final 5 in the spring of 2017 (at least according to IMDB).

Oh, I'm sorry. I thought I read 7 episodes total. I apologize. I must have gotten it mixed up with another show.

[Badsamaritan]

FRANKIE AND NINA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I KNEW it lol!! Adorbs.

That is all.

[juliet73]

9 hours ago, Kate213 said:

Yes, there are 13 episodes, but it's a split season again.  With 8 episodes airing now, and the final 5 in the spring of 2017 (at least according to IMDB).

I'm glad this show is coming to an end. I think these 8 eps will be the last for me. I'm really only watching at this point because I've been watching since the beginning. I'm not waiting almost a year to watch the remaining 5 - that's so lame on the network's part..

So the ending to this Jane storyline was really anticlimactic.  I can't imagine someone would go to this extent which involved murder, kidnapping, etc because someone else was better in the police academy! 20 years ago!! And the most tragic part...Angela had to break up with her boyfriend because of this crazy person! Why? Because he MIGHT get shot? Huh? Because she has to be there for her kids? Who are in their 30's and 40's?! Say what? 

I understand why Frankie didn't tell the parents it was suicide, but wouldn't they find out eventually when they read his report? Also, how does he know the driver didn't have a life insurance policy? Some companies don't pay out for suicides. But the parents were told by the police it was a tragic accident so ... I know I'm reading way too much into it, but the lazy (bad) writing is annoying me more than usual.

[l star]

If Jane and Maura have to have breakfast together every morning I like Maura's place better. It's not dark and dreary. It's a pretty place but I just want to turn on a light. Or five. It's like Jane is just hanging out in the professor's house though. There's nothing personal or lived in about her stay there. I hope she magically can still get the stadium adjacent apartment she was looking at before.

Two episodes back to back of the Alice Sands case was way too much. The best part was actually seeing Alice Sands. She was a lot more compelling than the investigation. At least the ep had an interesting case too. The car crash was sad. I have mixed feelings about Frankie's decision at the end but it was involving throughout. I also liked seeing him in lead role and handling it well.

Did the prosecutor just flat out lie to the judge about having ample evidence against Alice or were the cops leading her to believe that they might have more than they were saying? I think Jane had to kill Alice at the end. Holding the kid hostage would have gotten her trouble but they had absolutely no evidence that she actually committed any other crime. For the story to end, she had to do something stupid that would justify Jane shooting her. So, ridiculous hostage moment. I just wanted it to end too so I'm not mad.

I'm finding Maura's injury a lot more interesting than I expected to. Having it affect her brain and memory is scary for a brilliant, expert in her field like Maura. I'm glad she told Kent. Now that Jane has a little less going on I'm expecting more time spent between the two of them focused on it but it was also nice to hear the back and forth between doctors.

Frankie/Nina is super cute but from here on out, I could be happy with a lot less of them than we got in these two eps. It was like they took something lurking in the background and blew it up by 20. As far as the romance hints where Jane and Maura are concerned, I was fine with it. They have both had boyfriends before. My only objection would be if they both got one in the next two eps. But if Maura gets involved with Kent and Jane starts something casual here and there with Martinez that after the series ends, I can imagine building to something more or flaming out I'm good. Even possibly happy.

[Badsamaritan]

I guess because it will all be over soon, I don't mind if the characters are working towards happy endings for all. Lemme tell ya, I've been so disappointed during the regular TV season with the various fucked up endings fans have been served this year (I'm looking at you, Sleepy Hollow and Castle specifically) that I am completely fine if everyone ends up happy and ALIVE. And not just for 30 fucking seconds at the end of the last episode. I don't think Amaury Nolasco's cop character is sleazy - he fine as fuck and I hope he breaks Jane's back out. :-)

[Scamp]

18 hours ago, Kate213 said:

Yes, there are 13 episodes, but it's a split season again.  With 8 episodes airing now, and the final 5 in the spring of 2017 (at least according to IMDB).

IMDb got it wrong.  Even TNT's Kevin Reilly wouldn't be that cruel.  I contacted IMDb with the corrected schedule and was old to fix their listing myself.  Not my job!   http://ausxip.com/rizzoliandisles/epguide/season7.html  Here's the correct schedule (July 4 will be a mini-marathon of the first few episodes).

[Scamp]

The head ME for Massachusetts goes to a motor vehicle accident, while recovering from a head wound?  On top of that Maura in heels walks down a steep slope to the car.  Does Frankie give her a helping hand?  Not him.

As for Nina and Frankie, I wish R&I was brave enough to (say) have Angela unsure she wants her white-bread son involved with an African-American woman.  She could have argued about it with Ron...before he left R&I.

[Maelstrom]

Since they aired back to back I kind of forget what happened in which ep, so apologies if I mix them up...

Angela breaking up with Ron to "save" him from her (grown) children's dangerous job was achingly stupid and predictable. I'm with tessaray, I might have sprained my eyeballs from rolling them so hard during that scene. Does that mean Ron will vanish into the ether the way former captain guy from the earlier seasons did after Angela dumped him? (I can't remember the character's name).

Poor Maura has a brain thing! This could be a really interesting story to see how Maura handles losing control of her greatest strength, her knowledge/memory. Assuming it doesn't get backburnered to make room for more Jane angst, that is.

Frankie and Nina are adorable together (though JB is pretty all-around adorable if you ask me). Good on you, show! Normally it does bug me when shows feel they have to pair everyone up for a HEA, but they've hinted at Frankie and Nina (inconsistently) for awhile now, and they make a great pair.

Jane telling Maura to hook up with Kent, though, seemed totally out of place to me. I seem to recall the show spending considerable time showing us that Maura and Kent were colleagues and would never cross that line, not to mention that he flat out told her he had his eye on one of the detectives! I can't remember which episode that was in, but I do remember seeing it. Hopefully this is just Jane giving Maura a hard time (don't do it, Jane! She has a brain thing!) Don't get me wrong, I like Kent just fine even though the writing for him has been very inconsistent, but this just struck me as so random.

Still don't know or care what's up with the Alice storyline, hopefully this will be the last we hear of it. Fingers crossed.