Rizzoli & Isles - General Discussion

[kaygeeret]

I am quite new to this show and overall am enjoying it.

Caveats:

I truly hate the penchant for series featuring women to go into extended episodes dealing with serial killers, capture, etc.  I am done with that.

Angie Harmon drives me to the liquor cabinet. Sigh!

I have struggled to figure out why she mumbles ( my hearing is fine)

At first I though she was speaking some lines too fast, but that happens all the time.  Then I thought she lowered the volume of her delivery as she rushed it.  Possible but not conclusive.

And finally, all I can say is she is a "mush mouth"  Half of the time I don't get what she is saying and have decided that it really doesn't matter.

The saving grace of the show are the other actors: Maura, Ma, the older detective, Frankie, Kent, et.al.....because the portrayal of Jane by Angie Harmon is annoying beyond belief.

And yet I am, overall enjoying it!  Thank you Sasha

Edited April 4, 2021 by kaygeeret
make a complete sentence

[shapeshifter]

On 4/3/2021 at 9:06 PM, kaygeeret said:

Caveats:

I truly hate the penchant for series featuring women to go into extended episodes dealing with serial killers, capture, etc.  I am done with that.

I watched this show when it first ran up until they began "featuring women to go into extended episodes dealing with serial killers, capture, etc."
I also fell asleep during a lot of episodes.
So I'm enjoying random episodes on Start TV.

[andromeda331]

I love Maura and Kent when their high on marijuana. Their so funny and yet still so them. Telling sciency jokes. And the old 'is your refigerator running' and 'Do you have Prince Albert in a can?

 

[shapeshifter]

As I continue to catch old episodes on Start TV, I find Angie Harmon‘s comedic timing to be spot on and delightful. Too bad she’s not still doing something else that showcases her talents. 

[Anela]

My mum watched this show, but I only saw an episode last October, and then started the series last month, just when Hulu decided to delete it this month.  🙄 I liked it, but had to stop watching at the beginning of season 6.  

[Gramto6]

I like this show a lot! I watch on Start TV and on Lifetime too. I even bought the last episode, Ocean-Frank on Amazon.

[Keywestclubkid]

OMG I love this show I binged it on HboMax from beginning to end I hate that I always passed this up when it first Aird cause it really is a great show ..

[Jaded]

I've been watching episodes on Start TV when I remember to and the ones addressing Frost's death due to what went on in real life never fail to make me sad all over again. Well that and they put me into shock in regards to how long since it's been since it all originally happened because it doesn't feel like it was that long ago. 

Edited September 28, 2021 by Jaded

[andromeda331]

32 minutes ago, Jaded said:

I've been watching episodes on Start TV when I remember to and the ones addressing Frost's death due to what went on in real life never fail to make me sad all over again. Well that and they put me into shock in regards to how long since it all originally happened because it doesn't feel like it was that long ago. 

Same here. Those episodes are still so sad to watch. They did a really great job. Those scenes must have been so hard for the actors. 

[andromeda331]

I love Maura's clothes. Everything she wears is so beautiful.

[Gramto6]

I love the relationship between Maura and Jane. I can rewatch this show over and over just for that.

[Bastet]

17 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

I love the relationship between Maura and Jane. I can rewatch this show over and over just for that.

For me, it's pretty much the only saving grace of the series (overall cast chemistry to a lesser extent, but writing or acting, definitely not - I never found those fundamentals more than serviceable).  Some individual episodes - and increasingly more of them as the show went on - are so dumb I can't re-watch despite their great friendship, but in real time I kept tuning in because of Jane and Maura.

[shapeshifter]

I rewatched most episodes because this was one of the many series I would fall asleep watching on work nights with the intent of rewatching later.

But the series did not hold up enough for me to continue to rewatch more than that. 
Not enough comic relief to counter too much Damsel In Distress along with too much Totally Depraved Nemesis as well as too much OTT Family Drama.

Currently I’m watching reruns of Castle, which often include those same plot elements I don’t like in Rizzoli and Isles, but Castle seems to have a bit more comic relief to balance them out. Monk and The Closer do too, but I’m taking a break from them.

[andromeda331]

3 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

I love the relationship between Maura and Jane. I can rewatch this show over and over just for that.

 

3 hours ago, Bastet said:

For me, it's pretty much the only saving grace of the series (overall cast chemistry to a lesser extent, but writing or acting, definitely not - I never found those fundamentals more than serviceable).  Some individual episodes - and increasingly more of them as the show went on - are so dumb I can't re-watch despite their great friendship, but in real time I kept tuning in because of Jane and Maura.

It's my favorite part of the show. 

[Anela]

On 6/23/2021 at 5:38 PM, Gramto6 said:

I like this show a lot! I watch on Start TV and on Lifetime too. I even bought the last episode, Ocean-Frank on Amazon.

 

On 9/23/2021 at 7:05 PM, Keywestclubkid said:

OMG I love this show I binged it on HboMax from beginning to end I hate that I always passed this up when it first Aird cause it really is a great show ..

I have had the half-price trial of HBO Max, and just remembered in the last week or so, that it moved to that service. So, I'm watching it again. :) I also wish that I'd watched it with my mum, when it originally aired. 

The one episode I saw in 2020, was on Lifetime, just before we got rid of cable. 

Edited February 23, 2022 by Anela

[MerBearHou]

I was a faithful R&I viewer in its original run, and am really enjoying catching re-runs on Lifetime.  Last night they aired the final 3 episodes of the entire series.  Oh my gosh, tears all over again for this ensemble, the friendship of Jane and Maura, Korsak (and the actor) getting SO emotional saying his goodbye to Jane (and Angie), Frankie getting Korsak’s desk, and above all, the moment with Jane and Frankie when they talked about Frost and how he’d probably be Frankie’s partner by now and the little blue Marvel-like toy should stay with Frankie after she moved.  Those emotions by that cast were so real and you could tell how very, very close they had grown to each other.  

Bonus:  the comedic moments with trying to film the tribute video, the sock puppet, the gorgeous Kristoffer Polaha, the bachelorette cake mixup

Totally agree with the question:  why does Jane totally change her voice to soooo much lower and barely mumbles when she’s in badass mode?  I mean, I guess the answer is obvious — to give her gravitas — but it’s kinda odd.

R&I is right with L&O and Castle for my happy-to-rewatch reruns.  

[andromeda331]

Why they decided to try and make Frank Sr the worse person ever since season two? The divorce was his fault. Then suddenly he cheater on her too. Oh, he also cheated on their taxes. He made Frankie Jr work so hard on pitching he ruined his arm. He has cancer! Don't worry he won't be sympathetic at all. He's suddenly yelling and abusive. He made Angela quit high school. Had it gone on to season eight we probably would have found out he killed Jane's dog, and burned down an orphanage. Season nine he would have trained Hoyt and set off Alice. It wasn't necessary and from what we see of him in season one none of those fit him. I can see him being the one to leave the marriage. I don't see Angela being the type to leave. But that doesn't make him a bad guy. Their marriage was in trouble in season one they fought all the time. Why suddenly make him the bad guy and keep trying to make him worse? To make Angela look better? That would be impossible. Angela's a terrible person especially to Jane from beginning to end and never changes. But the show tries to convince us she's a great person. Were they just really bad at making Angela great and Frank terrible? It just wasn't necessary. I don't even really like him that much. I found him as annoying as Angela. Although we did get that really nice scene between Frank and Jane when she asks him why he never asked her to be part of Rizzoli & Sons. Which they destroy later. The other one was at the bar with Frank, Frankie, Jane and Maura after the pipe's fixed. Maybe Frank was only terrible around Angela. The episode I dislike the most with him is the one with him and Angela all excited about Tommy getting out and throwing a party, pissed at Jane and Frankie for not being thrilled then upset when he doesn't get out. While their other kids are bleeding out from gunshot wounds.   

Edited August 8, 2022 by andromeda331

[tinderbox]

Occasionally, I’ll settle in and watch a rerun episode of this show because I was always a fan.  Within the last few days, the two episodes regarding Frost’s death were broadcast again.  Although I clearly remember both of them, I was glued to my tv so as not to miss a moment.  Filming must have been very difficult for the entire cast.  

 

[Jaded]

1 hour ago, tinderbox said:

Occasionally, I’ll settle in and watch a rerun episode of this show because I was always a fan.  Within the last few days, the two episodes regarding Frost’s death were broadcast again.  Although I clearly remember both of them, I was glued to my tv so as not to miss a moment.  Filming must have been very difficult for the entire cast.  

Those episodes have made me just as emotional when watching reruns as they did the first time they aired.

[andromeda331]

4 hours ago, tinderbox said:

Occasionally, I’ll settle in and watch a rerun episode of this show because I was always a fan.  Within the last few days, the two episodes regarding Frost’s death were broadcast again.  Although I clearly remember both of them, I was glued to my tv so as not to miss a moment.  Filming must have been very difficult for the entire cast.  

 

It had to be so hard for them. I'm always impressed that Ernie Hudson who played Frost's dad showed up even though it was for just a quick second. 

2 hours ago, Jaded said:

Those episodes have made me just as emotional when watching reruns as they did the first time they aired.

Me too. Although when they first aired I couldn't watch the reruns with Frost for the longest time because it was just too hard to watch him knowing that the actor was gone. I finally got back to watching those episodes after a couple years. It's great seeing him but still sad that Lee Thompson Young is gone. He was such a good actor. I really loved Frost.

Edited January 29, 2023 by andromeda331

[Bastet]

12 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

I'm always impressed that Ernie Hudson who played Frost's dad showed up even though it was for just a quick second. 

I love that, too.  I understand the horrible logistics in scheduling and paying a bunch of actors to effectively be extras for a day, but it still bugs me when weddings or, especially, funerals are missing a bunch of characters who would logically be there.  Sometimes actors agree to do it for scale, so when I get angry is when I hear someone say they were never asked to appear.  Shows need to at least try!

[andromeda331]

11 hours ago, Bastet said:

I love that, too.  I understand the horrible logistics in scheduling and paying a bunch of actors to effectively be extras for a day, but it still bugs me when weddings or, especially, funerals are missing a bunch of characters who would logically be there.  Sometimes actors agree to do it for scale, so when I get angry is when I hear someone say they were never asked to appear.  Shows need to at least try!

It's always weird when characters don't show up for weddings or funerals too. When we've already seen or heard enough about the characters to know their mother/sister/brother/etc. would be there. Instead of weddings full of strangers or like in the Golden Girls Dorothy and Stan decide to remarry but their kids' don't show up for the wedding or for Dorothy's wedding in the finale. It's just weird. 

[RainbowBrite]

I'm watching this for the first time and was cruising along happily until they had Bill O'Reilly as a guest star. That was off-putting. Should I anticipate any other similar surprises? 

[Bastet]

7 hours ago, RainbowBrite said:

I'm watching this for the first time and was cruising along happily until they had Bill O'Reilly as a guest star. That was off-putting. Should I anticipate any other similar surprises? 

That was rather disturbing, wasn't it?  (I didn't watch it when it originally aired, either, and had no idea that had happened.)  I don't recall any similar unpleasant cameos.

[Jaded]

I don't even remember that O'Reilly was ever on an episode. I thought I had seen them all. 

I can't post the actual video here due to rules. If you use "Bill O'Reilly's cameo on Rizzoli & Isles" as a search term on YouTube you can see an Entertainment Tonight segment someone posted. I was kind of looking forward to reading the comment section, the uploader has comments turned off though. I hope Angie's opinions on that asshat have changed because her behavior towards him in that clip kind of made me sad. I don't think Sasha was very happy about O'Reilly's presence going by some of what she said and her body language while the person interviewing them asked questions. 

[andromeda331]

6 hours ago, Jaded said:

I don't even remember that O'Reilly was ever on an episode. I thought I had seen them all. 

I can't post the actual video here due to rules. If you use "Bill O'Reilly's cameo on Rizzoli & Isles" as a search term on YouTube you can see an Entertainment Tonight segment someone posted. I was kind of looking forward to reading the comment section, the uploader has comments turned off though. I hope Angie's opinions on that asshat have changed because her behavior towards him in that clip kind of made me sad. I don't think Sasha was very happy about O'Reilly's presence going by some of what she said and her body language while the person interviewing them asked questions. 

It's the one with Dante the witness that was going to testify against the gang member but he gets murdered. The murderer turns out to be the ADA. Angela had a crush on Bill O'Reilly and tried to get Jane or Frankie to take her to his book signing and use their badge to cut in line so she get her book signed and talk to him. Maura ends up doing it. I hated Bill at the time but now hate him even more because he turned out to be a bigger asshole then I thought he was. 

[DXD526]

BO (as Jane refers to him) was at the height of his popularity at that point, and was so smug in that episode: 'Jane, you gotta come on The Factor!' Six years later, he faced sexual harassment charges and lost his show, and has since dropped out of sight. That episode is an interesting time piece. 

I enjoy the end, when the corrupt ADA is taken down. She tries to bargain her way out of it, but finally gives up and says she wants a lawyer. Jane: "I hope you know someone who's better at it than you are."

Loves me some snarky Jane!

[MerBearHou]

R&I is one of my favorites and I still watch it on demand or Lifetime.  Jane and Maura are just a great duo (as are Angie and Sasha).  It made me kinda sad this week when it was a clue on Jeopardy and no one got it!  Come on!!

[andromeda331]

12 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

R&I is one of my favorites and I still watch it on demand or Lifetime.  Jane and Maura are just a great duo (as are Angie and Sasha).  It made me kinda sad this week when it was a clue on Jeopardy and no one got it!  Come on!!

So do I. I love their friendship. 

[DXD526]

Caught today's Start TV episode, which was 1.06, "I Kissed A Girl," coincidentally on its 13th anniversary. It originally aired Aug. 16, 2010. I remember it well, and discussing it at work with a friend the next day. Hard to believe it was that long ago!

[andromeda331]

19 hours ago, DXD526 said:

Caught today's Start TV episode, which was 1.06, "I Kissed A Girl," coincidentally on its 13th anniversary. It originally aired Aug. 16, 2010. I remember it well, and discussing it at work with a friend the next day. Hard to believe it was that long ago!

It was a really good episode.