Rizzoli & Isles 4x11 Judge, Jury & Executioner Review

With the exception of politics, nothing can bore me faster than a courtroom drama. Whether it’s courtroom proceedings, or just lawyers hashing out deals, I just roll my eyes and move to the next channel. That’s why I can only watch Law & Order SVU in small doses, and why I tuned out Harry’s Law after season 1. Strangely enough, I actually do love Hallmark Channel’s Cedar Cove, even though Olivia is a judge, but that’s probably due more to the fact that I love most of the actors on that show, especially Teryl Rothery, who has a decent-sized role (finally!) And I actually did like Fairly Legal, but that was mainly because of Sarah Shahi.

So when this Rizzoli and Isles episode started out with a mock-trial courtroom, I knew I would be tuning out anything to do with the case itself. Then again, I guess I really don’t ever care about any of the cases on this show unless they specifically involve my favorite characters - Jane, Maura, Korsak, Cavanaugh, Angela or Frankie, Hoyt or Paddy Doyle. Although, it was cute when Jane & Frost were sounding like lawyers when talking to one of the suspects.

Anyway, let’s get into more specifics.

* This healthy eating storyline between Jane & Maura is really becoming annoying. The over-abundance of kale and quinoa mentions, and now Maura is limiting Jane’s caffeine intake after a certain time of day? Oy! There’s only one person that could ever get Jane to give up something that instrumental in her everyday life – and that’s her LLBFF. Thank goodness for Mama Rizz’s pot…um, I mean “espresso” brownies. It’s funny how they were selling much better than the healthy snacks. It’s cute how Maura got trumped on that one!

* Is Tommy the screw up really starting to grow up? I’m guessing somewhere down the line, they’ll have Tommy end up going through all of his settlement money very quickly – or getting scammed by somebody. After all, we hear from Maura that ‘shark’ means ‘greedy parasite.’ I’m guessing we haven’t heard the last from Mark-the-shark. I didn’t like Tommy wanting to rush over to tell Lydia of his settlement money. Does he really want Lydia to get her hands on that? I love the fact that Tommy used part of his settlement to pay off his mama’s debt. I also love that Angela only told Tommy about her troubles, and not Jane or Frankie. I do agree that both Jane & Frankie are quite judgmental – especially when it comes to their family. Maybe they’ll get Jane to tone down that part of her personality just a bit. Instead of having Tommy getting back on his feet because of the settlement, I wish they would have had him ‘earn’ his way back out of non-screwup status by getting a decent job.

* The ‘female problems’ always work as a deterrent. I always have to smile at how Korsak seems so at ease with the talk (and actions) of  the ‘female problems’ and has no problem with Jane or Maura using them. It keeps reminding me of the fact that Vince has been married (and divorced) three times. I really wish we’d see his exes again soon. We still have yet to see #2, but I’d really like to have Dana return again (wife #1).

The scene where Jane faked the cramps, and Maura immediately grasping the situation and playing along – even to the extent of a possible outbreak of hives – reminded me of just how far this show has come. In the early seasons, Maura would have been clueless as to Jane’s intent. Now, after nearly four seasons, Maura has picked up on Jane’s cues so effortlessly. Of course, Korsak understood the play immediately as well.

I’m not sure why, but that scene also reminded me a bit of when Maura stole the vial of Hoyt’s blood from the prison and put it in her cleavage to get it past security.

And then there’s the question of how they got out of Starbridge:

F: how did you get away from the warden?

K: you don’t want to know.

F: yeah I do

J: I said I needed a tampon

K: it worked like a charm

That was so hilarious, but I really wish we could have seen that part of it!

* I had to laugh when Frost left to time himself to see how long it would take to run down four flights of stairs. I knew exactly what he was going to do. I’m very surprised that neither Jane nor Korsak had a clue.

Speaking of Frost – this episode had some fun Frostie moments (like drooling over the cute law clerk), which, for the first time since Lee’s death, made me think of the fact that we’ll only have Frost around for a few more episodes before they have to find a way to deal with his death.

That scene with Frost & Frankie drooling over the law clerk made me chuckle when Korsak used his authoritative voice and said “no” when Frankie volunteered to help with the interrogation. It pulled more weight with Korsak denying his request than it would have coming from Jane. It reminded me that Korsak still outranks both Jane & Frost – which is why I still get confused when it’s always Jane who gives out the orders for the others to do stuff.

I found the Frost/Maura scene with the acupuncture to be so adorable. Somehow, I could have only imagined Jane as being someone who would willingly be Maura’s ‘pin cushion’ but I loved that Frost was up for it. It also brought back more continuity with Frost having physical issues after being stuck in the building collapse.  The scene also made me think of how similar this was to a typical Jane/Maura autopsy scene, except this time, Frost was a live ‘patient’ on the table between the two, and he didn’t have to play dead.

* Jane & Frost trying their hand at being lawyers:

F: you want articulable facts?

J: I think he does, Detective Frost.

F: the comments you made constitute threats, sufficient to justify the search. The Supreme Court also stated that if the manner in which the search is conducted is reasonably related to the objective, it’s allowed.

M: wrong. I don’t see a warrant, and I’m not giving consent.

J: oh that’s okay, we’ve not only met the ‘reasonable suspicion’ standard, but also the higher one, ‘probably cause’. That’s sufficient to satisfy your Fourth Amendment concerns.

F: very nice, Detective Rizzoli.

J: thank you, Detective Frost. Your locker is messy, Max.

It’s cute to see Jane playing ‘smart’ with her words. After all, we know she learned a lot by going up against ‘Googlemouth’ for four years. 

* It was nice to see Doug Savant. I just wish he’d had a bigger role – and not as the bad guy. Why do they always have the good actors get parts where there’s no chance to return? Damn!

* props to the director (Mark Haber) for some new camera angles in this episode. I especially loved the one looking from outside the window into the squad room where Jane, Korsak & Frost were discussing the judge’s docket, as well as the interrogation of the law clerk. I loved being able to see the abstracted view of the night lights of Boston outside the windows. Usually, we only get to see bleak walls of the interrogation room.

By the way – is that a new interrogation room? I think we’ve seen it a couple times, but it’s not the standard close-quarters interrogation room that has the viewing room adjacent to it. However, it does have the same scuffed-top table that we saw in the other room (it was quite noticeable in the Killer In High Heels episode when Jane was interviewing Maura.

* Rizzles reigns!

I loved when Maura mentioned that she couldn’t make the mock trial team because she was ‘too wordy’. Haha! Maura? Wordy? Say it ain’t so!

-  - - - -

M: am I being ‘wordy’?

J: a little.

I think Jane should have said “No, you’re being Googlemouth.”

-  - - - -

J: I need to know what was in that syringe that killed her, Maura.

M: and I can’t tell you. You know how this works

J: how is it that we can put a rover on Mars, but the damn crime lab can’t find a toxin unless we tell them what to look for?

M: NASA lost control of that rover. And science is hard. You know they can’t test for everything. They need to narrow it down.

J: there are hundreds of thousands of drugs.

M: yes, I know.

Aww phooey. I was waiting for Maura to start spouting off various names of drugs. This conversation reminded me of the season 1 episode, Sympathy for the Devil, where the victim, Mathias, was poisoned by monkshood. Maura had run numerous tox screens, and mentioned that she could run them every day for the rest of her life and still not find the right drug. Thankfully, Jane had that dream about the ‘purple poisonous plant’ to help give the answer.

-  - - - -

M: are you questioning my process?

J: no (Maura gives her a look) yes.

I love how all it takes is just a look from Maura to get Jane to tell the truth.

-  - - - -

J: you ordered the satan special?

M: seitan. It’s a wheat protein, uses a meat substitute.

J: okay, I get it. it’s theme night.

M: what?

J: we’re investigating a mock trial, you ordered mock meat.

I love how Jane ties those two into one theme. However…enough with this healthy eating crap. I think I need a time out right now to go make myself a nice helping of greasy French fries and a cherry coke.

-  - - - -

M: you could be one of the most impatient human beings I know.

J: but you’re not sure. Maybe you should test it.

M: you’re wrecking my appetite.

Ha! Isn’t that usually Jane’s line?

-  - - - -

I love Jane’s immediate recognition of Maura’s horror when Tommy had dragged the garbage bag full of recyclables into her house. Maura’s continuous spout of bacterial & fungal pathogens was hilarious. All I could think about when Maura was spouting off those words was how much I’m sure Sasha was dreading trying to say all of those words. I noticed that they didn’t show Maura’s face very much during the whole time she was spouting the pathogens, and that the camera was on Jane & Tommy. It made me think that Sasha probably had to read them off a cheat sheet to get them all said so nicely.

-  - - - -

I had to give a big “awww” when Korsak gave props to Maura for her great work.

M: wouldn’t that smart teenager realize that we’d eventually trace the drug?

K: plenty of M.E.’s wouldn’t have caught that.

Maura gives a cute smirk.

And that is just another reason that Korsak is one of my favorite characters! I just wish we’d have seen Jane give a quick smirk at the compliment for her LLBFF as well.

-  - - - -

And I can’t end without mentioning the proud sis moment:

J: I’m proud of you, Tommy. You’re the man that pop never was.

T: you don’t have to get all mushy on me, Jane

J: well, I CAN if I want to! (gives him a big hug) I love you so much. I love you, and listen, okay? You are not allowed to do this on your own. Alright? Frankie & I will split it with you.

T: thanks Jane. … listen, since we’re all hugging here, can I hug Maura too?

M: you bet!

J: hands where I can see them!

T: what? … what about you, Korsak? Want a hug? Come on!

Haha! I love that Tommy asked permission to hug Maura! Smart move, buddy.