* the Jasey Merry-go-Round
It’s the
annoying Jane/Casey dance. Some call it “Jasey” but I just call it nauseating.
Maybe it’s because ‘badass’ Jane is always the one protecting everyone else,
and it becomes unbelievable when we see her being vulnerable when it involves
Casey.
For the record -
I really DO like Casey, or maybe I should clarify that a bit further and say
that I really do like Chris Vance. The problem I have is with the relationship
that Jane & Casey have. Jane is like a marionette, with Casey always
pulling the strings.
Casey is a
solider – basically, a self-professed ‘career’ soldier.
Jane is a
homicide detective, and as she once said, “I’m practically a soldier myself.”
Casey comes back
to town, he does some sweet things, he says some sweet lines, and then he’s off
again, having no idea just what it does to Jane.
Jane, the badass
detective/protector in all other aspects of her life, always melts over his
sweetness. Then she seems relieved after he’s gone again. I think she feels
relieved because she doesn’t have to play the loving/supportive significant
other and can just be herself when he’s gone. Well that, and having Maura
around to ‘pick up the pieces’ too.
Now, he’s given
her the choice of “marry me, or I’ll leave again” – even after he told her that
it’s his goal to become a general – which means that 1) he probably won’t be
happy if he gives up his commission just to be with Jane. 2) even if she says ‘yes’
he may not give up that life anyway. And we know Jane won’t be totally happy
even if she says ‘yes’. In this episode, she couldn’t even take a day off work
to spend with him, using the excuse that she loves her work (which she does). This
does not bode well for a close relationship.
Hey, even Mama R
doesn’t approve of the relationship.
A: oh, for
crying out loud, Jane. That’s disgusting!
LOL Gotta love
that woman even more!
* Doyle Family Drama
on the flip
side, we have Maura, who is trying so hard to find at least one blood relative
who wants to have a constant relationship with her. In this episode, we are
introduced to Patrick Sr – the man who would have killed Hope when she was
pregnant with Maura. You know, as much as I love the Rizzoli family and their
interaction, I’m really starting to love the extreme disfunction of Maura’s
bio-family.
- -
- - -
M: hello, Mr
Doyle. I’m…
P: I know who
you are. You look like that, uh, that woman that Hope.
M: she’s my
biological mother. I’m Doctor Maura Isles.
P: biological.
You put a lot of stock in that, do ya? Biology. Are you gonna tell me that
you’re, uh, Paddy’s daughter? Because my son knocked up some college girl? You
should have never seen the light of day.
J: put him back,
Maura.
P your
girlfriend’s right. Listen sweetheart, leave me here. I like it here. I don’t
want anything to do with you.
J: great. Sit
here & rot. Maura, let’s go.
Guard: oh no you
don’t
J: oh yes, we
do.
Guard: you
signed the paperwork. Patrick Doyle’s not our problem anymore. He’s all yours.
I can hear the
entire fandom cheering Grandpappy Doyle for calling Jane Maura’s girlfriend. It
was interesting how he immediately picked up on Maura’s emphasis on biological.
If I didn’t immediately like the guy, I would have kicked him in the nuts for
dissing his granddaughter at first sight.
- -
- - - -
J:
Paddy asked her to take you.
P:
he what? He’s punishing me. I wanted to stay where I was. I told him…he put me
outside because he wants to see me die as a nobody.
J:
maybe he put you out here so you could see the one good thing he’s done…Maura.
Aww.
Sticking up for the LLBFF again. I like how Jane’s trying to get Patrick to see
what a great person his granddaughter really is.
- -
- - - -
P: you look JUST LIKE Paddy right now. Maybe there is
something to this…biology thing.
I hope we get to
see Maura visiting Patrick Sr occasionally now. I’m not holding my breath,
considering how bad this show can be with continuity.
- -
- - -
It did upset me
a bit to see the address of the letter that Paddy sent to Maura.
From:
Patrick Doyle Jr
To:
Maura Isles
They’ve stuck
Paddy in Philly? Really? Did they have to send him so far away? So that means
no prison visits anytime soon, I guess. Damn!
- -
- - -
* The evolution of Detective Frankie
Rizzoli
I love how
they’re bringing Frankie along and learning the detective ropes. First we
seeing his eagerness in autopsy, when he’s expecting the bullet to already be
retrieved from the victim, even though the corpse just arrived in autopsy. Then
he asks Jane what he should do next when waiting for ballistics. Later on, they
have him working on notifying the relatives of the death of a loved one.
I found it
interesting that Frost called Jane to relay the info from his & Frankie’s
crime scene. Wouldn’t Frost & Frankie work their own scene, until they
discovered that the two cases were related? It’s strange how everything goes
through Jane. It should be going through Cavanaugh.
* Be my guest
I almost didn’t
recognize him with the bad hair & facial hair, but Mackenzie Astin made an
appearance in this episode as the husband (Rick Clark). He’s come a long way
from cute little Andy on The Facts of Life.
And then there’s
David Blue, who was Eli on Stargate Universe. I wish he’d have had a bigger
role.
And how about
the casting of Richard Herd as Patrick Doyle Sr.? He really looks a lot like
John Doman. Although, his bushy eyebrows kind of scare me.
Rizzles, sweet Rizzles
- -
- - -
J: still
ruminating over your messed-up family?
M: Paddy Doyle
isn’t my family. But he is part of my genetic makeup, as is my grandfather. And
I want to meet him.
J: oh, so now
you’re Heidi & you’re going to climb the Alps with gramps & feed the goats
Again with Jane
getting in jibes about Maura’s bio family.
After all this time, Jane should know how much it means to Maura to
learn new things about her blood relatives.
- -
- - -
J: how’d Frankie
do at the scene?
M: good. Very
composed. But, he had a good teacher.
Awww. I love the
LLBFF compliments.
- -
- - -
J: I need
Frost’s magic fingers. Rhonda & Rick Clark were both experts in Anime,
whatever that is.
M: the study of
social instability. Environment has a significant effect on genetic expression.
J: one more
reason to be thankful that Paddy Doyle didn’t raise you. … so she was about to
get tenure and he wasn’t.
M: well, that
will put a strain on a marriage of academics. Sayer’s law. The politics of a
university are so intense because the stakes are so low.
J: it seems so
surprising that even smart people can’t get it together.
M: why is that
surprising?
J: I just can’t
understand why you would even lift a finger to help him.
M: well, I…I
could say it’s the compassionate physician in me, but the truth is, I’ll never
not be Paddy Doyle’s daughter. I just want to know where he came from.
J: why?
M: why does
anybody trace their heritage.
It surprises me
that Jane can’t understand Maura’s need to find out who she really is.
- -
- - - -
M: are you
looking through my personal files?
J: well if you
don’t want anyone looking, don’t label them ‘personal.’
M: ‘personal’ –
related to one’s private affairs.
J: you got
Patrick Sr’s medical records? ‘congestive heart failure, arthritis,
emphysema…this man needs assisted living, Maura, you can’t take this on.
M: it’s
temporary, Jane.
I’m reminded
that there’s nothing too ‘personal’ or ‘private’ that the LLBFF can’t touch.
It also reminded
me of a comment from Women’s Murder Club,
where Claire was looking through a victim’s laptop. “He labeled a file
‘discrepancies’, not very subtle.”
- -
- - -
They know each
other’s tells:
J: you have a
tell when you’re head’s not in the game
M: I don’t know
what you mean.
J: ‘pink froth’?
not psydoplastics hematoma liquidity at a cellular level?
M: no!
- -
- - -
J:
did you get Frankie’s bullet out?
M:
yes. And your mother hates me.
J:
No. she loves your guest house…and you too.
M:
she hardly said one word to me.
J:
well enjoy the silence for a while. She’ll be fine, unless Patrick puts a hit
out on her.
Maura
gives her a look
J:
too soon?
M:
you have a tell too.
J:
and what is my tell?
M:
your jokes get a little edge when something’s bothering you.
Awww. See, the LLBFF always knows the most obscure
details.
K:
Bruno. He looks nice.
J:
mmm, yes he does. Did you just make an online dating loveconnection?
K:
funny. I’m pulling up all the registered German Shepherds. I always wanted one.
The good ones are always direct & honest, but not hostile like you.
J:
(laughs) thank you. I’m sorry I made a joke. Is that my tell?
K:
your what?
F:
what tell?
J:
you have no idea what I’m talking about do you?
K:
is this a trick question?
J:
I’m so thankful that some of the people I work with are guys.
ROFL It’s cute how Frost & Korsak have no clue. See Jane, only the LLBFF knows these things!
- -
- - - -
J: I could have
totally taken a day off today and I didn’t. You wanna know why?
M: yes I do know
why. Because you love solving homicides. You love your work.
J: yeah, and I
can’t tell him that, I feel guilty. Besides, the guy’s been in town 10 hours
and he’s already washed my underwear. My thongs, Maura.
M: that’s awkward.
J: yeah. Tell me
about it. and he cleaned out my refrigerator.
M: now that I
approve of. There are altrinaria spores and maybe risopuss in your pastrami.
(they laugh) Jane, this isn’t about Casey, it’s about you.
J: yeah, it is.
I can’t be me and be his too.
M: go tell him
J: how do people
make this work? I mean, I love him. I want him to stay, and I want him to go.
M: those are mutually exclusive desires.
J: yes, this
much I know, Maura.
Need I mention
that Jane & Maura usually make it work between them. I love Jane’s comment
that she can’t be herself and be Casey’s too. It’s true, because we always see
her as a different person when she’s with him. That should be her first clue.
- -
- - - -
I had to chuckle
at Jane saving the bottle of 2007 ketchup from the trashcan. At least he didn’t
throw out Maura’s jar of marmite.
- -
- - - -
M: they’re
releasing him in two hours. I can’t face him alone
K: I can go to BCU alone. Maura can’t go to Souza
Baranowski Prison alone. Go Jane.
J: oh, the
things I do for you.
All together
now. Awwww. Makes me love Korsak even more (if that’s possible)
- -
- - - -
J: don’t get too
friendly, he’s not moving in with us.
Why do I get the
feeling that she meant her & Maura, not her & Casey?
- -
- - - -
A few other
notes:
I find it
interesting that they’re doing more scenes featuring live video from phones and
ipads – like they did here with Jane talking to Frostie while they were at
their scene, and giving her details.
When Korsak was
talking about the great qualities of the German Shepherd, it brought back
wonderful memories of my childhood. I grew up on a farm, and we had a German
Shepherd for many years, as well as a few others.
Mid-season review - or is it 3/4 season, since it’s 12 of
16 episodes?
Maybe I’ve just
watched too many crime shows over the years (particularly CSI ), but it seems that lately I’ve been
seeing too many comparisons in storylines and predictable outcomes to even be
entertained.
I’ve found
myself saying “CSI did that” a lot while watching Rizzoli
& Isles – and more frequently in this season.
* the “Strangers
on a train” scenario (in this episode) – CSI did that in season 3
* a main
character discovering that a mob boss is her bio dad (Maura/Paddy) – CSI did that with Cath/Sam
* a
long-distance relationship (Jane/Casey) – CSI did that with Sara & Grissom (which
ended up being the downfall of the show, in my opinion)
* two different
homicides that end up being connected – CSI did that ad nauseam.
* a serial
killer focused on a main character (Jane/Hoyt & Maura/Dennis)– CSI did that numerous times (Millander was
good, the rest were not)
* main
characters in peril (Jane/Hoyt, BPD hostage crisis, Frost/Tommy/TJ building
collapse, Maura/Dennis, Korsak/psycho killer) – CSI did that ad nauseam (don’t even get me
started with the CSI -in-peril stories)
* continuity
only when it suits the story – CSI
was really good at that (remember Sofia ’s sudden, unnoticed departure?) For
R&I, do they even remember they had started a storyline that had Sister
Bitcher setting up camp in the bullpen? Then “poof” – gone without a trace.
There are many
things that Rizzoli and Isles has done right.
* focusing on
the relationships and having them outweighing the crimes – because, let’s face
it, as I’ve already mentioned, the crimes have all been done before. People
watch this show for the characters and their interactions, not the dead bodies
and their stories.
* the Rizzoli
family interaction (although I’m not sure that making Papa R an ass would be a
highlight)
* the
Jane/Korsak/Frost/Frankie interaction
* Maura’s search
to have a meaningful relationship with anybody who would be a blood relative.
What I’d love to see:
* bring Tommy , Lydia
* here’s a novel
concept – bring us episodes with more than one case…and the cases AREN’T
connected! How about that?!
* continue with
the Doyle family saga (and don’t forget about the Isles’) – I love the episodes
that feature Paddy, and after seeing (and loving) Patrick Sr, I’d love to have
the story of Maura’s bio-family evolve. Bring back Cailin more frequently.
After all, the last we saw, she was staying with Maura for three weeks. Give
Maura that sister relationship to hang on to. And for god’s sake, PLEASE bring
back Constance , and introduce us to Mr Isles sometime
soon.
* while I’m begging
for characters to return, I might as well put in another request to bring back
Riley.
Let's end with some caps:
Let's end with some caps:
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