Let’s take a closer look at some of the finer details.
1. Jane/Casey
As much as I love Jane/Maura, I know that their hookup is never going to happen. And I hate how some rabid Rizzles shippers are making derogatory and very mean comments about Casey’s injury. He’s a war vet. I like how this show is incorporating that part of ‘real life’ into the story lines. I don’t care how much you don’t like Casey because it takes away your Rizzles, but you DO NOT talk about the character as a ‘pathetic cripple’. That’s just absolute cruelty at its worst.
Since I have to settle for a second-best romance, I’m glad they’ve gone with sweet, lovable Casey instead of Dickhead Dean (Why couldn’t Paddy have killed him?) as a main suitor for Jane. Yes, I’m sure they’re not done with bringing Dean into the picture, at some point. At least for the moment, Jane has picked the right one. And since he told Jane that he still needs some time, we know he’s not going to continuously be in the picture for every episode. That makes me wonder – does anyone write Jane/Casey fanfic? I’d really like to read something that takes place after this episode.
In the last episode, Maura told Jane, “he doesn’t deserve you”, but she didn’t know the whole story of why he was pushing Jane away.
thankfully, in the end, Jane finds out - with a little help from Mama R.
“wait a minute, wait. I didn’t write this. But if you would have told me, I would have said the same thing. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter.”
“Jane, please don’t watch me leave” – heartbreaking, adorable, and watching Jane cry…I just want to give them both a hug.
Might I just add that Chris Vance is sexy in that army uniform, but even much sexier without it. I might need a drool bucket.
On a sidebar to Jane/Casey, we have Maura who runs into Casey first, and easily diagnoses his problem.
C: Maura?
M: Casey.
C: Hi.
M: Hi.
C: (to Elsie) How’d you get your collar off again?
M: Sergeant Korsak found her not too far from here. Is she yours?
C: uh, she’s um…she’s one of our service dogs. As you can see, she’s pretty adept at opening doors.
M: you have cauda equine syndrome, don’t you? … how did it happen?
C: roadside bomb. I’m partially paralyzed.
M: a colleague of mine is heading up the Boston Clinical trials for a new spinal-regeneration technique. If…
C: I know. I’m on the waiting list.
M: you should tell Jane
C: No. and you won’t either…ever. You have to promise me that.
M: I don’t know that I can make that promise. She’s my friend.
C: if you’re her friend, you won’t tell her.
M: Casey, a lot of couples cope with very serious war injuries.
C: Yeah, hang out with me here, meet some of those couples. See what an injury like mine does to girlfriends, wives, families.
M: Jane is suffering. It’s mean not to tell her. The truth is easier than what she’s imagining.
C: I came back here to see if I could get into the clinical trials. I didn’t come back for Jane.
How much do ya wanna bet that Maura will use her influence with her friend who’s heading up the trials to get Casey higher up on that waiting list and have him get helped? I also love how Maura doesn’t make the promise not to tell Jane. “The truth is easier than what she’s imagining.” So very true. And I loved how it was Maura who brought the dog back to Casey, and cute how she had to run after Elsie to catch up to her. Makes me think that Maura’s used to walking Jo Friday around, but not a bigger dog.
2. Back to their normal banter.
Yes, there may have been a boyfriend in the picture, but we still got some wonderful Jane/Maura moments.
* M: you’re running this morning. Come on.
J: uh-uh. You’re too late, I already showered.
M: (sniffs) last night or this morning? (Jane sticks a fork at her.) never mind. Let’s go.
J: no. I-I can’t. My stomach’s full.
M: Jane, you need endorphins from physical activity. (whispers) because you’re depressed.
J: (whispers) I’m not depressed.
M: See. You’ll get over Casey.
J: who said it had anything to do with Casey? I-I got a new…ding in my car door.
M: You lied. Your left eyebrow moved. You are in Stage 4 of the five stages of relationship grief.
J: I am in Stage 5 of ignoring you. I can’t taste, touch smell (plugs her ears & closes her eyes) see, or hear you.
M: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. A good run will get you to acceptance.
J: (looks at her bunny pancakes) why’d she have to make bunnies?
Rondo walks by.
R: Mm-mm. I like the bunnies. Taste better when they’ve got a shape.
Mama R gives him a plate of bunny pancakes. Jane gives him hers as well.
R: are you sure?
J: yeah
R: cuz I don’t want you losing any more weight. I like my detectives with a little meat on them.
Awww even Rondo knows when Jane is depressed, and is trying to cheer her up. Have I mentioned lately that I love this guy? Well, you’ll hear that a bit more later on too.
As for Maura, she’s trying so hard to get her LLBFF out of the depressed funk. It’s cute to see that Maura knows one of Jane’s ‘tells’ when she lies. Now I wonder if she picked up a ‘tell’ for Jane’s sarcasm yet.
* thankfully for Jane, there’s a murder that beckons.
J: oh, we got a murder. Are you going to run to the crime scene?
M: … five minutes.
J: three
Now the question is…will Jane actually time her? Can Maura really change in three minutes? That actually reminds me of one of Angie’s movies that I watched recently, Good Advice, with Charlie Sheen. I was listening to the commentary from the director who was praising Angie for getting dressed off camera (she had been wrapped in only a bed sheet) in less than 30 seconds and continued with the scene again fully dressed just in time, so they didn’t have to cut before her next line.
* they get to the crime scene.
J: Oh. She looks like some…big weird doll.
M: dame de voyage.
J: why are we speaking French?
M: sex dolls originated in the 17th century. Randy sailors took them on lonely voyages. But this might be agalmatophilia.
J: anything ending in “philia” is not gonna be good.
M: a fetish involving the love between a man and a doll.
J: a man, a doll, his love, and what? A 2x4? A hammer? A hockey stick?
M: definitely a solid high-density object. In common parlance, something hard.
J: that’s a brilliant deduction.
M: her wrists were bound to something.
J: There was no cast-off or blood spatter. She wasn’t killed here. Nice scrunchie.
M: yeah, her clothes are very early 90s, too. More formal before sweeping changes to fashion made grunge chice.
J: and you’re telling me this because why? She was transported here from the 90s?
M: uh, no, Detective Smarty Pants. Because her clothes are about 20 years old, and they don’t fit her.
Yay. We got in a “Detective Smarty Pants” quip. You go, girl. There’s something soothingly comforting when hearing the return of Maura’s google-speak. We haven’t had much of that yet this season.
* back in the morgue
M: there are remnants of a subdermal hematoma just above the right ear.
J: she was knocked out with what? And don’t say ‘something hard.’
M: it WAS hard. But the extent of the damage makes it impossible to determine the type of instrument used.
J: was she raped?
M: doubtful. There’s no evidence of trauma, tearing, or bruises.
J: doubtful? So you found something?
M: well, she did have sex within the last 36 hours.
J: okay, what’s with the creepy doll makeup?
M: it was applied post mortem. See the blood under the makeup?
J: Mm-hmm. Maybe a sex game gone wrong?
M: well, the killer did exhibit a certain degree of tenderness.
J: oh yeah, real tender, starting with tenderizing her head.
Frost comes in.
F: got a suspect, Herbert Buckley. Served two years on an A&B released two months ago. He liked to hire hookers and make them pretend they were dolls.
J: and hit them in the head with a crow bar. Nice. Can you ask Frankie? I’m just not up for a pervert today. (they walk out) See you Maura.
Poor Jane. It’s so bad that she can’t even handle being around a creepy pervert. I also must say that it’s interesting to see Maura doing a bit more guessing on things than she did to start the series. Guess her LLBFF’s habits are rubbing off on her.
* we’re going retro in the squad room
J: Oh great. Thank you Moe, Curly, Larry. Excuse me, Curly. Could you take Marlene out of here, please?
Frankie: (as Curly) certainly.
J: (to Frost) and you, Larry, did you unlock the password on the victim’s smartphone yet?
Frost: Can’t crack the password, but I’ll keep trying
J: (to Korsak) and what about you, Moe?
K: monthly buss pass won’t tell us anything. BCAT doesn’t track usage
Maura walks in.
M: 16 bytes per sector are reserved for keys & access conditions and cannot normally be used for user data.
J: (robot voice) Beep. I am a robot. Beep. I do not…compute human talk.
M: I do not use that inflection and that is the storage space on a BCAT card.
J: that’s riveting.
M: I’m going to the gym and even though you’re rude, you’re coming with me.
J: no. thank you. I’m too tired to work out.
M: then let’s go to the dirty robber. I’ll even have a beer with you.
J: No, I’m gonna go work out on my couch. Five stages of junk food.
Jane walks out. Korsak whispers to Maura.
K: Hey, hey. I mentioned Casey. You think that’s what’s got her down?
M: (nods her head) I’d only be guessing.
Yeah, Maura. But you ‘guessed’ while nodding your head ‘yes’. See, that’s what a depressed LLBFF will make you do – it’ll make you guess with someone other than Jane. Jane’s robot impersonation…classic – especially since we’re doing all of the other references back to the good old days. I also think this is the most we’ve seen Maura ‘dressed down’ in an episode. I like it. Yes, she was in a nice skirt ensemble at the crime scene, but we’ve seen her in workout gear already a couple times in this one. You know it’s bad when Jane doesn’t even perk up at the thought of Maura drinking beer with her.
* Jane’s Mama & LLBFF are worried. Is an intervention in the works?
A: I’m worried about Jane. It’s as bad as when Andrew Spagnola broke her heart at the shining star prom.
Maura gets out a big book from a drawer & puts it down next to Angela.
M: you have to swear that you will never mention to Jane what I am about to tell you.
A: that’s uh, “Gray’s Anatomy”
M: swear, Angela (puts Angela’s hand on the book)
A: I swear my lips are sealed.
M: I went to see Casey.
A: Oh
M: okay. I can’t tell you.
A: no. I promise. Talk.
M: he’s partially paralyzed. He doesn’t want Jane to know.
A: partially paralyzed? Does that mean he can’t have children?
M: Angela.
A: what? I want a grandkid and Jane is…is crazy for him.
M: there is a small chance that he may regain function someday, but he’s pretty resolute. He doesn’t want to see her.
A: well, then he’s a fool. I could tell she really liked him
M: I think she loves him.
Awwww big group hug, please? But we do know that Mama R keeps her word. She doesn’t actually ‘tell’ Jane, right? She just writes the note. LOL I love how Maura’s “bible” for ‘swearing on’ is a medical book. I guess that’s truly her religion.
* another dead ‘doll’
J: more 90s clothing. Takes a lot of rage to do that to somebody’s head.
M: blunt force trauma. Hmmm remarkable. It is the same
J: what, same weapon?
M: same scrunchie.
J: so, our victims were either transported from the 90s, or they work for Hillary Clinton or our killer was a scrunchie freak.
K: all her ID, bus pass, Diane Campbell. Lived downtown on Tremont street.
J: well, that’s nowhere near where our first victim lived or worked.
K: nowhere near here either.
Jane looks around to the young ladies hear the crime scene who look scared.
J: yeah, no wonder they’re scared. (looks at Maura) somebody’s hunting young women.
One thing I’ve noticed in this episode is that Jane is standing around and being “the boss” while Korsak, Frost & Frankie are doing all the work. I thought Korsak – being Sergeant – was the ‘higher up’ on the work chain. Interesting.
* Maura’s found something big (or small, as it were)
M: this was embedded in the parietal lobe of Diane Campbell’s brain.
J: a piece of a toothpick?
K: big spliter.
M: I am prepared to say it is a sliver of wood.
J: yeah, Korsak, how could you possibly think that a sliver was a splinter?
M: see this? This stain is actually from two blood types … AB postitive, which matches victim number one, Victoria Green, and O negative, which is a match with victim number two, Diane Campbell.
K: so the splinter
J: *ahem* precise terminology.
K: is the…sliver from the murder weapon?
J: oh, doesn’t that look like her “I’ve got a secret” face.
M: I found a third blood type.
J: you want us to believe there are three types of blood on that sliver?
M: well, it is a big sliver. And one other thing. The third blood sample is 20 years old.
J: have you been drinking?
M: yes. Water. Two liters a day, as recommended by the Mayo Clinic.
J: you couldn’t possibly tell how old that speck of blood is
M: yes, I can. It’s simple. A laser excites the tryptophan until it fluoresces.
J: tick tock
M: well, you asked.
K: Jane, that sliver could be a piece of the murder weapon
J: that our killer used on someone else 20 years ago. You got enough for a DNA profile?
Susie comes in with more results.
S: I have the results from the trace section
M: oh, thank you. (looks at the report) the sliver is white ash
J: so…we could be looking for a club made of white ash?
K: our old nightsticks were white ash.
J: you think we’re looking for a cop?
Duh. Who is the ‘cop’ that we’ve already seen in this episode? He should be wearing a red shirt. I love how Jane’s so in tune with Maura these days that she admonishes Korsak for not playing by Maura’s ‘precise terminology’ rules. So cute.
* It seems that all of this nostalgia has Jane forgetting about her Casey-induced depression, especially with Cavanaugh & Korsak talking about the ‘good old days’.
C: I’ll check on any cop who went to prison for assaults on women or any domestic violence.
J: right. And maybe our killer’s been released. He’s back at it.
C: when I first come on the job, had to just about kill your wife to get charged with anything.
K: how many guys we tell to take a walk around the block to cool off? Had to see them punch the old lady.
J: the old lady?
K: sorry, it was 30 years ago. I am sorry.
C: I had this little trick where I used to piss off the old man so he’d come at me. Gave me a chance to discipline him
J: Hmm, you provoke the wife-beaters into picking on someone their own size.
C: ah, well, sometimes they were bigger.
I have to tell ya that I absolutely love that scene, and any scene with these three together. It actually gave me the feeling of a ‘mature’ conversation. Yes, there was joking involved, but it was sensitive content and seemed like a scene with substance. I think that’s why I like that they’ve given more screen time for Brian Goodman. He brings a maturity to the show, which had been lacking a bit. We always see the older characters, including Angela, Korsak, and Rondo, joking and being funny on the show, but Lt Cavanaugh brings an air of authority and maturity. I really like it. The part about “taking a walk around the block to cool off” made me think of NYPD Blue. They used to talk about doing that a lot – Andy, Bobby, Diane, Jill…we all heard them talking about going around the block to cool off. I miss that show.
* Maura finally gets Jane to go running
J: I’ve been thinking about what you said about him being tender.
M: Casey?
J: Yeah, Casey. No Maura, the killer. And stop saying that name.
M: exposure therapy might help you get over…Casey. Casey. Casey.
J: stop it.
M: I’m just trying to help.
J: if you want to play shrink, help me come up with a psychological profile of this killer.
M: he’s dissociated from reality. He’s constructed a world in which an act of extreme violence…
J: Violently smashing women’s heads in with a nightstick.
M: … is followed by a tender expression of love.
J: yeah, tenderly slapping on pancake makeup and making them wear ugly-ass clothes.
M: come on. I just got my heart rate up.
J: he dresses his victims up in 20-year old clothes. Maura, you found 20-year old blood.
M: that feels rather significant.
J: (sniffs) you think we ran long enough to need a shower?
M: oh, gosh, darn it. I didn’t even get an endorphin hit yet.
Poor Maura. She’s not going to get rid of her sexual frustration quite yet. LLBFF is too focused on the case. BTW- I didn’t look very closely, but there should have been scars on both sides of Maura’s leg, you know. Remember – Jane’s emergency fasciotomy in the woods? Guess she’s a real fast healer like Jane.
* Mama R is in deep doo-doo with her blog now. Jane & Maura are spying on her & Cavanaugh from behind the “decomposed pinto”
M: you think he’s going to fire her?
J: oh, I don’t know. She really did it this time. Ugh. “Angela’s Guardians are gonna be there.” Yeah, and I’m gonna be back in evidence management.
Angela hands Cavanaugh a package
M: ooh, I don’t think so.
J: how did she do that?
M: one study found that when sniffing pumpkin pie and lavender, men become sexually aroused.
J: Maura.
Cavanaugh comes walking by & sees them hiding.
C: not one word, Rizzoli.
ROFL Have I mentioned that I absolutely ADORE Sean Cavanaugh? And what a nice way to use the “decomposing pinto” again. At least there’s no mention of “peanuts man” from last week. Looks like Angela knows the way to a man’s heart.
* Maura can’t think with the LLBFF being so close while waiting for results
M: Don’t hover. DNA processing takes time.
J: well, we don’t have time. Faster, Maura. I need something. *sighs*
M: you’re breathing on me.
Jane’s phone vibrates.
J: I don’t believe this.
M: if that is a text from a vacation club in Acapulco, don’t respond. It might be a scam.
J: (shows her the phone) does this look like a scam?
M: it’s from Casey.
J: he says he wants to meet for drinks tonight at the Dirty Robber.
Susie comes in with more results.
S: the comparison test results for the two victims’ lipsticks and the lipstick on that envelope.
M: thank you. Jane, I might have something. Libby McMurphy used the same brand of lipstick as our two victims.
J: I think we just tied Artie to all three murders. Come on, I need you. I think I know who that 20-year old blood belongs to.
Jane, of course we know that you need Maura. You can’t function without her, we all know that. Somehow I think that Susie is going to be the bane of the Rizzles shippers because she always seems to interrupt some Rizzles moment. Poor girl.
* the LLBFF comes to pick up the pieces
M: how did it go?
J: I asked him to go rollerblading.
M: shut the front door. You did not.
J: oh yeah, I did. I think I might have also suggested running.
She shows Maura Angela’s note.
M: your mother (both ladies finish the sentence) is a dead woman.
J: yeah.
Can you tell they’ve spent a lot of time together since the pilot episode? There’s such a difference, and such a growth in their characters in the 2+ seasons since. I love how they always seem to end up with each other in the end. Yes, we’re never going to see them get together romantically (that’s been made quite apparent by Janet Tamaro) but it’s scenes like this where the greatness of this series lies. Well, that and Korsak, Angela, Rondo, Cavanaugh and the rest as well. But in the end, it all comes down to Jane & Maura and how they go through life with their LLBFF.
3. Mama R’s suitors
I get the feeling that they really don’t know what to do with Mama Rizzoli. We’ve had hints previously of a romance between Angela & Korsak (just like in the books), last week, it seemed to be Angela & Rondo. This week, there seemed to be a hint of Angela & Lieutenant Cavanaugh. So, is Jane’s Mama that much of a player? As I’ve mentioned previously – anything that brings more screen time for Brian Goodman is good with me. And having an actual story line for Angela would be lovely as well. I wasn’t really crazy about the Mama R blogging storyline, but having Rondo as the leader of “Angela’s Guardians” was awesome.
Just don’t let them bring me an Angela/Stanley romance. That would be freaky – and would seem too much like the Angela/Frank relationship that they just shot to hell in the past two seasons.
Speaking of Mama R's blog - be sure to check out Divison1cafe.com. They've made it a real site.
4. Bring me more Rondo
R: hello, Vanilla.
J: Angela’s Guardians?
R: Mrs Vanilla takes good care of us. So, when she put out the call…
J: Uh, call? What call?
R: to protect the young women of the city. To make the buses safe again.
J: why is my mother in the middle of everything? (her cell phone vibrates) Mm-mm. (to Korsak) Maura’s found something big. (to Rondo) Just…be safe.
Yes, I’m loving this guy. Thankfully, we got his wonderful charm again two weeks in a row. I like how we’re seeing his sweet side come out again. Last week, it was giving his C.I. money to the homeless vet. This week, we see Mama R giving him free meals, and of course, him rounding up the rest of his ‘posse’ to become “Angela’s Guardians”. If only they could make him a regular, and appear every episode.
Now if only we could also get more of Susie, the lab tech. And I mean more than just walking in to bring a folder of results to Maura occasionally. I want some ‘real’ dialogue with her. Please? Pretty please?
5. the nostalgia
How about all the old-time references? The Three Stooges, Barney Miller, scrunchies… that’s what I absolutely adore about this show. Nothing is off limits. It all began with the special ringtones in the pilot episode.
That reminds me of the article I read today with Bruce McGill talking about how the show was compared to Cagney & Lacey and that Bruce said he was Tyne Daly, which is why he fought to have the goatee.
6. doggie heaven
How cute was Elsie (aka Barney Miller)? And if you didn’t know, that was really Lorraine Bracco’s dog. So adorable. It would be fun to have Jo Friday & Barney Miller together in the same house, wouldn’t it? A great detective team. Well, okay, Barney Miller really wasn’t that great of a detective, and I guess the dog’s name isn’t Barney Miller anymore, is it. Damn.
Of course, I have to mention Korsak & his love of animals. Bruce McGill – you are absolutely awesome. I love that they gave Korsak the quirk of saving any type of animal in distress. That reminds me – we haven’t seen Korsak watching his animal videos lately. That’s some continuity I’d love to have.
7. Alex Carter
Alex Carter as a pervert? That’s a different side I haven’t seen. At least he wasn’t really creepy. I’m so used to seeing him on the other side of the interrogation table.
8. Frostie
Season 3 seems to be the emergence of Frostie (Frost/Frankie). We’ve seen those two together a lot lately. I kind of like that. Besides the two being fun to watch together, it also usually means a bit more Jane/Korsak pairing up as well – which I really, really love. In the first two seasons we had a lot of Jane/Frost, but that seems to have evened out, thankfully. I did like the Frankie/Marlene duo here, though. LOL
9. CSI rip-offs
As I mentioned to begin with, one of the great things about this show is its continuity – which is the total opposite of CSI. That show never seemed to remember any of the details from previous episodes. However, there were many parts of tonight’s episode that could have been taken from CSI.
I’d call this episode the “Mini-crime scene killer (season 7) meets “up in smoke” (6x16) meets “art imitates life” (9x03)”.
And need I remind you again of Alex Carter’s appearance?
Yep. This episode had CSI written all over it.
And I’m actually okay with that…at least this time around. It brought out more of the nostalgia.
* overall, I actually enjoyed this episode, definitely more than last week’s, that’s for sure. We got some great Rizzles, some great Jasey, Frostie, Jane/Korsak (what is the name of that ship?), Rondo, Angela, Susie, Alex Carter, a wonderful dog, lots of nostalgic references…what more could one ask for?
Other caps:
and on a final note - TV Guide has a preview of next week's episode when Maura finally meets her bio mom.
