Rizzoli & Isles

by The Girl Behind The Red Door

This show revolves around Detective Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) and Dr. Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) who play a Boston police officer in the homicide unit and medical examiner respectively. This series is actually based on a book by Tess Gerritsen. Both Jane and Maura are complete opposites and good friends who solve crimes and bust some of Boston’s most notorious criminals. Growing up at opposite ends of the economic spectrum, the two remain strikingly different from one another in many ways.

Jane is the only female detective in Boston’s homicide division, is a tough and gutsy cop who doesn’t let her guard down (except with Maura), dodges her overprotective mother and is better at basketball than her brother. Maura, meanwhile, is usually more comfortable among the dead than the living. She is always impeccably dressed in designer duds with a steady, sometimes icy temperament. And she is working on curbing her tendency to diagnose the people she meets – including her first dates. Jane and Maura often use their brilliant minds and expertise to solve Boston’s most complex cases. Despite their many differences, Jane and Maura are best friends, with a quirky and supportive relationship.

The show also stars Lorraine Bracco as Angela, Jane’s demanding and intrusive mother; Lee Thompson Young as Detective Barry Frost, Jane’s somewhat green partner; Bruce McGill as Detective Vince Korsak, Jane’s seasoned former partner; and Jordan Bridges as Jane’s brother, Frankie Jr., a patrol cop who hopes one day to become a detective. Frank Rizzoli, Sr. (Chazz Palminteri) is Jane and Frankie's father. He owns and runs a plumbing business called "Rizzoli and Sons".

From the moment I laid my eyes on the start, I fell for this show. I love the tight-knit bond between the characters and the banters that go around. This show is a little bit like Bones as Maura is exactly like Dr. Temperance Brennan in that she spouts out facts and is intelligent except she isn’t as uncomfortable around people as much as Brennan is. The friendship between the two leads is what drives the show. If you like Bones, you’ll surely love Rizzoli & Isles.

See a sneak peek into the lives of these two women