TV Review: TNT's 'Rizzoli & Isles'
Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander have little chemistry in this new TNT series
Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander of 'Rizzoli & Isles'
Credit: TNT
TNT obviously isn't "in trouble." I know this. I can read the cable ratings. But all the same? TNT is in trouble. "Rizzoli & Isles," which premieres on Monday (July 12) night marks the cable network's second consecutive procedural dud to launch in less than a month, following "Memphis Blues."
"Saving Grace," fresh off of yet another Emmy nomination for Holly Hunter, is gone for reasons that had nothing to do with ratings. I watched four or five episodes of "Hawthorne" last summer before quitting in pain.
That leaves TNT with "The Closer," zero shame there, and "Leverage," which is so light and fun (when I remember to watch) that it probably belongs on USA anyway.
Like I said, I understand that as long as TNT has "The Closer," powerhouse crime repeats and NBA basketball, the network isn't really in trouble. But remember that great development streak the network was on a couple years back? Yeah. It may be over.
But I'm here to bury "Rizzoli & Isles" for now. A full review is after the break...
The strong through-line of TNT programming that seemed to be developing a couple years back? It's lost. Looking at "Memphis Beat" and "Rizzoli & Isles" and trying to see a through-line, this is the best I can come up with: TNT is now the network of regionally specific crime procedurals that render their distinctive locations generic with dull casework and really, really uninteresting characters played by overqualified actors.
That's not as catchy as "We Know Drama."
"Rizzoli & Isles" is based on the popular series of crime novels by Tess Gerritsen and stars Angie Harmon as Jane Rizzoli, Boston detective. Rizzoli is a terrific detective, but she has a problem: Her heart rules her head.
How do I know this? Not because she's particularly emotional about anything happening in the episode. In fact, Harmon has always been a fairly chilly actress.
I know this because the pilot features one of those quintessential TV/movie serial killers (played by the excellent Michael Massee) who like to sniff and psycho-analyse female law enforcement figures. And in one scene, apropos of nothing, he tells Rizzoli, "Your problem is that your heart rules your head."
Oh. Thanks, Serial Killer/Exposition Man!
This goes back again to what is becoming my major complaint of the weekend -- see its previous iterations in my reviews of "Haven" and "The Glades" -- if you are a writer and you have to have another character tell the main character (and therefore the audience) what your main character's fatal flaw is, you probably haven't done a very good job of writing action for your major character that displays said problem in a way that would make the exposition unnecessary. Or, put the same way your 9th grade teacher tried to say it, "Show me, don't have a serial killer tell me."
When TNT initially announced this pilot, it was only called "Rizzoli," which made sense, since she's the main character and she comes complete with the hammy Italian mom (Lorraine Bracco), the insecure younger brother (Jordan Bridges), the weak-stomached new partner (Lee Thompson Young) and the crusty, cranky ex-partner (Bruce McGill). But then, perhaps realizing that co-star Sasha Alexander appeared on TV's most popular drama ("NCIS") back before it was TV's most popular drama, they added "Isles" to the title even though, as a character, Isles is still an afterthought.
See, if Rizzoli's problem is that her heart rules her head, Isles' problem is that she's all head, no heart. Isles, a medical examiner, understands the dead better than she understands the living. [I know this because somebody tells her that she understands the dead better than she understands the living in the second episode. Like I said, this isn't an especially well-written series.] Isles, who also relishes her ability to speak for the dead, is an attractive encyclopedia of facts and figures, but she isn't always that graceful when it comes to social niceties.
In short, Isles is pretty shamelessly a top-to-bottom, from the dialogue to Alexander's interpretation of the character, carbon copy of Emily Deschanel's Temperance Brennan from "Bones." At least "Rizzoli & Isles" comes by the theft somewhat honestly, since series developer Janet Tamaro has "Bones" listed prominently on her resume.
But "Rizzoli & Isles" isn't an all-female version of "Bones," with Rizzoli standing in for David Boreanaz's Booth. And it isn't really the series that TNT is selling it as. The ads have been all about not-so-quippy one-liners, a cute barking dog and not-so-hilarious banter between Rizzoli and Isles. I'm looking at a poster image of the two women hanging in a morgue looking flirty and fun. That's not "Rizzoli & Isles."
Instead, both of the two episodes I've seen begin with really intense, really unpleasant scenes of violence towards vulnerable women, totally "Criminal Minds" stuff. And then each episode has done a hard cut into Rizzoli playing sports -- basketball with her brother in the pilot, softball with colleagues in the second episode -- lest we ever forget both that she's a tomboy and also that she's a woman in a man's world. Both episodes also focus on serial killers (not really a sustainable narrative choice) and, from what I can tell, they condense the plots of whole books into 44 minutes that unavoidably feel rushed and underdeveloped.
So "Rizzoli & Isles" is darker than you think it is. The crime-driven material is familiar and, because of the book condensing, hurried and mystery-free, while at least in the early going, attempts at levity aren't working at all. The pilot really can't make up its mind on what kind of relationship Rizzoli and Isles have and, as a result, the actresses can't find any sort of rapport. Are they supposed to be colleagues on the verge of a classic buddy-friendship? Are they already close friends only hampered by Rizzoli's heart and Isles' brains? And in the second episode, they only occasionally share scenes, so there's a lack of back-and-forth. Humor in the first episode mostly comes from Bracco's shrieking caricature of a mother, though she's also downplayed in the second episode.
I've never thought Harmon was a bad actress, but she's also not a varied actress, so she's basically doing her "Law & Order" and "Women's Murder Club" thing, which again gets in the way of any specificity to this character. There are random pieces of business thrown out there for Harmon that amount to nothing. Like she breaks her nose at the start of the pilot, but the injury has no visible effect or payoff. The first episode introduces stigma-like wounds inflicted by a perp, but it doesn't look like we'll hear about them ever again. In the first episode she attempts a Boston accent once every two or three scenes, dropping her r's at arbitrary points, almost as an experiment. I may be wrong, but I think that by the second episode, she's decided not to bother with an accent, a choice also wisely made by Alexander.
McGill, never an actor to shy from going broad, has embraced the accent and he does it solidly. Nobody else seems to be trying. That's completely OK, by the way. Not everybody in a Boston-based movie or TV show has to pretend to be an extra from "Good Will Hunting." The accents neither inherently add to, nor take away from, a sense of place. Unfortunately, accents or no, "Rizzoli & Isles" gets very little Boston flavor and when an real Boston-ite like Donnie Wahlberg pops up in the second episode, his authenticity is jarring.
"Rizzoli & Isles" is well-populated with actors I like quite a bit, from McGill to Wahlberg to Massee to Billy Burke to Brian Dennehy. There are so many good actors on the periphery that I could really grow to like "Rizzoli & Isles" if not for Rizzoli and Isles. And that's not the M.O. for a cable network that has built shows around strong women like Kyra Sedgwick and Holly Hunter and then let appealing ensembles grow around them. With "Rizzoli & Isles," it's like the network is hoping that the hole at the center of this investigative donut will magically fill itself in, making for a tasty Boston Kreme. So far, there's no indication that that's going to happen and even less indication that I'm going to stick around to see if it improves.
"Rizzoli & Isles" premieres on Monday, July 12 at 10 p.m. on TNT.
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At the dawn of the 21st Century, Daniel Fienberg came out to Los Angeles for grad school. He hasn't left. "The Fien Print" is a blog about television -- reviews, interviews, analysis -- but it's also about movies and the business of Hollywood. It probably won't be a blog about the Red Sox, though it might seem like that at times.
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July 12, 2010 at 3:10AM EST Reply to CommentI just don't get the concept that a homicide detective would be wearing stiletto heels!
July 12, 2010 at 1:06PM EST Reply to CommentYikes!!! I had a feeling this show would disappoint because the previews seem so NBCish and fall flat. I've still got it scheduled on my DVR and plan to give it a chance. It can't be too difficult to be better than the 'Good Guys', can it?
dan Gerrit - Say what you will about "Good Guys," but it has a specific voice and a point-of-view. "Rizzoli & Isles," alas, does not...
July 12, 2010 at 1:08PM EST-Daniel
Robert
July 12, 2010 at 4:58PM ESTWhat?
The Good Guys" is one of the best TV shows of the summer airing on a major broadcast network. Unless someone is a fan of all the reality and competition/game show crap that currently runs on ABC, NBC and FOX (it seems CBS is content with running mostly repeats of procedural's), "The Good Guys" is a refreshing breath of fresh air.
At least with "The Good Guys" I can always be assured of laughing and being thoroughly entertained for an hour.
good sense "The Good Guys" is even worse than "Rizzoli & Isles." Much worse. I'll never watch either again.
July 13, 2010 at 3:53AM EST
July 13, 2010 at 8:45AM ESTThe serial killer was imagined to be a (very) 'Hannibal Lector' type with scenes and dialog pretty much plagiarized from 'Silence of the Lambs'. If it was meant as parody, it failed.
I had the feeling I was watching snippets of every successful crime movie or TV show made in the last 20 years.
Eileen Donovan
July 12, 2010 at 1:48PM EST Reply to CommentSouthland is on TNT and it's everything this show is not: great writing, great acting, great stories. So it's not just The Closer.
dan Eileen - I'm not personally a huge "Southland" fan, but I'd definitely put it in the same "nothing to be ashamed of" file as "The Closer." And I know some people love "Southland." I also didn't mention the frequently unbearable "Dark Blue," which returns later this summer...
July 12, 2010 at 1:59PM EST-Daniel
July 12, 2010 at 9:18PM ESTChuck
July 12, 2010 at 3:37PM EST Reply to CommentOut of curiosity, what shows other than "The Closer" would you put in the aforementioned "great development streak"?
dan Chuck - It may not have really been a "streak," per se. But "Saving Grace," at the very least, gave Holly Hunter a genuinely interesting character to play and some people like that show. Maybe you could include "Leverage" in that streak? Umm... Yeah. "streak" may have been an overstatement. For a brief period it felt like TNT had a solid schedule with very few misses on the development side. Lately, they've been on a streak of misses and the only "success" or respectable non-failure was an NBC castoff...
July 12, 2010 at 3:48PM ESTBut yeah, I may have over-spoken on "streak" and "great."
-Daniel
good sense I'd add "The Cleaner" to "Leverage" and "Saving Grace."
July 13, 2010 at 3:56AM ESTNissa Good sense, The Cleaner was on A&E, not TNT.
July 13, 2010 at 11:46AM EST
July 12, 2010 at 7:38PM EST Reply to CommentI have this set to record as I'm a huge fan of the Tess Gerritsen series, but from the trailers I've seen so far it's going to be a disaster. Such a shame as the material they have to work with is fantastic.
cmr I've never read the books, but I watched the show tonight and really liked it. Looking forward to seeing more episodes. And I don't think Lorraine Bracco was "hammy" at all.
July 13, 2010 at 1:51AM ESTKathleen
July 13, 2010 at 11:02AM EST Reply to CommentThe first show of Rizzoli and Isles was too violent and too violent against women with the scummy rapist that I turned it off in the first ten minutes. It's too late at night for me to get overly anxious and I JUST don't want shows that perpitrate violence against women.
MatthewM
July 13, 2010 at 1:37PM EST Reply to CommentDan? You are way over thinking these shows. I love Angie, I love Sasha, I love R & I. It's just cops & killers entertainment, get on board or get over it! Loved the pilot.
Saving Grace? Loved Holly Hunter (esp. naked/mostly naked) couldn't stand the show.
The Closer? May be an excellent series but I could never make it through an episode. Kyra Sedgewick is just So UGLEY she hurts my eyes!
Leverage? O.K. once in a while.
Why do you 'so called critics' think you know what everyone likes or should like. You are just giving YOUR opinion which is no better than mine or anyone else's except somebody is stupid enough to pay you for it and that is REALLY disgusting.
Memphis Beat? Would never watch it.
dan MatthewM - That's why my name is on the review, good sir. And why it's in my blog. Because it is, indeed, MY opinion. All I can do is have an opinion and explain that opinion. I don't claim to know everyone's likes or dislikes. Glad you loved the show.
July 13, 2010 at 2:12PM EST-Daniel
Rainne Exactly this, Matthew! Thanks for putting it so eloquently. Just because Dan has a blog and someone gives him money to spout off in it doesn't make him right. R&I was great, and I'll be watching it every week.
July 13, 2010 at 7:48PM ESTShelly
July 13, 2010 at 5:22PM EST Reply to CommentI have read all of Tess Gerritsen's, I loved all of them and always hoped they would make them into a series. I watched the premier, and I enjoyed it, yes I think making Angie Harmon the crabby Jane Rizzoli was an odd choice, but sex sells... I also think that Dr. Isle's chracter is a little stuck up... But I will definitely watch next week.
K9Dude
July 13, 2010 at 7:02PM EST Reply to CommentWhat breed of dog was in the first 'Rizzoli & Isles' episode? (Mutt or actual breed)
Leigh Ann I know I want one,
July 31, 2010 at 8:43AM ESTDog Man Not sure, but I think it may be an Australian Terrier. I only saw a really quick glimpse of the pup...
September 9, 2010 at 4:21PM ESTRainne
July 13, 2010 at 7:46PM EST Reply to CommentYou're full of it. The show was great. Just because you're trying to bury TNT and came into the show having already decided it was going to suck doesn't mean it does.
dan Rainne - I have zero interest in burying TNT, since about 1000 words of this review had nothing at all to do with TNT, but with the failings of this show IN MY OPINION. That's all I can possibly give. Fortunately, my review doesn't eliminate your opinion. It just disagrees with it.
July 13, 2010 at 8:04PM EST-Daniel
Tim
July 13, 2010 at 8:18PM EST Reply to CommentI like the show Rizzoli and Isles. 2 hot women!!!
July 17, 2010 at 11:21AM EST Reply to CommentI have been looking forward to this show for a while because I really enjoy both Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander as performers. They may be playing characters that are similar to ones they've played before, but that's ok - it's kind of what I want from them.
So, I enjoyed the show quite a bit. Your comparison to "Bones" caught me a bit off-guard - Temperance Brennen never came to mind while watching Isles. Isles seems to be more connected to the world than Brennen is, and more relaxed.
Of course, I love procedurals in general, so it usually takes a bit of effort to turn me off from one, and this one looks like it'll be a nice way to kill an hour a week with a couple of "familiar-ish" friends :)