Rizzoli & Isles Summer Finale Review: Let The Jerk Go!
"Melt My Heart To Stone" teased us with a Hoyt connection and almost had me fooled. Not that I thought the Rizzoli & Isles summer finale was going to resurrect the serial killer, but a murderous apprentice certainly seemed plausible.
Women being murdered, having their arms cut off and then encased in plaster to become replicas of the Venue de Milo made for a suitably creepy last episode of the summer. As an added bonus they really kept me guessing about the murderer until the final 15 minutes.
That's not to say I was happy to see Eddie Cibrian return as Dennis Rockmond. I disliked the character so much that I was thrilled he appeared to have been written off after only one episode. His return was a double edged sword.
The down side was that we had to endure more time with Dennis. I couldn't believe that Maura would even consider seeing him again. The guy slept with her and then didn't call for three months. His excuse about his book tour was lame. Call, text, e-mail, tweet... there are plenty of ways to communicate and he did nothing. Jane was right. Maura should have let the jerk go.
If only she'd listened.
With all the talk of his new book, I'd almost forgotten that Dennis was an artist, specifically a sculptor. That's when it all started to come together, which brings us to the upside.
Dennis Rockmond dead at the bottom of an elevator shaft.
At least I now know there's little chance of his return and Maura can hopefully find someone worthy of her in the future. Even if he weren't a serial killer, Dennis was never that guy.
We've generally been witness to Jane dealing with the trauma of horrific events. Now it's Maura's turn. As Jane told her in this Rizzoli & Isles quote…
Serial killers get away with it because they appear so normal. | permalink
But it seemed that Maura couldn't forgive herself for not seeing through Dennis' charming facade. Hopefully Jane can help her get through this event when the series returns.
In other stories, I was surprised they brought back Detective Riley Cooper, but she should make an interesting addition to the homicide department. It always seemed odd to me that Frankie would be up for a position in homicide as a new detective. I'm no expert but it's always seemed that most cops work their way up to that department.
Now we'll get to see how long Frankie and Frost will hold their grudge and which one Riley will start a relationship with. I vote for Frost. But then that leads to all types of conflict with them working on the same squad.
Once again, Lydia was back and Angela made me proud. No matter how angry she was at this twisted situation, she knew what mattered.
Angela: That baby didn't have anything to do with how it got made. | permalink
Angela has a good heart and I hope that the baby is her grandson, especially since it just ended up on her doorstep.
One of the biggest disappointment of the last few episodes was that Maura's biological family was never mentioned after such an emotional cliffhanger. They just left that storyline hanging without a word and I can only hope they revisit it when the season continues in November.
But overall I've enjoyed this run of Rizzoli & Isles. Jane and Maura's banter is some of the best on TV and proves that girl power can be as entertaining as any romance. That November return feels a long way off, doesn't it?
C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
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September 2nd, 2012 11:03 PM
This season story lines were so disappointing. There are too many story lines on the show already that they haven't picked up on. Like Maura's mother's, both of them. Maura's relationship with Paddy. Also, where is Casey? At least they got rid of Dean, in all of one episode. There isn't enough time being spent showing them solving the cases..which made for some of the best entertainment. Though Detective Riley is a nice addition, she is not needed at this time. Especially when all the other characters aren't even fully developed.
This season really started to drag after the second episode. They really need to juice up the story line..like ASAP. Season one was way more gritty and the crimes seemed to be written better. Season two was good, until the end(excluding the last episode), but even then you could see the stories becoming predictable.
I hope the last five episodes improve because if not I will not be watching thr fourth season. I also agree that Maura's random knowledge
August 24th, 2012 4:43 PM
This show consistently fails to deliver on its good characters by sloppy writing. For example, the entire issue of Jane's brother Frankie is poorly written. He was in the running for a detective slot in homicide straight from uniform patrol. Impossible. Then the captain has him dressed in a suit in the squad room surprised by the selection of someone else. A police force isn't American Idol where job applicants show up and are surprised. Also, how are people constantly just showing up in the police cafeteria..Who gets to walk in to police headquarters uses orated and unannounced?
August 19th, 2012 12:10 AM
I agree with Suzanne-I think Jane and Maura are getting too cutesy and they do act like teens when they're together. Also, Maura constantly spouting off facts is getting really annoying. How can she know so much about every subject? I know she's smart-but jeez! For someone so smart, she really has no common sense-she should have listened to Jane and her "gut feeling" about not liking/trusting Dennis. Another point someone made; too much family interaction and not enough time spent on the cases which are getting weaker. I wholeheartedly agree. Seasons 1 and 2 were awesome with much better writing/cases. Hopefully, the second half of season 3 will be much stronger!
August 17th, 2012 8:05 PM
It's sad they spend so much of the storyline with her mother at the restaruant. Both stars are great actresses, but the storylineis getting boring. What happened to this being a detective story? When Angie Harmon was on Law & Order her dramatic acting skills were dynamic. And Sasha on NCIS was so good in her interactions. They make this a comedy with too much time spent on her mother and her problems.
August 17th, 2012 10:42 AM
I liked the show. Just so everyone knows this was not a season finale it was just an episode of season 3. They are just on hiatus right now. They return in November to finish season 3 with 5 more episodes so the season 3 finale will be episode 15 not this one.
August 16th, 2012 9:29 PM
When she first showed up in a prior episode, I had a feeling that Detective Riley Cooper was an undercover cop (in my view the telegraphed it with the order to back off) so I was not surprised when she was reintroduced in this episode.
As for Dennis, they had a list of where the prior statues showed up and the fact that he was on tour raised a red flag for me asking if he tour locations/dates matched those of the statues.
August 16th, 2012 4:03 AM
I loved this episode. I thought Sasha Alexander did an wonderful acting job. She is very good as Dr. Isles. Happy Dennis is gone. Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander work great together and their chemistry makes the show. I too like the books but in the books I found the friendship to be weak, nothing like the tv shows friendship which is very powerful and the reason I love this show.
August 15th, 2012 7:15 PM
I did not enjoy this season finale AT ALL. The whole deal with Lydia is poorly scripted. As I have noted before, Angie Harmon is believable in her role. Sasha Alexander is either a terrible actress or cannot make the sub-par writing she is given come to life. Having watched the excellent series finale of THE CLOSER the previous evening, Rizzoli & Isles just does not measure up. They need new writers!
August 15th, 2012 6:14 PM
I continue to enjoy this series even though (sorry!) I much prefer the characters as they appear in Tess Gerritsen's books. I didn't care for Dennis from the moment I saw him, but then I no longer expect Maura to make good choices in that department.
I'm looking forward to next season...but I would love to see another book. I should be grateful, however; it was watching the show that turned me to the books.
Rank: Recurring Character
August 15th, 2012 4:40 PM
I, too had a feeling that Dennis was the bad guy from the get-go, because he was just too creepy and upbeat, and the timing of his return coincided with the murders, which seemed a little too convenient. I was thoroughly glad that he ended up in the elevator shaft. He was such a sleazy creep, I could NOT understand Maura's attraction to him either.
But I love the banter between Maura and Jane, and I don't find it too juvenile at all. I also wondered, as did the reviewer, if we were going to see anything about Maura's mom and half sister, but I am assuming they will be in an episode of the winter season that is coming up. And I wonder if Janes mom is going to adopt the boy baby that Lydia dropped on their doorstep? I hope they find out who the father is (and I hope it is Tommy).