by Jesus Ibarra

Last year TV fans got an amazing treat with the return of Angie Harmon in Rizzoli & Isles, a show about cop Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) and her best friend Medical Examiner, Maura Isles( Sasha Alexander) solving cases in Boston. Sounds like a tired formula, but surprisingly Sasha Alexander and Angie Harmon have amazing chemistry that makes the show more about their friendship than the cases.

I would almost say this is like Bones without the sexual tension aspect, because these characters rely on each other completely. It also helps that the characters are almost complete opposites that complement each other. While Maura is book smart, a fashionista, from a wealthy family, almost having no social skills, and is somewhat reserved; Jane is street smart, from a middle class Italian family, blunt to the point her mouth gets her in trouble, and very down to earth. They somehow fit together perfectly, but their relationship in the first season isn’t always rainbows and sunshine. In some episodes the aspects in which they differ get fleshed out a bit and we get to see how they handle conflict in their close friendship.

The backdrop in Boston is well served, but occasionally the Boston accent is completely dropped by some characters, which can pull you out of the episode. The cases are sometimes generic in the first season, but others are done excellently. Especially the mind-blowing season finale, which is completely inline with the character of Jane Rizzoli, but I’m sure we will see some repercussions in the second season.

I’m super excited to see a show that can balance character development and the police procedural effectively, because television is sorely lacking that these days. Catch the first season on DVD. Season 2 premiers on TNT Monday, July 11 at 10/9 Central. Learn more about this show and see eps on their website.

Jesus Ibarra is 19 years old and an ongoing contributor to our Teen Talk section; with a love of all media, he’s always on the lookout for the best finds.