so predictably easy to please

[pellucid]

Some months ago, I heard that TNT was going to air Rizzoli and Isles. I was enraptured by the premise: WOMEN COP PARTNERS!!! And really, they should have had me at "women cop partners," because hi, this is me.

But there were some promos that were painful, and some really scathing reviews, and I was quite busy right when it started airing, so I

Comments

[gabolange]

Because let's face it, most of us are not sleeping with our best girlfriends, and that fact does not in any way devalue those relationships.

I needn't explain to you why this just made me grin like a maniac. Just popping in to say: Yes! This!

And you've totally convinced me to give this show a try, simply because there are female friends being awesome and friendy. 'Cause we need more of that on television. :)

[pellucid]

Why do you think I wrote that line? ;)

I think you'll probably like it. Maura Isles, in particular, has some Temperance Brennan characteristics that I suspect you will appreciate and/or find charming, though she's different enough from Brennan that she's not just a Brennan clone.

And I was on the fence with Rizzoli, but she may have won me over with this line. After an older cop asks her if she's married, she says no, but that it's by choice. The guy asks why. Rizzoli: "Because no one I could love would want me to do this job, and I love this job." There are lots of single women in their 30s on TV, particularly on cop shows, but I've never seen a character so confidently say, "I choose the job, and I'm really happy with that choice," and not be portrayed as some kind of unhealthy monomaniac.

At least two eps in, the good parts are good in EXACTLY THE RIGHT WAYS.

[pellucid]

I went poking on imdb and have learned interesting things about Rizzoli & Isles. The creator is a woman--Janet Tamaro--who was a producer on Bones during seasons 2 and 3 and wrote, among other things, "Aliens in a Spaceship." And one of the show's directors so far? Roxann Dawson! (What is it with former Trek actors going on to successful careers as television directors?)

Just fun facts, really, but let's just say that I approve of the number of X chromosomes, not only in the cast, but also among TPTB.

[gabolange]

I literally just finished the pilot of Rizzoli & Isles. And it's hitting my friendshippy buttons (which I kind of didn't know I had) really hard. I like both women (oddly enough, especially Rizzoli, though that might be more because of that episode's focus on her), but I like them together a lot.

And Roxann Dawson! That's fantastic! So is the female creator! Just much yay!

(What is it with former Trek actors going on to successful careers as television directors?)

I have no idea, but many of them do. Maybe there's something in the water? Or possibly, that when you're doing a series like those for seven years you have to pick a few things up in order to stay interested . . . :)

[topaz_eyes]

Did you ever watch Cagney and Lacey from the 1980s? I thought that was a great example of 2 women working together and liking each other.

And yes, Gillian and Zoe should totally strike out on their own. And take Torres with them.

[pellucid]

Cagney and Lacey is definitely on my list. I remember my mother watching it faithfully, and I watched some, as well, but I was still young enough in the 80s that I don't remember it well. I've been intending to go back to it as an adult.

And I would SO watch the Gillian, Zoe, and Torres show!!!

[surreallis]

You know, it's not any worse than any other police drama. It has the same pitfalls of the others and suffers from the same unrealistic touches that they forsake for the drama. But it does it with TWO AWESOME WOMEN, instead of the formulaic male buddies. That in itself is enough to make it different and fresh

[pellucid]

I think Castle has spoiled me a little bit for better writing in a procedural: it's made me go, "oh, it CAN be better than all the others!" Not that Castle doesn't still have mostly predictable plotting, but the dialogue and character stuff is so very well done that it sort of highlights how most other police shows don't put much effort into that kind of thing.

But yes, Rizzoli and Isles is certainly no worse than most, and it's markedly better than some (including SVU in recent seasons, for instance, as well as all the CSIs), and THE PROTAGONISTS ARE WOMEN!!! There is also a refreshing lack of a young, white male in the main cast, I've noticed. So yeah, I think I'll be sticking with this one. :)

[surreallis]

I'm not really a Castle fan. Watched a few eps and found Castle annoying. So. Tastes are subjective and all that.

I just suffer from that fear that any show that features women who aren't desperate housewives or all about sex is going to nosedive into the ground because people aren't interested. You know how that is. Eeep! It's doing well in the ratings so far, but there are so many shows that start out well and then bomb. I'm AFRAID!

[pellucid]

I watched the second ep after posting this last night, and I'm still quite hooked. I expect I'll blow through the others in pretty short order. As I said above to gabolange, the good parts of this show are good in EXACTLY THE RIGHT WAYS, and the mediocre parts are no worse than in plenty of other shows that I have and do happily watch.

[pellucid]

HOW ARE THEY SO HOT???????????????

Also, LENA OLIN'S ARM MUSCLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

pellucid: predictably loving best friends with UST and couples who also hate each other since 2004.