My thoughts on Rizzoli & Isles season 5 premiere

[This review was written the day after the season premiere but was accidentally left in drafts rather than posted.]

Season 5 of Rizzoli & Isles premiered last night and before the episode was over #RizzoliandIsles was trending on Twitter. The writers, along with star Sasha Alexander were all tweeting live from the writers room. (Check out the picture gallery for some of the pictures they posted.) The ratings surprised me a little. Turns out the live ratings were lower than last season by almost a point. Season 4 was getting around a 6.8 and episode 501 received a 5.8. That doesn't include later 7 day viewings nor DVR recordings.

As to the episode itself - I enjoyed it. I thought the ratio of personal to case was good, and I actually followed the case with interest. Those who have read my past reviews know that I've always felt the weakest part of this series has been the crimes themselves. Last night I think they did good. If this is a sign of the future of this show under new showrunner Jan Nash then I'm happy about the change so far.

This site has rizzles in the title, and for those who may not know what that stands for it's the term used for those who see the subtext in Jane and Maura's relationship - that maybe they're more than friends. I have to be honest, I no longer look for, nor see much of rizzles going on. We all knew they were never going to get together. These are two straight friends who love each other like family. With the events in this episode and some spoilers I've read about things coming up the subtext is very much going underground this season. What surprises me is that I'm okay with that. I'd rather watch a good crime drama then have continued on the path this show was on. I'm not saying it was bad, but I know to a lot of fans like myself Rizzoli & Isles had gone from a show that we all talked about and watched together and loved, to just another show on television. Something had happened between the third and fourth season. For me personally I can't put my finger on exactly what it was but it showed in my waning dedication to my website and blogs.

I watched last night's episode twice. That says a lot. Season four I only watched the episodes once. Compare that to season one and two when I watched the episodes four to five times each. I'm hoping last night is a sign of my passion for this show coming back. Truth be told, I missed it.

SPOILERS

So Jane really is pregnant and is going to have a baby. Interestingly, Angie Harmon has wanted that for Jane. I don't see a problem, I just hope Casey falls by the way side. He has proven not to be relationship material.

I felt that they handled the death of Det. Frost very well. I'm sure next weeks episode will pay tribute to not only the character but the actor who portrayed him, Lee Thompson Young. From the previews tissues will be required.

SPOILERS Season 5 of Rizzoli & Isles

There are loads of spoilers out there for season 5 of Rizzoli & Isles and we've compiled a list of some of them. We'll be updating as more and more spoilers become available.




SPOILERS ALERT!

If you don't want to know what's going to happen don't read any further.

Episode 1 "A New Day"

• We won't find out about Frost's death until the end of the episode. It will be a car accident.
• Jane is pregnant.

Episode 2 "Goodbye"

• As the title suggests, the service for Frost takes place in this episode.
• Jane delivers the eulogy.

More SPOILERS:

• Maura meets a professor and begins to fall for him in Episode 5
• Tommy Rizzoli will be back for at least one episode.
• Susie Chang will be in quite a few episodes.
• Jane will possibly get a new partner by episode 8.

Source: The internet

Sasha Alexander social media ambassador for Screen Actors Guild Awards

Sasha Alexander is the social media ambassador for this year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards®! She'll reveal the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® nominations on December 11th.

Without Lee: Some of the cast & crew from Rizzoli & Isles tweets about Lee Thompson Young

I put some tweets together from the cast & crew
in memory of Lee Thompson Young.

I liked a Rizzoli & Isles crime story! What's up with that?

I don't know why. I can't explain it. Last night as I was watching the latest episode of  Rizzoli & Isles I discovered,  much to my horror, that I actually LIKED the CRIME STORYLINE. Ladies and gentlemen that does not happen with this show! Unless it has to do with Maura's mobster father I don't care about the murder nor who did it. What is going on here??

Episode 4x10

I look back at it now and it was not anything overly exciting. Drag racing. I don't get into drag racing. Car blows up. Okay, yeah and? I have been trying to put my finger on why it is suddenly the writers have managed to keep my attention focused on the crime.

If you look at my Rizzoli & Isles rants and reviews in the past I have always been upfront about the fact that the crimes in this show are secondary with me and I really could care less. It wasn't even some wonderful subtext between Jane and Maura. Nice friendship scenes and funny moments but nothing that screams rizzles. So, here I sit - baffled.

Was it just decent writing? Incorporating everything well enough to hold my interest to all of it? I really can't say. This season has been very up and down for me. A gradual build to one of the best episodes of the series (4x05) back down to the, 'yeah just another episode' episodes, and then this.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I'm just wondering out loud how or why this happened. Why now? Why this episode?

I'd love to hear your thoughts? Write to me here or on Twitter.
@kellyeneal


Posted from sister blog: Thoughts From a TV Geek

#1 Show We Can't Wait to Watch - Rizzoli & Isles

"Rizzoli & Isles" (TNT, returns June 25)

TNT's hit procedural puts a spin on the usual crime drama by giving us two female leads: hard-nosed cop Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) and fashionable medical examiner Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander). Plus, there's an unspoken sexual tension between the gals that plays well with a certain segment of the viewing public. "Prison Break's" Amaury Nolasco joins the cast this season as a former colleague of Jane's who's now in charge of the police department's drug unit. 

 

 

 

Source 

Sasha Alexander interview with T.V. Guide

A Day Out With Rizzoli & Isles Star Sasha Alexander

Source

Sasha Alexander is nothing if not brave. After all, this is the same actress currently starring as medical examiner Maura Isles on Season 3 of TNT's smash procedural Rizzoli & Isles — who walked away from a lead role on NCIS after only two seasons. She married the son of legendary Italian sex symbol Sophia Loren, a gig not for the faint of heart. And today, Alexander, 39, is swinging upside down from a trapeze suspended far above the Santa Monica Pier her suggestion despite admitting that she's spooked by heights. We set out to investigate what fuels her fearlessness.

TV Guide Magazine: When you quit the plum part as NCIS Agent Caitlin Todd in 2005, did everyone think you were nuts?
Alexander: Yeah. People don't realize that on a network show, you make 24 episodes a year — that's 10½ months a year, 17 hours a day. It's hard core. Plus, people really loved the character, and the way they did it was really shocking...it was a bullet to the head, you know?

TV Guide Magazine: Any regrets?
Alexander: I really firmly believe in my heart that I would not be where I am today happily married, with two kids, doing things creatively that I want if I had stayed. I didn't want to wake up and be in my forties and go, "Oh, my gosh!" But people don't understand.

TV Guide Magazine: Let's travel even further back on your résumé — to a little place called Dawson's Creek. You played James Van Der Beek's older love interest! Do tell...
Alexander: I was so fascinated by how these very young people — James and Josh [Jackson] and Katie [Holmes] and Michelle [Williams] were dealing with being teenagers and going through all that. Fangirls were really jealous of me, like, "What's he like to kiss?" And I'm like, "Good?" What do you say?

TV Guide Magazine: So how'd the role in Rizzoli & Isles come to be?
Alexander: After NCIS, I wanted to be really diligent about picking characters I want to play every week and that show all sides of me. They brought me in to read with Angie [Harmon] — we'd never met, but we immediately clicked.

TV Guide Magazine: The show hinges on the chemistry between you as best friends a bond that was tested earlier this season. How would you describe the dynamic?
Alexander: There's a friction, a fieriness, that I think is good. I feel like, this season, we've really hit an amazing stride together...there's a looseness, a real synergy. Jane and Maura rebuilding their trust [after Jane shot Maura's biological gangster father] has made things much stronger.

TV Guide Magazine: Who's your real-life Rizzoli?
Alexander: She's an actress Jessica Capshaw from Grey's Anatomy. We met 12, 13 years ago because people would always say, "You remind me of my friend Jessica," and it was the same for her about me. So many people said it mutually that finally we saw each other at an audition and she said, "Hey, do you mind waiting for me? Let's go have a coffee." And that was it. She's the godmother to my daughter, I'm the godmother to her son. She's hilarious.

TV Guide Magazine: How did you and writer-director Edoardo Ponti get together?
Alexander: We met at film school at USC. He was always lovely he had a smile that gave me enormous comfort, even though I didn't know him. Eight years later, I'd worked an all-nighter on NCIS and I was sitting in a restaurant eating breakfast with a hat on, and he walked up to my table and said, "Sasha, do you remember me?"

TV Guide Magazine: What's it like having a bombshell for a mother-in-law?
Alexander: The first time we met, it was intimidating. This was six months in. But the minute I walked in, she gave me a hug and a kiss. She's an extremely warm person. She's phenomenal; she's stunning. She loves to eat and sleep and live. When we go out, we have Prosecco, chocolate and everything in between. It's funny: I took her to the airport yesterday, and she was like, "What is this book everyone's talking about?" I bought her Fifty Shades of Grey and told her she needs to read it.

People.com ignores Sasha Alexander

Angie and Sasha on People.com.

This is a little rant of mine that I posted on Tumblr and decided to also post here.

I don’t do a lot of ranting, but with this video [Pictured on the left] I simply have to. It’s not about the video itself. It’s actually very cute. It’s the fact that the video is about Rizzoli AND Isles and has BOTH Angie AND Sasha in it, yet People.com titled it “Angie Harmon: Even the Dead Should Get Pedicures.”


Was Sasha not in the video? Are they not promoting Rizzoli and Isles TOGETHER?

Now I understand that Angie is the one who talked about the dead getting pedicures, but it’s the title of a video that they’re both in. They’ve completely ignored the other half of the “team.” Even the subtitle mentioned Timothy Hutton’s appearance in it but NOT Sasha! That upset me.

Now I know you’re probably thinking, “Hey, relax. It’s not really a big deal.” Normally I would agree with you, however I know there are a lot of fans out there who have felt, as I do, that Sasha’s been given almost a secondary role in the media. Combine that with the fact that this is the second television series that I’ve loved with two female leads that has had the media make one actress take a back seat over the one that they deem the “star.” The other was Renee O’Connor on Xena. At least that show was named for only one of the characters. Rizzoli and Isles are the two leads!

Angie has been on how many daytime talk shows in the last two years and it wasn’t until the series third season that Sasha gets on The Talk and Racheal Ray. This isn’t Angie’s fault. Please don’t think I’m blaming her, because I’m not. Not at all. This is the media and television studios, and it really upsets me.

Maybe Sasha doesn’t mind. In fact it wouldn’t surprise me if she doesn’t, and If that’s the case then I completely respect that. It’s just that when I saw that there was an “Angie” video, and then realized it was both of them, It really bugged me that Sasha’s name was missing.

Does anyone else feel the same way?

Lee Thompson Young on watching Sasha Alexander & Angie Harmon work.

“This is really a treat for me as an actor, to watch Rizzoli and Isles playing off of each other, and I’ve developed this analogy in my mind that it’s like watching Charlie Parker and Miles Davis having a little improv session, because their styles are so different.”

“They’re almost like polar opposites,” he adds. “And yet they find this rhythm together so they can play back and forth, and it’s like a master class. I feel like INSIDE THE ACTOR’S STUDIO every day. I’m like,’ “Wow, how did she get there?’ It’s really a pleasure to watch the chemistry between the two [Harmon and Alexander].”

Source

Janet Tamaro - Hoyt, Maura fencing, 15 episodes

Question from Bay Keech:
Hi there, I have a question. Would Jane have to deal with Hoyt again after his death in season two?
Janet's response:
One of the challenges of this show (because each episode is "closed-ended" and must stand on its own) is it's difficult to circle back and reference episodes new viewers may not have seen. I do my level best to keep our returning fans happy, but I also to try not to exclude new fans. So the short answer is probably not.



Question from Tish Buford:
Jane had asked Maura once in a previous episode if she played sports. One of Maura's answers was fencing, by any chance would we ever see Maura perform fencing in an episode?
Janet's response:
Just after I read this question, Sasha Alexander (who plays Maura Isles) asked me the same thing!! So, yes, I suspect we’re going to see Maura fence.


Question from Melanie Reber:
Janet, Can you please tell us fans why there is so little of Rizzoli & Isles each season? I as well as others (I'm sure) would like to know why the girls don't get as many episodes as other TV shows?
Janet's response:
Many cable networks order anywhere from 6 episodes to 15. TNT orders 15 "Rizzoli & Isles" episodes, which is a heck of a lot better than 6. Thanks for your interest, though. Glad to know you’d like more.



Source: TNT

Sharon Lawrence talks instant chemistry with Sasha Alexander on Rizzoli & Isles

SHARON LAWRENCE
RIZZOLI AND ISLES
by: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?
A) I did the show "Rizzoli and Isles" and I am also on the show "Drop Dead Diva" again this season. I think that airs in August. I'm also in the film The Middle of Nowhere, which was just honored as one of the gala films at the LA Film Festival. It will be released by Participant in October. It won also won Best Director at Sundance for Ava DuVernay, the first African American woman to ever win that award. I also serve Women in Film, the group that's been around for thirty-five years working towards a global vision for women in the entertainment market place.
Q) What can you tell us about your character Dr. Hope Martin on "Rizzoli and Isles?"
A) She is the long lost and long discussed birth mother to Maura Isles. She is not aware that her daughter is someone who has actually enlisted her assistance in a technique to determine a murder victim. She doesn't know that the scientist working right across from in the lab is indeed her daughter. She does feel a real excitement about someone who shares her passion for this work and who respects the techniques she developed as a scientist in the 80s to determine bodies during the Bosnian War. That endeavor in her life is one that I think is very telling. She's reuniting the physical remains of people who have passed with their families. And actually, with her own story, she herself has a huge piece missing. She and Maura share that passion for the work that they do, that analytical sensibility, but they also have a big gap that only Maura knows the truth about.
Q) Were you a fan of the show before being asked to guest star?
A) Yes! And I was really a fan of the fact that it's based on a book written by a woman, Tess Gerritsen, and created as a television series by a woman, Janet Tamaro. I liked it stars two female leads and I think it very accurately shows the complexity that women have. These women are daughters, colleagues, friends and professionals and the show really does capture the modern woman's juggling act. It's very gratifying to serve their vision.
Q) What challenged you about this role?
A) Well, I think the emotional depth of a character who has lost someone is always a compelling thing to play. On "Drop Dead Diva," I also lost a daughter, but there is a much lighter and more soulful well draw from - a sense of completion. She is someone who has been able to move through her grief in a more productive way. This character is someone who is trapped in a way that she doesn't quite understand and certainly doesn't acknowledge. She is someone who lives in her mind the way Maura does. For me, as an actor, one of the challenges and one of the rewards was trying to find the way to create a realistic portrayal of mother and daughter who have never known each other, but yet share similar qualities. We physically resemble each other in a very striking way so that was easy or helpful. Then I worked to find the physical behaviors or quirks that Maura has and included them in my performance.

Q) Was there instant chemistry when you began working with Sasha Alexander?
A) Yes! Unequivocally it was great! She is an amazing actor. What she manages to balance - she's aware that she's only inches away from the woman that gave her away and who she's had all these complex feelings for. Her assumption about this woman is not true and she can't even reach out, touch her and tell her because it's literally an emotional bomb that could go off in their lives. Watching her work is just amazing.
Q) What were some of your favorite scenes to film for the show?
A) Some of my favorite moments were around a dinner table with Angie Harmon and Lorraine Bracco, who are hysterical! Sasha is so gracious, graceful and playful and seeing their bond - that was really a delight. It isn't always like that, but this is a very happy group of people.
Q) What do you think it is about the show that continues to captivate so many viewers?
A) I think we can identify them as friends. We can identify them as people who work for a living. We can identify them with what makes them driven in their duty and what parts of their lives they have to work harder at balancing. I think you can't underestimate the chemistry between those two beautiful gals who are just easy and fun to watch, especially what they bring out in each other.
Q) You are a part of the social networking site Twitter. Why is that such an important place for you to connect with fans and promote your work?
A) I don't devote my Twitter feed to just my work. It's really just as much about things I find inspiring, interesting and compelling in life. For me, it's a way to find out things that I am interested in that other people are doing and sometimes pass that on. It isn't just a tool for business.
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?
A) I'm grateful that we live in a country where we can tell stories freely, knowing that women in Iran are killed sometimes for expressing themselves through music. We are very fortunate in this culture to have the freedom to tell our stories the way we see fit. I encourage women to understand that everybody's story is vital and valuable. You can put it out there in the world in many forms.

Source starrymag.com

Review: Rizzoli & Isles episodes 303 & 304

It seems that both of these episodes were a huge disappointment to the majority of the rizzles fans. I wasn't in the majority. Don't get me wrong, they were not the best Rizzoli & Isles episodes, by far, but I thought they were okay. They weren't spectacular where I'm chatting about them every day and watching them over and over, but they weren't so bad.

I guess to compare, I felt the same way watching the last two Rizzoli & Isles episodes as I do after watching an episode of Leverage. I like Leverage. It's funny and I like the characters, but I don't watch each episode five to ten times and I don't talk about them with friends. It's a normal television show I happen to watch and like. That's how I felt about the last two episodes of Rizzoli & Isles. (Although I'll admit I did watch them several times.)

That's why I'm reviewing both in one post. Not a whole lot to talk about.

Episode 303:

•  I love Jane and Maura. Whether they're friends, co-workers, family, or anything else. I love the chemistry, the banter, the teasing, the way they turn to each other in times of need. I love that Maura has become part of Jane's family. I simply love it every time Sasha Alexander and Angie Harmon are on screen together. Period. 
• There were a lot of great one-liners in this episode, and I found myself laughing quite a bit.
• Dennis was a nice guy. If he shows back up I wouldn't complain. I like that he was into art like Maura. She hasn't really had anyone to share that with. 
• I love Rondo in this episode. I love that they're touching on his back story. It will be nice to see that unfold.
• I like Casey. I like that he and Jane have a history and also that the storyline is progressing slowly. You know what else I like? That Angela calls him Charles. I don't know why but I do.
• I really loved that Maura was waiting for Jane at the end. I did a screen shot titled "She Waits" for that. (It's a song by Zero 1 that went through my head at the time.)
  

Episode 304:

• Again, Jane & Maura together in a scene is always great. Some cute interactions in this episode. I like how Maura kept trying to get Jane to do something active.
• Love the dog! For those that may not know she's actually Lorraine Bracco's dog and really does do those tricks.
• I like that it was Maura that brought the dog back. Nice scene between her and Casey. Naturally the first thing she wants to do is to help him, and then she tells him to talk to Jane. She wouldn't promise not to tell. Love her.
• Maura and Angela should have at least one good scene per episode. Love them together.
• Speaking of Angela, her blogging was awesome. And Angela's Guardian's, so funny. Anyone shipping Angela and Cavanaugh? I wouldn't be surprised... It could happen. "Not one word Rizzoli." Too funny.

Crime wise Rizzoli & Isles will never be Criminal Minds (my favorite crime show.) When I want a great crime show I have that to turn to. The homeless vets were sad and I liked Rondo's involvement. The dolls were creepy, but the killer was predictable. Luckily, I don't spend the time trying to figure out who did it cause I'll find out in the last five minutes anyway. I enjoy the interactions, not only between Jane and Maura, but also Frost, Frankie and Korsak. I think Angie's comment about how they could have a Frost and Frankie sitcom was dead on. They've been funny together.

I do want to know what the hell Jane does besides piece together information that everyone else gathers for her. lol Has anyone else noticed that? Even Korsak seems to be taking orders from her when he's her superior! She stands there and says "look for..." "do we have..." and everyone gives her the answers. I want that job!

All and all two okay episodes. I'm really looking forward to episode 305. Maura's family is probably my favorite storyline in the series.

Sharon Lawrence talks about working with Sasha Alexander

With "Throwing Down the Gauntlet" airing tomorrow night, the interviews with Sharon Lawrence, who plays Maura's biological mother, have begun to appear.

Here are the two most recent interviews:

Were you already a fan of Rizzoli & Isles? What attracted you to playing a role on the show?

Sharon: Yes, I was very interested in the launch of it because for years I've worked with an organization called Women In Film. We are a support network for women in the executive and creative positions in the industry. So the fact that it was a show sourced from material written by a woman and then created as a television series by a woman and it stars these wonderful actresses and is about women in the workplace, I was very interested.

What can you tell us about your character?

Sharon: I play Dr. Hope Martin who is the birth mother of Maura Isles. She is someone who we find out from Maura, not only shares the DNA of our leading lady but shares a passion for science. She herself is a pathologist and works to develop techniques to identify the remains of victims of the Bosnian wars. So she has dedicated her after the loss of a child to connecting those who have passed with their families and their stories. I think it may be a window into the psychology of loss. Especially women, are so committed to connecting, that even in the midst of their own sense of loss they may find healing in helping other people. Particularly to fill the gaps of the mystery of a story. 

So, does Hope know that Maura is her daughter?

Sharon: This whole relationship is still a mystery to Dr. Hope Martin. She is not aware that the woman just inches away from her across the lab table is indeed the daughter that she thought died at birth.

Are you in one episode or is it a longer story arc?

Sharon: It's a longer story. There are three (episodes) at this point.

Can you share any behind the scenes tidbits from the set?

Sharon: Sasha Alexander is such a great actress and such a lovely person. She has a great sense of balance in her life. I felt really compelled to find the resemblance (between the characters). I mean, we look alike which was helpful and kind of stunning how much we did favor each other but the physical behaviors is what I found really interesting. To observe her as an actor and try to incorporate that into some of my own characterizations. It was also really fun to watch Angie Harmon and Lorraine Bracco together. They're a scream. They should just take it on the road. They are really entertaining.

Source tv spoilers 

PCM also did a great interview with Sharon Lawrence where she talks more about working with Sasha Alexander and Bruce McGill.

Sasha Alexander on Rachael Ray - Thursday 6/28/12

From Rachael Ray Show website:

• View a 3 minute preview video

  Rizzoli & Isles' Sasha Alexander

  The Rizzoli & Isles star has a big idea for her hit series next season, but why does it put Rach at the center of an investigation?
  
  

Screen caps from the preview:

Rizzoli and Isles Episode 305 SPOILERS - TV Guide

More photos from this episode here >>
  





TvGuide.com:

How does Maura track down her birth mom on Rizzoli & Isles? — Jessica
ADAM: With a case, of course! Maura reaches out to her mom, Dr. Hope Martin (guest star Sharon Lawrence), who just so happens to work in the same field. But don't think she tells Hope up front that she's her long-believed-to-be-dead daughter. "It's drawn-out," Lawrence, who will appear in three episodes, tells us. "Hope has a daughter from her marriage. There's a lot to play. Maura's too smart to throw in a bit of information that could blow up in everybody's face, so it'll take a bit."

Sasha Alexander in Moves Magazine PICTURES & ARTICLE

Sasha is in Moves magazine this month. Below is the article along with the full sized pictures.

Sasha Alexander
by Jamie Cuccinelli
photography by Stephen Busken

‘… husband Edoardo Ponti, son of the legendary actress Sophia Loren. “She’s hilarious,” remarks Alexander at the mention of her mother-in-law. “She’s always making dirty jokes.”’

It’s a Bad Girls Club kind of world and we’re just living in it. Cat fight youtube videos no longer appall and no one blinks an eye at girlfriends gossiping about one another. In fact, it’s more commonplace than not to have a woman proclaim that she just can’t seem to get along with other females – that she just doesn’t enjoy their company. In this world of the backstabbing and competitive female stereotype, the portrayal of two brilliantly educated women in a positive, respectful friendship is shockingly refreshing. In TNT’s Rizzoli & Isles, actress Sasha Alexander stars as Maura Isles – one half of the badass, crime-solving female dynamic duo. “I personally don’t know what I would do without my female friends,” insists Alexander, noting how the friendship between the two main characters – medical examiner Maura and police detective Jane – is essential to the success of the show. Not only is the healthy relationship of the women a breath of fresh air in a stagnant TV line-up of distrusting, competitive ones from The Bachelor to Desperate Housewives, seeing strong, competent women in such gritty roles injects some much needed girl power in what society views as a male-driven environment.

This isn’t the first time Alexander has played a self-assertive, modern woman. Alexander played Special Agent Kate Todd on NCIS, before leaving the role in 2005 after two years. She returned to television in 2010, finding herself attracted once again to a compelling character of the epitome of feminine strength. You would be hard pressed to find anyone complaining.

However, that’s hardly all Alexander as been up to. From appearing in box-office successes such as Mission Impossible III with Tom Cruise (2006), Yes Man with Jim Carrey (2008), and 2009’s Love Happens and He’s Just Not That Into You to raising her two children with husband Edoardo Ponti, son of the legendary actress Sophia Loren, Alexander has been busy to say the least. Also a trained dancer, too busy to ever consider doing something like Dancing with the Stars. “Although, Sophia has been trying to convince me to do the Italian version,” Alexander laughs. “She’s hilarious though,” remarks Alexander at the mention of her mother-in-law. “She’s always making dirty jokes.” Not the one to stand still for a moment, Alexander is also up to producing some projects of her own.

On the brink of it’s third season, Rizzoli & Isles has found it’s footing, with one fascinating storyline after another. “I don’t think our writers can help being controversial,” she says. But the credit for the crime drama’s continued success isn’t all due to the writers, of course. Alexander also tributes the easy, natural chemistry between her and co-star Angie Harmon. However, Alexander’s dedication to the role – one that, due to the extensive medical terminology used, requires “hours of studying” – is something to be admired. It’s tough, notes Alexander. But, like her character, Alexander’s sharp intelligence is right on point. How’s that for girl power?

hair Marcus Francis @ the wall group

                                                 makeup Antonella @ solo artists

Stella McCartney satin open back top
Vanessa Bruno black cotton pant

Giuseppe Zanotti satin open toe heels

Source: Moves

Rizzoli & Isles Season 3 SPOILERS - Maura & Hope

From Tvline.com:

Rizzoli & Isles | Speaking of complicated mother/daughter issues…. Now that we’re a few weeks into the new season and have dialed down the drama between the ladies, you may be wondering when Maura will delve into finding Hope, the woman who gave birth to her. Well, as Sasha Alexander told me, “It’s not until Episode 5 (airing July 3) that Maura decides that the curiosity is killing her, and she really wants to find her biological mother.” Played in a multi-episode arc by Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue), Hope’s introduction promises to be “very interesting,” Alexander says, in part because her adoptive mother Constance “did know her. It was all a bit of a secret to basically protect my life, because Paddy Doyle’s parents were not good people.” All told, she teases, the mother/daughter reunion serves up “a nice mystery.”

The official TNT synopsis of episode 5:

Jane looks for a way for Maura to meet her biological mother, Dr. Hope Davis (guest star Sharon Lawrence). Angela gets involved in a political campaign. And a nun from Jane and Frankie Jr.’s past returns. Matthew Del Negro and Jenny O’Hara also guest-star. 

From Entertainment Weekly:

Meeting Maura’s birth mother: The season premiere sets Maura on a path to find Dr. Hope Davis (recurring guest star Sharon Lawrence), who we’ll meet in the July 3 episode. “Maura, Jane, and Angela [Lorraine Bracco] stop in their tracks when they hear this woman speak. It’s like you’re listening to Maura,” Alexander says. “And Maura physically cannot talk around her. She’s so scared to interact with her because she doesn’t want her to know [she's her daughter], so it’s actually very comedic.” Even once Maura does speak, she’ll still keep her identity a secret. “There are moments when she’ll do something that somehow moves me, and I just burst into tears. She’s like, ‘Why are you crying?’ And Jane will be like, ‘She gets really emotional when we break a case,’” Alexander says. Maura will also learn she has a half-sister (Emilee Wallace). “She’s a pretty angry 18-year-old girl, and that’s gonna be an interesting relationship,” Alexander says.

 

Review: Rizzoli & Isles "Dirty Little Secret" episode 302

This was an episode that I had high expectations for. I knew Jane and Maura were going to make up some how in episode two and I also knew there was going to be a car accident and Maura was going to be injured. So, from that little bit of information I was expecting a very intense, emotional, heartfelt episode. I got that in the last twenty minutes. Because of that, this review is starting at the end.

The last twenty-thirty minutes were wonderful. I have no problem admitting that I've watched from the gals leaving Boston through the end about a half a dozen times. Part of it I know is because that's what I was expecting the episode to be, but also because it was good.

I loved how the accident was done. Completely out of nowhere, just how car crashes happen. When it turned serious at the lake I loved Maura's "Please. Trust me." Jane does, without question. It was good to see that their trust in one another was as strong as ever.

I felt bad for Jane. It's one thing to be used to watching autopsies and quite another to have to cut into your best friend's leg. I liked how Maura remained very steady during that scene. The pain must have been excruciating yet she had to make sure Jane would do it. It's been commented on that if you watch the "I'm not okay" part without sound... well just go watch, you'll see. ;) Seriously though, very well cut together and performed I thought. If I had a wish list it would be that the scene when Maura is lying in Jane's lap delirious from the pain was longer. Now I'll admit that probably has to do with the Xena & Gabrielle flashback I had to a beautiful scene in the sixth season episode The Abyss. (pictured) Injured Gabrielle, delirious, head on Xena's lap... Sound familiar? I think what I missed from Jane and Maura was more from Jane. Her chance to talk to Maura, maybe even apologize, something more then simply the "wake up," and the smile at Maura's delirium. Again, Xena could have influenced my opinions a little but not entirely.

Jumping to them restrained in the car. I liked that entire scene. I thought Sasha played out-of-it Maura very well. Jane was actually going to fake a conversation with her mother for Maura. Very sweet, especially under the circumstances. Then, she took the time to tell Maura "good job" on the Morse code. When your thrust into a situation like that, the petty fighting and anger disappears. Underneath, the foundation of their friendship is obviously very strong.

[Possible SPOILER for future episodes. Skip the next paragraph to not be spoiled]



I've heard the bickering will continue in the next episode. If that's true I find it interesting since their apology and especially the "I missed you" at the end of this episode was so heart felt. I've always said that an "I'm sorry" helps start the process of forgiving but doesn't necessarily instantly make everything okay, so maybe that's what's happening in future episodes.


[SPOILER FREE BELOW ]

The ending was fantastic. Who didn't get choked up when Jane told her mom that she had a doctor too? Both Jane and Maura did and you could tell that by "I missed you" they were both ready to break down. Emotional, heartfelt, very well acted. We all needed that hug. :)

The crime wasn't anything special. I thought the resolution was a bit weak mainly because the focus was on Jane and Maura, and honestly what reason could the bad guy have for putting them back in the car to drown. To make it look like an accident? They were restrained! Kill them right away, bury them, get rid of the car. There's also the fact of bad guys leaving victims alone to get out of the restraints instead of watching and making sure they die. However, I'm not complaining. I don't watch for the crime. It was all a way to get Jane and Maura in that car accident and to put them into even more jeopardy to strip away the hurt and anger. I get that and I'm completely okay with it.

It was nice seeing Frankie continuing to work towards detective. I don't know how it really works. I honestly thought when he passed his detective exam he was a detective. Maybe someone in the know would be willing to comment below and let me know. :)

Love Mama Rizzoli. Only a few scenes but so memorable. I simply love her. Making sandwiches for her girls and using that great mom guilt was so funny. Then the phone call in the car and Maura's re-wording of the book title. Priceless.

The bickering was funny. Maura's commanding "you stay" to Korsak and then chastising Frankie was total transference of anger. The TP was hysterical. Loved Maura's smirk after Jane walked out. Jane and Korsak a couple? Too funny. Basically the first 30-40 minutes were a completely different feel. Obviously done to give even more impact to the second half. I think there were missing scenes from what was in several of the promos. What happened to "How were we ever friends?" Unless Jane wasn't talking to Maura. Hmmm... could be.

After watching this episode a number of times (in it's entirety not just the last 20 minutes) I can honestly say I like it. It wasn't perfect but I can forgive the not-so-good things since we have Jane and Maura's bickering, angst, emotional making up, and more rizzles.

Sasha Alexander guest DJ on 100.3 The Sound

Sasha was the guest DJ on 100.3 The Sound, Sunday night, June 17th. The Sound posted her play list. In my opinion it's an awesome set!

My Turn Set by Sasha Alexander

Song #1 - ZZ Top - Legs
Song #2 - Foghat - Slowride
Song #3 - Foreigner - Hot Blooded
Song #4 - Journey - Anyway You Want It
Song #5 - AC/DC - Back in Black
Song #6 - Aerosmith - Walk This Way
Song #7 - Van Halen - Dancing in the Street
Song #8 - Police - Every Breath You Take
Song #9 - Stevie Wonder - Superstition
Song #10 - John Mellencamp - Jack & Diane
Song #11 - Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Song #12 - Blondie - One Way or Another
Song #13 - Guns ‘N Roses - Paradise City
Song #14 - Bob Marley - Could You Be Loved

From 100.3 The Sound.

Review: Rizzoli & Isles "What Doesn't Kill You" episode 301

It's been a while so let me start with reminding everyone that I don't recap the episodes, I simply talk about them. I assume if you're reading this you've already seen it. Most likely more than once. :)

I loved this episode! It was everything a season premiere should be. Picking up where season two left off was definitely the way to go. Lots of fans thought that's how the beginning of season two should have gone after Jane was shot at the end of season one. That didn't happen but "What Doesn't Kill You" had too in order for the rift between Jane and Maura to make sense.

What I really loved about how the arguments between Jane and Maura were written in this episode was that we see that they're both sorry. From Jane's emotional "I shot my best friend's father," to Maura's "The way I reacted, I just bit Jane's head off" show how sorry they truly are, yet when together they get defensive. I really loved Maura's apology when Jane rushed up to her in the hospital. Alas like in real life, hindsight is 20/20. Had Jane simply said, "I'm sorry too," before rushing into the internal affairs investigation it would have nipped the rift in the bud and been over. Three simple words and Jane could have saved everyone a lot of heartache, but where's the drama in that? ;)

Another lost opportunity to make-up was when Jane stood in Maura's office doorway and said "You're back." Twice. This time it's Maura who ignores the chance to mend fences and as we saw lands the gals in a "cat fight." Notice though when Cavanaugh sends Jane to inventory Maura's reaction is also a loud "what?" That leads me to the fact that Jane took the time to get the truth from Constance about Maura's adoption and took Maura to see her grave. They may be fighting but they still love each other.

Speaking of the grave, I have a side-note, does anyone else find that when Maura's crying they start crying? She kills me every time. 

The relationships between parents and children have become one of my favorite parts of the series. They're all complex, brilliantly acted, and have heart and depth to them. The first scene with Maura and Constance was touching. Maura's "Would you have taken me if you'd known I was Paddy Doyle's daughter?" broke my heart. In one sentence we see the insecure adopted little girl. Constance response was spot on. Maura is her daughter.

Angela... I mean who doesn't love Mama Rizzoli! I love that Maura truly has become a part of the Rizzoli family. For Angela to say Maura was her daughter too just confirmed what we already knew. Touching, heartbreaking scene. My personal opinion was Angela should have stayed at Maura's. My Italian mother would have given me a piece of her mind for even daring to tell her to leave her home. Then would have gone on and on about how we shouldn't be fighting, blah, blah, blah... But that was my mom. ;)

I loved the flashbacks. A friend told me she felt the "putting on the wire" one, although funny and enjoyable on it's own, didn't seem to fit the reality of the situation when looking back at the season two finale. I disagree in that we all have times when we're in emotional, tense, stressful situations and it gets lightened with humor, adrenaline, and even some excitement. It's Maura who's very light-hearted in that scene, and it's Maura who's been put through the ringer emotionally before the undercover operation. Although her mother was still in the hospital, at that point Constance had woken up and Maura knew she'd be okay. Also it was going undercover, helping solve the case, there's excitement, nerves and adrenaline that get all mixed together when put in that situation. I noticed Jane stayed fairly serious throughout and I think that was very well played by Angie. That's what kept the scene in reality. I believed Jane understood Maura's behavior having been in that position so many times in her career, and was probably reminded of her own first time.

I'm one of those viewers who watches this show for the relationships not the crimes. The crimes move the story forward, but there are other crime shows that I watch for the crime of the week and how they solve it, along with character relationships (CSI, Criminal Minds) but personally on Rizzoli & Isles I'd be fine if the crimes were the B storyline. There are, however times where I really enjoy the crime solving and this was one of them. I got the feeling early on that it was connected to Paddy and the shooting, so it wasn't just a "crime of the week" it was integral to the personal stories.

I'm looking forward to the rest of this season. If the episodes are like this one it's gonna be a great season!

On a technical note, I have to say that the look and feel of this episode was fantastic. I've since heard that there was a new director. I noticed the difference. Great camera work, angles, pulling focus, lots of movement... Kudos to the Director and DP. It looked really good.

This weeks episode, "Dirty Little Secret," should be intense if the spoilers are any indication.


For over 130 screen caps of this episode check out the Picture Gallery. They're broken up into four parts.

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