Take Three: Rizzoli and Isles

Rizzoli and Isles: Season 1, Episode 3 “Sympathy for the Devil” (B+)

I’m never a huge fan of cases that involve exorcisms, the devil, and all that jazz, especially when it’s not on a show like “The X-Files” or “Supernatural” that may have the potential to scare the hell out of me (which I don’t much enjoy either), but it’s good to see this show scale back a little on the grandiose nature of their cases and makes it about a single victim rather than a spree. Though it’s likely not realistic, I enjoy Isles accompanying Rizzoli on her investigative rounds since her quirkiness and vault of random knowledge complement Rizzoli’s stern and humorless attitude well. I’m very intrigued by the relationship that Rizzoli has with Lieutenant Grant, and it’s a shame that he’ll likely be departing due to his transfer to D.C. We didn’t see quite as much of Detective Korsak (I don’t feel I know these characters well enough yet to call them by their first names) this episode, and I do hope he’s featured more prominently in the future. What I do really like about this show, and this episode in particular, is how the style makes it feel like an HBO show, which in turn feels like a mini-movie rather than simply an installment of a weekly series. It may be the severity of the cases or the dramatic tone; I’m not sure. I like it though, and even if I’m the only one who prefers it to other new cable entry “Covert Affairs,” I’m eager to see where it’s headed.