What I’m Watching: Rizzoli & Isles

Rizzoli & Isles: Season 1, Episode 6 “I Kissed a Girl” (B+)

Throughout this entire episode, I kept thinking that these cops really need sensitivity training. While everything is played for laughs and it’s generally harmless, the things these people say really aren’t politically correct. Television-wise, that does make things more entertaining. I kept recalling the season two episode of “Rescue Me” where the firefighters completely destroy a sensitivity training official with their crude and inappropriate remarks. In this case, it also made for a lot of amusing scenarios. Most importantly, those were spearheaded by the relationship between Rizzoli and Isles, which puts to rest a concern I had initially had with what the focus of this show would likely be. Unbelievable as it may be, having Maura pose as a waitress while Rizzoli speed dates lesbian suspects actually worked, and ended up being quite fun. Trying to categorize Rizzoli as a certain type of lesbian is also predictably entertaining, and having her react to all of it so strongly makes it even more enjoyable. The episode-beginning yoga session set up the episode well, positioning Rizzoli as an uptight rule-breaker who refuses to let herself be taken care of by anyone else, male or female, and especially not a male nurse. I do find myself stating the caveat of “this isn’t how it likely really works” quite often, but I don’t think that’s overly problematic. Rizzoli and Isles bartering hunches and dates over a dead body is fun enough that how realistic it actually is shouldn’t ultimately be too much of a concern.