Netflix recently added this beloved police procedural to its already-excellent library, and you can count us among those who are seated for it.
Rizzoli & Isles aired from 2010 to 2016 on TNT and starred Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander as a detective and medical examiner who team up to solve crimes.
If you’re a cop drama fan who is finding yourself lacking in the binge-watch department, Rizzoli & Isles may be just what you need to get yourself out of the rut.
Watch With Us breaks down why the show isn’t one to miss on streaming.
Netflix has a number of new original series coming to the streamer this month, but it’s hard to judge the new shows without seeing them first. Fortunately, Netflix is also picking up a handful of older shows from outside sources that give fans a new chance to follow them. The Watch With Us team has […]
It’s Female-Led, Buddy-Cop Excellence
Based on Tess Gerritsen‘s series of bestselling Rizzoli & Isles novels, the plot of the show follows Boston Homicide police detective Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon)and Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander), who have incredibly different personalities but make the perfect crime-solving pair. The through-line of the first season follows the two women as they solve crimes while simultaneously being hunted by an escaped serial killer named Charles Hoyt (Michael Massee), who terrorized Rizzoli years prior.
Rizzoli & Isles gives the typical buddy-cop formula a new twist by making the cops female and one of them not a cop, but a coroner. Still, that winsome, archetypal dynamic is present, and it’s refreshing to see two strong female leads positioned as friends who make one another better, rather than being rivals and competitors. Though Rizzoli and Isles do butt heads, that’s a big part of what makes their dynamic so fun and compelling, and what makes the buddy-cop relationship such an enduring one. We love to watch two cops with different personalities bring out the best in each other to solve crimes, and since men get to do that all the time, it’s refreshing to see women filling those shoes.
The Chemistry Between Rizzoli and Isles Is Fantastic
Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander in Rizzoli & Isles. Doug Hyun / © TNT / Courtesy: Everett Collection
The central relationship between Rizzoli and Isles is really the star of the show, and why fans kept coming back for more every week when it was on TNT. The obstinate, tough-as-nails Rizzoli made quite a compelling odd couple with the quirky but brilliant medical examiner Isles, but their relationship was authentic and heartwarming; literally the beating heart of the show. Ultimately, their dynamic is a typical “opposites attract” situation, and many fans felt that the show did a bit too much of dangling a possible queer relationship between Rizzoli and Isles while never actually going all the way
Despite these accusations of “queerbaiting,” fans still found they couldn’t get enough of these characters and their strong bond. The pair engage in likable, witty banter, a clear mutual respect for one another and profound emotional depth that anchors the show from episode to episode. Rizzoli & Isles would be your standard crime procedural if not for the unique connection between its leads and the natural chemistry demonstrated between Harmon and Alexander. Defying the catty TV tropes of female coworkers, Rizzoli and Isles are a supportive partnership that we love to watch.
It’s a Great “Comfort Food” Procedural
If you’re searching for your next mystery show binge-watch, Rizzoli & Isles will likely be a slam dunk for anyone who loves relaxing crime procedurals. And while “relaxing” and “crime procedural” might seem like opposing terms, they aren’t. Rizzoli & Isles isn’t a very demanding show, but it has great characters, compelling weekly crimes and engaging season-long narrative arcs. The show balances formulaic crime-solving with character-driven narratives, lighthearted tone and moments of charming humor.
Rizzoli & Isles is easy to consume, familiar and comforting, but underneath that familiarity, it does boast that uniquely well-established connection between the two leads. Still, Rizzoli & Isles is light fare, focusing on less gritty or violent cases and more on the characters who are solving them — and their families as well, which adds to an overall warm atmosphere. This family aspect is boosted by the stellar supporting cast that includes Lorraine Bracco, Bruce McGill and Jordan Bridges. It’s all pretty low-stakes drama, but that doesn’t make it any less compelling.
Stream all seven seasons of Rizzoli & Isles now on Netflix.
