Rizzoli & Isles

TV review by Kari Croop, Common Sense Media
Rizzoli & Isles Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Female-driven crime show gets pretty grisly.

TNT Drama 2010
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Parents say

age 15+

Based on 5 reviews

Kids say

age 14+

Based on 7 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this adult-oriented crime drama packs some pretty grisly scenes involving torture, rape (and other sexual crimes), and murder, with plenty of dead bodies and blood to go around. There's some sexual innuendo, too, and characters use words like "damn," "hell," "t-ts," "ass," and "son of a bitch" and occasionally drink alcohol. On the plus side, the main characters are both accomplished, hardworking female role models.

Community Reviews

jamesf3
jamesf3 Adult
January 3, 2016
age 16+

Male that loves this female driven drama

With the two main actors actually being actresses, this show is obviously pointed to get there main audience from females. But as a 41 year old male, I must say this is one of my favorite tv shows. Not only a drama, it has it's share of comedy, suspense, and action. Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander are a perfect combination as the two main characters. Not only best friends in the show, both work together. Harmon as a homicide detective and Alexander as the chief medical examiner. The show did lose some of its luster when they tragically lost great supporting actor Lee Thompson Young to suicide. He played Harmon's partner detective Barry Frost. Still a great TV show that guys should not be embarrassed to watch, lol.
Jared Galczynski
Jared Galczynski Adult
May 12, 2014
age 13+

Rizzoli, Isles & MAYRA.

Rizzoli, Isles & MAYRA.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) is a street-smart detective who's the only female working in Boston's homicide division. Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) is a book-smart medical examiner who often feels more at ease with the dead than she does with the living. Together, they're RIZZOLI & ISLES -- strong women, close friends, and professional colleagues who work side by side to solve some of Boston's grisliest murders.

Is It Any Good?

Rizzoli & Isles might be based on author Tess Gerritsen's string of bestselling crime novels, but it doesn't take long for it to seem eerily similar to a far better -- though admittedly scarier -- story: The Silence of the Lambs. And frankly, Anthony Hopkins' creepy antics aside, we'd much rather be watching that. Although the idea of a two-woman "buddy" series a-la Cagney & Lacey sounds great on paper, this half-baked disappointment only succeeds at being trite and silly.

It is, however, refreshing to see a series about two type-A women who can work together and (gasp!) be friends at the same time. Not that the shallow script makes viewers actually care about the characters much, mind you; but at least it's sending out a positive message in place of the popular strong-women-can't-work-together formula.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the role that violence plays in the plot. Is it necessary to make the crimes seem real? How does this show compare with other crime series?

  • Does gender affect the women's on-the-job experiences? How do the characters cope with being the minority in a male-dominated environment? When it comes to stereotypes, do these characters undermine or reinforce traditional ideas about women in this line of work?

TV Details

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