Check out the R&I tidbits archive post for tweets from the set of "Rizzoli & Isles" season 4, and follow the Absolutely Angie R&I Twitter list to keep up with those working on the show. This post will be updated as more info is revealed!
You can find extended synopses of episodes that have already aired HERE.
Watch the season 4 recap HERE.
For season 4 episodic stills, click HERE.
Looking for the season 5 spoiler post?
Notes from Janet Tamaro, via Twitter and the Creator's Corner: Bonus year. 16 not 15. 12 in the summer. 4 in the winter.
Episode 16: "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone" (via IMDB)Absolutely Angie: A fan site with news, photos, and commentary related to "Rizzoli & Isles" star Angie Harmon.
A senator's daughter is found murdered; Tommy begins to slip back into old habits; Jane reveals some shocking news. (via press release)
Homeland Security steps in when a senator’s daughter is found murdered. The squad rushes to solve the case, which could put national security at risk. Meanwhile, Tommy (guest star Colin Egglesfield) and Frankie get into a fight after Tommy starts slipping back into bad old habits. And Jane reveals some shocking news that could change her life forever. (via A-H.com)
Sides (drafts of scripts) were posted for some scenes in this episode, which is the season 4 finale. They indicate that this week's case centers on the murder of a senator's daughter, Natalie, who was about to get married. The BPD and Maura must work with the Department of Homeland Security Deputy Chief, a friend of the senator's, to investigate the case. They discover an encrypted website that reveals Natalie was raped by her boss - the CEO of a computer security firm - and was working to compile a list of other women he had victimized.
Meanwhile, Frankie sustains an injury and ends up getting closer to Maura, Tommy and Lydia hold their engagement shower, while something's wrong with Jane...
Lee Thompson Young's stand-in and body double, Officer Jenkins, is featured in this episode. (via hair department head Nanci Cascio)
Dre Michael Chaney appears in this episode as a security guard. (via Kabookit)
Shot on location around Hidden Lake and Fallbrook Ave in Canoga Park, CA (via OLV), and W. 7th St. and S. Normandie Ave. in LA.(via OLV)
Episode 15: "Food for Thought"
When a food truck chef dies suddenly, all signs point to poisoning; Tommy announces some big plans; Maura's birth mother tries to make amends with her daughter. (via press release)
When a food truck chef dies suddenly, all signs point to a suspicious poisoning, but many questions remain unanswered. Meanwhile Tommy (guest star Colin Egglesfield) announces some big plans that have Angela very excited. And Maura’s birth mother, Hope (guest star Sharon Lawrence), takes a bold step toward making amends with her daughter. (via A-H.com)
Sides (drafts of scripts) were posted for some scenes in this episode. They indicate that this week's case centers on the murder of a successful food truck owner and restaurateur who lived an environmentally friendly lifestyle and was avoiding expanding his successful business due to fears that the quality of his organic food would be compromised. With Maura's help, Jane, Korsak, and Frost determine that the chef died of insecticide poisoning - and the culprit is an employee of his who resented his fame and wanted to capitalize on the expansion opportunities being presented to the company.
Meanwhile, Angela gets involved in wedding planning.
Shot on location at 100 S. Central Ave. and 114 S. Central Ave. in Los Angeles (via OLV)
Episode 14: "Just Push Play" (via IMDB)
A musician is stabbed in a bar; the squad realizes that the stabbing victim had something to hide; Jane's father returns with shocking news. (via press release)
A singer and guitar player is brutally and mysteriously stabbed in a bar. As details emerge in the case, the squad soon realizes that the victim had something to hide. Meanwhile, Jane’s dad (guest star Chazz Palminteri) returns after being gone for more than a year. And he’s got some shocking news. (via A-H.com)
Sides (drafts of scripts) were posted for some scenes in this episode. They indicate that this week's case involves the murder of a Massachusetts Conservatory of Music student, Natasha, in the ladies' room of a bar. Frost and Korsak question a man who was hassling the girl shortly before she entered the bathroom, and subsequently used her credit card. They demand that he strip so they can search his clothes for her blood, and when he says he doesn't swing that way, Frost tells him, "You wouldn't even make my list," which startles Korsak.
Jane and the other investigators find out that Natasha - a classically trained musician with a secret passion for contemporary music - was getting help for her alcoholism at a rehab center specifically for musicians. While at the center, Natasha's roommate stole her original songs and subsequently got signed by a music label - then resorted to murder to cover up what she'd done.
Colin Egglesfield and Chazz Palminteri reprise their roles as Tommy Rizzoli and Frank Rizzoli Sr., respectively. (via Colin Egglesfield)
Photos from the set.
Episode 13: "Tears of a Clown" (via IMDB)
A kidnapper dressed as a clown resurfaces after more than 20 years. Meanwhile, Jane and Casey must face realities about their deepening relationship, and Maura deals with an emotional dilemma. (via TV Guide)
A kidnapper dressed as a clown re-emerges after 20 years; Jane's relationship with Casey grows more serious; Maura inadvertently gets in the middle of another relationship. (via press release)
When a kidnapper who dresses as a clown reemerges in Boston after more than 20 years, the squad is struck with fear. Desperate for clues, they dig through files from the unsolved abductions of the haunting 1988 “Summer of the Clown.” Meanwhile, as Jane’s relationship with Casey (guest star Chris Vance) becomes more serious, they are forced to face the fact that one of them will have to compromise if they are to take things to the next level. Maura also finds herself in a dilemma when she inadvertently gets in the middle of another relationship. (via A-H.com)
Sides (drafts of scripts) were posted for some scenes in this episode. They indicate that this week's case involves the murder of a man who foiled the attempted kidnapping of a middle-school boy by a man dressed as a clown, the successful kidnapping of another middle-school boy, and a 25-year-old child molestation case. It transpires that someone who initially came forward as a witness is actually the culprit, and the kidnappings were his attempt to expose and avenge his own abuser, with whom he crossed paths again after the man visited his hardware store.
The kidnapped boy is eventually found, and Jane bonds with him over a baseball cap and bacon-shaped Band-Aids (or the lack thereof). After Jane finishes interviewing the boy, Korsak tells her to take the day off and "go play with Casey," to which Jane responds, "He's gone."
Meanwhile, Frost is mad at Maura.
Per a tweet from Angie, it seems Jane and Maura get massages in this episode. (via Angie Harmon)
General spoilers for the remainder of the season:
Although work always proves to be a challenge, the final episodes in season four will take a deeper look into Jane’s personal life, “specifically focusing on loss,” said Harmon. “My character carries a lot with her, [the audience] will begin to understand how her investment in any one of the crimes is a jumping off point,” for her personal life, Harmon added. (via The Wall Street Journal)
Where We Left Off: At Paddy's behest, Maura took in her grumpy gangster grandfather, Patrick — aka the man who wanted to kill Hope when she was pregnant with Maura. After he was released on parole, the two eventually bonded. Casey was made a colonel and gave Jane an ultimatum: He will re-enlist so he can make his way up to general unless Jane married him.
What's Next: Jane's decision will be revealed in the midseason premiere, but in the season finale, she will share some shocking news that could change her life forever. Her dad, Frank Sr., and Maura's mom, Hope, will both return, with the former trying to make amends with her daughter. Lee Thompson Young, who died in August, will appear in several episodes that were filmed prior to his death. (via TV Guide)
-----HIATUS-----
Episode 12: "Partners in Crime"
Official episode summary from TNT:
"Partners in Crime" – Tuesday, Sep. 10, at 9 p.m.
Directed by Randy Zisk / Written by Linda McGibney & Janet Tamaro
Developed by Janet Tamaro
The squad rushes to solve a violent homicide case muddied by conflicting evidence. Maura is burdened with the major decision of whether to take in her recently paroled grandfather (guest star Richard Herd). Meanwhile, Jane and Casey (guest star Chris Vance) are forced to decide between their careers and their romantic relationship.
Photo from the University of Texas Semester in Los Angeles Program 2013's "Rizzoli & Isles" set visit (more here):
Sides (drafts of scripts) were posted for some scenes in this episode. They indicate that this week's case involves the death of a sociology professor at Boston Cambridge University who was about to get tenure. The victim is initially thought to have drowned in a hot tub, but it later transpires that she was murdered. Jane and the other investigators initially clear the woman's husband, but with some help from Lt. Col. Casey Jones' (guest star Chris Vance) dog, Elsie, they record a conversation that implicates the husband after all.
Meanwhile, Maura's biological father, Paddy Doyle, asks her to let her biological grandfather, Patrick Doyle Sr., temporarily stay at her house. When Maura and Jane go to pick Patrick Sr. up from prison, they are met with a gruff reception. Patrick has a hard time adjusting to life outside of prison, where he says he was "somebody," so Maura, Jane and Casey take him to a local senior center to reconnect with some of his old friends.
Although Casey reappears in this episode, we learn that he is going back to Afghanistan "for a little while."
Episode 11: "Judge, Jury & Executioner"
Official episode summary from TNT:
"Judge, Jury and Executioner" – Tuesday, Sep. 3, at 9 p.m.
Directed by Mark Haber / Written by Y. Shireen Razack & Jill Goldsmith
Developed by Janet Tamaro
A mock trial advisor (guest star A'da Alison Woolfolk) dies tragically during a competition. Meanwhile, Angela’s increased interest in selling brownies has Jane concerned that she may be hiding financial issues. And Tommy (guest star Colin Egglesfield) hires a lawyer (guest star Chris Coppola) to settle his claim against the Storrow Center. Doug Savant also guest-stars.
Sides (drafts of scripts) were posted for some scenes in this episode. They indicate that this week's case centers on the death of a judge during a high school mock trial. Jane and the others investigate allegations that the dead woman's daughter - a participant in the mock trial - was dealing Ritalin, look into grievances filed against the victim, and speak to a man whose son died at the private prison where the judge - a champion of rehabilitation - sentenced him to serve time. After determining that the blood tested as part of the dead inmate's autopsy was not in fact his, Jane, Maura and Korsak visit the prison, where Jane fakes bad cramps (or, as Maura describes them to the warden, "dysmenorrhea") to get into a restricted-access area of the facility and find out more about the suspicious death. The perpetrator turns out to be the mock trial advisor, Roger Thorson (Doug Savant, "Desperate Housewives"), an old law school buddy of the victim who hoodwinked her into sending young offenders to the private prison and killed her to stop her from turning him in. (via Jessica Crocker and Inside TV)
Episode 10: "Built for Speed"
Official episode summary from TNT:
"Built for Speed" – Tuesday, Aug. 27, at 9 p.m.
Directed by Anthony Hardwick / Written by Russell J. Grant & Matt MacLeod
Developed by Janet Tamaro
When a late-night amateur drag race turns deadly, the squad works quickly to solve what turns out to be a particularly dangerous case. As evidence unfolds, Jane suspects that the motive for murder may have been an attempt to conceal drug trafficking. However, when she turns to Lt. Martinez (guest star Amaury Nolasco) for help he seems to be thwarting her investigation.
Sides (drafts of scripts) were posted for some scenes in this episode. They indicate that this week's case centers on the murder of an ex-con whose car blew up during a street race attended by Rizzoli family friend Giovanni Gilberti (Matthew Del Negro). Jane and the other investigators determine that the murder is linked to a drug-smuggling ring with ties to a Boston gang-banger who broke his parole and fled to Mexico. To solve the case, they work with Lt. Det. Rafael Martinez (Amaury Nolasco, "Prison Break"); Elizabeth Keating (Emily Swallow, "Monday Mornings"), the murdered man's parole officer; and B.T. Sarron, a Bomb Squad rising star who enjoys a mutual attraction with Maura. Keating turns out to have more of a connection with the victim than initially thought; she is in fact involved in the drug business herself and worked with another of her parolees - a meth distributor and street race organizer - to execute the murder.
"Eric Winter (of 'The Mentalist,' 'Brothers and Sisters' and 'The Ugly Truth') is a potential love interest. He's great — I love him. He plays a bomb-squad tech that Maura is attracted to." (via Sasha Alexander)
Gina Rodriguez appears in this episode. (via Gina Rodriguez)
Celestin Cornielle appears in this episode as Det. Miguel Ortiz. (via Jennifer Jones)
Guest star Matthew Del Negro tweeted a photo of himself with Angie Harmon, while Angie herself tweeted a photo from an on-location shoot.
Shot on location around 12th St and San Julian St in L.A. (via OLV)
Episode 9: "No One Mourns the Wicked" (via Mark Bautista)
Official episode synopsis from TNT:
"No One Mourns the Wicked" – Tuesday, Aug. 20, at 9 p.m.
Directed by Steve Robin / Teleplay by Janet Tamaro / Story by Ken Hanes & Lisa Marie Petersen
Developed by Janet Tamaro
When Jane and Maura are asked to present the case of serial killer Charles Hoyt at a symposium for law enforcement, Jane worries that her greatest challenge will be facing bad memories. However, as she and Maura begin a simulation of investigating Hoyt’s murders, they soon come across a horrifying discovery. In a matter of moments, the team finds themselves drawn into a lethal game of cat and mouse with a new and terrifying serial killer.
Sides (drafts of scripts) were posted for some scenes in this episode. They indicate that this week's case centers on the double murder of two police department employees which is executed in the style of Jane's now-dead nemesis, Hoyt. The bodies are discovered at a symposium on serial killers held at Boston Cambridge University and hosted by Dr. Victoria Stokes (listed in a more recent version of the sides as Dr. Monroy), a forensic psychiatrist and author who wrote a book about Hoyt and two other famous serial killers.
Jane suspects that the perpetrator might be a member of the law enforcement community, which prompts Maura and Dr. Stokes/Monroy to conduct personality tests on the symposium attendees who fit that profile. Suspicions initially fall on a detective who makes no secret of his skepticism toward personality tests, but then Dr. Stokes/Monroy herself draws the attention of the investigators, along with a member of her entourage, research assistant Jack Roberts. It turns out that Dr. Stokes/Monroy - who grew up in an abusive household, was repeatedly raped by her father, and ultimately bore a child (Jack) as a result - idolized the serial killers she would later study, grooming Jack to be a killer by desensitizing him to violence at a young age. When Dr. Stokes/Monroy and Jack hold Korsak hostage in his own basement, it's up to Jane, Frankie and Frost to save him before it's too late.
Episode 8: "Cold As Ice"
Official episode summary from TNT:
"Cold As Ice" – Tuesday, Aug. 13, at 9 p.m.
Directed by Randy Zisk
Written by Ken Hanes & Lisa Marie Petersen
Developed by Janet Tamaro
Frankie Jr. is brought in to help with a gruesome murder case involving a youth hockey league. Frustrated with Hope (guest star Sharon Lawrence), Cailin (guest star Emilee Wallace) asks to stay with Maura. But Maura quickly learns that living with a teenager requires skills she does not have.
Laura Niemi plays Dr. Carla Dalton, a scientist who has dedicated her career to curing a life-threatening genetic disorder while seeking her missing nephew who she believes could be suffering from this disease. (via PRWeb)
Sides (drafts of scripts) were posted for some scenes in this episode. They indicate that this week's case involves the death of a researcher who dedicated twelve years of her life to tracking down the husband and son of her murdered sister after her brother-in-law faked the family's death in a boating accident and then disappeared with his son to avoid embezzlement charges and offload his sick wife.
Meanwhile, Cailin, the half sister to whom Maura donated a kidney, is living or at least staying at Maura's house. Cailin makes herself at home, calling it "our place" and inviting her friends - and their boyfriends - to sleep over. In the morning, the girls make breakfast, trashing Maura's usually immaculate kitchen in the process. At work, Maura and Angela bond over the stress of raising children - even though, as Maura points out, Cailin isn't actually her child.
Shot on location at the Port of Los Angeles. (via Go for Location)
Episode 7: "All For One"
Official episode synopsis from TNT:
"All For One" – Tuesday, Aug. 6, at 9 p.m.
Directed by Paul Holahan
Written by Janet Tamaro
Developed by Janet Tamaro
A popular high school teacher is killed in a hit and run that is clearly no accident. The squad works to solve the case, but Jane is preoccupied with Lt. Martinez’s (guest star Amaury Nolasco) apparent favoritism towards his own drug unit.
Sides (drafts of scripts) were posted for some scenes in this episode. They indicate that this week's case centers on a beloved teacher, husband and father - Mr. Sutton - who was murdered while jogging. Sutton, who taught high schoolers, was instrumental in getting girls interested in science. As Maura bonds with some of his students, the investigators learn that one of the girls he taught attempted suicide after an inappropriate photo of her was posted online. It eventually transpires that Sutton was a sexual predator, trading sexual favors for good grades. The girl who tried to kill herself wasn't his only victim, and some of his students fought back...
Amaury Nolasco reprises his role as Lt. Det. Rafael Martinez. (via Amaury Nolasco)
Alexis Raich, Leah Bateman and Piper Curda appear in this episode. (via Kabookit, Leah Bateman and Piper Curda)
Episode 6: "Somebody's Watching Me"
Official episode synopsis from TNT:
"Somebody's Watching Me" – Tuesday, July 30, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Directed by Milan Cheylov
Written by Lisa Marie Petersen & Ken Hanes
Developed by Janet Tamaro
When a beleaguered Jane spills hot coffee on a stranger at Boston Joe's, a viral video of Jane’s bad day potentially jeopardizes her career and reputation. Meanwhile, the squad rushes to solve a puzzling murder case involving a conspiracy theorist.
Sides (drafts of scripts) were posted for some scenes in this episode. They indicate that this week's case involves a standoff at the home of an elderly gunman - a conspiracy theorist and avid collector of antiques and hockey memorabilia who is suspected in the murder of a garbage man. After the situation is diffused, Frankie and Frost collaborate with an attractive female officer (in whom both are romantically interested) to remove the contents of the man's crowded basement and send everything to the Crime Lab for processing. The two of them find an electromagnetic pulse gun and test it out, inadvertently short-circuiting the electrical systems in the police cruisers at the scene.
Back at the BPD, the homeowner refuses to talk to Korsak or Jane. Instead, he asks for Maura, "the nice doctor lady." He alleges that someone has been stealing items from his basement, and, after Jane takes him seriously, he concludes that she's a nice lady as well and apologizes for not thinking so at first. As the investigation continues, the man's neighbors fall under suspicion of both theft and murder.
Meanwhile, everything in Jane's apartment starts falling apart - right after she buys it and makes it a condo. At the end of the episode, Jane and Maura confront the building manager (and his girlfriend, on whom Jane spills coffee earlier in the episode) after discovering that he disseminated a YouTube video that painted Jane as a "crazy cop" who spilled the coffee on purpose. The building manager's goal is to turn Jane's neighbors against her and drive her out of the condo so he can buy it for himself, but the plan backfires when Jane arrests him and his girlfriend for fraud.
Randy Gordon, Harrison White, Wil Traval and Rebecca Corry appear in this episode. (via Kabookit, Harrison White, Wil Traval and Rebecca Corry)
Episode 5: "Dance with the Devil" (formerly episode 4)
Official episode synopsis from TNT:
"Dance With the Devil" – Tuesday, July 23, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Directed by Jamie Babbit / Teleplay by Janet Tamaro
Story by Lids Marie Petersen
Developed by Janet Tamaro
On the first day of Paddy’s (guest star John Doman) murder trial, Maura gains insight into her father from Hope (guest star Sharon Lawrence). Korsak opens up about Cavanaugh’s tragic past. And in an unexpected twist, Maura must decide which side she’s on when she and Jane unravel a shocking secret about Paddy and Hope that affects them all.
The major drama this season ... is the pending murder trial of Maura's biological dad, mob boss Paddy Doyle (John Doman). After being shot by Jane and FBI agent Gabriel Dean (Billy Burke) last season, Paddy ended up in prison on multiple murder charges. That's when the situation got truly dysfunctional. Jane figured out that Paddy faked baby Maura's death and gave her to the Isles family to raise for her protection. At Maura's phony headstone, Jane unearthed a book with the names of the dirty cops and city officials who were working for Paddy. "The whole city is waiting to see Paddy hanged, but he's still pulling maneuvers from prison," Alexander says after her cold meds kick in. It also turns out that Hope (played by Alexander look-alike Sharon Lawrence) has been lying all these years about not being in touch with Paddy. "Hope and Paddy are in contact and involved, which makes Maura say, 'Oh, that's just great. Hope was holding on to information that's prosecutable. Now she's going to jail, too?'" (via TV Guide)
"It's complicated. As much as we want to put him away, we care about her and he's her dad," Harmon said. Alexander followed, "It's hard because there is a connection, but he's such a bad guy." (via Yahoo! TV)
Maura (Sasha Alexander), Jane (Angie Harmon) and Korsak (Bruce McGill) find Paddy (John Doman) pinned up against a bathroom sink by none other than Cavanaugh (Brian Goodman), who's holding a gun to his head. "[Paddy] has a history with Cavanaugh, it turns out, and that is a major reason Maura has to take a step back and choose a side: her biological family or her professional family," Alexander tells TVGuide.com. "Whether what happened [between Paddy and Cavanaugh] was done consciously, it's just more proof that Paddy's done enormously shady things in his life and he's not a man that you can trust." (via TV Guide)
Sides (drafts of scripts) were posted for some scenes in this episode. They indicate that the episode opens with a flashback to March 1993, wherein a young mother arrives back at her South Boston apartment building with her son. She is on the phone with her husband, who has just told her he can't come home because he'll be working more overtime. She notices that the heat is off. We see that a man holding a pipe wrench has disconnected a gas valve in the basement, causing a gas leak. When the woman turns on the heat, she causes a gas explosion. The case is reminiscent of the revelation made in season 3, episode 12, when we learned that Lieutenant Cavanaugh lost his wife and son in a fire a long time ago.
In season 3, episode 1, Jane discovered a ledger book belonging to Irish mob boss and Maura's biological father, Paddy Doyle (John Doman, "The Wire"). The book becomes relevant again in this episode, when Jane must testify against Doyle at trial. Jane and Cavanaugh meet with Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell King to prepare for the trial. At this point, it is revealed that Doyle and Cavanaugh have history - they grew up in South Boston together, and Doyle worked as Cavanaugh's confidential informant to help get drugs out of the area. Cavanaugh notes that although Doyle "did one good thing, he's still a bad guy."
Jane's testimony goes well, and Maura is in the gallery, watching Jane and Doyle. King says they got off to a good start, but then Korsak and Frost arrive to break the news that the prosecution's key witness has been killed in a car accident around the corner from the courthouse. King asks for a two-day continuance, as he had anticipated several days of testimony from the key witness and doesn't have another witness lined up. Doyle's lead defense attorney requests bail, and in order to grant the continuance request, the judge is forced to release Doyle on bail.
In addition to testifying, Jane is also trying to close some open arson cases - including the case we saw in flashback form at the beginning of the episode. When she can't find crucial files, she and Maura visit the wife of the investigator who oversaw the case. They learn that he kept some of the files at home, but they were stolen in a garage break-in. They look at the garage and see an old car that the investigator's wife says her husband told her never to sell, as it was their big retirement nest egg. Maura claims the car isn't worth more than $500, which suggests its value isn't monetary.
After Jane and Maura put the pieces together, they rush to the courthouse to find that Cavanaugh already approached Doyle, told him "I don't think we're done" and disappeared into a men's room with him, against Doyle's lawyer's advice.
Partial call sheet HERE. Sharon Lawrence guest stars. Rick Peters, Paul Perri, Denise Dowse, Clint Carmichael and Jabari Simba appear in this episode. (via Laura Owen)
Shot on location at 343 N. Bronson Ave, a home in L.A.'s Hancock Park neighborhood. (via Go for Location and OLV)
Episode 4: "Killer in High Heels" (formerly episode 3)
Official episode synopsis from TNT:
"Killer In High Heels" – Tuesday, July 16, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Directed by Mark Haber
Written by Charlie Craig & Ken Hanes
Developed by Janet Tamaro
Maura becomes the key suspect in a homicide case when Maura’s date turns up dead – and Maura can’t remember their evening together. As the shocking evidence against Maura piles up, Jane struggles between protecting her best friend and doing her job.
In the third episode, [Maura] becomes the prime suspect in a homicide after her shaky alibi puts her at the scene of the crime. Jane must juggle her loyalty for Maura while also staying true to her cohorts in blue. "We work it out, but Maura definitely gets knocked around behind bars for a while," Harmon says. "She's not exactly cut out for jail, which makes it really fun to watch Sasha do those scenes. We both had a blast." (via TV Guide)
Maura ends up in jail as an (obviously innocent) murder suspect. "She is definitely not made for jail," Alexander quips. "I tried to convince them to add cool Valentino belts to the orange jumpsuit, but they wouldn't go for it." (via TV Guide
"[Maura's incarceration] turns out to be an innocent thing and she is set up but they really don’t know how to prove that it’s not her. She’s in jail. She’s stripped down and she’s beaten up! It’s bad!" (via After Ellen)
It's hard to know what's a bigger blow to Maura Isles's dignity on the July 16 episode of Rizzoli & Isles: the fact that the fashionable Boston medical examiner (Sasha Alexander) goes to jail on murder charges — Maura gets booked after her date turns up dead and she can't recall their evening together — or that she has to wear those impossible-to-accessorize orange prison togs. "What a great episode," Alexander says. "We're going to see Maura beaten up in jail and a really different side to her character emerge." Luckily for Maura, BFF Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) helps save the day. Says Alexander, "Jane steps into Maura's shoes" — stilettos, no doubt — "to let Maura solve the case from inside jail." (via TV Guide)
Sides (drafts of scripts) were posted for some scenes in this episode. They indicate that the episode opens with Maura and Jane - in a cocktail dress and work clothes, respectively - attending an upscale fundraising gala for a bone marrow database that matches would-be donors with people in need of transplants. The database founders are a famous golf pro and his former model wife, Tucker and Taylor Franklin, who are friends of Maura's. While Maura fits in well with the well-heeled crowd, Jane, who only came for the food, is mistaken as a member of the waitstaff.
Jane and Maura are separated when Tucker leads Maura to a table of doctors to help solicit donations. Maura hits it off with one of the doctors, who attracts her with his appreciation and knowledge of female artists, and she ends up discussing one of her open cases with him. At the end of the night, he offers to drive her home and then leads her away from the other benefit-goers, ostensibly because he is parked around the corner and doesn't trust valets. The viewer gets the sense that Maura may be in danger, but it's the doctor who turns up dead and Maura who ends up in a holding cell at the Suffolk County Jail, where she is assaulted by another prisoner. The guard who comes to her rescue delivers a message from her biological father, Paddy Doyle.
It seems Bass makes an appearance in this episode. (via Laura Owen)
Nicole Steinwedell, Janee Trotman, Amazon Beard, Heidi Marnhout, James Snyder and Rebecca Tilney appear in this episode. (via Nicole Steinwedell, Janee Trotman, Amazon Beard and IMDB)
Episode 3: "But I Am A Good Girl" (formerly episode 5)
Official episode synopsis from TNT:
"But I Am A Good Girl" – Tuesday, July 9, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Directed by Norman Buckley
Teleplay by Janet Tamaro
Story by Y. Shireen Razack
Developed by Janet Tamaro
TJ's christening turns grim when a body is discovered in the church. Jane almost abuses her power in order to protect Tommy when Lydia's fiancé, Stuart Stawbridge (guest star Jareb Dauplaise) threatens to take custody of TJ, and budget cuts cause tensions to run high around the department.
Sides (drafts of scripts) were posted for some scenes in this episode. They indicate that this week's victim is the pregnant daughter of a seamstress (Ana Villafañe, "Los Americans") who settled for working in a factory rather than attending college because of her immigrant family's undocumented status. Jane and the team investigate a possible gang connection, but then suspicion falls on the college student son of a gardener whose company does work for a local church connected to the murder - the same church where baby TJ's baptism is to be held by the priest whom Tommy (Colin Egglesfield, "The Client List") ran over at a crosswalk. Colin Egglesfield tweeted a photo of some of the cast at the church HERE.
Following the advice of his mother, Tommy agrees to atone for the crosswalk incident by allowing Father Crowley to baptize his child, but neglects to make peace with the priest beforehand, much to Jane, Frankie, and Maura's incredulity. Lydia's fiancé, who goes by the nickname Strawberry, crashes the ceremony, and later, Jane and Maura babysit TJ while Lydia attends Strawberry's going-away party at work. Also, Jo Friday makes an appearance.
There's much more going on with this case than a simple murder. There's a link to a tattoo for the Four Corners, and it looks like their victim was killed the same day she was inked. (via The Examiner)
Carlos Ayala, Ramón Franco and Rene Rosado appear in this episode. (via Carlos Ayala and IMDB)
Jane's dog, Jo Friday, appears in this episode. (via Colin Egglesfield)
Rondo makes an appearance too! (via Colin Egglesfield)
Shot on location at the Precious Blood Catholic Church in Los Angeles, CA. (via Juliette Reiss)
Norman Buckley directs. (via Norman Buckley)
Episode 2: "In Over Your Head"
Official episode synopsis from TNT:
"In Over Your Head" – Tuesday, July 2, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Directed by Jamie Babbit
Written by Russell J. Grant & Janet Tamaro
Developed by Janet Tamaro
While investigating the homicide of an overzealous journalism student, Jane is not happy when a former colleague returns to BPD as the new lieutenant of the drug unit (guest star Amaury Nolasco). But the murder she’s investigating soon forces her to deal with him – and the event wrecked their relationship. Meanwhile, an alarming tip from Cailin (guest star Emilee Wallace) causes Maura to investigate Hope (guest star Sharon Lawrence).
The week following the season four premiere, TNT runs another new episode, "In Over Your Head," which follows the death of a college student who fancied herself an investigative reporter. Her efforts to break the story on a campus drug ring get her killed, and the Boston PD homicide division gets the case after a little shady maneuvering on Jane's part to keep it out of the hands of the State Troopers, who are also on hand at the discovery of the body. While the evidence trail this time is a little more scientific, leading the detectives to the exact cause of death and even the exact location of the murder, the identification of the murderer is once again established by accident and coincidence. And speaking of coincidence, while investigating this drug related death the Boston PD get a new drug task force head honcho, Lieutenant Detective Rafael Martinez (Amaury Nolasco), with whom Jane has worked in the past -- to a most unsatisfactory conclusion. (via The Trades)
Amaury Nolasco joins the cast as Lt. Det. Rafael Martinez, the force's new drug unit head who has a complicated past with Jane. "He and Jane are a really fiery match. There's just a lot of fire and sparks between them," Alexander says. "I think fans will like watching them." (via TV Guide)
Old flames can smolder and, sometimes, throw off dangerous sparks. That’s what Angie Harmon’s “Rizzoli & Isles” character, Jane Rizzoli, is about to discover when a former colleague and love interest returns to the Boston Police Department Tuesday night as the new head of the BPD’s drug unit. The old flame, played by head-turning guest star Amaury Nolasco, is Lt. Detective Rafael Martinez. Martinez is someone Rizzoli can’t ignore because she needs him to do her job. “They definitely had some turmoil in the past,” says Nolasco, best known for playing inmate Fernando Sucre on Fox’s “Prison Break.” Now, he’s going to cause Rizzoli to come undone. “I’m the guy who’s shaking things up, causing turmoil, bringing up a lot of painful stuff.” Nolasco won’t say what that stuff is, only that he’s loving going toe-to-toe with Harmon. (via New York Post)
Rizzoli, who is played by Angie Harmon, wants answers, and she goes right to the source in order to get them. At least, she thinks he is the source of her answers. The questions she is asking have to deal with the men tailing Maura. Rizzoli thinks Paddy, who is played by John Doman, is the source of the surveillance, but his reaction to her questions quickly tells her he has no idea. She puts the pieces together, and she tries to question him more about her suspicions, but he tries to make a hasty exit from the room. (via The Examiner)
Sides (drafts of scripts) were posted for some scenes in this episode. They indicate that this week's victim, who was drowned, was a Boston Cambridge University (BCU) student and confidential informant (CI) for Lt. Det. Rafael Martinez (Amaury Nolasco, "Prison Break"), "the newly appointed head of the Boston Police Department's drug unit who has a professional and personal history with Jane. His arrival forces her to relive a painful experience from her past" - the death of another CI eight years earlier, which we find out more about via a flashback. When it becomes apparent that Jane is still haunted by the memory, Maura pats her hand to comfort her. (via TV Guide)
The situation is further complicated by the fact that Frankie, who was finally promoted to detective, is working undercover for Martinez.
As Jane, Korsak and Frost work the case, they find out that the victim wanted to be an investigative journalist. When they search the victim's room, they find Martinez's card hidden in the seam of a stuffed bobcat (the BCU mascot). After they find an essay with an inappropriately affectionate comment from the professor who served as the victim's advisor written on it, the advisor falls under suspicion. As Jane works the case, she revisits the revelation made in season 1, episode 4 - that she was accepted into BCU but chose not to attend because she knew her parents couldn't afford her tuition. She admits to Korsak that she saved her acceptance letter, and he tells her that getting into the school was impressive and her decision not to attend was selfless.
While Maura, Jane and Frost are in the BRIC listening to audio files secretly recorded by the victim prior to her death, Maura receives a worrying text concerning Cailin, the half-sister to whom she agreed to donate one of her kidneys at the end of season 3. Earlier in the episode, we see Jane and Maura visit Maura's biological mother, Hope, at the clinic where she works, and learn that Cailin is worried about Hope. During the visit, Hope notices the necklace Maura is wearing, which Maura tells her was from Cailin.
In other news, the Dirty Robber undergoes a makeover and develops an "organic food vibe."
"Lt. Det. Rafael Martinez (Amaury Nolasco), the new head of the Boston PD drug unit, arrives. The case-of-the-week involves the drowning of Martinez's confidential informant. The ordeal brings back painful memories of a case Jane was involved in nearly a decade earlier. Let's just say she clearly understands what Martinez is going through." (via TV Guide)
Chelsea Rendon, Shenita Moore, Brooklyn Mclinn and Emily Davenport appear in this episode. (via Chelsea Rendon, Kabookit, Brooklyn Mclinn and IMDB)
Shot on location at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro and 6001 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles. (via Laura Owen, Angie Harmon's double and OLV)
Janet Tamaro tweeted part of a call sheet for this episode HERE.
Watch a sneak peek of this episode on TVLine.
Episode 1: "We Are Family"
Official episode synopsis from TNT:
We Are Family" – Tuesday, June 25, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Directed by Michael Katleman
Written by Janet Tamaro
Developed by Janet Tamaro
A community parade turns deadly in a case that brings family tensions and politics to the forefront. Maura, who is dealing with her own family issues, is not quite herself. And a surprise visit from Lt. Col. Casey Jones (guest star Chris Vance) reveals some shocking news.
(via Janet Tamaro)
The June 25 season premiere has a scene (or several) to make you smile… followed by one that will furrow your brow, as it does Jane’s, when Casey reveals a new itinerary. “Trying to work out whatever it is [they have] — Jane’s not really ready to settle down, and he kind of is — is incredibly difficult to do while he’s back in Afghanistan,” says Angie Harmon. As for the new season a whole, the actress enthuses, “We’ve gone back a bit towards the pilot, as far as going more dramatic. The playful banter is still there, but the cases are a lot more serious — which I’m excited about.” (via TVLine)
"[When the show returns,] three months have elapsed, the dust has literally settled and everybody's out of hospital gowns," says Janet Tamaro, a veteran TV reporter who in 2010 developed the series, based on the best-selling crime novels by Tess Gerritsen. "I didn't want Jane starting the season pacing the corridor asking, 'Are they going to live?'" (via TV Guide)
Season 4 picks up with Rizzoli trying to lift Isles out of the deep funk that donating a kidney to save a half-sister she barely knows without so much as a thank-you from her family caused. Alexander said, "Stuff dealing with Maura's family is affecting Jane and the other detectives. It is personal and very intertwined and makes Maura realize that Jane is her family, and she's not sure who these people are to her." ... In the first episode, Rizzoli's broken soldier beau returns after a successful surgery for one passionate night before he announces that he is headed back to train in the same therapy that helped him overcome his bedroom-bungling PTSD. "It's so convenient. Just when his penis starts working, they ship him off again," Harmon said. "It's like the only person they want to get any action is my mom." (via Yahoo! TV)
The first episode of the season, "We Are Family," has a very interesting crime to solve -- the assassination of a former Senator's daughter, JFK style, who is herself a senatorial candidate. The main suspect is the husband, whose promising law career was put on hold to raise the children while his wife concentrated her efforts on campaigning. While Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) follows the evidence trail, and the viewer is drawn into the case even as the cast celebrates the promotion of Jane's brother, Frankie (Jordan Bridges), and Dr. Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) mopes about her sister's seeming ingratitude over the donation of a kidney. There's a lot of interpersonal drama going on -- but it doesn't mask the fact that the case is solved not by detective work, not by a surprise informant, but by a random, non sequitur comment Maura makes to Jane which just happens to be in the right place, at the right time, for Jane to draw a new conclusion about what the victim was up to and who the killer would have to be. (via The Trades)
"We start three months after the end of season three. Maura has anonymously donated her kidney to her sister, Kayleen. Maura is in a funky place. She's feeling vulnerable and fragile. She’s not her normal, sunny self. It's fun watching Jane try to lift her spirits. It leads to funny antics with Maura and Jane. It brings Maura and Kayleen together, which leads to a relationship, and more of a family drama." (via Sasha Alexander)
By the end of this pair’s big return June 25, which picks up at the tail end of Maura’s recovery from surgery, two couples will rekindle their flame with some hanky-panky. (via Inside TV)
This picture is believed to be from this episode. (via Buddy Hollywood)
Episodic stills here on A-H.com!
Sides (drafts of scripts) were posted for some scenes in this episode. They indicate that Jane, Maura and Angela attend a parade (the Bunker Hill Day parade, according to this photo tweeted by Angie Harmon) featuring an ex-senator, Malcolm Humphrey, and his daughter, who won his seat. Some of the sides list her name as Erica Humphrey-Miller, others as Diane. Maura comments that it's nice Humphrey-Miller followed in her father's footsteps, and Jane points out that if she and Maura had done the same thing, she would be a plumber and Maura would be a mob boss. Maura clarifies that she meant to say how lovely it is when a father/daughter relationship works, causing Jane and Angela to think sadly of Frank, Sr. Then, Humphrey-Miller, who is riding in an open-top convertible, is shot and killed, turning the family parade into a crime scene. The victim's sister, Jennifer, rushes to the scene. Meanwhile, Humphrey-Miller's husband, Jeff Miller, heads to his wife's office at the State House, which strikes investigators as odd.
Jane and Frost head to the office, where Jeff and Jennifer show them some hate mail that Humphrey-Miller received and suggest that her environmental advocacy got her killed. Jane and Frost look at Humphrey-Miller's calendar and find some puzzling entries. When Jane asks why Jeff didn't attend the parade, he says he had to take his son to a soccer game, which was held near the parade route. Jane asks for a DNA sample and he refuses, reacting angrily to the idea that he was involved in his wife's death.
Later in the episode, Jane and Maura visit a diner where they notice photos of Humphrey-Miller posing with sick children. The waitress says something is poisoning the locals, which makes Jane and Maura suspicious.
There are "new developments" at the BPD involving a motorcycle. (via Janet Tamaro)
Behind-the-scenes photos from the set can be found HERE. (via amylynn0002)
Fahim Anwar and David Selby appear in this episode. (via Fahim Anwar and DavidSelby.com)
General spoilers
- Maura's biological mother, Hope Martin (Sharon Lawrence), will return this season. "No one's quite sure what's going on with Hope. We're learning that this woman is not everything that she's pretending to be. Angie and I have a wonderful scene with her in the second episode — this slow unveiling. Is this woman a good guy or a bad guy? She's so evasive. She's got that Stepford thing happening. I think for Maura, it's not just uncovering her past, but really just learning who her parents are and choices that they've made in their lives that are kind of dishonest. It's an interesting road for Maura because you get to meet your biological parents and you're slowly learning that they're not necessarily people that you want to know," she continues. "So it's tricky. Every episode uncovers a new layer about them and Maura's in a position of looking at Jane and saying, 'You guys are really my family.'" - Sasha Alexander (via TV Guide)
- Frankie finally gets promoted to detective. (via xfinity)
- It looks as if Jane will resume her relationship with her ex, who has returned following a successful surgery to repair the damage caused by his last tour of duty, which has made him functional again - if you get my drift. But even though Maura is cheering Jane on - Casey (Chris Vance) is a cutie - it doesn't look as if he is here to stay. Rather, he is shipping out to work with other men who have been seriously injured during the course of their military service. "We are in the middle of filming the season, so I don't know [if Jane and Casey will get together], but I will say there is another rooster in the hen house with a person from Jane's past," Harmon teases. "It is a very sad reason why these two broke up. Now he's Frankie's [Jordan Bridges] boss, so the whole thing is very awkward and off-putting." (via xfinity)
- There IS love on the horizon [for Angela Rizzoli], and it's actually with Lieutenant Detective Sean Cavanaugh played by Brian Goodman. (via Janet Tamaro)
- Bass and Jo Friday will also appear this season. (via Janet Tamaro)
- "Prison Break's Amaury Nolasco will recur as Lt. Det. Rafael Martinez, the newly appointed head of the Boston Police Department's drug unit who has a personal and professional history with Jane. Meanwhile, Maura and Cailin start to bond so much that the teen ends up staying with Maura. Oh, and remember Paddy Doyle's little black book from last season? It'll come into play when Jane has to testify against Doyle. It turns out Doyle once worked as an informant for Cavanaugh." (via TV Guide)
- "We do more yoga this season. Their love lives are kind of static and they haven’t been very lucky. Jane is still pining over Casey and Maura is just not lucky in love. They are each other’s relationship and I definitely feel like there’s a lot of times when they’re not doing the work stuff they only have each other to have that off-time with. We always try to make the most of those situations, the girl things, they come up with some great stuff this year." (via )
- This summer, Jane and Maura help each other through more family troubles as they investigate complex and troublesome cases, including a deadly shooting of a state senator, the brutal killing of an young and earnest journalism student and the pending murder trial of Maura's mob-boss father, Paddy Doyle (guest star John Doman). (via TNT press release)
- This season promises some doozies like assassinations of state senators, a serial killer, and the brutal killing of an earnest journalism student. Harmon said, "A lot of the cases seem to have more weight to them. There are a lot of heavier, more serious, and more emotional crimes." (via Yahoo! TV)
- The final episodes in season four will take a deeper look into Jane’s personal life, “specifically focusing on loss,” said Harmon. “My character carries a lot with her, [the audience] will begin to understand how her investment in any one of the crimes is a jumping off point,” for her personal life. (via The Wall Street Journal's Speakeasy blog)
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