RIZZOLI & ISLES: Rebel Without a Pause

When did historical reenactments become so hip? Last week Warehouse 13 had a plot involving Civil War reenactors, this week Rizzoli & Isles has a plot involving Revolutionary War reenactors. Yay history!

This week’s case started with the apparent murder of a man participating in a reenactment of one of the Revolutionary War battles in Boston. But when the investigation went deeper, it turned out that he was killed when a bullet ricocheted off a cannon. A second attack, on a busy street, confused our heroes but Jane still had a gut feeling that the killer’s motive was tied to the reenactors. Meanwhile, Maura was feeling a little starstruck by the Colonialism expert from a local university who organized the event, showing off her knowledge of early American history with glee. When a third shot was fired, this time into a meeting of the reenactors toasting the “dead” from the battle, Jane’s hunch was confirmed. She was wearing period garb at the time, but at least she was right. In the end, the murders were traced to the son of a woman who was raped by the professor Maura so admired. A child of that rape, he was grief-stricken upon hearing how he was conceived and how it messed up his mother’s life, so he decided to exact revenge. Unfortunately he killed two innocent people in the process.

The murderer’s motives tied into the character plotlines nicely, something I hope happens more often. In a positive way, of course. Maura’s mother, a glamorous “artsy type”, came to town for a brief visit, sending Maura into a fit of insecurity. It was fascinating to see such an intelligent, sophisticated, pulled together woman reduced to anxiety attacks upon hearing that her mother was a day early. Paralleling that was Jane’s ma, “the original helicopter mother”, trying to help Maura prepare for her mother’s visit and generally sticking her nose in everyone’s business. The contrast between the two mothers highlighted the differences between Maura and Jane, while also giving them a chance to admit their envy over the other’s mother. A “mother” storyline was inevitable with two female leads, but this was done without becoming too over the top or too schmaltzy. I hope we see Maura feeling a little more confident in her mother’s love moving forward, and I hope Jacqueline Bisset returns periodically to stir things up again. It’s fun seeing Maura off-kilter.

Rizzoli & Isles airs Mondays at 10/9c on TNT.