RIZZOLI & ISLES: Friendship Under Fire In Season 3 Premiere

When we left Rizzoli & Isles last winter, Jane had just shot Maura’s biological father, Paddy Doyle, in an undercover operation gone wrong. You can imagine how this might put a strain on their friendship.

The new season picks up seconds after the end of season 2 as everyone reacts to the shooting. Through flashback scenes, we see the undercover operation come together and how close Jane and Maura were just minutes earlier. Paddy’s shooting changes that in the blink of an eye, and the fallout is major. Remember that Mama Rizzoli has been living with Maura since her divorce, and Frankie spends a fair amount of time there as well. With these two at each other’s throats, living arrangements have to be altered and Jane isn’t entirely pleased with the results.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the botched undercover operation, and once the brass realize both Maura and Jane knew that Paddy was in town but didn’t report it, Internal Affairs is all over Jane and her team as they investigate the murder of a cop. Even as that case presents twists and turns, the mystery of Maura’s biological mother’s identity comes back into play when a new piece of evidence surfaces. And, providing much needed comic relief, Ed Begley, Jr. reprises his role as Dr. Pike, the “underappreciated” Medical Examiner who steps in when Maura has to remove herself from the case. The way Jane chooses to handle him is pitch perfect.

I had a little trouble with the latter part of last season, especially after the episode where the show made a man with OCD the butt of several jokes, but by the time the show wrapped up in December, I was back on board. In addition to the friendship between these two strong women, Maura’s search for her biological parents, and the surprising results of that search, gives her character just a hint of mystery for us to explore. The season 3 premiere of Rizzoli & Isles is jampacked with action, surprises, and emotion, to the point that even though their names form the title of the show, I really worried that Jane and Maura couldn’t resolve their impasse and restore their friendship. What will their relationship look like now? Can they still work together? And how will Maura handle the recent revelations about her biological parents?

Tune in Tuesday, June 5 at 9/8c to watch it all unfold on the Rizzoli & Isles season premiere.