Xfinity

What to Expect on the New Season of ‘Rizzoli & Isles’ (by Paulette Cohn)

When Angie Harmon (Jane Rizzoli) and Sasha Alexander (Maura Isles) showed up at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel to promote the new season of "Rizzoli & Isles," it was clear that the ladies enjoyed each other's company in real life as much as their characters do on-screen.

So fans of "Rizzoli & Isles" can breathe a sigh of relief that, despite the fact that the cases are a lot heavier this season, including the deadly shooting of a state senator and the brutal killing of a journalism student, the crime-solving duo are back and having as much fun as ever as they take on the lawbreakers in Boston.

"The banter and the friendshi... all of that is still there," Harmon reassured xfinityTV.

Unlike the beginning of Season 3, in which Maura wasn't speaking to Jane because Jane had shot Paddy Doyle (John Doman) - Maura's biological father, Season 4 begins with Jane being protective of her friend, who is recovering from surgery. Last season, viewers will recall, Maura's biological mother Hope (Sharon Lawrence) showed up, asking Maura to donate one of her kidneys to a half-sister she not only didn't know, but who also told her she would rather die than take her organ. In the end, Maura decided to save her sister’s life.

"It carries through emotionally because she hasn't heard from her sister or her mom [to say thank you], and, I think, it leaves her feeling a little bit fragile," Alexander says. "So there is some of that, which is fun, but not fun for Jane because she is dealing with Maura's depressive mood right now. Maura's not her normal, sunny self in the very beginning. But then they get wrapped up in a lot of other dramas that come up with Paddy Doyle and with Hope, so we forget about it for a while."

Speaking of Paddy, his trial is coming up, but even though he is safely ensconced behind bars, he is still up to no good. Being imprisoned hasn't stopped him from causing havoc to those on the outside, especially his daughter and her friends.

"It was fun to play because, as much as we want to put this very bad guy away that we've gone after for years and years and years, we all know that he's Maura’s father, so everyone who loves and cares about her wants to protect her as much as we can," Harmon says. "Everyone dances around it. That's what you do with your friends."

On the home front, Mom is getting more in the romance department than anybody else this season as Angela Rizzoli's (Lorraine Bracco) liaison with Jane's Lieutenant (Brian Goodman) is back hot and heavy.

But for a minute, 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."

And the reason that Frankie has a new boss is that he finally is moving on up in the Boston PD and will be wearing a detective badge this season.

"I think it is great for Frankie - and for Jordan - because he has been that bumbling brother who just misses it by that much every time," Harmon says. "So now he is becoming who he is supposed to be. We shot a scene last night and he had me in stitches because Jane comes in the room and he stands up and shouts, 'It's just me.' And she says, 'Why are you yelling?' His answer is: 'I didn't want to scare you.' He made me laugh every time. The fact that he is sitting there and he yells at her to not scare her. He is a Bridges [dad is Beau; uncle is Jeff], so he killed it."

 

Source