Rizzoli and Isles - Misconduct Game - Review:Goodbye Susie

Rizzoli and Isles Episode605-Misconduct Game
Written by Ron McGee
Directed by Kate Woods

After seeing the promo last week I was very nervous for this week’s episode as I feared one of the characters I really enjoyed on the show would be making an exit. Sadly I was right.

We open up in a Dark Alley, Senior Criminalist Chang (Tina Huang) is packing up a crime scene and tells the two police officers they can go . She seems uneasy after they leave, after all it is a dark Alley and as she gets in the crime tech van and pulls away, another car pulls away after her.

Next morning and once again (Does Maura ever lock her doors), Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) comes walking into the kitchen of Doctor Maura isles (Sasha Alexander) who is sat at her counter on her computer. Jane is moaning about being stuck in traffic and Maura offers her coffee. While Jane ever the nosey Detective is looking at Maura’s computer screen.

Jane: “Ow, are you researching C.I.A torture treatments”
Maura: “Close, ‘Medi- puetic’ day spa, this treatment utilizes high frequency electro pulse therapy”

I am with Jane, people pay for that!! Jane also turns down the fish egg bath. Gross... However Maura knows Jane and suggests a wine treatment, of course with a glass of wine it is a winner.
This is 5 episodes in and we have these girls doing breakfast, starting the day together, it’s almost a ritual. Duties calls and Rizzoli and Isles are off to another crime scene as we go into the opening credits but one that will affect them deeply.

As they arrive Jane agrees to go to the spa if Maura goes to a football game (Personally I have always wanted to see Maura at an Ice Hockey match). Sgt Korsak (Bruce McGill) calls Jane over and asks to speak to her privately. Maura notices the presence of Kent Drake (Adam Sinclair), if you recall Maura is training him; he is her deputy in the medical examiner’s office. The presence of another medical examiner tips Maura off something is wrong which Jane confirms. The body is that of Susie (not Chang, no!!!).

Jane offers to get an officer to take Maura home but she goes past her and Korsak into what we learn is Susie’s apartment.

In Susie’s Apartment we are greeted by Frankie Rizzoli (Jordan Bridges), we see the pictures on the fridge show a fun loving Susie and we learn she asked Maura to go skydiving with her. Maura regrets she never did. Jane asks Frankie if he is ok, it’s clear he isn't like any of them aren’t.
Maura is looking round the apartment and a pictures Susie has, Jane keeps an eye on her as Frankie tells Jane a neighbour noticed the door open and discovered the body. As Kent goes to remove the body Maura stops him. Unzipping the body bag she doesn't say anything but the emotion portrayed by Sasha Alexander in this scene shows us her character is trying to hold it together after losing her friend. Jane reiterates this by correcting Kent when he calls her the victim, she says Susie.

Jane promises Maura they will find who did this. Kent goes on to give what he has found so far, blunt force trauma to the back of the head no signs of struggle. This along with Frankie confirming no signs of forced entry make us wonder, did she know her killer? What were they looking for?
Korsak has made a shocking discovery behind the air vent in the wall. We see some evidence bags with items in and a roll of Money. Was Susie paid to steal evidence? Surely not.
Outside Kent and Maura are talking, he is sorry, Maura as her employer and friend she has to step down from doing the Autopsy but requests that Kent provides her with the results. Lovely end to scene as Maura stands and silently watches them drive the body away.

At BPD Korsak states they have to treat this like any other case, Frankie isn’t happy he believes she wasn’t doing anything wrong. They have no leads at present and even the lovely Nina Holiday (Idara Victor) has nothing. The only clue they have is the stuff in the evidence bags and the money found.
One person who may be able to help with this is Maura.

I am guessing Jane was already in Maura’s office and Korsak explains his theory. Maura isn’t happy as we have seen and she states Susie was one of the most principled people she has ever known. Jane is stuck between a rock and hard place she wants to support Maura as her friend but the cop part of her knows she has to follow every lead. Maura agrees to check if any items are missing from evidence as without labels they could be from anywhere.
Maura despite Jane telling her to wait says she must call the governor as any evidence of wrong doing could seriously undermine past and current cases.
Janes going out and hitting the lockers says it all.

Frankie and Jane revisit the dark alley which is now in daylight from the beginning of the episode. The killer may have followed her and killed Susie within an hour of her leaving the crime scene.
Frankie has doubts about Susie, as a cop he points out to Jane good people do bad things all the time. She brought you a lobster Frankie, have a bit more faith in Susie.

That night Jane and Maura are drowning their sorrows, talking to Angela Rizzoli (Lorraine Bracco). Angela sets them straight they haven’t had time to grieve they worked with her and knew and trusted Susie. (Mother does always know best). Not everyone knows everything about everyone but we do know Susie liked mint choc chip ice-cream. Maura gets a phone call upon her return we learn the governor in light of what has happened has to suspend her as medical examiner.

Next day Jane isn't happy she confronts Kent about giving a full report to the governor. He defends himself; he was doing his job by the book as requested. Jane shouts she needs the autopsy results accusing Kent of being after Maura’s job and she wrongly assumes he hasn't done the autopsy. He has and hands her the results. Kent was there all night obviously plotting his overthrow of Doctor Isles. He was actually going through the labs recent cases to see if anywhere missing evidence which they were not. Kent goes on to explain the wound to the head. Angie Harmon shows her acting chops with Jane barely holding back her tears on hearing how Susie died.

Kent thinks the body may have been compressed after she was killed for about an hour. He explains she could have been wrapped up in a tarp or plastic sheet of some kind. It’s possible the body was moved to the apartment.
Jane apologies to Kent who pretends not to hear her and leaves, I really think these two won't ever get along.

Back at Susie’s apartment Jane and Frankie call korsak who is checking out Susie’s car in the garage it’s possible the killer brought her in her car and dumped whatever she was wrapped in in the trash. Unfortunately for Korsak it has been collected so he chases a truck down. The truck driver asks if he is Starsky or Hutch! I will leave you to decide.

Maura is sat at home looking lost, Jane calls her and Maura knows she is going to ask her something about the case she shouldn’t. Maura insists she doesn't ask her anything till she has been cleared. Jane knows Maura and tells her to stay busy.
The plastic used to wrap Susie’s body in is found in a dumpster a few blocks from Susie’s apartment with dried blood and hair on it Kent is running the DNA to confirm. Seems the whole crime scene was staged. Why Frame Susie?

The DNA proves it was the tarp and Susie’s was in it. In the BRIC, Korsak and Jane meet up with Frankie and Nina. Frankie says he knew it was staged. Really! Earlier in the alley he doubted her innocence, bit of a slip there.
They are trying to narrow down Susie’s cases that likely would have been involved with her murder. Jane goes over Kent’s report, Additional fibres were also discovered in the plastic lining, chemicals were also found on the fibre ‘he is working on theories of where they came from’. Korsak knows Jane is trying to sneak it out to Maura and she promises she won’t... Nina gives a smile she doesn't believe her and we don’t.

Maura is spring cleaning when Angela comes in and one of the worst attempts ever, tries to get Maura to look at the papers. Maura’s curiosity gets the better of her and she tells Angela what to tell Jane. Well she probably has to write it down...

Jane brings Kent coffee how he likes it
Kent: “You didn't spit in it did you “
Jane: “do I look like someone…please don’t answer that”

Kent has Janes number, Kent has found pigskin, from gloves or a jacket with smoke residue, Jane asks him to run some tests for her, which she has written on her hand. He is suspicious where she got the information from but tells her he will do the tests. Just as Jane is leaving he asks what the murder has to do with a painting as one compound is a blue pigment is paint and the other used as paint thinners. The smoke residue Jane asks about again and asks Kent to run the tests now.
A painting, I wonder if what happened last week may not be concluded.

Jane comes upstairs and asks for their previous week's file on paint forger, seems Susie was still making calls about it, Nina checks who she spoke to. The chemical components are the same found as on the torched painting (Episode 604). They believe she was chasing a theory on the case and that got her killed.

The forger and the thief were killed so they must have been a third person involved and they killed Susie. Frankie finds out the professor she contacted, she asked about what type of canvas the painting would have been on. While korsak and Jane think this over Maura arrives with a picnic basket.

Maura she is hiding something in the picnic basket. Maura downloaded Susie’s files; we learn she was focused on the fire that destroyed the Thomas Moran painting. (The one that was supposed to be stolen and burned on last week’s episode).
Susie had found paint stripper, which is a modern product, the masterpiece they burned was a forgery. So it all has been staged. But how would they know Susie was investigating? Like mentioned she made three phone calls about it. Jane leaves Maura who sadly gathers up the files knowing Susie’s attention to detail on her job is what got her killed.

Back to the original owner of the painting, Korsak and Jane arrive at The Langdon house seems Susie called her residence. We met the Husband; he is very off with the detectives. They explain they never spoke to Susie but any of the staff could have answered the phone and call them in.
Jane gets a call from Frankie, someone tried to sell the painting to the over interested buyer from last week; Frankie has spoken to Agent Burns and got the number the seller left. Jane asks Frankie to ring that number and no surprise it’s one of the staff in the house. Jane gives chase and takes him down hard. Susie was her friend. You don’t mess with Jane Rizzoli!

Back at BPD the guy, Kirk Ainsley isn’t talking, Nina does some digging on Ainsley and he has worked for the Langdon’s for 8 years. Seems he served in the army and under Langdon who saved his life. Nina also discovers Langdon is looking into running for governor. His wife has the money not him; perhaps he put Kirk Ainsley up to steal the painting.
Soon Mr Langdon comes in for a chat and is very cooperative; yes he soon changed his tune. Langdon describes Ainsley as unstable, Jane senses there is more to it so brings in Ainsley and he starts talking dropping Langdon in it when he sees he was going to do the same to him. Well played Jane.

I can still see a few loose ends but guessing Ainsley killed the thief, the forgery and unfortunately Susie all for his boss so he could run for governor. Framing Susie helped his campaign.

Maura is back at work, like us I am sure she expected Susie to just pop in but its Kent she thanks him for stepping in and we learn the painting was also recovered. Maura asks him to come to the Dirty Robber tonight where they are having a get together for Susie he agrees to come, Maura finds his phone on her desk. Not really sure what this scene was about but maybe nothing.

At the Dirty Robber it’s with sadness they say goodbye to their colleague. Maura retells the story of Susie’s second week on the job, a corpse with bee stings before she can get too gross Jane politely clears her throat. Maura tells how’s she came in to Susie in a beekeeping suit running tests on bee hives. She knew then she had met a Kindred spirit. Like Maura we will all miss you Susie... (Pass the tissues) Nina has her iPod and they pick out her favourite song. Maura guesses classical music but it is actually By SOiL, Shine on and is Heavy rock. Kent knows the words and some poor attempts at rock dancing start. Jane is down with it (I see Angie Harmon was probably a rock chick in the 80’s).

A bittersweet episode, for whatever the reason the departure of actress Tina Huang will be missed. I loved her quirky character and the fact the show used it as a murder knocked the drama up a level. Lasts week story leading to a death was an unexpected twist. The subtly in which the grief was played was a credit to the actors. You can see Jane and Maura struggling to do their jobs after losing a friend, their emotions threaten to bubble up at any moment. The finale scene was my best of the episode I had tears of sadness with Maura and then laughter when the song came on and everyone dancing celebrating Susie’s life

Goodbye Senior Criminalist Chang we will miss you .

About the Author - Zandarl

Zandarl a Writer and avid TV and film buff ,once described as a wilful hedonist, has travelled all over and lived in the states for a short time. Now based in the UK she attends cons when able and meets stars from her favourite shows .Her first start in fandom was Xena and since then has admired tv shows that portray strong women. Her current favorites being Rizzoli and Isles and Once Upon a Time as well as anything comic book related. A regular movie goer she watches most genres but never ask her to watch a horror movie.

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