Rizzoli and Isles Episode610 – Sister Sister
Written by Ken Hanes
Directed by Steve Robin
We seem to be covering the whole animal spectrum with Rizzoli and Isles from fishing and now to dog training and a dog show. However it seems the dog is not the only suspect and a few twists and turns in this week’s episode until the real killer is revealed.
Opening scene is outside a nice house with a pool, we see a lady in a track suit clearly working with a dog. When she goes to feed him the dog becomes agitated, she eats some of the food the dog jumps up and knocks her into the pool.
It’s taken 10 episodes and we have a beginning scene that’s not in Maura’s Kitchen but Frankie’s apartment, where Jane is currently living. Seems Jane (Angie Harmon) has an interview for a condo (We have no such process here in UK so not sure why such its big deal) Maura (Sasha Alexander) is showing her dresses. Obviously first impressions are important and it seems Maura’s couture wardrobe will help. Except she hands Jane a dress which, in Jane's own words will make her look like big bird (I admit I don't like yellow, I was once made to wear the colour as a bridesmaid ...ugh). Anyway I am no fashion critic but the colour does nothing for Jane and I suppose this was the idea to put her in something that clearly wasn't in line with her character.
Arriving at the crime scene Korsak (Bruce McGill) compliments Jane on her outfit showing his support. Seems the lady, Mona Evans, who we saw earlier was found by the meter reader. Korsak says she has a lot of trophies and clearly is good with dogs. Looks like she has drowned but Maura notices dog bites on her arm. It’s rare for a trained dog to attack its owner and wonders if its rabies.
Maura asks the question I am sure some of us have been wondering since Jane is keeping the dress on:-
Maura: “Question, Where do you keep you gun?”
Jane: “Don’t Ask “
Korsak goes and asks the Animal control officer if they can get a blood sample from the dog. The officer believes the dog is aggressive. Korsak is a dog lover and doesn't like the thought of a dog being put down and says they haven't determined the dog did attack anyone. You know Korsak won’t let anything happen to the dog.
Frankie and Nina (Idara Victor) are having lunch at the Robber. Angela (Lorraine Bracco) is giving Frankie the third degree if Jane and he are getting on. He lies and explains to Nina it’s to keep her from getting involved.
At BPD Korsak ask about the Condo interview, I will admit I am really confused about this whole condo application process. So they ask if you’re married etc. to determine if you are going to party or be loud. No wonder Jane got annoyed, Korsak says there will be other condos. Frankie asks how it went and Jane lies. Frankie clearly wants her out .Jane changes the subject asking Frankie what’s in his hand, it’s the autopsy report. The victim did not drown or was killed by the dog but in fact…… poisoned!!
Maura confronts Kent about the fact he missed calling a victim’s family with cause of death, seems she has asked him several times he says he forgot then grabs Maura and kisses her before running into the elevator.
In the BRIC Jane, Nina and Frankie are looking into the background of the victim, Mona, she didn’t have a lot of money, was upside down on her mortgage (I had to look this up, it means a mortgage in which the amount that a property owner owes on the loan is more than that property's current market value).
Korsak is on the phone and buys the dog another 24 hours while they continue their investigation. He and Jane speak to the model citizen daughter. Seems her mother thought more of the dog than her daughters. Her father was a drunk and her mother copied better with dogs than people. Her sister Sarah is living on the streets she got angry with her mum as she wouldn’t give her money for drugs but wouldn’t kill her.
Maura is pacing, clearly waiting for Jane who she runs to when she sees her.
Maura: “Kent kissed me “
Jane: “What?... On the lips”
Maura: “We were just talking and suddenly he just kissed me”
Jane “Oh it’s like a bad romance novel”
I did laugh at this scene Maura explains he is her subordinate so any romance is out the question then she realises she has not asked Jane about her condo interview. Seems Jane knows it will be fine as she knows the dark pasts of the Condo board members. They walk down to the morgue where Maura tells her she had the stomach contents analysed to see how the poison was ingested. She found coffee, salmon, Kale, brown rice all were contaminated with Strychnine (to be honest I would have expected to see a painful death with this as it causes convulsions).
I was scratching my head as to how the hell did the victim get so much poison in her. I am sure Maura will be providing answers later.
Maura is now spying on Kent when Korsak startles her, Jane has told him about the dog being the target and asks Maura if the marks could be from the dog trying to pull her out the pool. Maura agrees. Korsak asks did they test the dog for strychnine poisoning which she didn’t only rabies so they conspire and Maura agrees to get the dog released into their custody. Love the little fist bump between them. Knew Korsak would save the pooch from the pound. Maura again spy’s on Kent .
Jane and Frankie are talking it seems they still haven’t tracked down the other daughter, Nina has info on who would want the dog, Duke, dead seems the neighbour Dolores filed 22 complaints about the dog barking with Animal control. When they canvassed after the murder she didn't answer.
Frankie and Jane go to pay her a visit, seems she is packing to move to Florida. She also keeps a file of who goes in and out around the area after the burglaries years ago. She heard the neighbour and her daughter arguing and also wrote down the reg plates of others who visited.
They look into a lady who visited the day before seems she has been all over Europe the past month scouting. She couldn't have poisoned the food in the time frame. (So are they saying now she was slowly poisoned by eating the dog food)? Anyway there is a big show coming up and the lady wanted to show off Duke but the victim, Mona didn't want to stud him. He also had won a lot of trophies so had rivals in the dog show. Jane has an idea, perhaps the person who tried to kill him doesn't know he is still alive.
Jane is going to show Duke with some help from Korsak. They look lovely together and I couldn't stop laughing as Duke took Jane for a walk.
Mama Rizzoli wants answers and the latest victim of her tricks is the newbie Nina, soon over a plate of sloppy joes Nina is spilling the secret about Frankie and Jane getting on each other’s nerves.
Arriving at the Dog show, Jane walks round with Duke but it’s not long before someone gets in her face saying Duke can’t be here with her and calls her an amazon. Luckily before Jane can go all amazon on him Duke takes off but he doesn't attack someone he is licking them. Seems Duke found the missing daughter Sarah.
Sarah doesn't know her mother is dead and is horrified to learn she died from poisoning, she admits she poisoned the dog’s food. It wasn't meant for her mother.
Jane talks to the other sister, explaining about Sarah and saying they found rat poison in Sarah’s pocket as well. Her sister knew Sarah was going to kill the dog, they had fought about it at her mothers in the back yard. The sister feels guilty, she could have stopped this. She takes Duke and leaves.
Jane confronts Frankie in the BRIC about speaking to his mother but Nina admits Angela cornered her. They understand and talk about it which is what Angela wanted all along. Maura messages Jane…. she has something.
Kent approaches Maura and she asks to see him in her office, Jane uses his distraction to sneak up behind him and make him jump. Kent looks ruffled. Maura has indeed discovered something… she doesn’t think Sarah killed her mother, Jane says they have a confession, Sarah put rat poison in Duke’s food. Mona was killed due to strychnine poisoning but the rat poison contains a dye that would have turned her urine bright green, Mona’s was clear. Mona had two types of strychnine each with a different molecular structure. One is a common version used in rat poison and the other is a pure version used in medicines. The large amount of the pure version killed her which was likely in her coffee so it passed through her system quicker.
Coincidence she had two different types of the same poison in her. Jane and Korsak think that the other sister, who we now know is called Tricia, who knew what her sister Sarah was planning may have done it. In the BRIC Nina and Frankie found out the properties in that area were being brought up for higher than the market value. However Mona was the only one who wouldn’t sell on the block. So now they have a money motive, the dog is her beneficiary in her will so whoever controls the dog controls the money.
Kent has his meeting with Maura, who turns all seductress on him, he looks terrified but Maura realises he wasn’t attracted to her but hiding something. She encourages him to talk and he tells Maura that he became a medical examiner so he wouldn’t have to face loved ones of people who died. That’s why he had a hard time calling the family. Maura offers to help.
Korsak and Jane talk to Sarah again saying it could be her sister, Tricia who knew Sarah’s plans to poison the dog and because Tricia would have custody of Duke she could decide what to do with the house.
Sarah wears a wire and with Korsak and Jane listening in the car she confronts her sister, Tricia however Tricia clearly has no idea what she is talking about. We learn another fact, there was no coffee cup found at the scene ( How would Tricia know this , I am sure police would not share the information, it’s obviously been put in for a reason ) Jane and Korsak believe Tricia which leads to who else could have known about Sarah’s plans. Korsak and Jane realise the Neighbour not only would have overheard the sisters fight in backyard but had the most to gain as needed her house to sell to move . Yes nosey neighbour Dolores……
Korsak and Jane go and arrest her, she believes they have nothing but wait…….. Korsak says they have found a coffee cup which tested positive for strychnine with her fingerprints on. (Now we know why it was mentioned). Case closed…. the neighbour said she liked cop shows, maybe watching too many and reading Agatha Christie novels gave her the idea.
Maura goes with Kent to see the family telling him at times, as a medical examiner, he will have to do this. She states they can never be anything between them due to him being her work colleague. Kent asks about cops and medical examiners! Does he have his eye on someone or is he making a suggestion. We aren't so sure……..
Maura heads home and we get our kitchen scene for this week, seems Jane is there wanting to celebrate, she got her condo .
Jane: “You're not touching it"
Fade to black
Maura: “But what about the couch”
Jane: “I burned it"
I enjoyed the episode however I was a little disappointed with the crime. It tried to provide us with twists but for me seemed to stumble over itself a bit with the facts. The points I did enjoy were that they showed Rottweilers in a positive way, Duke was the real star of this episode. I liked the interaction ,though certainly it wasn't romantic, between Kent and Maura. He gives her someone to play off other than Jane. I also see the fact Frankie and Nina having lunch as maybe a move in the romance direction for them.
Next week the girls are off to L.A and I can only imagine what’s in store.
What do you think of this week’s episode please comment below
