Rizzoli and Isles - Dead Weight - Review: Spontaneous Human Combustion

Rizzoli and Isles Episode 707

Written by Jeremy Leveson & Sam Lebeck

Directed by Stephen Clary


The production closed for the last time on Rizzoli And Isles Friday leaving great sadness across the fandom so this week’s episode despite the gruesome nature of the crime was more on the lighter side and just what was needed.

From the trailer, we were aware Jane would be absent in part of this episode but like when Maura went away she is never far from the skyping.
Jane is teaching at the FBI but even Jane can’t let her cop mind rest when one of the students gives her a bad vibe. Maura displays her new skills and not just her aptitude for chemistry in this well written and witty episode.

It all starts with a young man annoying a neighborhood on his bike as he tries to play chicken with a car, she swerves to miss him but he seems to just blow up.

At Jane’s apartment, Maura is discussing working at Hopes clinic and Jane questions her about overcoming her fear of the living. Maura has come a long way and those old fears have been put to rest.
Jane has taken a parcel for her seems Maura has ordered something which is in part for Jane when she is fencing in her tampon outfit (Janes words not mine) it’s hard for Jane to know who she is so she has brought a Boston red sox guard for her saber.
Jane is moaning, as she is leaving soon to teach a class at Quantico. She bitches to Maura why did she agree to teach this class and is having a slight questioning of her abilities but Maura assures her she will be fine.

Frankie arrives saying her ride to the airport is here and when Maura and his phone rings and they say Rizzoli and Isles... we all agree with Jane this is wrong. Jane leaves still is moaning and sharing her dislike for the FBI, we all know she has had run in’s in the past so this should be interesting.

At the crime scene, the bomb squad can find no trigger; Frankie quickly jumps in with it being a case of Spontaneous Human combustion to which Maura states how they are disproved by being near an explosive element.
Was it .. in the cyclist’s case? We are not sure.
I do think this was practically gruesome as we get to see pieces of what is left of the victim thankfully I wasn’t eating when watching.

Frankie calls Jane who is not happy, she is missing the case of the exploding cyclist. Also, Frankie is still going with his spontaneous human combustion theory. Jane hangs up as Agent Davis, who seems to know Agent Dean who bet he couldn’t get her out of Boston, greets her.

Meanwhile, Angela is searching through the classifieds, as she wants to regain her independence and move out of Maura’s. She makes Frankie promise not to say anything.

Korsak is discussing the victim with Maura. They have no clue as to who it is but white male aged 20 – 25, the cause of death severe Blast Injury (yep think we all got that one as poor guy is in pieces), Kent has a surprising discovery regarding his DNA seems it’s from 5 people?

The artist sketch from witnesses isn’t helping ID him either. Though Maura does have a case for his explosion, which she shares with Nina and Frankie and from the position of the blast it seems something explosive was in his water bottle on the bike.
As for the ID, Kent and Maura work a little magic with some fab technology and produce a virtual 3D image of his face which Nina quickly ID’s.

Jane Skype’s Maura and of course wants to see the body, who wouldn’t want to see body parts still attached to handle bars! She also is still doubtful of her ability to teach the class but once again Maura reassures her.

Jane, before her class, overhears some of the students talking and hears a practically sexist comment from one of the students saying couldn’t they have found a guy.

Back in Boston Frankie and Korsak burst into the victim’s apartment looks like he was cooking up some crystal meth so maybe he had a few enemies.

At BPD and Korsak has been speaking to the drug unit ,there has been a new influx of crystal meth but the victim’s lab had barely been used. Seems he may have had an accomplice.
They have found a match to one of the 5 DNA profiles found on the victim a street gang leader Big Al who has a drug history. Korsak is going to talk to the drug unit.

Jane is teaching her class and seems nervous she starts off talking but soon realizes this won't work and goes for a more practical approach to teaching. It's all about interrogation tactics and gets the class to reveal things they didn’t want to one student, who made the comment she overheard isn’t very happy. After the class, she speaks to him as she felt she may have gone too far and he does the old drop my pen and you pick it up routine in an attempt to undermine her. I think Jane has his number.

Maura has found the water bottle contained glycerin and potassium permanganate two things that should not be put together. Nina is trying to find a connection to Big Al and Maura notices his sudden weight loss, which isn’t possible in the time frame of the photos without surgery. Did he use his own waste body fat to make a bomb, which would explain how his DNA was on the victim?
Speaking to Big Al he confessed to having Liposuction but is not connected to the killing.

Maura shows them her theory about getting glycerin by melting fat in this case cow fat she uses a small amount. Bam it works and no wonder the guys want to call it a fat bomb.

They interview the Doctor who performed the surgery and she claims all her waste fat is disposed of so no one could have got hold of it but on closer inspection by Maura who notices a discrepancy in The Doctors figures.

Korsak and Frankie stake out the doctors office and catch her trying to retrieve fat she had disposed of in the dumpster out back.

Jane skype’s Maura who instantly recognizes her ‘Case face’, Jane had a vibe about her student run in seems he may have been influential in a girls suicide and seems to be a misogynist.

Due to Frankie's coffee addiction, Nina checks the local coffee shop cameras. While the doctor may have disposed of the waste illegally someone was helping themselves but they can't get a clear shot of the person in a hoodie. They do get a car so are going to canvas the victims neighborhood see if anyone recognizes it to tie to the victim.

They get no joy until they see parking attendants so are going to check if the car got a ticket.

Maura speaks to Angela, Frankie hasn’t told her but she noticed her classified section going missing. She knows Angela wants her independence so says she will start charging her rent.

The ticket theory gives them a name Lea Moore seems she was in rehab with the victim and has the qualifications to cook up more than just crystal meth.

As Jane is leaving the FBI Academy she runs into her fan, well the student who seems to have a problem with women (wonder if this was a dig at a network for canceling the show and going a more male route or maybe I am reading too much into it). Jane trips him up and with the help of a microphone attached to her suitcase Agent Davis hears it all and boots him out the academy.

Maura accompanies the bomb squad, Korsak, and Frankie to the suspect’s house. Though seating in the car one of them has a camera so she can id anything potentially hazardous as they guess she may have her own lab there. The house is empty but she spots something explosives, which they quickly cover. While doing to so the suspect coming back from a run walks by the parked car Maura is in. She calls the others and gives chase eventually bringing the suspect down with a pole and her fencing skills.

Jane is back and she pours them both a beer and is enjoying teasing Maura about her take down. Jane has brought Maura a present but Maura soon realizes she did not get it at the Academy but the Airport. While it may say FBI on the front the back reveals Female Boob Inspector and like the cyclist, I am sure the fandom exploded!



So what were your thoughts on the episode?

Please post in the comments below and be sure to look out for the preview of next weeks 100th Episode

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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