Expect some equally strong language to reflect the harshness of the crimes, but enough charisma from the protagonists to keep the show from derailing into glorified grisliness.
The good part involves just about any scene focusing on Angie Harmon ("Law & Order") as Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli. The flip side? Just about every scene that isn't centered on her, especially those involving Jane's best friend, medical examiner Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander).
The familiar show, which is set in Boston but too clearly filmed elsewhere, adds in some romantic intrigue, as both Harmon and Alexander appear to be interested in the same FBI agent (Billy Burke). But the dominant theme on Rizzoli & Isles, as on "The Closer,'' is fighting crime and not fighting tears.
Aside from the lurid nature of the crimes and some salty language, though, Rizzoli & Isles is just what the title sounds like--a place for second-hand goods at reasonable prices.
This derivative mish-mash apes countless TV series that have gone before. Badly. It's full of stereotypes and characters who are so fake they're flatter than your average low-budget cartoon.