# Could RIZZOLI & ISLES work if they made the subtext, well, text? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 10, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rizzoli-isles-work-if-they-made-the-subtext-well-text/585017 "2011-06-10T19:33:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rizzoli-isles-work-if-they-made-the-subtext-well-text/585017/1 "2011-06-10T19:33:54Z")
If you’ve seen the Rizzoli & Isles promos for the upcoming season, you may have noticed the, ah, suggestive nature of some of them. [An example](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeVVZEX8g7M). This is, of course, just to appeal to the thirteen-year-old-boy in many of us. I sometimes enjoy the show, but frankly I’d be happy if they dropped the teasing aspect (it’s just annoying). Either stop pretending that the ladies are hot for one another (the course I prefer) or quit faffing about and have one of cut through the bullshit. Anyway…do you think the show could work if the characters were explicitly lovers, even if they were not out? Why or why not? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rizzoli-isles-work-if-they-made-the-subtext-well-text/585017/2 "2011-06-12T15:23:56Z")
Sure, and now that Cuddy’s leaving House…yeah, I just don’t see it happening in either case. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rizzoli-isles-work-if-they-made-the-subtext-well-text/585017/3 "2011-06-12T15:33:23Z")
No. I vote for keeping it simmering, just below the surface. When you release the sexual tension, shows always fizzle out. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rizzoli-isles-work-if-they-made-the-subtext-well-text/585017/4 "2011-06-13T15:57:30Z")
True dat. Exhibit A: _Moonlighting_. Exhibit B: _The X-Files_. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rizzoli-isles-work-if-they-made-the-subtext-well-text/585017/5 "2011-06-13T16:03:40Z")
Never seen the show, but I don’t really see the clip in the OP as suggesting they’re lesbians. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rizzoli-isles-work-if-they-made-the-subtext-well-text/585017/6 "2011-06-13T16:08:23Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Never seen the show, but I don’t really see the clip in the OP as suggesting they’re lesbians. Oh, it’s there. If you’ve never seen the show, just take our word for it. It’s _seething_ with suggestion that they are strongly attracted to each other. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rizzoli-isles-work-if-they-made-the-subtext-well-text/585017/7 "2011-06-13T18:36:44Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Oh, it’s there. If you’ve never seen the show, just take our word for it. It’s _seething_ with suggestion that they are strongly attracted to each other. I don’t know if I’d go \*that \*far. There are enough hints that it \*could \*be true, but nothing so blatant that the writers couldn’t deny it if they wanted to. That, and some wishful-thinking-fanwanking, and you’ve got a nice juicy bit of ambiguity to enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rizzoli-isles-work-if-they-made-the-subtext-well-text/585017/8 "2011-06-13T18:43:46Z")
IMO, the undercurrent of sexual tension is all that the show has going for it. So they better keep it, or they got nuthin’. ---
**Author:** ![Chopper9760](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Chopper9760](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chopper9760)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rizzoli-isles-work-if-they-made-the-subtext-well-text/585017/9 "2011-06-13T21:14:23Z")
T.V. writers are getting good at pandering to the GLBT fans without actually having gay main characters. I’d love to have more lesbian characters running about but hey we had a lesbian cop drama - _Niki and Nora_ failed spectacularly, I think it never made it past the pilot. I’m to the point where a straight romance has to be really well done to hold my interest so I can understand not pandering to the gay market; we’ll just have to keep getting by on fanfic. **Tim** nailed it up-thread, that tension they’ve got going is the only interesting thing about R&I. Edit: My grandmother loves R&I because _“They’re such good friends.”_ Which always makes me chuckle since I’m watching for a completely different reason. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rizzoli-isles-work-if-they-made-the-subtext-well-text/585017/10 "2011-06-13T21:18:13Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Exhibit B: _The X-Files_. > [@](#): > > **FBI Prosecutor** Agent Scully, isn’t it true that you and Mulder were lovers, and you got pregnant and had his love child? > **Skinner** Objection! Yeah, you and the fans, too, Skin-man. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rizzoli-isles-work-if-they-made-the-subtext-well-text/585017/11 "2011-06-14T16:49:23Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Oh, it’s there. If you’ve never seen the show, just take our word for it. It’s _seething_ with suggestion that they are strongly attracted to each other. Actually I don’t think they’re _physically_ attracted to one another. They are, however, clearly in love. At least, Jane’s in love with Maura. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rizzoli-isles-work-if-they-made-the-subtext-well-text/585017/12 "2011-06-14T16:58:29Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Oh, it’s there. If you’ve never seen the show, just take our word for it. It’s _seething_ with suggestion that they are strongly attracted to each other. My friend who hounded me to watch the new _Sherlock_ made sure to tell me that one of the things that she loved most about it was the smouldering bromance between Holmes and Watson. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rizzoli-isles-work-if-they-made-the-subtext-well-text/585017/13 "2011-09-03T17:25:50Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Oh, it’s there. If you’ve never seen the show, just take our word for it. It’s _seething_ with suggestion that they are strongly attracted to each other. OK, I just watched my first episode the other night (I know I"m a johnny come lately) and I immediately thought of this tread; so I had to dig it up just to reply. My reply is this: Hooo Boy, you’re aren’t kidding there’s a sexual undertone between them. OK, my work here is done. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-rizzoli-isles-work-if-they-made-the-subtext-well-text/585017/14 "2011-09-03T18:18:42Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > OK, I just watched my first episode the other night (I know I"m a johnny come lately) and I immediately thought of this tread; so I had to dig it up just to reply. > > My reply is this: Hooo Boy, you’re aren’t kidding there’s a sexual undertone between them. > > OK, my work here is done. 🙂 It varies, if you ask me. Sometimes–FREQUENTLY–they’re more like an old married couple than anything else; Isles definitely acts as if Jane’s family are her in-laws, and that’s how they treat her. But whenever one of them is showing interest in a man, there’s definite unexpressed-lust-manifesting-as-jealousy going on.