Rizzoli/Isles
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Jane Rizzoli/Maura Isles |
| Alternative name(s): | Jane/Maura, Rizzoli/Isles, Rizzles |
| Gender category: | femslash |
| Fandom: | Rizzoli & Isles |
| Canonical?: | non-canon |
| Prevalence: | fandom OTP |
| Archives: | AO3 FFN |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Rizzoli/Isles is the pairing of Detective Jane Rizzoli and Medical Examiner Maura Isles from the Rizzoli & Isles fandom.
Fandom
Rizzoli/Isles gained a lot of popularity after the show aired and is considered to be "practically canon" by the fans due to their close relationship. A pairing name for the ship is Rizzles.
Queerbaiting
Rizzoli/Isles is a notorious examples of queerbaiting, and gained a reputation for such within femslash fandoms. Particularly notorious is the fourth promo that appeared for Season 2 of the show. In it Rizzoli and Isles go through a series of speed dates with men before realizing that the only person perfect for them is each other. In 2013, the showrunners and cast admitted they were guilty of queerbaiting in an interview with TVGuide.
Reversatility noted in their piece "Femslash Fandoms and Queer-baiting: Another Perspective" that fans of the pairing felt a negative attitude shift from TPTB over time:
The main point I want to make here is that Rizzoli & Isles is the most egregious queer-baiting offender I know. Rose at Autostraddle wrote thoughtfully about queer-baiting a couple of weeks ago (On Queerbaiting and Misha’s Comments at NJCon) and I agree with the gist of that piece that queer-baiting isn’t simply the presence of homoerotic subtext in a show, but the intentional courting of queer viewers coupled with a “No Homo, Man!” disclaimer when questioned about the same-sex romantic possibilities. I can’t catalog all the ways that R&I has indulged in these tactics, but the show's marketing – the speed-dating promo for Season 2 and the Season 4 Bound for Life poster where Jane and Maura are cuffed together – are two examples which clearly tease a romantic/sexual relationship, yet we have showrunner Janet Tamaro and both actors repeatedly declaring that the characters are straight. As for how they address R&I’s significant queer female following, the tone nowadays comes across as less respectful than it did initially, and a whole lot more like “We find it hilarious, but sure, go for it, you naughty horny lesbians!”
Rizzlescon
Rizzlescon was a fan-run convention centered around Rizzoli & Isles and the pairing Rizzoli/Isles. The con was slated to have many of the cast and crew from the show appear as guests, however all guests, bar Tess Gerritsen, canceled on short notice. The cancellation was thought to be due to the focus on Rizzoli/Isles as a pairing.
Notable Fanworks
Fanart
- The Red String of Fate by CelticBotan
- Rizzoli and Isles by hkonako
- Meditation by fishglow
- Rizzoli n Isles_LBiFFs by hanukara
Fanfiction
- Calamity Jane Meets Dr Isles, Medicine Woman by JoBethMegAmy. my homegirls
- Same Place, Different Time by coolbyrne
- Penny In a Diamond Mine by deemn
- Scientific Inquiry by botherd
Meta
Archives and Communities
- Rizzolli/Isles works tagged at FFN
- Rizolli/Isles works tagged at AO3
- rizzoli and isles community on deviantart