Rizzoli & Isles: The Complete Fifth Season

TNT's popular female buddy series—starring Angie Harmon as no-nonsense Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and Sasha Alexander as her close friend Maura Isles, a brilliant but socially inept medical examiner—follows a predictable pattern of combining homicide cases with personal crises. Some of the mysteries are fairly ordinary, such as the stabbing of a jogger or the death of a man thrown from a balcony, but most add unusual elements. One features a suspect who claims to be a werewolf, another the death of a man in his fallout shelter, and a third the murder of a rare-book dealer that hinges on the decipherment of symbols in Celtic manuscripts. One episode even mimics the old “most dangerous game” template, with men becoming the targets of a hunter. As to personal matters, Jane must deal with her unexpected pregnancy while Maura confronts (awkwardly, as usual) the possibility of romance. Casting a shadow over the entire season is the death of squad member Barry Frost; Lee Thompson Young, who played the detective, committed suicide in 2013, and his character here dies in an auto accident. Compiling all 18 episodes from the 2014-15 fifth season, extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. Sure to appeal to the show's devoted fans, this is recommended. (F. Swietek)