Fic - Mostly Fixed (Rizzoli & Isles)

[cj2017]

Title: Mostly Fixed

Author: cj2017

Fandom: Rizzoli & Isles

Rating: PG-13

Category: Tag to 3X07.

Word Count: About 2,500

Notes: I really wasn’t going to tag this one, and then I went and did. Contains references to adult themes.

Thanks and love to feroxargentea for a brilliant beta, and for managing not to drop the laptop in the bath. Love also to laurel_hardy for giving

Comments

[laurel_hardy]

As with so many fucking things with this show, this needed attending to and needed it badly. I'm sure on TV this will leave as big a mark as the impromptu surgery Jane was forced to perform on Maura just a few weeks ago. Rehab? Therapy? Nah, just share a blanket on the couch and a lame joke or two. You did a much better job of capturing the brittleness and the tenderness of life in the aftermath.But then, you didn't run away from it, did you?

There still is no explanation of why he dressed Jane like that, though.

[cj2017]

I don't think there will ever be an explanation of why he selected that outfit. It was such an odd choice. If the damsel in distress scenes were supposed to be titillating for the audience (male gaze and all that) then why the fuck dress her in something so damn ugly? In an episode that didn't make a lot of sense, that made even less.

I think any victim of a sexual assault would be offended by the implication that you can have a beer and laugh about it shortly afterward. I mean, what the fuck were the writers thinking? I don't expect it to be SVU or anything, but at least attempt to acknowledge that something fundamentally life-changing just occurred. Jane's moving apartments this week so maybe there will be some fallout but I very much doubt it will amount to more than a passing reference and a shiny new set.

[laurel_hardy]

I'm positive the stupid costume choice was a clumsy ass attempt by both villain and producer (or is that really just one villain) to 'feminize' Jane, as I'm sure all the tearful, to-the-camera pleading was as well. JT probably thought she was humanizing Jane and exploring 'her' emotions in that utterly superficial way that JT brings to bear on all things apparently. If JT wasn't such a godawful hack she would realize that Jane can have emotions, can hurt, can have a weak moment while still being Jane instead of the impostor we watched.

[cj2017]

I'm not sure the outfit was supposed to feminise Jane. She made a point of commenting on it herself, pointing out how atypical an outfit it was for her. It was just a very strange choice - it made her completely unattractive (just by being so very nasty) which also negates any accusations that the whole tie her spread-eagle to a bed thing was aimed at a male audience. Jesus, I hope they weren't aiming it at the gay side of the audience...

Jane's reactions on the whole were just weird - the crying and pleading was so OOC it was as if the writers had never actually seen an episode prior to the one they submitted. I guess they don't think that people will sit down and try and think this shit through (they certainly don't before it hits the screen.) They churn out superficial pap week in, week out and hope we'll be charmed by the pretty. To be honest, I often am (it's the only reason I'm still watching 3 years down the line) and then occasionally something so fucking wrong gets aired, it makes me want to tear my hair out *shrugs* or

[eglantine_br]

I like this, it seemed just right to me.

[cj2017]

Thank you :-)

[not_frozen]

Thank you for this. It was a shame what they did in the end of the episode. :/

[cj2017]

I agree, as did a lot of fans I think. Who knows, maybe the message will eventually get through to the show's writers that there are quite a lot of viewers who would like to see the serious side every now and again. But I do appreciate you reading the fic.

[laurel_hardy]

I know you stay away from twitter (I mostly snark at authority there) but Janet Tamaro let fly a rather bitterly toned one last week before the show to the effect that she reads neither fanfic nor comments from haters. Which makes it crystal clear that she's hearing the displeasure from fans. I don't know that I hold much hope for the remainder of S3 (which is already written. I watch now in equal parts hoping for a glimpse of the old charm, the snarking, and to keep up with fanfic fodder), but I'm hoping some of the criticism will sink in for the already approved S4. And that's why I've made a point to repeat my complaints in different forums, in the hope an echo will reach the ears of TPTB.

[not_frozen]

We can only hope, right? Aw, it was my pleasure.

[jello_o]

This was excellent. If the episode had an ounce of what this fic had, it would have been amazing. Missing scenes like this help keep the fandom alive, especially in times of less-than-good episodes.
You made an excellent point. This situation was exactly what made Jane switch partners from Korsak to Frost. But I'm sure this won't be mentioned in the show. I'm sure it's because Jane is so used to being kidnapped that's it's old hat to her now.

[cj2017]

Thank you, I really appreciate the feedback.

The similarities between this scenario and Hoyt were just so blatant they were impossible to overlook. If anything, what happened in this ep was even worse, due to the way they had Jane react and the number of people who were watching her. I very much doubt they'd mention it in the show though, it was hard enough trying to fix it in a fic (and I'm not entirely sure I managed to!) there's no way the writers would want to try and sort such a mess out in an episode.

[sunsetwriter]

I continue to love the way you write Jane and Maura. Well done! I think you addressed every issue I had with this episode. This is how they ought to be. Thanks for the fix!

[cj2017]

You are very welcome, as always. I genuinely wasn't going to fic this one and then one week later the ideas were still pecking at my head! Good thing they're so much fun to write. There were aspects of this ep that weren't totally horrible, so who knows, maybe things will improve from here!