Honestly, if you were a fan of Rizzoli and Isles back in the day, you probably remember exactly where you were when Susie Chang was killed off. It was one of those TV moments that just felt... wrong. Not wrong in a "bad acting" way—Tina Huang was always a gem—but wrong in a "this is heartbreaking and I wasn't ready" way.
Susie wasn't just another lab tech. She was the Senior Criminalist who could out-science almost anyone and had a weirdly endearing habit of building elaborate dioramas to explain crime scenes. She was the perfect, quirky foil to Maura Isles’ high-fashion brilliance and Jane Rizzoli’s Boston grit.
Why Susie Chang mattered to the show
Before we get into the tragedy of Season 6, let's talk about why we loved her. Susie Chang first popped up in Season 2 and quickly became a staple. She wasn't just a background character; she was the heartbeat of the crime lab.
She was a total original. Remember when it came out that she was a nudist? Or her dearly departed pet lizard, Fluffy? These tiny details made her feel like a real person you'd actually want to grab a beer with—or maybe some mint chocolate chip ice cream, which she famously kept in the "Dead Fridge" (the morgue's cold storage).
Her chemistry with Maura was especially sweet. They spoke the same language of evidence and data, but Susie had this physical memory that made her approach to forensics feel like an art form. She was reliable. She was "one of the good ones." Which is why the writers decided to rip our hearts out.
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The "Misconduct Game" shocker
The episode was "Misconduct Game" (Season 6, Episode 5). It starts off like any other procedural beat, but things go south fast. Susie is at a crime scene alone—which, let's be real, is never a good sign in a cop show—and she gets hit over the head.
When Jane and the team eventually find her body, the nightmare is only beginning. The killer didn't just take her life; they tried to take her reputation. They staged her apartment to make it look like she was a dirty cop, planting wads of cash and stolen evidence.
Watching Maura and Jane walk through Susie’s sunny, diorama-filled apartment while the rest of the department doubted her was brutal. Maura, bless her, never wavered. She called the idea of Susie being corrupt "ridiculous." Jane was ready to punch a locker (and she did).
Who actually killed Susie Chang?
The plot was way more twisted than a simple street crime. It turned out Susie had stumbled onto a massive conspiracy involving a corrupt politician and a scheme to frame the forensics department for mishandling cases. She was killed because she was too good at her job. She found something she wasn't supposed to see, and she paid the ultimate price for her integrity.
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The investigation eventually cleared her name—thank god—but the damage was done. The lab felt empty. Shortly after, the show introduced Kent Drake, the Scottish assistant with a military background. And while Kent was cool in his own way, he wasn't Susie.
What was the deal with Tina Huang leaving?
Fans have speculated for years about why Tina Huang left the show. Was it drama? Was she fired?
Actually, it seems it was just a creative choice by the showrunners. In interviews, Tina has mentioned that she knew about the death early on. While it’s always a bummer to see a beloved character go, she’s been incredibly busy since then. You’ve probably seen her on Days of Our Lives as Melinda Trask, or maybe caught her in guest spots on Grey's Anatomy or NCIS.
She even voiced a character in Star Wars: The Bad Batch. So, while Susie's story ended in that Boston apartment, Tina’s career definitely didn't.
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Why we're still talking about this in 2026
Characters like Susie Chang are rare in procedurals. She provided a sense of continuity and "found family" that made Rizzoli and Isles more than just a "murder of the week" show. Her death served as a reminder that in their world, the stakes were actually high.
If you're doing a rewatch right now, keep an eye out for those early Susie scenes. The way she handles the evidence, the dry humor she shares with the detectives—it’s all a masterclass in how to build a supporting character that people actually give a damn about.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Rewatch the Essentials: If you want to relive the best of Susie, check out "Class Action Satisfaction" (Season 3) for the nudist reveal or "Misconduct Game" (Season 6) if you need a good cry.
- Follow Tina Huang: Check out her current work on soaps or her voice acting projects to see how much she's grown since her Boston PD days.
- Look for the Dioramas: Next time you watch, pay attention to the level of detail in those crime scene models. They were a huge part of what made her character so visually distinct.