The Closer

The only problem I've ever had with The Closer is the whole concept of a Priority Homicide Squad. Just what constitutes a priority homicide, as distinct from your garden variety one? The answer as the LAPD brutally admits is one that has or is guaranteed to give them bad publicity if it don't get solved.

So on that basis Chief J.K. Simmons formerly Doctor Emil Skoda on Law and Order forms a Priority Homicide Squad with some of the best detectives the LAPD has. But in heading it, Simmons reaches out of the department all the way to Atlanta for Deputy Chief Brenda Lee Johnson as beautifully played by Kyra Sedgwick.

The fact the two of them were once romantically involved is of secondary importance. Simmons is not a guy to mix pleasure and business. Her big asset on the job is an incredibly disarming manner and innate ability to read people that makes them fess up. That whole southern mush mouth drawl also grates on the sophisticated ears of some of LAPD's finest. But Brenda gets results.

We also see her as a fully developed character with a home life and a romantic life, that revolves around a current relationship with an FBI agent played by Jon Tenney. But there are days she goes home to nothing more than her cat which makes her good people in my book.

And the staff has its conflicts. Right now Gina Ravera and Corey Reynolds are going through a breakup that's not good for staff morale. But there is an old adage about not performing bodily functions where you consume edibles. Anthony John Dennison once her biggest detractor has now come around. Michael Paul Chan and Raymond Cruz have always been loyal to her. But my favorite is G.W. Bailey who used to be Sergeant Rizzo on MASH who always has something interesting to say.

The Closer ends almost as frequently as Perry Mason with Brenda Lee breaking down her suspect. The writing in these scenes is some of the best currently on series television. In fact The Closer is the TNT network's best show second to none.

An outstanding drama that dances on the edge of being a formula cop show and a soap opera. Brenda Lee Johnson is an outstanding interrogator with a background of being difficult to work with but achieving great results. However, her personal life is a mess. She is hired from Atlanta to head LAPD's Priority Crimes Unit for those high profile crimes that need a resolution and need it quickly. Tensions arise immediately. Her brusque style makes her own people want to transfer away, her boss is a former lover who dumped her and she manages to make many more enemies than friends. The crimes are formula enough that you can probably figure out whodunit before you get to the climax but it's the characters and relationships that sell the show and make it worth watching. Not only is Kyra Sedgwick giving the performance of her life in this series but she has a terrific supporting cast that gives the series heart. The ability of the writers to also give us some great comic lines keeps the show teetering at times from comedy to drama. The first season is already out on DVD. Watch it from the first episode to the last, in order, and you can see why this show has become the most watched show in basic cable history.

I didn't see the first episode of this series, but from the first time I watched it I could tell it would be one of my favorite shows. And I wasn't disappointed. There are so many things I love about this show, but most of all it is hilarious to watch the characters interact with each other. Kyra Sedgwick excellently portrays a tough woman who won't let people walk all over her. People complain that Brenda is a b****, but maybe that's the point. What fun would it be to watch a show with nothing but sweetness and joy between the main characters, no conflict whatsoever? The tension she endures and often causes just makes the show all the more entertaining.

What is most irritating, however, is to hear people complain about how the perpetrators in each show is obvious. Anybody who had listened what TNT had been saying about the show before it premiered would know that they said from the beginning that this show would be unlike other crime dramas in that the crime would not be the main focus. This show is ABOUT Brenda Johnson.

So, in conclusion, this is an excellent, intelligent, amusing show, and I am sad to see the season end.

The Closer is a show which has a fairly realistic portrayal of a working environment; there are relationship dynamics which have evolved over the several seasons and which explore the inter-personal connections made between co-workers as they solve cases. From the beginning episodes where Brenda's staff worked against her, sometimes with the expressed desire for her to fail, to the latest season where they appear to be firmly on her "side" there is an interesting dynamic in showing an intelligent and capable woman as authority-figure and the gradual and sometimes reluctant acceptance of her as the officers she works with see for themselves what she is bringing to the dept.

The show brings a lot of elements of the classic mysteries, and uses clever reveals and intelligence as well as past personal experiences and leaps of intuition in solving crimes. The actors who make up the main cast are all very talented and the writing allows us glimpses into the entire cast, though the show is clearly focused on Brenda. Each episode also allows the viewer to see some of the personal drama without being heavy-handed or too soap-opera, keeping a good balance between the police investigation and the people who are doing the investigation.

I find it interesting, however, that most of the people I know who do not like the show are male and love similar stories where a male in the central authority and does the exact same things that Brenda does to close a case. For someone who likes police drama, with realistic characters who are not always perfect, this is an excellent show to watch. The episodes are well paced, the story lines through the seasons are detailed and have a lot of personal touches for the characters

The crime aspect of this show is pretty good, but not extraordinary. This should NOT be the reason to watch the show. If you're looking for that, look somewhere else.

Watch the show for the charming character portrayed by Kyra Sedgewick, who looks like she's in over her head and a mess, but never really is. You won't like her much at first, then she'll start to grow on you and you can't wait for the next episodes. Watch it for the old Lt. Provenza, who you probably wouldn't mind punching in the face ... then episodes later, he's one of your favorite characters on the show. The characters is what makes this show good, and the crimes only further bring out their own .. uh .. character. The script dialog is also very witty. And the acting is very, very good.

If that's what you're looking for, then great. If you're looking for CSI, watch CSI. :)