The Closer - General Discussion

[starri]

No that was an active fight with a sniper/bomber. If he stood with his hands up and they continued to shoot at the bombs then it would have been an illegal execution.

Or not, given the news lately.

 

I usually prefer the more cerebral mysteries over the action-heavy episodes, but "Time Bomb" is a big favorite of mine.

[shapeshifter]

Or not, given the news lately.

 

I usually prefer the more cerebral mysteries over the action-heavy episodes, but "Time Bomb" is a big favorite of mine.

I usually ignore action sequences, but even the action parts were cerebral in this episode (and probably in all of the action sequences of this show).

[hatchetgirl]

I'm just so pleased at how well the show holds up. Not many that you can rewatch and have the episode still be so strong.

I just finished season 1 again and am so disgusted by the episode where the psychiatrist was killed because he was going to turn his partner in for statutory rape. The guys in the video room focusing on that girl's breasts was just awful

[treeofdreams]

Ugh.  Stroh.  I couldn't watch the episode.

 

I did enjoy Fritz's sister, and how excited Tao got every time one of the elements of her vision was confirmed.

[MaryMitch]

I did enjoy Fritz's sister, and how excited Tao got every time one of the elements of her vision was confirmed.

 

I think they were very lucky to get Amy Sedaris for the role. Most other actresses would have been annoying, but there's something about Amy - her enthusiasm was contagious, and she came up more likable than loony. And I love how Brenda was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt; if she had been anyone but Fritz's sister, she would have gotten her out of that squad room pretty damn quickly!

[shapeshifter]

Ugh.  Stroh.  I couldn't watch the episode.

I know. But I did. I think what makes it difficult is knowing that this is season 4 in 2009, and he's still lurking around the edges of season 4 of Major Crimes.

What made it worthwhile was:

Fritz's sister: You're a Virgo, aren't you?

Julio: Stay out of my head, lady

[treeofdreams]

Yes, and he said it so deadpan.  Great delivery.

 

Also funny was Provenza waving his hand in front of Claire (was that her name?) when she was in her trance, and Brenda's reaction.

[shapeshifter]

4.15 "Double Blind" re-aired this evening. Wow, so many variations on the theme of marriage and couples' relationships. The part with Daniels and Gabriel could be used as a PSA for the hazards of interoffice dating. First Gabriel holds up a stripper's police themed outfit and asks Daniels if it reminds her of the academy--which would be totally inappropriate if they hadn't already engaged in a sexual relationship, which likely included playful talk. Daniels, however, exercises her right to refuse to tolerate such suggestive talk, and things escalate to the point where she slaps him--again, something which is inappropriate and, as Gabriel quickly points out, is grounds for discipline, but which is at least partially able to be chalked up to their recent physical relationship

[hatchetgirl]

So I just finished season 3. Man, these writers and costume people have absolutely no idea how boy look and dress, do they? Grady's hair was worst than Rusty's.

The finale was so tough, I actually teared up a bit when Wesley was shot. It seems like this episode was where the gloss started to wear off Brenda a bit for the team. When she told Westley that his brother had been murdered, Flynn and Provinza looked honestly disgusted.

[treeofdreams]

 

shapeshifter

  

Yest. 10:42 pm

4.15 "Double Blind" re-aired this evening. Wow, so many variations on the theme of marriage and couples' relationships. The part with Daniels and Gabriel could be used as a PSA for the hazards of interoffice dating. First Gabriel holds up a stripper's police themed outfit and asks Daniels if it reminds her of the academy--which would be totally inappropriate if they hadn't already engaged in a sexual relationship, which likely included playful talk. Daniels, however, exercises her right to refuse to tolerate such suggestive talk, and things escalate to the point where she slaps him--again, something which is inappropriate and, as Gabriel quickly points out, is grounds for discipline, but which is at least partially able to be chalked up to their recent physical relationship

 

 

Those scenes with Gabriel and Daniels were really ugly.  Gabriel again revealed what a jerk he can be - not only in those scenes, but at the end when Pope told him that Daniels had also applied for the promotion, and Gabriel glanced over at Daniels and had this look on his face like, How dare she apply for a promotion that I want?

 

But I did love how Provenza handled them.  DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME???

 

The fact that Daniels got the promotion rather than Gabriel is rather satisfying...

[Spartan Girl]

I just watched the episode where that poor family is murdered by that drug dealer's pregnant girlfriend because she mixed up the house...all because she "wanted her family" together. What a fucking bitch.

[shapeshifter]

I just watched the episode where that poor family is murdered by that drug dealer's pregnant girlfriend because she mixed up the house...all because she "wanted her family" together. What a fucking bitch.

Yeah, but they did try to humanize her character by refering to her having put a blanket over the victims before she shot them because she couldn't bear to watch them die. I saw her as a selfish, willful child whose life circumstances (growing up in a neighborhood ruled by gangs) had lead her to that point, rather than a cold-blooded killer--at least not yet. But tomorrow's another day. If she hadn't been caught, maybe she would've become a hit-woman for her baby daddy's gang.

IRL, the poor father could've been convicted on circumstantial (or even planted) evidence--which they also hinted at in the beginning (not planted evidence in Brenda's squad, of course). Thank goodness that didn't happen, and the killer would likely do life in prison rather than becoming a hit woman or raising her daughter to be one or some other worse outcome.

Edited September 7, 2015 by shapeshifter

[MaryMitch]

She was a memorable character, for sure; when I saw a rerun of "Show Yourself" (Season 1, ep 4, with Richard Roundtree), I recognized the actress, Rosie Garcia, in a bit part as a witness in the park at the first murder scene. (Huh. I just had a thought - it really could have been the same character, just years earlier!)

 

But I don't think they humanized her at all. Regardless of how you are raised, there is something wrong with someone who will kill like that.

Edited September 7, 2015 by MaryMitch

[Spartan Girl]

She was a memorable character, for sure; when I saw a rerun of "Show Yourself" (Season 1, ep 4, with Richard Roundtree), I recognized the actress, Rosie Garcia, in a bit part as a witness in the park at the first murder scene. (Huh. I just had a thought - it really could have been the same character, just years earlier!)

 

But I don't think they humanized her at all. Regardless of how you are raised, there is something wrong with someone who will kill like that.

Not to mention the fact she had ZERO qualms about the father of her child being a dangerous drug dealer. You really want your child to grow up in that kind of environment?! I wish Brenda had pointed out that. It's disgusting when you think about all the good people in the world that would be great parents but can't have chilren, while people that SHOULDN'T have children breed like rabbits.

[treeofdreams]

I'm certainly not going to defend what she did, but those of us who are privileged enough not to live in those circumstances, in an environment of gangs and drug dealers, and where killing is a way of life, really have no idea what it is like.  It can be deadening to emotions and moral sense, and the only imperative is survival, of one's self and one's loved ones.

[hatchetgirl]

Can I say that Brenda Leigh had sine really amazing clothes. I'm watching 4.8 and she is wearing this amazing orange print dress. Dang. I wonder if Kyra kept the clothes. Lol.

Just finished the episode where Julio's brother was shot. Really nicely acted. I believed poor Julio in the hospital, practically manic. I loved seeing him break down to Provenza, but that was a bit cliche.

Edited to add

Anyone notice that the green tie Provenza wears in the episode "walking the cat" is the same green tie Stroh wears when he is first introduced?

Edited September 9, 2015 by hatchetgirl

[treeofdreams]

And we meet Sharon Raydor!  They certainly softened her character for Major Crimes.  I wonder if they knew then that she would develop into the new lead.

 

Brenda pulling rank on Raydor was awesome.  "Chief.  I am a chief, you are a captain.  You will address me as Chief."

Edited September 15, 2015 by treeofdreams

[Raja]

It seemed to me that Captain Raydor handled two Chiefs and a Commander just fine. As if she was used to political interference if a high ranking officer's protege came under investigation. But I think Mary McDonnell's performance convinced them that as an occasion foil just as strong a Chief Johnson, she was worth keeping in mind for new stories not that they were thinking of Kyra Sedwick's retiring from the show which still had some life left in it.

Edited September 15, 2015 by Raja

[CoderLady]

Brenda pulling rank on Raydor was awesome.  "Chief.  I am a chief, you are a captain.  You will address me as Chief."

 

She blindsided Sharon the first time, but I like that when Brenda tried it as a deflecting tactic the second time in the episode, Sharon called her out on it. "Unprofessional" was one of the things she responded with. Rank notwithstanding, Sharon Raydor has no time for bullshit.

[treeofdreams]

Heads up - The Closer is now starting at 7:00 instead of 9:00 in my area - check your TV schedules!

[shapeshifter]

Heads up - The Closer is now starting at 7:00 instead of 9:00 in my area - check your TV schedules!

Looking at Zap2it and locatetv.com (the WPWR website schedule isn't loading at all, and tvguide.com is being difficult for me) it looks like the time is the same here for Saturday, but they have replaced Burn Notice (right before The Closer) with Rizzoli and Isles.

More interesting is that The Closer is also listed as starting over again from S1E1 this Wednesday at the first hour of prime time, also on over-the-air MyNetworkTV, referred to on my TV as "My50 Chicago."

I wonder if this is accurate info that I'm seeing. Sometimes it takes a week or two for the online schedules to sync up correctly with changes. I've noticed lately that what is airing on some over-the-air stations isn't matching Zap2it, or even what the info button on my TV shows, which comes directly from the broadcasting station.

[shapeshifter]

Wow. It sure is different watching 5.7, "Strike Three" now, after a year of media focus on police shootings of unarmed civilians. Tao was the only one who knew how to email the phone image in the 2009 squad room.

[shapeshifter]

I wonder if this is accurate info that I'm seeing. Sometimes it takes a week or two for the online schedules to sync up correctly with changes. I've noticed lately that what is airing on some over-the-air stations isn't matching Zap2it, or even what the info button on my TV shows, which comes directly from the broadcasting station.

Aaaand...

It's just starting now (3pm) in the Chicago are.

Seeing Sosie Bacon again in 5.9 "Identity Theft," and now knowing she is Kyra's real life daughter, I realized for the first time that except for her mother's eyes, Sosie is the image of her father.

Edited October 3, 2015 by shapeshifter

[treeofdreams]

The Doctor Terrence hug...loved Julio getting out of his chair and being ready to help Brenda, and Provenza smacking Terence with a ruler to make him let go.

 

It's little touches like this that help make this such a good show.

[shapeshifter]

It was on 4 and 5 CDT this week, and should be for the next 2, which is a little early on a Saturday to be vegging with Brenda and the boys for 2 hours. I only caught the first one this week--the one in which Charlie/Charlene/Sosie makes marijuana brownies and feeds them to Brenda/her Aunt/Sosie's mom. When I first saw it, I didn't know it was Kira's daughter. This time while watching them giggling together I imagined Sosie genuinely laughing over her mother acting drunk/stoned. I wonder if that was all scripted.

[treeofdreams]

And Brenda deliberately sends another man off to his death...

 

I did like the twist at the end though, with Brenda being out-played.  At least she wasn't out-played by a bad guy.

 

I have said it before and I'll say it again...this show is so good at casting the creepy!  And the writing, as always...awesome.

 

Joel!  Aww, cute kitty!

[Raja]

And Brenda deliberately sends another man off to his death...

 

I did like the twist at the end though, with Brenda being out-played.  At least she wasn't out-played by a bad guy.

 

I have said it before and I'll say it again...this show is so good at casting the creepy!  And the writing, as always...awesome.

 

Joel!  Aww, cute kitty!

Maybe she said that, but its not her call but the county's District Attorney. On Major Crimes they played the Deputy DA coming in to actually close the deals made.There where 16 closed cases and the bet is that DNA even if the confessions are excluded

[andromeda331]

Last night they played my favorite episode Good Housekeeping, I love watching that boy confessing at the end

thinking he's out of reach only for her to point out Marta was born in Mexico, the very country he fled too. He

just gave a confession, that she couldn't do anything with, but the Mexican authorities could.He was such a smug

little bastard.  

 

I also love Gabriel taking care of the kittens, it was so cute. 

[treeofdreams]

I wonder if they wrote the T-Ball episode with the idea that the ending would come back to bite Brenda, or if that was something they thought of later.  Anyway, another example of the continuity that flowed through this show.

Edited November 22, 2015 by treeofdreams

[Raja]

I wonder if they wrote the T-Ball episode with the idea that the ending would come back to bite Brenda, or if that was something they thought of later.  Anyway, another example of the continuity that flowed through this show.

Seeing the last season where half of the continuing story was effected by it I guess is was a good bet that it was planned. It does depend upon when they knew Kyra Sedgwick's plan to retire from the show. Considering where Major Crimes is now I wonder about Detective Sanchez and possible fall out because of his great role in the conspiracy

[Calamity Jane]

I agree that most of the time it is more or less sincere, but there is a line out there somewhere in which a character who was not fond of her commented on her use of Thank Yew to mean something other than Thank you. It might have been early Flynn. I'm watching 1.11 now and he's still antagonistic towards her. I missed half of 1.10, so hopefully I didn't miss it, 'cause it's driving me nuts!

In one of the later episodes, a Southern flight attendant who is mixed up in a drug-smuggling operation comments that she's from the south and she knows what Brenda means when she says, "Thank yew" - can't remember if she translates it to f*** you, or if we're left to interpret. 

[shapeshifter]

Parts 1 & 2 of "Living Proof" (6.13-14) ran today. It's the case of the Albanian refugee war crimes imposter.

The subplot was Brenda's parents driving their RV across the country, towing their car, to announce their intentions of moving to Brenda's neighborhood in LA. Fritz fakes a robbery of the Christmas presents they brought, as well as their microwave, in a successful effort to convince them LA is too crime ridden for them.

Based on personal, ongoing experience with elderly parents, I just wanted to ask Brenda and Fritz, "What are you doing??!!" Do you not realize how much easier this will be for all involved if they move to LA? Plus, think of all the festive holidays Willie Ray would create for Brenda and her circle! Argh. I guess, though, this was pointing towards the moving-but-tragic episode in which Willie Ray passes without Brenda hearing her last words because Brenda was too busy with work.

Edited December 13, 2015 by shapeshifter

[MaryMitch]

Honestly, I don't know what Willie Ray and Clay were thinking. Why would they move to a city they don't like and have no friends?  Leaving a beautiful house in a community they love, with better proximity to their other children? To be closer to Brenda, who could leave the city at any time to go to a better job for either herself or Fritz? 

[treeofdreams]

Last night's episodes were a grim reminder of how fortunate  we are not to live in an area like Kosovo.

[shapeshifter]

Honestly, I don't know what Willie Ray and Clay were thinking. Why would they move to a city they don't like and have no friends?  Leaving a beautiful house in a community they love, with better proximity to their other children? To be closer to Brenda, who could leave the city at any time to go to a better job for either herself or Fritz?

Yeah, I when I wrote the post above yours, I forgot that Brenda has other siblings near Atlanta, right? I was just thinking it would have been good for her parents to move close to Brenda and Fritz while they were still healthy enough to make the move.

[ButterQueen]

I love every word in this thread. I miss this show!! Major Crimes cannot feel my void.

[starri]

I really like those episodes, but I remember being kind of annoyed at the time that certain parts of the story were more or less lifted from Prime Suspect.  I guess if you're going to crib, crib from the best, and it's not like there weren't a lot of similarities between the two shows especially early on.

[SimoneS]

I have been recording repeats of The Closer and decided to see this thread is active. I am so glad it is. I miss The Closer, especially as I am continually disappointed by Major Crimes. I wonder if Kyra is done, done or there is chance that she might do another tv crime drama?

 

I just watched the "An Ugly Game" with the drug addict who murdered one young woman and kidnapped the other. I found it a bit unbelievable that Brenda would be taken in by the drug addict's sob story, but it made for good drama with Gabriel doubting her and Fitz finally making her see that addiction made him a monster. 

Edited December 22, 2015 by SimoneS

[shapeshifter]

I really like those episodes, but I remember being kind of annoyed at the time that certain parts of the story were more or less lifted from Prime Suspect.  I guess if you're going to crib, crib from the best, and it's not like there weren't a lot of similarities between the two shows especially early on.

Which version of Prime Suspect? I only saw the remake.

[starri]

It was either the fifth or sixth series of the British version.  The subtitle is "The Last Witness" and it may be the best of them.

 

If you've never seen it, you should try it out.  It's probably the best cop show I've ever seen, and Jane Tennison, especially early on, is like a much darker version of Brenda Leigh.  Same troubles with her subordinates, same lack of a personal life, etc.

[Raja]

It was either the fifth or sixth series of the British version. The subtitle is "The Last Witness" and it may be the best of them.

If you've never seen it, you should try it out. It's probably the best cop show I've ever seen, and Jane Tennison, especially early on, is like a much darker version of Brenda Leigh. Same troubles with her subordinates, same lack of a personal life, etc.

It seemed to me that Chief Johnson's problem was that she was jumped in line to make rank. Playing into the real life LAPD not taking direct transfers from what they consider lesser police departments. Whereas Prime Suspect airing when Cagney and Lacy was a team the big problem was gender role politics even with her quickly revealed affair with her advocate Chief Pope

[starri]

I'm not saying that Brenda's problems were exactly the same as Jane's--for all she put Fritz through, she was able maintain a relationship with him, and her addiction was junk food, not booze.  But I think early Closer was as close to Prime Suspect as you could get on American television today.  At least on TNT, maybe AMC or HBO could get away with a show that dark.

 

I know Kyra even said that she'd started out using Helen Mirren's performance as an inspiration.

[shapeshifter]

Since a lot of shows are on hiatus and a lot of us have the day off tomorrow, I thought I'd quickly post the two episodes of The Closer start in a couple of minutes on My 50 TV (a broadcast channel in many areas).

[MaryMitch]

Last night my local station played season 3's "Manhunt". This is the episode where dead women were showing up on beaches in groups of 3 - they were killed after being sadistically tortured with a cattle prod, and the bottoms of their feet were branded with the Roman numeral of their sequence of being dead. Brenda accidentally stumbled upon the killer in his boat cleaning business and almost became a victim.

 

This episode is one of my favorites for several reasons:

- The team was in full "let's get the guy before he kills again" action; everyone got a chance to contribute (except for Daniels who was "in MDC training").

- The killer was really an awful, scary guy, but we didn't catch on to who he was until Brenda did. She barely escaped by shooting him multiple times, but between shots she was still trying to get him to confess.

- Brenda was in the middle of her symptoms of early onset menopause, with full-on hot flashes. I felt for her!  I don't know how old she was supposed to be in this episode, but I'm sure any woman who has suffered from hot flashes knew exactly how she felt!

- And finally, we had a wonderful proposal from Fritz - on his knee and everything. "I've come to the place in my life where I can't imagine living without you."  I don't know what Fritz sees in Brenda - she's a train wreck - but that was a sweet, sweet moment.

-

[shapeshifter]

Season 7, episodes 14 and 15, "Road Block" and "Silent Partner" aired here in Chicagoland.
"Road Block"...

The police commissioner's wife tries to claim that her car was stolen to cover up her drunken vehicular homicide, but Brenda sees right through her lies.

...is to me one of the best standalone episodes of the series. Unlike PSA episodes on other shows, it really holds together as a piece of drama, thanks in no small part to Elizabeth Perkins' acting--but she did have a great script to work with. I suppose the pieces of the crime were discovered a little too easily and fit together a little too neatly, but it is still, IMO, everything a one-hour story should be--PSA or not.

 

"Silent Partner"...

When Major Crimes finds Peter Goldman's card on a murdered witness to Terrell Baylor's death, new questions and suspects emerge in the Baylor case, and could ultimately prove Brenda's innocence in the civil suit against her.

...is a little bit of a retcon to me in that they decided Reggie Moses was not the "shot caller" for Terrell's murder by fellow thugs, but rather it was the now fabulously wealthy, former kid from the hood, Marvin Evans. But that's okay because again the story and script are deftly woven, with story threads pointing to "leaks" within both the cops' and criminals' organizations. I especially appreciated Raymond Cruz (Julio) letting Brenda know that she can't trust anyone--it was just a really fine little piece of line delivery.

I'm going through serious health issues and find reruns of The Closer episodes to be as good as any meds for relief (at least for now)--maybe because I've rarely watched an episode without interruption, so there's always something new for me to catch--something we can't do with other aspects of life.

[treeofdreams]

Road Block was a very powerful episode.  It was good to see the police commissioner being horrified by his wife's behavior and resigning, rather than trying to get everyone to cover it up, which is what we usually see in this type of situation.

 

I'm glad the Silent Partner episode wrapped things up in the Goldman arc.  We must be getting to the end of the series.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your health issues, shapeshifter - I hope things get better for you, and soon!

[whatsatool]

Feel better shapeshifter.

[ButterQueen]

I just finished watching S3, 14 & 15. Next of Kin

I love this 2 part Christmas episode. Brenda, having to bring Wesley back to LA in her daddy's RV, along with Fritz, Provenza, Flynn, Momma and Daddy.

I love how her parents take Grady home with them since he has no family.....although he is never heard from again.

Tao pretending to be leaving Brenda a message with Pope standing right there was hilarious.

I miss this show.

[shapeshifter]

I saw the series finale today. When Stroh broke into Brenda's house and held Rusty at knife point, was he seriously thinking he could negotiate Rusty's life for Brenda giving up on persuing him on murder charges, or was his end game to kill them both?

[MaryMitch]

I saw the series finale today. When Stroh broke into Brenda's house and held Rusty at knife point, was he seriously thinking he could negotiate Rusty's life for Brenda giving up on persuing him on murder charges, or was his end game to kill them both?

 

I think he would have killed them. He knew that DNA evidence would probably get him convicted, so he had to kill Rusty so he wouldn't testify in person about how he took the cap off his head. And he had to kill Brenda since she would be a witness to that murder.  He was rattled and desperate.

 

I wish she had killed the SOB.  I hope someone eventually does, in a horrible horrible fashion.