The Closer - General Discussion

[andromeda331]

On ‎5‎/‎27‎/‎2019 at 1:57 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I guess I'm mean, but I really enjoyed Brenda going after Stroh in the elevator.    The look of panic on the squad's faces was amazing.    

I think the entire attack was a plan between Brenda and Andrea, and that's why Andrea wasn't panicking like everyone else was, and why she went to Dr. Morales with Brenda.  

I really did too. The furious attack. But I never considered it planned. That's an interesting idea. It does explain why Andrea was so calm explaining things to Dr. Morales and offered her the position despite just seeing Brenda attacking a suspect. 

[andromeda331]

It gets a small mention at the end of the Big Picture episode. I love that Brenda or someone from the squad told the fiancée exactly what her fiancé had been up too. Who ever that poor woman was she needed to know what a complete and total scumbag her fiancé was. Brenda mentions to Fritz when giving him the guy's folder that he needed protection from his fiancée. 

[MaryMitch]

Today's set of episodes on Lifetime had some favorites:

"Waivers of Extradition" - Brenda bests a Texas detective by getting a confession out of a serial killer. The guy is absolutely chilling, and the Texas detective was a great adversary for Brenda. There's also an exciting chase sequence when Sanchez jumps on the bad guy's auto hauler and forces him off the road - not before the truck runs through a road repair crew.

"The Life" - tracking down the gang members who raped a young woman - played by a Stephanie Beatriz who is now playing Detective Rosa Diaz on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Per IMDB.COM, this was her first screen credit.

"Make Over" - ok, I admit this was never one of my favorites. But it is interesting to compare the knowledge/attitudes about transgenders. Beau Bridges plays a trangender female cop who was once one of Provenza's partners. (When it first aired I remember thinking "any self respecting female would have trimmed and shaped those eyebrows!")

[shapeshifter]

7.1 "Unknown Trouble" just re-aired.

I just noticed Tommy Delk's last words (before he stroked out):

[DELK]: Chief Johnson, I'd like to commend you on a job well done.
Ah -- Could be that I've -- I've overreacted a bit, our present situation being that it    

[Bastet]

I recently added the season six DVD to my collection (well, collection is a stretch, as it consists of season seven; I'm not sure if I'll buy the whole series, but I definitely want 5-7 so I have the Sharon Raydor years to add to my Major Crimes DVDs) and, wow, I had forgotten just how very much Fritz annoyed me in that short season. 

I love him, but I don't always like him, and my main issue is his “I knowingly married someone with a dangerous job – and have an identically-dangerous one myself – but will nevertheless commence complaining about and encouraging her to leave said job” tendency, and holy crap, does he do that a lot in season six.

I also remembered why Sharon's presence was such an oasis for me that season; I don't particularly care for it other than getting to see her (although the "Living Proof" two-parter I like for many reasons in addition to Sharon, and I'm highly entertained by "Layover" even without her -- just, on the whole, I find myself a little tired with the show that season except when she's around).

Anyway, the point of my posting is that there's a deleted scene from "Living Proof" when Clay and Willie Ray arrive to prepare Christmas dinner at the station.  Gabriel, Andy, and Provenza are with them outside the elevators, and Gabriel has the list Willie Ray made of the "stolen" (by Fritz) Christmas presents -- we learn that they got Gabriel a Waterpik and Provenza The Clapper.  Hee -- it goes with the adorably crappy gifts they bring the squad in season seven.

And also to say I'd forgotten how much Chief Delk liked Brenda at first - before she got them hit with the Baylor lawsuit - and even wanted to make her Asst. Chief.

It was good timing to make Fritz the FBI's LAPD liaison during season six; the suspicion (much to Fritz's consternation) that the Bureau had given him the promotion to have him in place should Brenda become Chief (obviously not knowing her, heh, as she wouldn't have suddenly started cooperating with him professionally any better than she did as Deputy Chief) creates a perfectly logical reason for the change.  If they'd tacked it on at the end of the series or beginning of Major Crimes, it would have felt like a forced way of keeping him around for the new show.  This way, by the time of the transition from The Closer to Major Crimes, we're used to him in that role and don't even think about it.

[andromeda331]

3 hours ago, Bastet said:

I recently added the season six DVD to my collection (well, collection is a stretch, as it consists of season seven; I'm not sure if I'll buy the whole series, but I definitely want 5-7 so I have the Sharon Raydor years to add to my Major Crimes DVDs) and, wow, I had forgotten just how very much Fritz annoyed me in that short season. 

I love him, but I don't always like him, and my main issue is his “I knowingly married someone with a dangerous job – and have an identically-dangerous one myself – but will nevertheless commence complaining about and encouraging her to leave said job” tendency, and holy crap, does he do that a lot in season six.

I also remembered why Sharon's presence was such an oasis for me that season; I don't particularly care for it other than getting to see her (although the "Living Proof" two-parter I like for many reasons in addition to Sharon, and I'm highly entertained by "Layover" even without her -- just, on the whole, I find myself a little tired with the show that season except when she's around).

Anyway, the point of my posting is that there's a deleted scene from "Living Proof" when Clay and Willie Ray arrive to prepare Christmas dinner at the station.  Gabriel, Andy, and Provenza are with them outside the elevators, and Gabriel has the list Willie Ray made of the "stolen" (by Fritz) Christmas presents -- we learn that they got Gabriel a Waterpik and Provenza The Clapper.  Hee -- it goes with the adorably crappy gifts they bring the squad in season seven.

And also to say I'd forgotten how much Chief Delk liked Brenda at first - before she got them hit with the Baylor lawsuit - and even wanted to make her Asst. Chief.

It was good timing to make Fritz the FBI's LAPD liaison during season six; the suspicion (much to Fritz's consternation) that the Bureau had given him the promotion to have him in place should Brenda become Chief (obviously not knowing her, heh, as she wouldn't have suddenly started cooperating with him professionally any better than she did as Deputy Chief) creates a perfectly logical reason for the change.  If they'd tacked it on at the end of the series or beginning of Major Crimes, it would have felt like a forced way of keeping him around for the new show.  This way, by the time of the transition from The Closer to Major Crimes, we're used to him in that role and don't even think about it.

I agree about Fritz. I really love him too. But he did annoy me with wanting Brenda to take that job because of how dangerous her job its. I really hate when TV spouses do that despite being with them long enough to know they wanted and love their job. If you don't like it or can't handle it then you don't marry a cop. Fritz knew from the beginning Brenda was a workaholic who loved her job. She loved being out in the field and solving crimes and yes he had the exact same job. I do like her finally telling him that she thinks very little about what he or Pope wants. But it took too long. Same with Pope acting like ass to everyone during the Chief business. It was also so weird that they kept trying to talk and get Brenda to take the job she clearly didn't want but also clear to anyone that Brenda would be horrible at.

[kathyk2]

I hated Fritz I thought much of his behavior was passive-aggressive. I'll never understand why Brenda forgave him for not telling her about his alcoholism. He also only bought up his addiction after a fight with her. Flynn didn't to that to Sharon.

[MaryMitch]

On 7/27/2019 at 11:49 PM, kathyk2 said:

I hated Fritz I thought much of his behavior was passive-aggressive. I'll never understand why Brenda forgave him for not telling her about his alcoholism. He also only bought up his addiction after a fight with her. Flynn didn't to that to Sharon.

This episode was on Lifetime this morning. Most of the time I sided with Fritz in their dust-ups, but I was definitely on Brenda's side on this one. He acted like it was no big deal since he was "handling" it, although in later shows we saw him getting angry and saying "I need to go to a meeting." 

Also in "Til Death Do Us Part":  The team was looking for a witness who would have been the accused's alibi. His name was "Topper". I can't believe that no one questioned whether this was a nickname! Flynn even said "what kind of a name is Topper?" but no one picked up on it. So they just looked for a guy named Topper Barnes, and of course didn't find him!

[andromeda331]

7 hours ago, MaryMitch said:

This episode was on Lifetime this morning. Most of the time I sided with Fritz in their dust-ups, but I was definitely on Brenda's side on this one. He acted like it was no big deal since he was "handling" it, although in later shows we saw him getting angry and saying "I need to go to a meeting." 

Also in "Til Death Do Us Part":  The team was looking for a witness who would have been the accused's alibi. His name was "Topper". I can't believe that no one questioned whether this was a nickname! Flynn even said "what kind of a name is Topper?" but no one picked up on it. So they just looked for a guy named Topper Barnes, and of course didn't find him!

I agree. That's big information that Brenda should have had. Its great that he join AA and got cleaned and stayed clean. But she needed to know that he was an alcoholic, and he's shocked she says 'if'. That's big. She does need to stop and think about that and think about whether or not she wants to say with one. Yes, he's been really great to her but she's going to wonder why he didn't tell her and if he ever would. He let her look into the car insurance sure she insisted but he had to know it was going to come up. Just deciding to stay isn't an easy decision because it can be really hard to say yes I'll stay with him or her. Fritz says he's never fallen off the wagon before, and maybe he hasn't. But she has to consider what if it happens in the future? That's something she needs to think about.  Does she want to have to deal with that? Not everyone can stick around and be supportive to one or wants to. Being a cop and detective she's probably arrested no shortage of drunks the endless cycle of falling off the wagon and dealt with spouses. He doesn't tell her, then is shocked that she's mad and needs to think about it?  

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

I agree. That's big information that Brenda should have had. Its great that he join AA and got cleaned and stayed clean. But she needed to know that he was an alcoholic, and he's shocked she says 'if'. That's big. She does need to stop and think about that and think about whether or not she wants to say with one. Yes, he's been really great to her but she's going to wonder why he didn't tell her and if he ever would. He let her look into the car insurance sure she insisted but he had to know it was going to come up. Just deciding to stay isn't an easy decision because it can be really hard to say yes I'll stay with him or her. Fritz says he's never fallen off the wagon before, and maybe he hasn't. But she has to consider what if it happens in the future? That's something she needs to think about.  Does she want to have to deal with that? Not everyone can stick around and be supportive to one or wants to. Being a cop and detective she's probably arrested no shortage of drunks the endless cycle of falling off the wagon and dealt with spouses. He doesn't tell her, then is shocked that she's mad and needs to think about it?  

Whenever I see this scene, it always feels off to me, designed to balance the dynamics of Brenda and Fritz's relationship so she's not the only one manipulating the facts, but it doesn't really work because a successfully recovering alcoholic following the 12 Steps wouldn't do that, would he? So I just have to cringe and then shrug it off because it's a rare exception to otherwise consistent character writing, although there are a few other retcon-ish character developments, especially how several of the male characters morph from Good Ol' Boys into Good Guys, but, whatev, I still appreciate the writing for the most part. Provenza is probably the most consistent, with Taylor a close runner up. 

[andromeda331]

On 8/30/2019 at 12:11 AM, shapeshifter said:

Whenever I see this scene, it always feels off to me, designed to balance the dynamics of Brenda and Fritz's relationship so she's not the only one manipulating the facts, but it doesn't really work because a successfully recovering alcoholic following the 12 Steps wouldn't do that, would he? So I just have to cringe and then shrug it off because it's a rare exception to otherwise consistent character writing, although there are a few other retcon-ish character developments, especially how several of the male characters morph from Good Ol' Boys into Good Guys, but, whatev, I still appreciate the writing for the most part. Provenza is probably the most consistent, with Taylor a close runner up. 

It really does. But it doesn't really make any sense plus they don't really deal with it. Brenda finds out, gets mad, yells at Fritz, he yells back and then they make up. Then they don't really ever talk about it with except of when Flynn's attacked outside his AA meeting, the drunk teen,  commissioner's wife, Fritz's going to that one AA meeting when he was being a butt head and after learning Charlie brought marijuana into the house. Its really weird to bring up something that big and that we didn't really know about it (there were a couple hints since Fritz didn't ever seem to drink any alcohol) and then don't do anything with it. Its all over in Til Death Do We Part, Part II. 

[andromeda331]

Ruby is such a great episode. From the beginning search frantic but still mention early on that maybe she got lost or was at a friend's house. The actors who played her parents did an excellent job as worried parents and also while their both being question separately. I love the look the dad gives when asked how things were at home. He's clearly pissed at the question but he answers it and moves on rather then chew her or get upset or defensive. He clearly wants to get cleared so they'll find his daughter. The frantic search after they find Ruby's jacket. Gabriel seething and trying hard to hold it together. Until he gets to a point where he couldn't and beats the suspect. Brenda's awesome and sickening interrogation of the suspect it reminded me so much of when Jack interrogates the child rapist in Without a Trace although they don't have her thrown up afterwards although she does look realistically sick during and afterwards. I do love her ending with "I don't care." Provenza talking to Brenda trying to defend Gabriel how he used to be same and look at him now. I do like Brenda talking to Gabriel in her office after she saw Stimple's face and pointing out that he didn't get a confession and that it wouldn't have mattered anyway once he got a lawyer. Taylor's handling of Stimple was very Taylor. It was probably wrong (okay it was wrong) to let him get beaten by other prisoners to cover up what Gabriel did. I do like Brenda does end up writing him up for it and asking if she put him in the room with another Roger Stimple would he do the same thing and Gabriel not sure. No, he shouldn't have beaten the suspect but I do like how the show how absolutely hard it would be when the suspect is a child rapist and murderer. Someone who just raped and killed an 8 year old girl. Since Gabriel was the newest member of the squad its possible he never had to deal with a child rapist and murderer before while the rest of the squad probably had so they could better handling it. I do love about this series how they do show the squad being angry, sickened and/or upset about the various victims.   

[MaryMitch]

3 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

 I do love about this series how they do show the squad being angry, sickened and/or upset about the various victims.   

Flynn in particular really shows anger at sexual predators. Brenda is hostile to Catholic priests. Provenza has his crossword puzzles. Tao overexplains things. I like how they have each character exhibit individuality.

Edited August 31, 2019 by MaryMitch

[shapeshifter]

7:17 "Fool's Gold" --a Flynn & Provenza caper-- is airing right now. 
Reg Rogers is perfect in this guest star role of an almost-criminal buffoon.*

It makes me want to see a new spin-off prequel of Flynn and Provenza, but with a different cast, it would probably at least need Duff to make it better than the average buddy cop show.

And if it was an actual prequel, they'd have to show landline phones and giant cell phones as shown on the X-Files. 

Maybe instead of a prequel, it could be offspring with last names of Flynn and Provenza.

_____________________

* And Brenda/Kyra S. is wonderful in the sting scene.

Edited September 11, 2019 by shapeshifter

[Bastet]

I love that episode, especially when Brenda has to explain to Pope what happened, when she assigns Andy to carry the evidence bag for Sharon, that Sharon actually argues with Pope to let Brenda share the case with her (and has that good line to her that sometimes relationships are about what you're willing to overlook), Sharon and Brenda doing the notification and interviewing the dead guy's business partner together (he's a hoot, and I love their reactions to him), and the great scene between Provenza and Liz at the end (and just before that, when she invites Andy to join them the next time all Provenza's ex-wives get together - ha!)

Also, when Provenza says the dog is ugly, Liz says she must have a type, and the camera pans back to Provenza and Frank in the backseat - they do, indeed, have the same face.  It's hilarious.

I also like Liz saying Frank needs to stretch his legs and Provenza arguing his legs are five inches long.

And when Provenza and Andy aren't sure if the woman in the photo is the female robber, so Liz slaps her hand down over the picture so just the woman's cleavage is showing and they both immediately know it's her.  (That part is so funny I will ignore the question of where the hell the police got that picture of the suspect, instead of pulling a DMV photo like usual.)

Last time I watched the DVD, I watched that episode twice before moving on.

[shapeshifter]

"To Protect and Serve" (AKA “Skybox Tickets!?!”) is reairing right now.

I know I’ve said this before, but my favorite line is still definitely Provenza’s —in response to Brenda’s “Go home!”— when he replies: “Is that how they say ‘You’re fired’ in the South?”

[CrazyInAlabama]

In Good Housekeeping, (the one with the murdered 12 year old girl, that was killed by the rich people's son, who tries to flee to Mexico), the son also was the one who made the previous 19 year old maid pregnant.   You can't tell me the parents didn't know about the son doing that.  

They had the one where there is Taylor, the FBI agent, and the prosecutor complaining about Brenda, and she's doing her non-apology apology this morning, and I love it every time it's on.   

Edited September 25, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[andromeda331]

8 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

In Good Housekeeping, (the one with the murdered 12 year old girl, that was killed by the rich people's son, who tries to flee to Mexico), the son also was the one who made the previous 19 year old maid pregnant.   You can't tell me the parents didn't know about the son doing that. 

I'm not entirely sure the mom knew her son was the one who got the previous maid pregnant. Given how cold she was towards her husband I've wondered if he claimed he did it to cover for their son. I do love Brenda's comment about extorting Mexico. This is my favorite episode and I never tire of the end watching Brenda drop the bombshell on Austin about Marta being born and Mexico and that he could and would be tried in Mexico. And he just freely confessed. He gets his wish! He gest to stay in Mexico. In prison. Couldn't happen to a better person. 

Quote

They had the one where there is Taylor, the FBI agent, and the prosecutor complaining about Brenda, and she's doing her non-apology apology this morning, and I love it every time it's on. 

I love that apology. Its so awesome. 

[shapeshifter]

11 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Good Housekeeping, (the one with the murdered 12 year old girl, that was killed by the rich people's son, who tries to flee to Mexico

3 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

This is my favorite episode and I never tire of the end watching Brenda drop the bombshell on Austin about Marta being born and Mexico and that he could and would be tried in Mexico. And he just freely confessed. He gets his wish! He gest to stay in Mexico. In prison. Couldn't happen to a better person

As someone who has good reasons to despise sexual predators and who does despise them, you would think I would enjoy this episode too —but I don’t.

Rather, I’m with Fritz when he tells Brenda to think about what she’s doing. I guess I’m more comfortable in the “When they go low, we go high” (Michelle Obama) camp.

But I would have preferred if Fritz said nothing, and then after the budding serial killer-rapist had spent a month in the Mexican prison, Brenda had gone back to retrieve him —to show she was more compassionate than any member of his family.

But then since I don’t believe people ever really change, I can’t think of a satisfying resolution either. 

So even though I can’t turn away from watching “Good Housekeeping” when it comes on, I also dread it. 

[supposebly]

This is one of the reasons why I love this show. Brenda's actions were not always squeaky clean nor outright wrong and often understandable. That makes her one of the more compelling female characters on TV for me.

[slf]

I don't know which episode I watched the other day but in one scene Brenda, Fritz, and Brenda's parents are all entering a restaurant when Brenda, entering last, sees a suspect. She rushes after the guy and ends up wrapped around his leg as he tries to run. Fritz goes looking for Brenda and seeing her struggle takes a flying leap over her head, tackling the guy to the ground. I love that little moment. Who is this guy Brenda's clinging to like a drowning cat? He doesn't know. But he has her back. Teamwork makes the dream work.

[GodsBeloved]

On 6/21/2019 at 1:50 PM, MaryMitch said:

Today's set of episodes on Lifetime had some favorites:

"Waivers of Extradition" - Brenda bests a Texas detective by getting a confession out of a serial killer. The guy is absolutely chilling, and the Texas detective was a great adversary for Brenda. There's also an exciting chase sequence when Sanchez jumps on the bad guy's auto hauler and forces him off the road - not before the truck runs through a road repair crew.

This is probably my favorite Closer episode, along with the Terrell Baylor episodes. I loved that in the end Detective Curt Landry proved to be just as smart if not smarter than Brenda. She had all the advantages over him but he ended up getting what he wanted ... the killer back in Texas where we can try him and fry him. Or as we might say in this day and age, "Collect him and inject him"

Edited September 30, 2019 by GodsBeloved

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, GodsBeloved said:

On 6/21/2019 at 12:50 PM, MaryMitch said:

Today's set of episodes on Lifetime had some favorites:

"Waivers of Extradition" - Brenda bests a Texas detective by getting a confession out of a serial killer. The guy is absolutely chilling, and the Texas detective was a great adversary for Brenda. There's also an exciting chase sequence when Sanchez jumps on the bad guy's auto hauler and forces him off the road - not before the truck runs through a road repair crew.

This is probably my favorite Closer episode, along with the Terrell Baylor episodes. I loved that in the end Detective Curt Landry proved to be just as smart if not smarter than Brenda. She had all the advantages over him but he ended up getting what he wanted ... the killer back in Texas where we can try him and fry him. Or as we might say in this day and age, "Collect him and inject him"

Those are some of my least favorite episodes, but I do like the ending with the Texas lawman.

[Raja]

No matter how many time I see Good Housekeeping I don't understand what Chief Johnson and Special Agent Howard feel guilty about to the point of needing a drink  when laying out the rape and murder case for Mexican justice to handle.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, Raja said:

No matter how many time I see Good Housekeeping I don't understand what Chief Johnson and Special Agent Howard feel guilty about to the point of needing a drink  when laying out the rape and murder case for Mexican justice to handle.

The perp is a 16-year-old. 

[Calamity Jane]

On 11/10/2019 at 8:00 PM, Raja said:

No matter how many time I see Good Housekeeping I don't understand what Chief Johnson and Special Agent Howard feel guilty about to the point of needing a drink  when laying out the rape and murder case for Mexican justice to handle.

I’ve always taken their reaction as disgust, not guilt. 

[shapeshifter]

12 hours ago, Calamity Jane said:

On 11/10/2019 at 10:00 PM, Raja said:

No matter how many time I see Good Housekeeping I don't understand what Chief Johnson and Special Agent Howard feel guilty about to the point of needing a drink  when laying out the rape and murder case for Mexican justice to handle.

I’ve always taken their reaction as disgust, not guilt. 

Disgust was at least part of why Brenda got drunk after the scene in the Mexican jail with the 16-year-old rapist, but this was also one of our early glimpses of Brenda's own ruthlessness. I guess it doesn't make it into Peter Goldman's season 7 "class action lawsuit" because Gabriel wasn't there to hear what happened (Gabriel was back in LA taking care of the kittens): 

Quote

All right, then.
Stay, you little bastard.
All right, look.
I have to close this case.
You tell me the truth about what happened and I'll let your parents go free.
- [FRITZ] Brenda, you can't do that.
- I can.
[FRITZ] The FBI might have a problem with that. We will not bring charges, and your warrant depends upon ours. Brenda, think about what you're doing.
Please, Fritz.
[FRITZ] This is a mistake.
You tell me the truth about what happened, you can sit here and your parents go free.
And you'll unfreeze the assets? Yes.
I'll unfreeze their assets.
But I want to hear the truth.
I want to hear it.

. . .

[Brenda] Just your bad luck, I guess, that you sought sanctuary in the country of your victim, because, you see, these gentlemen, they just don't take too kindly to their citizens being murdered, no matter where in the world it happens. And since you killed a Mexican national and you won't come home with me, you can be tried here for your crime and spend the next 40 years in a Mexican prison. 

(springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=the-closer&episode=s01e09)

Edited November 12, 2019 by shapeshifter

[CrazyInAlabama]

The ones who commented that Brenda should go back and get the 16 year old murderer in Good Housekeeping, my question is why?    He will be punished for killing the little girl, U.S. courts couldn't do anything to him (unless he was tried as an adult, and no one can guarantee that will happen since his parents are rich). and Mexico will not let him come back to the U.S. anyway.    In this case, he got what he deserved when he killed a little girl.      

[andromeda331]

21 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

The ones who commented that Brenda should go back and get the 16 year old murderer in Good Housekeeping, my question is why?    He will be punished for killing the little girl, U.S. courts couldn't do anything to him (unless he was tried as an adult, and no one can guarantee that will happen since his parents are rich). and Mexico will not let him come back to the U.S. anyway.    In this case, he got what he deserved when he killed a little girl.      

Exactly. He refused to come back and Brenda couldn't extradite him. So she got what Mexico courts need to convict him. He raped a 13 year old girl, threw her body in the river, and went online to find someone he could pin the murder on. As it turned out he picked a man who had been falsely accused and couldn't take another accusation. That's not a teenager who got in over his head or made a mistake. That's someone with the presence of mind to figure out how to get out of it. And I know this is minor but he wasn't going to come back when he heard his parents were going to spend the rest of their lives in jail. All he cared about was whether when Brenda made the deal with him was getting the money. He was a rapist and serial rapist in making. There's no way he wasn't going to do it again. And its possible had already raped before with their former housekeeper that he got pregnant. Sure its possible she agreed but its also possible he pressured her because she wasn't a citizen, and she got sent back to Mexico after getting pregnant. I have zero sympathy for him. He's going to be in jail for his crime as he should. The US had no way to bring him back I'm glad Mexico was able to charge him under their law. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

As of Monday morning, January 6, The Closer is back on Lifetime (the regular Lifetime channel), starting with the Pilot episode.

I was worried that Lifetime wasn't going to continue with this show, and I would have been very upset about that.  

Edited December 24, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[andromeda331]

4 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

As of Monday morning, January 6, The Closer is back on Lifetime (the regular Lifetime channel), starting with the Pilot episode.

That's great!

[CrazyInAlabama]

It was so good to have this show back, and start with the Pilot episode.     Watching the changes in everyone from the Pilot, to the fourth episode.   That one was the man who used the Gay bashing robber to cover up his partner's demise.   Then when the squad actually became a group with Brenda was so neat.     Of course, that's also the one where the male Kitty turned out to be a mother of six kittens, with Terrence the EMT putting the moves on Brenda was funny.   

[Bastet]

My friend gave me the season five DVD for Christmas, so I now have all three Sharon Raydor years to make my Major Crimes collection complete.  I finally got around to watching last night.  Of course, I immediately had to watch "Red Tape".  But before changing discs to watch "Strike Three", I had to watch "Walking Back the Cat" - I start laughing the moment Fritz hides Kitty's ashes in the kitchen cabinet, and don't stop until that scene ends.

After ending "Red Tape" on the emotion of preparing to have Kitty put to sleep, the shenanigans with the ashes are the perfect way to begin the next episode.  I love when Brenda wails that it's not ashes, it's chunks, when she complains her name was Kitty Johnson and they have her labeled as Kitty Howard, and especially when she huffs about the indignity of a plastic bag ("They put him in a plastic bag!"  "Her.  They put her in a plastic bag.") -- and promptly transfers the remains to some Tupperware instead.  I also love when she, objecting to the idea of being "one of those women" who has her cat in an urn on the mantel, says she wants to scatter the ashes someplace Kitty loved, and Fritz asks, "Where?  She was never allowed outside." 

And, later, when Brenda starts to fake cry about Kitty to get her way with Fritz and he tells her that's so not going to work.  And when Pope suggests, "Maybe stop bringing your dead pet to work" when the ashes are still in her purse.  I get a good chuckle at both.

They bring it back around to sweet at the end, with Brenda and Fritz settling in on the couch to watch one of Kitty's nature videos, and we fade to black on Kitty's urn sitting on the mantel.  Great send-off.

Edited January 19, 2020 by Bastet

[Bastet]

I know Fritz's passive-aggressive routine is not a good look, but I love at the end of his snit over her leaving a mess when he asks if her shoes are afraid of the dark or can she put them in the closet.  Ha!

I had forgotten just how tiny Joel was when Fritz first brought him home!  He's adorable, and Fritz is adorable with him.  I love Fritz telling Brenda fine, Joel is his cat, when she doesn't want him (of course he shouldn't have brought a new pet home without talking to her, but I let him get away with it).  I also love his reaction when she calls Joel "her" and his "Your last cat didn't even have a name" response when she objects to Joel's name. 

I had also forgotten Provenza proposed to Lauren.  I like when, after she breaks off the engagement, Andy tells him it's good -- no divorce this time, and he doesn't have to keep wearing all those clothes she made him buy.  Andy's disgust through that entire relationship was entertaining, and I love when he puts a picture of himself in uniform in the frame on Provenza's desk that had held a picture of Provenza and Lauren.  (I also get a kick out of everyone's reaction when Willie Ray sees the original picture and asks, "Is this your daughter?")

Lastly, I realized something odd about myself: I was enjoying the hell out of the scene in "Dead Man's Hand" where Pope goes off on Brenda for not talking to Allie Moore's husband simply because Sharon Raydor had suggested it, and it occurred to me that my enjoyment was enhanced by the fact I really like J.K. Simmons's voice when he's yelling.  I like it when he talks, too, of course (there's a reason he gets so much voice-over work) but there's just something about the pitch of it when he yells.  Maybe because he's a singer, I don't know.  

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I hate to tell this, but according to everything I can find, Lifetime has stopped showing the Closer episodes.     As of this Monday, they are showing marathons of Grey's Anatomy, Wife Swap, and King of Queens, so I guess Lifetime is off my list of channels to watch. 

Edited February 16, 2020 by CrazyInAlabama

[andromeda331]

6 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I hate to tell this, but according to everything I can find, Lifetime has stopped showing the Closer episodes.     As of this Monday, they are showing marathons of Grey's Anatomy, Wife Swap, and King of Queens, so I guess Lifetime is off my list of channels to watch. 

That stinks!

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, andromeda331 said:

 

7 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I hate to tell this, but according to everything I can find, Lifetime has stopped showing the Closer episodes.     As of this Monday, they are showing marathons of Grey's Anatomy, Wife Swap, and King of Queens, so I guess Lifetime is off my list of channels to watch. 

That stinks

 

Start TV is still showing 2 episodes every day. 

[andromeda331]

4 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Start TV is still showing 2 episodes every day. 

I don't have Start TV. But that's good news for those who do. 

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

I don't have Start TV. But that's good news for those who do. 

If you’re within 30 miles or so of a major metropolitan area, you might want to retry/rescan a Leaf antenna in your window. It seems CBS boosted its signal strength to its over-the-air stations (Start is a CBS affiliate).

[Crs97]

Husband and I just discovered this show. I had never watched when it originally aired.  It really is great, and the acting is terrific across the board.  The rapist in Ruby was especially good, as his expressions just changed on a dime from crying about his mom to his satisfied expression when he thought about the crime.  Provenza was terrific, yelling at Buzz to cut the feed when he knows he can’t get to Gabriel in time and then owning to it when Brenda starts to yell at Buzz.  Taylor figuring out how to protect Gabriel was so quintessentially Taylor.  I wonder why Lifetime never shows Major Crimes.  I haven’t seen any of those episodes either.

[Raja]

17 minutes ago, Crs97 said:

Husband and I just discovered this show. I had never watched when it originally aired.  It really is great, and the acting is terrific across the board.  The rapist in Ruby was especially good, as his expressions just changed on a dime from crying about his mom to his satisfied expression when he thought about the crime.  Provenza was terrific, yelling at Buzz to cut the feed when he knows he can’t get to Gabriel in time and then owning to it when Brenda starts to yell at Buzz.  Taylor figuring out how to protect Gabriel was so quintessentially Taylor.  I wonder why Lifetime never shows Major Crimes.  I haven’t seen any of those episodes either.

It is just a matter of when Major Crimes was sold to syndication while still in production, when that package runs out then others can bid on the show. The the syndication runs into middle age and disappears before the oldies networks again pick up a show

[Bastet]

2 hours ago, Crs97 said:

I wonder why Lifetime never shows Major Crimes.  I haven’t seen any of those episodes either.

They only have the syndication rights to The Closer at this point.  Major Crimes is in syndication on local stations in a lot of markets across the country, most of which air two episodes each weekend.  So check your local listings; you may be able to watch it that way.  It's also (or at least it was the last time I looked) available on the Roku channel if you have a Roku device.

[MaryMitch]

If you have a Roku, they have Major Crimes on the Roku channel. But I always felt it was a pale imitation of The Closer.

For both shows, I never really saw chemistry in any of the romantic pairings. But the heart of the shows was the interpersonal relationships of the squad members.

[Bastet]

10 minutes ago, MaryMitch said:

If you have a Roku, they have Major Crimes on the Roku channel. But I always felt it was a pale imitation of The Closer.

I'm the opposite, to the extent that I enjoy The Closer a good deal less now than when I watched it before I'd seen Major Crimes.  Sure, Brenda is fun to watch (although she'd be quite trying in real life, she's a great TV character), but the squad is just sort of there.  That's fine when I don't know any better, but with how they're brought to life on Major Crimes, it makes going back and watching them not do much on The Closer pretty ho-hum for me. 

Plus, I love Sharon Raydor beyond reason, so the seasons before she came along and the episodes after without her retroactively generate a "this is still fine/good/great (depending on the episode), but would be even better with Sharon" reaction in me (which is why I'll probably never add seasons one through four to my DVD collection). 

Basically, Major Crimes kind of ruined The Closer for me, but I'm good with that; I hate almost all cop shows, so to love Major Crimes and like The Closer, it's still high praise.

[Crs97]

I haven’t warmed up to Sharon since she commented to Brenda that, unlike Brenda, she couldn’t sleep her way to the top.  I don’t become friendly with anyone who says that to me, no matter how nice she tries to be later.  That deserved a groveling apology like no other.

[Raja]

Well while not a polite thing to say she did have a relationship with Chief Pope who pulled strings to get her to LA as an Assistant Chief doing a Lieutenant's job. Angering all the LAPD command staff of Captains like Taylor was and Commanders which Sharon Raydor finally made. 

I frankly don't see why besides then Commander Taylor and the Traffic Division Captain we didn't see more institutional push back against the outsider who Pope sold as a chief in name only.

Then pushing her as the first female Chief of Police, a decade before Tommy, without the previous affair coming up in her background investigations was a copout from the show.

[shapeshifter]

13 hours ago, Crs97 said:

I haven’t warmed up to Sharon since she commented to Brenda that, unlike Brenda, she couldn’t sleep her way to the top.  I don’t become friendly with anyone who says that to me, no matter how nice she tries to be later.  That deserved a groveling apology like no other.

That always seemed like such a weird line to come out of the mouth of Captain Raydor. Since I am retired, working at home, with easy access to the 2 episodes of The Closer that run over-the-air 7 days a week, I have seen all episodes countless times, including that one, and yet I still puzzle over why they would have her say “sleeping with the boss” is a “time honored practice” or some such nonsense. I know the context was for Sharon to motivate Brenda to run for Chief of Police, but that just makes it weirder to me. And I otherwise really marvel at the tightly written scripts filled with mostly well-developed characters. 

Edited March 2, 2020 by shapeshifter

[Bastet]

It was awkwardly written.  The context of the conversation was that so few avenues of advancement were traditionally available to women in the the LAPD -- Sharon had to take a job in IA in order to have a promotional path to captain (and she's stalled there, when people like Taylor have been made commanders), and Brenda got brought in at Deputy Chief because of her relationship with Pope.  Shit like that is why Sharon heads the Women's Committee, and why they want an internal female candidate in the race for Chief; progress has been made, but there's still a long way to go. 

But it's an artless - and non-Sharon - way of saying it.  Granted, on the second point, no one really knew Sharon at that point; it's only glaring in hindsight.

[BooksRule]

For those of you who are looking for 'The Closer', I just noticed that Lifetime has begun showing it again. Season 1, episode 2 is airing now I think.  Whether or not it is back on the rotation or this is just temporary, I don't know. 

[andromeda331]

1 hour ago, BooksRule said:

For those of you who are looking for 'The Closer', I just noticed that Lifetime has begun showing it again. Season 1, episode 2 is airing now I think.  Whether or not it is back on the rotation or this is just temporary, I don't know. 

So far it looks like its only going to be on Mondays mornings. Tuesdays looks like Grey's Anatomy, Wednesday King of Queens, and I forget what's on Thursdays and Fridays.