The Closer could very well be one of the best crime drama shows you may not be watching. Golden Globe Winner Kyra Sedgwick is Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson of the LAPD Priority Homicide Division. Despite budget cuts, office politics, and official scrutiny... she closes her cases and she does it her way. Oh, I didn't even mention her humorous domestic woes with her boyfriend. They really need a bigger house.Unlike many shows in the cop genre, this one is a bit quirky and often leaves you guessing "who done it" until Brenda zooms in on the suspect. The writing is very clever with well-crafted mysteries and intriguing characters, as well as decent actors in the roles. The character of Brenda, in particular, is complex. She's a pro at her job, one of the best in the business. But, at home, she's a bit of a mess. All in all, it makes the show's whole premise work very well.
The good folks at TNT were kind enough to send me a screener of the first episode of the third season -- slated to air Monday, June 18, at 9 PM ET/PT. Now, of course, I can't (and won't) give you a recap of the show, but I'll give you few tidbits... dangle that carrot, so to speak.
The Wallace family -- a father, mother, and young daughter -- have been viciously murdered in their home. The teenaged son, high on drugs at the time, is still alive. Suspect? Murderer? Victim? Totally innocent? The story took some twists I never would have predicted. Brenda had to fight budget cut issues with no overtime all the way. "What happens if someone gets murdered on a weekend?"
Even though there were some light-hearted moments throughout the show such as when Brenda decided to take the police jet after being told to control expenses, the ending was a shocker and a bit of commentary on what jealousy and greed can do to a person.
There.
You still could never guess the twists in the episode. But it ain't no Law and Order, for sure. Nothing as straight-laced at that!
If you haven't been watching the show, you can check out some of the season two episodes. Two episodes air each Tuesday evening at 9 and 10 PM ET/PT leading into the week before the third season premiere. That's on cable station TNT - they know Drama, y'know.
8 comments:
Hey Ms. J-
You know I read such great reviews of this shows from it's inception, across the board, so I watched an episode... I mean I TIRED to watch one. I could not take the accent Kyra adopts for the role.. I mean to the point that I had to turn it off before the show was finished. Like in the first 1/2 of the show.
To now read your great recomendation, I wish I coudl try again, and maybe I will... but did anyone else have this problem? Normally i'm pretty tolerant and objective.
YAY Jackie, thanks for the post. That's what I've always liked about The Closer... the endings usually do have you talking to yourself afterward, cause when you think you've got it figured out, its nowhere near what actually happened. Can't wait to see it.
By the way, I watched Pirate Master and while it bears a slight resemblance to Survivor, I liked the challenge better (so far) and I like the voting process.
Hey Sydney, we're posting at about the same time again... Smile.
You should continue watching Kyra cause that accent is just a ploy she uses. When she gets down to business, while she still has an accent, itsnot so pronounced and you don't even realize it cause you're so into watching her close a case.
Sydney - If I were to voice a complaint about the show, it would be her accent. It bugs me, but the twists in the cases keep me watching.
Thank you Jackie for the article on "The Closer". No one I know watches the show or even knows it exists, except my husband and I. We have been watching since it's first show and even run through the reruns after. Kyra does a great job and we love watching her perform. As always you do a great job blogging it and all the other shows. Keep up the great work Jackie and I will continue to get excited when I see I have email from you.
Melody
The accent is a bit offputting but once you focus on what the character's saying rather than the accent she's using to say it the show is well worth watching - assuming you can find it (it airs on the W Network here in Canada which is hard enough to find).
Pirate Master reminded me of a blend of Survivor and elements of Big Brother. A fun summer show.
What's with the elitist, racsist comment about her southern accent?! Do you also dislike "Heroes" because of the Indian accent?
(Mind you, "Heroes" is a silly show.)
There is nothing racist about pointing out a poorly portrayed accent. Her accent on this show is so distracting I have not been able to get through one full episode, after several attempts. How she received any of accolades that she has is beyond me.
Dave
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