Major Crimes-related stories
Posted Aug 18th 2009 12:19AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S05E11) After
last week's show, it was great to see
The Closer bounce back with a particularly strong episode. The case itself wasn't overly complicated or multi-layered, as some Major Crimes are, but that's probably because Brenda literally wandered into this one. And she wasn't alone. Charlie, her niece from Atlanta, was in the car. More on the Brenda/Charlie relationship as well as the case, after the jump.
Continue reading The Closer: Maternal Instinct
Posted Jul 28th 2009 12:20AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, CSI, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S05E08) When I say that a lot of this episode of
The Closer felt like a
CSI episode, with the emphasis on the gory and gruesome aspects of original murder, I'm not being critical. And when I mention there were also elements that reminded of
Cold Case, that's also not a diss because
Cold Case is an underrated show.
But unlike
Cold Case, which brings the past to life,
The Closer remained very much in the present. Generally speaking, this was a pretty strong episode that played up Brenda's vulnerability.
Continue reading The Closer: Elysian Fields
Posted Jul 21st 2009 8:35AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S05E07) She's back. Clearly, the producers of
The Closer decided that Brenda needed an antagonist. Mary McDonnell has fit the bill. So far I think they've made her character a bit one-note, but I'm willing to see how she evolves over time. Or maybe it's just that I like Mary McDonnell.
Anyway, like internal affairs officers in most cop dramas, McDonnell's character, Captain Sharon Raydor of Force Investigation Division, seems to be anti-cop/pro-victim. Harry Callahan would hate her. She was better in this than
her previous episode, but not by much.
Continue reading The Closer: Strike Three
Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:13AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S05E06) There's an old show biz line that goes, "Dying is easy, comedy is hard." Well, sometimes when dramas try a comic episode, it can be a little like death warmed over. Or a show can completely succumb to humor and forget the original genre entirely (you know that I'm talking about you, Mr. Monk). Fortunately, when
The Closer chooses to take a walk on the funny side, it usually hits the mark. This episode was a bull's eye.
It was also great to see
The Closer shine a light on J.K. Simmons. As Assistant Chief Will Pope, Simmons is great as Brenda's boss and the face of the L.A. cops in many tense situations, political and otherwise. A consummate character actor --
Juno, Burn After Reading, Spider-Man -- Simmons always brings a lot to the show. This episode was prime Simmons, with Pope the butt of the jokes and off his game, if you will. How else could a faux police detective named Dick Tracy dupe the chief?
Continue reading The Closer: Tapped Out
Posted Jul 7th 2009 9:36AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S05E05) Sometimes you'll see an episode of a show and everything is going along as you expect, you're entertained and intrigued, the actors and writers and producers and director have done their job well. For most of this episode, that was the case. If only that were true about the last five minutes.
There is no sense in gang violence, even as it was presented in this show. But the random, out of the blue quality made the ending even more senseless.
Continue reading The Closer: Half Loaded
Posted Jun 23rd 2009 10:45AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S05E03) If you were
Kyra Sedgwick and you were asked to choose an episode of
The Closer for Emmy consideration, this would be a strong candidate. For one thing, Ms. Sedgwick was given a really strong adversary, another likely Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series,
Battlestar Galactica's Mary McDonnell. As Captain Sharon Raydor, Force Investigation Division, McDonnell made an immediate impression.
Oh, baby, did she ever! She took over investigating the crime scene, forcing out Major Crimes. Then Brenda met Sharon and the sparks flew. Under different circumstances, these women might have been good friends. Both are forces to be reckoned with, no-nonsense types. Under these circumstances, however, they were oil and water. More on the specifics of the case after the jump.
Continue reading The Closer: Red Tape
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