Review of The Closer TV series
November 8th, 2007
The Closer TV series
Quirky, entertaining American LAPD detective TV series.
I skyplussed and started watching this series just under a year ago when I was up feeding the baby in the wee hours. I must say I really like it. It’s a crime drama and the lead role is played by Kyra Sedgwick. She’s the deputy chief of LAPD’s homicide squad, a southerner moved to LA, Brenda Leigh Johnson. Her style reminds me a bit of Columbo. The show has a great feel to it. Laid back and very entertaining. It’s good to see a female lead in a cop/detective series. Brenda, whilst being an excellent investigator is very disorganised in her personal life. Scatterbrained, messy, constantly battling herself with her sugar and sweet cravings, her inability to park, her failed romances make her more credible and endearing. Her personal relationship with FBI agent Fritz is intertwined with the cases and her work well. She has a substantial number of supporting officers and their characters too are interesting, diverse and believable. Each with their own idiosyncrasies. I’m particularly fond of Provenza, the old timer and Tao, the lieutenant usually left to deal with forensics and computers. The dialogue is usually great, a fair bit of amusing banter and dry wit between the main characters. The show is now on its third series and at this stage much of the friction that began when Brenda, the outsider new boss was brought in, has dissipated. The team are more together and now dealing with outside conflict. It’s worth trying and catch various episodes from series 1 and 2 on More 4 and channel 6.
Rated /5 on Nov 08 2007 by ManicMammy
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4 Comments Add your own
1. Dee | July 17th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
I do enjoy watching The Closer and Kyra is certainly good in her role, but I keep wondering from episode to episode how long Brenda is going to maintain that frazzled human being persona without her viewers tiring of it. Half of each episode focuses on her coming apart at the seams, over sweets, over driving, over health problems, over her love life, over her parents - then suddenly she manages to nail down the criminal. WOW! It’s all well and good, a little bit of that does establish Brenda’s essence and is entertaining but a little bit of that does go a long way. I think I’d like it better if just once in a while she’d be less frantic, less frazzled, less shreddy before that persona gets to be old hat, and we find ourselves changing channels.
2. Manic Mammy | July 18th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Hi Dee,
Yep, agree with you on the less frantic/frazzled once in a while would work wonders. Its been a while since I’ve seen this series on TV here. Must check if there’s a new series on the way.
3. Dee | July 19th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
The new season for “The Closer” has just begun, so you’ll have a chance to see if it’s any different from the last time you watched it Mammy. That might be a sign that the Closer doesn’t call you.
While we’re on the subject of “formulaic” series there is “HOUSE”. Each time I convince myself to watch it again (I like Hugh Laurie) I find myself wondering why I tuned in. Every episode is the same. Only one doctor, a rude, moody, unkept one at that, in a respected hosiptal is capable of figuring out what the patient’s problem is, and is the ONLY one who can save that person??? Give me a break! Why watch when you know exactly how it’s going to be, and why put up with such rudeness? I don’t put up with that type of behaviour in my real life, why put up with it ion TV when I’m looking for intelligent entertainment? Bah! Humbug!
Then there’s “Saving Grace.” Mammy, you didn’t know I was going to carry on like this did you?
Holly Hunter needs to either keep her clothes on, or eat a few cheese burgers. I don’t think viewers want to have her anorexic body where every rib can be counted in their face. She is skin stretched over bones, and she keeps flaunting her absolutely disgusting skeleton. Yup! I change channels a lot.
O.K. that’s it. Sorry!
Dee
4. Manic Mammy | July 20th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Thanks Dee,
Will give the new series of The Closer a look and see what, if anything has changed.
I must say, despite House’s repetition I do like it. The last series where there were new junior docs, I think helped alleviate it somewhat. I also like the way that some of the cases didn’t end so happily this series too.
From your description, I’m sorta glad I’ve never managed to catch “Saving Grace”, sounds awful. I may have to seek it out just to see how bad it is!
Cheers.
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