All good things must come to an end.
Tonight marks the beginning of the end for THE CLOSER. Kyra Sedgwick’s performance as Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson has earned her an Emmy and a Golden Globe and praises from critics and viewers alike.
It is already known that the series will be morphed into a show called MAJOR CRIMES. MC will feature the bulk of the current cast, with Kyra and a couple others departing. So while we all know she is going, the big question is: Is she leaving by choice or being pushed out?
Tonight’s episode, HOSTILE WITNESS, sees Brenda clashing with lawyer Philip Stroh (Billy Burke), a man she is certain is also a serial rapist and murderer but could never prove. Tonight, Stroh is defending a man suspected of rape and murder. Brenda suspects that Stroh was the man’s partner and is more determined than ever to catch him and see him tried for murder.
And while her determination has helped her close many cases, it also has caused many issues with folks on her own side. In this episode, she repeatedly clashes with D.A. Claire Baldwin (Amanda Mason Warren). Baldwin is looking to close her case against the accused, but Brenda wants Stroh and is unwilling to settle for anything less. But Stroh seems to anticipate her every move, leaving Brenda frustrated and bewildered. Her obesssion may well be putting her career in danger.
The entire cast shines, but guest star Billy Burke is masterful and plays every scene with a quiet confidence and an air of a person that knows something that those around him do not. Kyra turns up the volume on the already loud Brenda Leigh and instead seeing her go out of character in her obsession, Kyra subtly plays up the things that have made Brenda abrasive to the point where, while we still like her, we can see why her boss and the DA have issues with her.
After 103 episodes, most shows lose steam. But THE CLOSER is gotten better as time has gone on. The show has managed to maintain a high level of quality, it is masterfully building tension towards what appears to be an explosive finale. Fans will not want to miss any of it!
THE CLOSER airs, on TNT, at 9pm cst and 10pm est.
