I have recently mentioned (several times!) that my daughter is home for the summer. The two of us watch a television show together every morning… a “chick flick” type of show that we have not introduced to either my husband or son. Our favorite show is TNT’s… The Closer.
We have several shows that we follow together, but The Closer just seems to “have it all” for us. It is a detective/”cop” show which is different from others. The boss happens to be a woman who is very smart, who demands respect from her subordinates while instilling a trust and comradeship in the office. She is able to balance being “the boss” with being one of the detectives who must solve the case during the one-hour time limit of the show.
Several weeks ago, after watching that week’s show, I tried to decide why we like the show so much >>> I think it’s because the characters actually interact the way real people do. There is a genuine friendship between some of the characters, but there are also jealousies.
Brenda Lee (the main character) is played by Kyra Sedgwick. She is a strong woman with many weaknesses. She is a boss who believes in second chances – third, fourth, and even fifth chances! She is a woman who makes no excuses for doing things her way. She has worked all of her adult life to achieve the success in her career that she is now experiencing – heading the homicide department in the city’s police department.
She hasn’t put off having children to a time when they would conveniently fit into her life. Instead, she has elected to forgo children… knowing that children not only bring joy, but as she has seen on the job, they can also bring such unbearable sadness when they disappear or are harmed. (*****SPOLER ALERT FOR THE NEXT SENTENCE*****) The loss of her beloved “Kitty” took Brenda Lee to such an unexpected sad point in her life that she simply cannot fathom putting herself in a position that would take her even beyond that sadness.
The Closer has the perfect addition of comedy, the characters all seem (to my daughter and me, at least) to be three-dimensional with true-to-life pasts, and the acting is truly enjoyable.
The Closer is a show that I highly recommend!
Dru says
I’ve been watching this show from day 1 and continue to enjoy the cast, characters and plot.
I also like that it has become a family affair. Kyra’s husband has directed a couple of episodes and I just found out that her daughter will appear on the show as her character’s niece.
Have you seen Leverage on TNT?
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Dru,
Isn’t it odd that the better shows are not on non-major-network channels?! I’ll have to watch for Leverage… I think I’ve seen it advertised… if it’s the one with Timothy Hutton.
I’ll also be watching for Brenda Lee’s neice…
Karen says
My husband and I really enjoy this show. We also have watched it from day 1 and own the season dvd’s just so we can watch them again and again. I, however, have found a show I like even better-“Castle”. The lead investigator in this series is also a woman but a mystery author helps her solve her cases based on his knowledge and plot developments of his books. This show also has just enough drama/comedy/romance/angst to make it possibly the best show I’ve ever watched.—Try it-you’ll like it!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Karen,
We enjoy Castle, also. I do, however, hope that they don’t have to glam-up the lead detective any more than they felt they had to do so already. I enjoyed her “look” at the beginning of the season more than at the end. She’s a beautiful actress, and I know this is petty… but, why do television ratings depend on the “WOW” factor of an actress having to dress and apply make-up like a model.
That said, we really enjoy the show, and I don’t hear my husband complaining about the “make-up evolution” that I feel has taken place!
Karen says
I’m with you on the whole “glam” thing. My husband and I have often dicussed what you would really wear to a crime scene or a stake-out. I don’t really think it would be high heels and pencil skirts!! The actress is naturally beautiful and I did like her “chic-tomboy” look in the beginning.
Stephanie says
I enjoyed your blog, as I enjoy all of your blogs. I do have a couple of comments, though…
First, I wanted to say that I think that The Closer isn’t really a chick-flick. I think that it could be very enjoyable to both genders. At the same time, though, I do agree that it is particularly well-suited to a female audience, and that it probably wouldn’t be a great show for (most) younger men.
Second, I wanted to mention that Brenda Lee isn’t technically the head of the LAPD’s homicide unit. Instead, she’s the lead of the major crimes unit, an elite squad that investigates cases that are likely to be considered politically important. This makes her cases even more interesting for viewers without doing something that some other series do. That is, although we all know that poorer people make up the vast majority of victims of homicide, on shows like Law and Order, poorer victims are generally vastly under-represented compared to in reality. In The Closer, on the other hand, there’s a good reason for these crimes to be under-represented since the show follows a squad that focuses exclusively on “major crimes.”
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thank you, Stephanie… You bring up a very good point. The “major crimes” unit is exactly that… and Brenda Lee sometimes doesn’t like the fact that she is forced to work on crimes that will garner a lot of media attention VS. the crimes that are really “major.”
And, you’re right… it really isn’t a “chick-flick” show… but my daughter and I simply enjoy watching when we want to watch it, instead of having to schedule a time in the future when all of us can watch it together. We just can’t wait to see what “they” will be up to in each of the new episodes!
Jan says
Danna,
My daughter is home for the summer too so I am behind on my computer time. (an explanation for why this comment is 10 days late 🙂
I agree, I absolutely love this show! How nice that you and your daughter watch together every morning.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Hi Jan,
Isn’t it great when they come home? I am SO enjoying my daughter being at home, but already… in the back of my mind… I know she will be leaving soon.
I don’t watch ANY live television, so everything is DVR-ed or comes from our DVDs. It sure does make it easy to watch one of our favorite shows in the morning. Of course, sometimes the sixth or seventh show for our weekly morning-watching is something like an old Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Enjoy your daughter’s summer vacation!
Cindy says
The Closer is my favorite show! One more little nit, though…. It’s the city police department, not county.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks, Cindy… I don’t know how I messed up on that one. I have watched every one of the series shows, and one would think that I would know that! Thanks, again…