baygull

18 June 2013

Loved first season but tired of it in 2nd

My husband and I were intrigued by the spectacle - a strong willedSouthern lady with a messy personal life solves crimes for the LAPD.The first season was must-see TV for us. Unfortunately, the stories ofher personal life in the second season became so tedious and unworthyof the strong character that we stopped watching.My husband and I were troubled by the episode where she tries to hidefrom her mother the fact that she is shacked up. But the deal breakerwas the episode where she hides her possible pregnancy from herboyfriend but tells her boss. Why would a strong, middle aged woman dothose things? The answer is she wouldn't. Additionally, my husband andI pick out the bad guy with almost perfect accuracy. It is almostalways a white male or female introduced in cameo at the murder sceneor in an idealized family. Can't the script writers do somethingoriginal from time to time? As I mentioned, we are no longer viewers.We prefer shows that don't betray the characters and insult ourintelligence.

scotsbiker750

17 June 2013

I gave up during the first episode

This program didn't do it for me, although I'm a fan of the genre. Themajor factor that disappointed me was that there was not a single scenewhich was not dominated by the main character. This made it a bittwo-dimensional and I gave up before the program was over.I was hoping to leave my critique there as I'm no movie critic,however, the guidelines on IMDb state that you must put in 10 lines ofcommentary. It did remind me of Hudson Hawk in the way the maincharacter is in every single scene, and I would hope that the writersof this program could employ some more diversity to engage with theviewers. I don't doubt the talent of any of the cast and crew, it'sjust that after watching things like "the wire", I've come to expectgreat things from cop drama.

hsapir-1

16 June 2013

that was some bull!

Let me start by saying that I love cop shows. One of the unfortunatethings that has happened to this genre in the last few years has beenthe barrage of Law & order spin-offs. This show is like one of thosewith the added annoyance of Kyra Sedgwick and her crappy southernaccent. I am assuming that is bull**** too. Bad cop cliché quips,criminals that roll over "in the box", and lets throw in somegratuitous "kinda nudity" just so we can have that exciting parentaldiscretion warning before the show. Please. If you want a gritty copdrama, leave the beauty queen out. While Ms. Sedgwick is a decentactor, she is much better in the sorta indie roles. Tough she 'aint!Okay I'm done.

sweetbaby2

16 June 2013

Kyra shows how well her interrogating skills work.

The TV show The Closer with Kyra Sedgwick is fabulous. I'm so glad itis back even if it is an Encore Season. I only hope that after theEncore presentations the season will continue with a FULL season. Thisshow is a number 1 show up there with the likes of Law & Order andWanted. Each character is unique and acted effectively andrealistically. I'm a fan of Kyra Sedgwick as well as Tony Denison, J.K.Simmons, etc. Congratulations on topnotch programming. How refreshing.Keep up the good work and please give us more of The Closer. It's anaward winner to me. I wish you would have a second showing like you didlast season and then again the following day. I could watch The Closerevery night as I do Law & Order. Also, I enjoy Wanted. Congrats TNT.

rogue719

14 June 2013

Wonderfully character driven laughs and drama

An outstanding drama that dances on the edge of being a formula copshow and a soap opera. Brenda Lee Johnson is an outstandinginterrogator with a background of being difficult to work with butachieving great results. However, her personal life is a mess. She ishired from Atlanta to head LAPD's Priority Crimes Unit for those highprofile crimes that need a resolution and need it quickly. Tensionsarise immediately. Her brusque style makes her own people want totransfer away, her boss is a former lover who dumped her and shemanages to make many more enemies than friends. The crimes are formulaenough that you can probably figure out whodunit before you get to theclimax but it's the characters and relationships that sell the show andmake it worth watching. Not only is Kyra Sedgwick giving theperformance of her life in this series but she has a terrificsupporting cast that gives the series heart. The ability of the writersto also give us some great comic lines keeps the show teetering attimes from comedy to drama. The first season is already out on DVD.Watch it from the first episode to the last, in order, and you can seewhy this show has become the most watched show in basic cable history.

13 June 2013

As a professional woman, I love this show

And as a professional woman, why was I surprised by the nasty commentsabout the lead character? One poster missed the point entirely when hewrote that all of the detectives working for her submitted theirresignations after the first meeting because she was a real bitch. Theysubmitted their requests for transfer BEFORE EVEN MEETING HER. Underthe circumstances, her behavior was pretty restrained. How I wish Icould think up some of the responses she comes up with -- and had theguts to utter them!And what's with the comments on her clothing? If Sipowicz had shown up,would you have questioned his credibility as a leader because hedoesn't look like he walked off the pages of GQ? Few men in myworkplace look like they spend a lot of time thinking about theirwardrobe (to their credit, imo); why do you hold women to such aridiculous standard? I love the junk food theme. When was the last time you saw a freshgreen salad in a police department? Oh to be starving and to see onlydonuts (forbidden food) lying around!She's human -- a little bedraggled sometimes, a little neurotic aboutwhat she eats, not a paragon of organization... why can't you find thatlikable? If she were the stereotypical cold blue-suited automaton youseem to expect, you'd hate her even more, wouldn't you?Wait... maybe all you hostile posters are just constructing anelaborate parody of how some men treat professional women. My bad;you're brilliant!

detleffish-2

03 June 2013

Wow! Where did it go?

How could TNT not continue this great program? There are so fewintelligent programs on TV and this is clearly one of them….if not thecurrent top one. Kyra Sedgwick is incredible and in my opinion an Emmyperformance. I have always thought Kyra a great and underrated actress.I was so pleased to see her finally in a part that showed her talent. Iwent to the TNT home page and sent them an email to encourage them toproduce more of "The Closer"….no response. Why don't networks pull thetrashy reality shows? Why pull a great one like The Closer? I hardlyever watch TV because of all the commercials and mindless programs butthis one pulled me in.

sjb_can

02 June 2013

Crime Drama With Heart

Chief Deputy Brenda Lee Johnson, along with her co-workers, family,victims and suspects are combined in story lines dramatically differentfrom the popular CSI, Law and Order and copycats. Personally, I'mover-saturated with stories "ripped from the headlines", grislyautopsies and cool cool cinematography. The Closer entertains. Whilethe plots may not always be completely believable, the characters actlike real people. If you like character driven stories, this is a showworth exploring. I've read complaints that there's not much mystery inthe show. I agree, but it doesn't matter. That's not the intent. Therewas very little mystery in Columbo either and it was the mostentertaining show of its time. And there's complaints about BrendaLee's messy personal life. For me, it makes her fully dimensional andcomplex. She has a lot of foibles and she is definitely "impossible" asshe readily admits, but her work is brilliant, inspired and she's afierce force of justice. Her over the top southern accent adds asweetness that is endearing once one grows accustomed to it. Herproblems with her fiancé and parents may be a bit exaggerated andcontrived at times, but Kyra Sedgwick carries Brenda Lee's life intothe viewer's heart in such a way that any flaws are easily overlooked.The supporting cast is superb. I wouldn't change a thing.

mohit udar

30 May 2013

brilliant acting......

The Closer is a show which has a fairly realistic portrayal of aworking environment; there are relationship dynamics which have evolvedover the several seasons and which explore the inter-personalconnections made between co-workers as they solve cases. From thebeginning episodes where Brenda's staff worked against her, sometimeswith the expressed desire for her to fail, to the latest season wherethey appear to be firmly on her "side" there is an interesting dynamicin showing an intelligent and capable woman as authority-figure and thegradual and sometimes reluctant acceptance of her as the officers sheworks with see for themselves what she is bringing to the dept.The show brings a lot of elements of the classic mysteries, and usesclever reveals and intelligence as well as past personal experiencesand leaps of intuition in solving crimes. The actors who make up themain cast are all very talented and the writing allows us glimpses intothe entire cast, though the show is clearly focused on Brenda. Eachepisode also allows the viewer to see some of the personal dramawithout being heavy-handed or too soap-opera, keeping a good balancebetween the police investigation and the people who are doing theinvestigation.I find it interesting, however, that most of the people I know who donot like the show are male and love similar stories where a male in thecentral authority and does the exact same things that Brenda does toclose a case. For someone who likes police drama, with realisticcharacters who are not always perfect, this is an excellent show towatch. The episodes are well paced, the story lines through the seasonsare detailed and have a lot of personal touches for the characters

morganshs99

30 May 2013

Love this show!

A recent episode called "Maternal Instincts" was such a tear-jerker.Brenda really showed her true colors - a caring and compassionateperson. Maybe the writers wanted to show how she has grown over theyears from a rather self-centered person to someone who could actuallybe a mother. It was a brilliant piece of acting and writing for theentire cast.I live in Atlanta and was born here. Brenda's southern accent is ratherthick for Atlanta, but just right for some areas outside the Atlantametro area, perhaps middle or south Georgia. In any case, her accent isso good that when I first saw the show, I remember thinking "I didn'tknow Kyra Sedgwick was southern!". Guess the joke's on me - she's fromNYC.This isn't the kind of show you can just have on in the background. Youreally need to focus on it and appreciate it like a fine glass of wine.

pancake_repairman

29 May 2013

my review of the first episode

I haven't heard a southern accent done this badly since Geena Davis andSusan Sarandon in Thelma And Louise. I can't imagine how any castingagent said yes to Kyra Sedgwick for this role. Although her failure atcarrying the show seems like a moot point when you realise how littlethere is to carry. The plot of solving the crime takes a backseat toboring inter-office drama between a cast of characters all equallylacking in charisma as Sedgwick's. The one thing the show somewhatsucceeds at is a portrayal of a tough woman not taking any crap andfighting to succeed in a man's world, but the adversity she faces oftenseems overdone and her surly attitude makes her hard to sympathisewith.

alex

29 May 2013

Closer to OK than fine

Overall 'The Closer' is a decent show, but here's the reason I probablywon't keep watching: I can't root for Sedgwick because her character istoo unlikeable, and I can't root against her because she always wins. The show is well filmed, well paced, and the plots are pretty wellconstructed. Where it needs improvement is the characters. I like thesupporting cast, but they should be featured a little more prominentlyfor a better balance with Sedgwick's lead character. More importantly her character needs adjustment. Headstrong,determined, tough - that's all good. Domineering, bossy, and anobsessive workaholic - that's fine too. But add disingenuous, smug,passive-aggressive, and especially condescending & manipulative - Nowshe's downright unlikeable. What's apparently supposed to make up forthis is that she so smart and skilled, but that just doesn't work. Whenshe succeeds with suspects by anticipating their actions five stepsahead, it doesn't ring true. When she succeeds through manipulation,you can't root for her because she treats her employees the same way.And when she enters the interrogation room with the whole case alreadyfigured out, it should be insulting to her colleagues because shewithheld this information from them. Instead they take it asjustification for her abrasive behavior. For her character to be compelling, she needs to sometimes fail, or bemore conflicted at the negative consequences of her actions, or havethe co-workers use more backbone in standing up to her, or generallyhave her get her comeuppance. She should be a 'love to hate' character, right now she's just'unsatistying to hate'

geobucks

28 April 2013

Absolutely the worst actress I have ever seen...

1. EXTREMELY unattractive. 2. The most fake, ridiculous attempt at aSouthern accent I have ever seen. 3. Flat affect,rehearsed lines comeoff exactly like that. 4. The Closer might have good writing andscripts, but you just get caught up in how annoying and irritatingKiera Segwick is. She would be that even if only in a supporting role.Why would anyone give this shrew a lead role, even on cable. Fairlysaid, IMHO, no redeeming performing quality..."SUXS" is a wordsometimes used and it applies to her..."horrible" is another one. Idon't like to be mean spirited, but she has taken meaningless time outof my life. If you disagree, that's fine. 'Watched it once and went"Pure Crap" Watched it again tonight, since I thought maybe myperception was wrong. NOT

Luvjoy1948-1

27 April 2013

The Closer

The Closer is one of the best new shows on television today. KyraSedgwick does an outstanding job. She shows that women can handlethemselves in the law enforcement industry. She has a tough timefitting in with the male members of her team because she is so muchbrighter and more insightful then they are. I also feel they are ratherintimidated by her actions. She is able to get more information fromthe law breakers then the men can. I believe she makes the show what itis. She is an amazing actress. I am also a fan of all the Law and Ordershows. I feel this one is up to the same standards as those as are theCSI shows. I think this show should continue and will rank close withthe other law and order shows. Give this show a chance and it willsurprise you. I am glad the network took the chance with this new showbecause it shows that they looked beyond the negativity that someviewers might have with shows like this one.

valerielael

26 April 2013

wonderful show

I have not enjoyed a show more!Alas...I really hope TV guide neversee's this comment-because each time I LOVE a show...they remove itfrom their line up.Please keep The Closer!It shows that women can usebrains and sly woman-isms to beguile a bad guy/girl,into admitting atruth,She is ruthless in her attempt to find the real truth-and thelast show of this past season was awesome.Ms. K puts women in a leadrole.Without over powering male counter parts.Her attitude is real.Heracting wonderful.Her accent adorable.Horrah for Ms. K.I cannot sayenough about this great show.If I were to pick the Emmys.This would bethe one show that would win,"hands down".

Evie8888

25 April 2013

musical soundtrack for the Closer

Your new show, The Closer, is among the best offerings that has comealong in this summer season. I find it necessary to mention, however,that watching the show presents a great problem, for not just myself,but for all members of my family. There is a soundtrack overlay to theentire presentation which appears to be made up of either guitars orbanjos or both. This constant, repetitive stream of sound is sufficientto make the verbal soundtrack nearly inaudible on many occasions. Is itnot possible that those who broadcast the series could "dial back" thisvery annoying and totally unnecessary addition to the presentation? Wewould be quite distressed to simply have to give up watching such anexcellent show for this most ridiculous technical fault.

lmadden-1

24 April 2013

Please bring back this show!

Contrary to another review, I think Sedgwick is great in this role.Perhaps the southern bit is a little over the top, but I've lived inthe south my entire life and think she does a great job with the accentand comes across as a "real" southern lady. She has the mannerisms andspeech patterns down to a "T." It's hard for me to believe that she wasborn in NY after seeing her in several roles where she's played asoutherner.I would venture to guess that many women in positions traditionallyseen as male specific would have to be bold and brassy in order to earnrespect. Brenda then adds her feminine guile to help crack a case.I thought it was a very entertaining show and hope it's back for a fullrun.

nickgamer20

23 April 2013

Thankew, Thankew So Much

Well, I saw this show when my Aunt came from Colorado and she broughtthe first season with her on DVD. I have to say this show is just toogreat to miss. This show is kind of like a CSI: type show, so it dealswith murders and investigations and stuff like that.The real funny thing is that Brendan Johnson has the most hilariouscountry accent in the world. Another funny thing is that Brenda's lifeproblems are always getting in the way of cases. In one episode, itstarts out with Brenda kissing a guy in a car and their about to get iton, but all of a sudden, her phone rings, and she has a case she has togo to.A bad thing about this is that in a bunch of episodes people confessabout murdering people. But in real life, people don't do that. But Iknow in one episode, he wanted to confess so he could go to jail,because he knew he was going to be killed by the Russian mafia if heshowed his face again, but Brenda wouldn't let him, and the next day,he was found dead.Overall, this is a truly great show, and you shouldn't miss it.

tenfolks

12 April 2013

Comments for the writers

It seems totally out of character for Deputy Chief Johnson to need totake a pregnancy test. I can't believe she would ever jeopardize hercareer by carelessly getting pregnant. She stated that marriage had tocome before children. So, why would she have unprotected sex? She'smuch too sharp for that. You guys need to work on that. You got off toa great start this season. Don't lose us now by changing the attributesof the main character.One other thing. Do we really need to see severed heads and limbs? If Iwant to see gore I'll watch CSI. The main draw of the program is thatit appeals to the intellect more than to the emotions. Try to keep thatin mind for future episodes.Thanks,GS

killer1h

12 April 2013

Case Closed!

This series looks like a plain ol' cop drama from the outside but thatcouldn't be any further from the truth. Deputy Chief Brenda Lee Johnsonis the head of a elite detective unit that solves homicides, now hereare a few things you should probably know. First this chief has beentrained how to interrogate by the C.I.A, secondly her entire squad ismade up of detectives(that's right no rookies here), and of course herHusband is an F.B.I. Agent. Still need more? The way that this womangets the job done is both masterful and incredible, on top of which shecontrols an entire unit full of men like a school teacher does in aclassroom. This show is a must see, one of the few drama's where the female leadisn't a model and yet the plot is so good that it makes absolutely nodifference at all. 10/10 for originality, solid acting, fantastic plotlines.