What I’m Watching: The Closer

The Closer: Season 6, Episode 6 “Off the Hook” (B+)

I really liked the pace of this episode, aided considerably by the intense music that underlined the urgency of this case. It’s also good to see the whole team investigating things together, and having a powwow at Brenda’s house complete with suspects and food is indicative of how close this bunch is and just how well they work together. Pope does need to keep his temper in check, and he certainly gets chewed out for his lack of sensitivity. His failure to apologize to the detective he had accused of being responsible for the commissioner’s death was ugly, and having Brenda tell him that she wouldn’t let this happen if it were her was a rare, much-needed moment of honesty and true expression. It was good to see Commander Taylor so heavily involved in the case, from the beginning when he used his rank to expedite a response and then remained involved in the case as Brenda and Major Crimes tiptoed around to avoid Pope’s watchful eye. There’s something utterly thrilling about watching people subvert authority (see: “Mad Men” season finale “Shut the Door, Have a Seat”), and this episode was all about that. The resolution of this case proved to be interesting and surprising, initially pinpointing convicts and then ultimately coming back to a grieving widow who blamed the parole reviewer for letting a killer go free. With so many cop shows on the air, cases are bound to be recycled and get stale, but this one felt remarkably fresh.