What I’m Watching: The Closer

The Closer: Season 6, Episode 12 “High Crimes” (B+)

Maybe they’ve been doing it all along, but I’m starting to notice just how impressive the action-related scenes are on this show. I especially enjoy how the entire team gets involved in the sting operations, and the costumes worn by Gabriel and Sanchez were particularly hilarious. There’s a reason that this show, which for some reason receives few other accolades aside from praise (and an Emmy win, finally, this past year) for star Kyra Sedgwick, just earned its fifth Screen Actors Guild award nomination for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series. The latest addition to the talented cast, Courtney Vance, is proving to be perfectly acclimated to working and interacting awkwardly with the team. His assignment of Provenza to be drug liaison is an entertaining and clever move, and I’m enjoying his presence quite a bit. It’s also interesting to see the dynamic between Brenda and Pope explored as she finds herself being almost pushed into pushing him out. Fritz’s reaction to the situation and his own concern over Brenda’s close relationship with Pope is also intriguing, especially in light of how rudely and selfishly Pope behaved last season earlier this season when he found himself out of the running for the position of chief. Having Taylor in the mix and some inevitable restructuring on the way gives this season, with only a two-part episode and then one early 2011 installment left, decently thrilling. And it was also recently announced that the show will be ending after season seven, presumably premiering this summer. While I’m sad to see the show go, it’s had a terrific run, and seven strong years for a procedural isn’t bad at all.