What I’m Watching: The Closer

The Closer: Season 7, Episode 5 “Forgive Us Our Trespasses” (B+)

This episode’s main case was plenty interesting, and yet another fantastic match with the investigation into Major Crimes and the wrongful death lawsuit. One moment in particular rang especially true, when the pastor’s wife professed that it was all her fault, cueing a pained look from Brenda, who held it together until really losing it in the final moments of the episode when Fritz revealed that he too had been subpoenaed and she saw the words “intent to kill” typed out in the accusation. Everyone being served except for Gabriel provided an entertaining hour of the rest of the squad thinking he had spoken to the other side, ultimately resulting in him asking to be subpoenaed as well so that no one would mistakenly think that he had already testified. Learning that Buzz’s real name is Francis T. Watson was rather amusing as well. Brenda was smart to send her detectives out instead of having them around for opposing counsel to question, and it was funny to see six cops show up from Major Crimes to check into an apparent suicide. Of course, it did turn out to be far more serious than it initially seemed, and I liked how the construction of a phone tree matrix led to the discovery that the entire family unit, which included Kate Burton as the pastor’s wife and Raymond J. Barry as his father-in-law, was involved. The revelation that it was the son proved to be very powerful, as he calmly and openly confessed his reasons for killing him and his regret for doing so, actually succeeding in earning some sympathy from Brenda.