Looking for a holiday break binge? Netflix just added this popular police procedural that we can’t wait to tell you about.
The Closer ran from 2005 to 2012 and stars Kyra Sedgwick as Brenda Johnson, a former Atlanta cop who moves to California and heads up a division at the LAPD in charge of high-profile homicides.
The series featured an Emmy Award-winning performance from Sedgwick, compelling and realistic cases, a surprising sense of humor and unforgettable interrogation scenes.
Watch With Us is here to break down why you should stream The Closer after you finish the Christmas cooking.
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‘The Closer’ Balanced Levity With Gritty Homicide Cases
Unlike your usual dark and ultra-serious crime procedural, The Closer helped itself to stand out in part due to its tone. While dealing with tough cases and complex themes, The Closer nevertheless managed to carry a sense of humor. This provided both levity to contrast nicely during difficult situations while also adding humanity and warmth between the characters through their sharp dialogue with one another.
As fans have noted, the show also did a great job at shifting between tones on an episode-to-episode basis — some episodes are more upsetting or compelling, and then others will be totally hilarious. It all has to do with the terrific writing on the show, which embraces dry, witty banter, the unique quirks of our lead protagonist, Brenda, and her interactions with the other members of her team, including sarcastic medical examiner Dr. Morales (Jonathan Del Arco) and acting chief of police Will Pope (J.K. Simmons)
Kyra Sedgwick Is the Show’s Lynchpin
The actress’ slew of Emmy nominations (and one win) speaks for themselves: Kyra Sedgwick was a force to be reckoned with on The Closer. Not only was Brenda well-written by the show’s writers with her neuroticism, unique style and character quirks, but it was Sedgwick’s performance that really brought the character to life. Sedgwick needed to balance a lot of nuance to the role: arrogance and vulnerability, charm and manipulation, toughness and femininity. For a female lead in a cop show, the role was seen as distinct at the time.
Many critics and fans agreed that while The Closer was certainly a solid crime procedural, it was Sedgwick’s performance that really elevated the material into something above the herd. In addition to the engaging crimes, viewers cared deeply about Brenda, even though she could often be a difficult and deeply flawed person. Of course, going in on flaws is what gives a fictional character their color. If someone’s perfect, then they aren’t really human. Brenda is such a great character because she is both weird, messy and real, and Sedgwick seamlessly conveys her humanity.
The Interrogation Scenes Make ‘The Closer’ Stand Out
One of the defining aspects of The Closer was its interrogation scenes, in which the CIA-trained Brenda got to work pulling exactly what she needed out of a suspect. That’s what “the closer” means: an interrogator who doesn’t just solve a crime, but gets a full confession and conviction, thereby “closing” the case. The scenes in which Brenda works her magic on a suspect are so strong and enthralling that they often feel like their own little mini-episodes within the show.
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Ultimately, the interrogations are so much fun to watch because viewers get to see Brenda employ her signature mix of Southern charm, psychological pressure and mental trickery to trap a suspect into saying exactly what they don’t want to say — like watching a game of cat-and-mouse. In tandem with a well-executed progression of tension sustained by the filmmaking, Brenda makes her suspects feel comfortable and then pulls the rug out from under them, and it’s thrilling to watch her outsmart criminals.
Stream The Closer now on Netflix.
