‘The Closer’ Closes an Intense Case

By LillyKat
PTR Staff Writer

One word: intense.

An 8-year-old girl missing at the hands of a paroled sex offender.

One of Brenda’s team members getting personal and professional dangerously mixed up once again.

And did we mention having to lower oneself to the level of a child molester to get a confession?

No wonder TNT billed the fourth episode of The Closer's third season (aptly titled “Ruby” - the name of the young girl), as one of the most shocking yet. It was one of those uncomfortable episodes that does not have to work very hard to keep you gripped all the while making you squirm. And, in a complete turnabout from last week’s episode, humor was nowhere to be found, here. Nor would it have been appropriate. Young girl goes missing then turns up dead at the hands of said suspected child molester … generally, not light reading no matter what show you’re watching.

The suspect in this case, Roger Stimple, was about as creepy and cold-blooded as they come.

Enough to set off Sergeant Gabriel.

Again.

Gabriel is 0 for 2 this season on containing his personal emotions whilst investigating a murder. It seems he has some sort of career death wish for himself. If we all remember back in episode two, he clashed with Brenda over her decision to arrest a prominent community activist fearing it would send the wrong message.

This time, he pounds - literally - an admission out of Stimple that a) does not lead to finding the young girl alive (as he was sure it would); and b) creates a whole mess of affairs for Brenda so that she is left to figure out how to punish his behavior while not ruining his entire career. Still, she feels she should have “never left Gabriel alone in that room. [She] saw how angry he was.”

And he was.

As would we all with the words coming out of Stimple’s mouth.

The dialogue in this ep was so good it was difficult, at times, to listen to – Stimple taking joy in having sex with young girls; playing the race card for his preference of those girls; listening to him say how the victim – and 8-year-old girl – was leading him on, “wanting it.”

Ugh.

Powerful. Effective. Creepy. Goosepimply.

Still, ugh.

Credit to the writers – when dialogue is this uncomfortable to hear, you know it has been done well.

And, with all that was going on in this episode, it was Kyra Sedgwick, once again, at her best – just not in the usual neurotic, humorous, guns-a-blazin’, close-my-case type of way.

Rather, it was her brimming-with-emotion-yet-keep-it-under-wraps portrayal of Brenda’s conflicted emotions that deserves extra kudos. Whether it was seeing her favorite team member lose it again (and knowing she would have to hold him accountable for his actions – “I cannot sweep this under the rug just because you’re my favorite”); the utter disappointment in failing to find Ruby alive as well as determining she was not Stimple’s only victim; or, the sheer disgust of having to lower herself to the level of Stimple – befriend him, earn his trust, console him – in order to get the confession of not only Ruby’s death, but of two other young girls’ unsolved homicides that were traced back to Stimple … well, it goes without saying Sedgwick is worth every ounce of that Golden Globe, and why she is deserving of another Emmy nomination this year.

Perhaps Brenda’s going to the ladies room after her final interview session with Stimple, sick to her stomach, said it all: not a light episode by any means.

But gripping nonetheless.

New episodes air Monday's at 9 p.m. on TNT