By LillyKat
PTR Staff Writer
Every once in a while, The Closer delivers one of those episodes where you find yourself caring less about the actual case being solved and more about Brenda’s well being.
Last night was one of those episodes.
You just wanted to give ol’ Brenda Leigh a hug.
Or an ice pack.
In the seventh episode of the third season, titled “Four to Eight,” the team is called to investigate the murder of two gang members. This is something the squad has dealt with before – the on-going war between two fairly well-known Los Angeles gangs (the One Fives and the Catorces). This time, though, it came down to an overly protective father (Carlos) trying desperately to keep his son (Miguel) out of gang life – even though that is what Miguel actually wanted for himself, especially once his cousin (Angel) turned up as one of the murder victims.
Turns out Dad decided to take matters into his own hands, killing cousin Angel to prevent his gang influence from getting to Miguel. As Dad saw it, Miguel was supposed to be one of those “good boys” who was going to get out of the endless cycle of gang violence that plagued the neighborhood in which he grew up – in which kids have to be looked after from “4 p.m. to 8 p.m.” Never mind that cousin Angel was actually trying to prevent Miguel from joining the Catorces, and that Miguel was going to join no matter what his father had tried to do to prevent that from happening.
Love is blind.
Blood is thicker than water.
But murder is still murder.
Family or otherwise.
And yet, with all that was going on as it pertained to this case, you couldn’t help but be worried about ol’ Brenda.
Talk about needing to take a sick day.
Seems those fevers, sweats, mood swings and just all-around awkward state of flux that we first witnessed last week intensified this week, which finally forced Brenda to get herself to the doctor.
Only to be told she’ll need to have additional tests run.
Uh-oh.
There were, of course, some well-placed humorous moments as it pertained to Brenda’s health: self-diagnosing herself via an Internet medical site – a lá WebMD – and deciding to attribute all her symptoms to stress whilst Fritz lies flu-ridden on the couch with Brenda’s failed attempt at making him soup gooped in a pot on the coffee table (perhaps she and Cold Case's Detective Lilly Rush have exchanged cooking techniques?); sweating to death in the interrogation room whilst investigating Miguel’s mother (“It’s like an oven in here!”); stripping down to her bra to change shirts in her office given she kept sweating through all of them on what seemed to be an hourly basis; Lieutenant Provenza questioning, “There’s something wrong with her,” and Lieutenant Flynn warning, “So who here is going to ask her about it?”
But all in all, there was an ominous sense about Brenda’s well-being. Even Lieutenant Tao had to ask, “Chief, are you OK? You just don’t seem like yourself lately.”
And she isn’t.
But more than that, she just does not want to say what is wrong.
Even though she already knows.
“I don’t want to talk about it right now. If there’s one thing my job has taught me is that everything changes when you say it out loud.”
Send ice packs and chocolate candy bars to:
Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson
c/o Priority Homicide
Los Angeles Police Department
New episodes air Monday’s at 9 p.m. on TNT.
PTR Staff Writer
Every once in a while, The Closer delivers one of those episodes where you find yourself caring less about the actual case being solved and more about Brenda’s well being.
Last night was one of those episodes.
You just wanted to give ol’ Brenda Leigh a hug.
Or an ice pack.
In the seventh episode of the third season, titled “Four to Eight,” the team is called to investigate the murder of two gang members. This is something the squad has dealt with before – the on-going war between two fairly well-known Los Angeles gangs (the One Fives and the Catorces). This time, though, it came down to an overly protective father (Carlos) trying desperately to keep his son (Miguel) out of gang life – even though that is what Miguel actually wanted for himself, especially once his cousin (Angel) turned up as one of the murder victims.
Turns out Dad decided to take matters into his own hands, killing cousin Angel to prevent his gang influence from getting to Miguel. As Dad saw it, Miguel was supposed to be one of those “good boys” who was going to get out of the endless cycle of gang violence that plagued the neighborhood in which he grew up – in which kids have to be looked after from “4 p.m. to 8 p.m.” Never mind that cousin Angel was actually trying to prevent Miguel from joining the Catorces, and that Miguel was going to join no matter what his father had tried to do to prevent that from happening.
Love is blind.
Blood is thicker than water.
But murder is still murder.
Family or otherwise.
And yet, with all that was going on as it pertained to this case, you couldn’t help but be worried about ol’ Brenda.
Talk about needing to take a sick day.
Seems those fevers, sweats, mood swings and just all-around awkward state of flux that we first witnessed last week intensified this week, which finally forced Brenda to get herself to the doctor.
Only to be told she’ll need to have additional tests run.
Uh-oh.
There were, of course, some well-placed humorous moments as it pertained to Brenda’s health: self-diagnosing herself via an Internet medical site – a lá WebMD – and deciding to attribute all her symptoms to stress whilst Fritz lies flu-ridden on the couch with Brenda’s failed attempt at making him soup gooped in a pot on the coffee table (perhaps she and Cold Case's Detective Lilly Rush have exchanged cooking techniques?); sweating to death in the interrogation room whilst investigating Miguel’s mother (“It’s like an oven in here!”); stripping down to her bra to change shirts in her office given she kept sweating through all of them on what seemed to be an hourly basis; Lieutenant Provenza questioning, “There’s something wrong with her,” and Lieutenant Flynn warning, “So who here is going to ask her about it?”
But all in all, there was an ominous sense about Brenda’s well-being. Even Lieutenant Tao had to ask, “Chief, are you OK? You just don’t seem like yourself lately.”
And she isn’t.
But more than that, she just does not want to say what is wrong.
Even though she already knows.
“I don’t want to talk about it right now. If there’s one thing my job has taught me is that everything changes when you say it out loud.”
Send ice packs and chocolate candy bars to:
Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson
c/o Priority Homicide
Los Angeles Police Department
New episodes air Monday’s at 9 p.m. on TNT.
3 comments:
I'm thinking Brenda's illness is starting to look like menopause. I definitely found myself more concerned with Brenda's health last night than the actual case.
I was wondering, too, if it could be menopause ... but the way Fritz seemed to cuddle up with her at the end, and how he has continually pushed her to get to the doctor, etc. ... don't know ... sure seems like she might be pregnant.
I'm leaning toward menopause as well, but you never know. I was definitely more interested in her health this week than the case.
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