By LillyKat
PTR Staff Writer
Wow.
Like, wow.
Did I say wow?
On a bit of delay this week in watching The Closer, but holy moly, what an episode. Titled “Blindsided,” and directed by Kevin Bacon (husband to Kyra Sedgwick), it was one of the best episodes to date.
Intense. Shocking. Tender. Funny. Powerful.
We pick up with Brenda being evaluated by the Los Angeles Police Department’s psychiatrist given last week’s encounter with … how should we say … crazy serial killer dude? (hmmm … am wondering if Detective Lilly Rush over on Cold Case is going to be similarly evaluated by the Philadelphia Police Department after her stalker-shootout encounter at the end of last season).
Of course, Lilly probably thinks she’s fine. As does Brenda. Something about these female homicide detectives thinking they are invincible.
Not.
PTR Staff Writer
Wow.
Like, wow.
Did I say wow?
On a bit of delay this week in watching The Closer, but holy moly, what an episode. Titled “Blindsided,” and directed by Kevin Bacon (husband to Kyra Sedgwick), it was one of the best episodes to date.
Intense. Shocking. Tender. Funny. Powerful.
We pick up with Brenda being evaluated by the Los Angeles Police Department’s psychiatrist given last week’s encounter with … how should we say … crazy serial killer dude? (hmmm … am wondering if Detective Lilly Rush over on Cold Case is going to be similarly evaluated by the Philadelphia Police Department after her stalker-shootout encounter at the end of last season).
Of course, Lilly probably thinks she’s fine. As does Brenda. Something about these female homicide detectives thinking they are invincible.
Not.
Dr. Leonard: “So, other than possible early onset menopause, getting engaged, having your parents coming into town, buying a new house and being attacked by a cattle prod then shooting and killing your assailant, there’s nothing significant happening in your life right now."
Brenda: “Why do you have to say it like that?”
And that was before the official diagnosis:
E-mail to Pope: “Deputy Chief Johnson is not fit for full investigative duty. She is exhausted, disconnected, distracted and in denial of deep emotional issues. Allowing Deputy Chief Johnson to resume a full workload could put her and other members of the LAPD at risk.”
Brenda: “Well, that is just nuts!”
Chief Pope: “And according to the department shrink, so are you.”
As such, ol’ Brenda is assigned to take charge of a ride along whereby a reporter is supposedly going to be doing a story on the overworked/understaffed LAPD. Like an anxious kid at Christmas waiting to open the presents under the tree, Brenda desperately wants to get to a recent homicide crime scene that her team is sent to, but of course, she is not. She attempts to get Sergeant Gabriel (who she thinks is assigned to babysit her anyways) to put a call into Pope and –
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Enter one of the more intense moments I’ve witnessed on The Closer.
Brenda, Gabriel, reporter and cameraman completely ambushed by gunfire whilst driving through an intersection – 21 rounds; 17 hits. The car looked like it had been in a war zone. The shot (in silence) of it just rolling down the street to a dead stop as everyone lie crouched down inside … intense. Shot from low and high angles … doubly intense.
Ne’er mind that Brenda’s parents are now in town, and she shows up to the house after her ride along episode covered in blood with two SWAT guys in tow to protect her (seeing as the initial theory was that someone was out to get Brenda). Turns out the reporter was a pretty unscrupulous guy, lying and deceiving anyone to get a story. He put a famous steakhouse out of business with a falsified exposé on its sanitary conditions.
Enter a son bent on getting his revenge. That never works out well, does it?
When Brenda corners the son in the elevator (since she couldn’t officially be on the case, and had to follow it from … well, let’s call it distance), she had reached her own breaking point:
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Enter one of the more intense moments I’ve witnessed on The Closer.
Brenda, Gabriel, reporter and cameraman completely ambushed by gunfire whilst driving through an intersection – 21 rounds; 17 hits. The car looked like it had been in a war zone. The shot (in silence) of it just rolling down the street to a dead stop as everyone lie crouched down inside … intense. Shot from low and high angles … doubly intense.
Ne’er mind that Brenda’s parents are now in town, and she shows up to the house after her ride along episode covered in blood with two SWAT guys in tow to protect her (seeing as the initial theory was that someone was out to get Brenda). Turns out the reporter was a pretty unscrupulous guy, lying and deceiving anyone to get a story. He put a famous steakhouse out of business with a falsified exposé on its sanitary conditions.
Enter a son bent on getting his revenge. That never works out well, does it?
When Brenda corners the son in the elevator (since she couldn’t officially be on the case, and had to follow it from … well, let’s call it distance), she had reached her own breaking point:
Bill Hawthorn (son): “I was so careful not to hit you! I came back to [the crime scene] to make sure you were OK. You’re OK!"
Brenda: “I’m alive, but I am not OK!”
And then some.
As intense as this episode was with the whole Brenda shootout situation, there were perfectly – if not brilliantly – balanced humor and light-hearted moments once again (something this show does so well without taking the focus off Brenda or her work).
In addition to her dealing with the shrink, as her parents get to town we finally see her dad for the first time (portrayed fabulously by Barry Corbin). He isn’t quite the mean curmudgeon Brenda makes him out to be. And they had a very serious bonding moment. Seems he even likes Fritz, too.
The SWAT guys (Chad and Roy) provided much comic relief as they were assigned to shadow Brenda’s every move – both in her own house and at the station (priceless moment with Chad, Roy, Mom, Dad, Brenda and Fritz cooped up in her bedroom watching video tape of the crime scene, trying to figure out why Bill Hawthorn had come back to observe his own dirty work). It was like an Abbott and Costello routine. They even find themselves being invited to dinner, where Brenda blurts out she and Fritz are now engaged.
Can Kevin Bacon direct every episode? Or can he head over to Cold Case and direct our other favorite homicide detective? What he got out of Sedgwick this week was a performance for the record books.
She didn’t miss a beat.
Neither did the show.
Only three episodes left until the finale.
New episodes air Mondays at 9 p.m. on TNT.
As intense as this episode was with the whole Brenda shootout situation, there were perfectly – if not brilliantly – balanced humor and light-hearted moments once again (something this show does so well without taking the focus off Brenda or her work).
In addition to her dealing with the shrink, as her parents get to town we finally see her dad for the first time (portrayed fabulously by Barry Corbin). He isn’t quite the mean curmudgeon Brenda makes him out to be. And they had a very serious bonding moment. Seems he even likes Fritz, too.
The SWAT guys (Chad and Roy) provided much comic relief as they were assigned to shadow Brenda’s every move – both in her own house and at the station (priceless moment with Chad, Roy, Mom, Dad, Brenda and Fritz cooped up in her bedroom watching video tape of the crime scene, trying to figure out why Bill Hawthorn had come back to observe his own dirty work). It was like an Abbott and Costello routine. They even find themselves being invited to dinner, where Brenda blurts out she and Fritz are now engaged.
Can Kevin Bacon direct every episode? Or can he head over to Cold Case and direct our other favorite homicide detective? What he got out of Sedgwick this week was a performance for the record books.
She didn’t miss a beat.
Neither did the show.
Only three episodes left until the finale.
New episodes air Mondays at 9 p.m. on TNT.
3 comments:
I know I sound like a broken record, but this was another fabulous episode of this series. Like you, I think it may have been the finest to date. So many awesome and intense scenes -- the shootout, the SWAT guys, Brenda's parents, the elevator confession, and so on. And you touched on them all beautifully. Kyra was beyond amazing!! Loved your suggestion to have Kevin Bacon go over to CC to direct a few episodes.
I would like to see Kevin Bacon direct more episodes for Closer. Wow! The episode where Brenda gets shots was the best yet. Kyra is amazing and the cast helps a lot with their outstanding performances.
Which ep is where Brenda gets shot btw?
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