Meet the Parents (The Sequel) on ‘The Closer’

By LillyKat
PTR Staff Writer

Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.

Sound of Brenda Leigh Johnson’s biological clock ticking?

Or counting the moments until mom and dad head home?

After two weeks of humdingers, The Closer came back down to earth this week with another solid episode titled, “Culture Shock.” (But it was the last five minutes of this episode that I still am laughing about … more on that in a moment).

The case itself was a sad tale of poor Chinese immigrants getting tangled in the web of a smarmy entrepreneur. The victim (Ping-Meo) and her husband (Rem-Di) had come to the U.S. penniless, yet owed a “snakehead” upon arrival (one who helped make their arrangements to leave China in the first place). So, they make a deal with entrepreneur Christopher Conroy, who specializes in taking care of immigrants like Ping-Meo and Rem-Di. He pays off their the debt to the snakehead, gives them capital to start a business and brings other members of their family to the U.S. Of course, this is all in exchange for being able to have an affair with Ping-Meo, a cut of the business and … well, basically having the family be enslaved to him for life.

A dangerous liason.

When they wanted out, well … that didn’t really go over too well with Conroy. But as it turns out, it was all too much for Rem-Di’s wise old father. So he took matters into his own hands.

Even more dangerous - the honor of it not withstanding.

Now, all this transpires as Brenda enters the second week of visiting with mom and dad, though, by most accounts, it is Fritz who has been left in charge of the babysitting:

Fritz: “Are you feeling alright?”
Brenda: “Yes.”
Fritz: “Then stop leaving me alone with your parents.”

As Brenda fully returns to active duty, she’s tasked with being a tour guide herself whilst trying to work the case, secretly meeting up with members of her squad for updates. Hiding in the trees anyone? Or how about just in the lobby of the hotel where a) daddy is taking everyone for lunch; b) Conroy is staying. (To steal a line from the Pirates of the Caribbean series of films as to Captain Jack’s uncanny ability to perfectly time just about everything: “Do you think [she] plans it all out, or does [she] just make it up as [she] goes along?”)

Perhaps a bit of both.

Ne’er mind daddy’s toasting at lunch compares her to an old car (given her early onset menopause); or, that no one on the squad has known of her engagement until dad and mom come in for another bring-your-parents-to-work visit (complete with gifts of pictures and fudge); or that Chief Pope rips Brenda in front of her parents without having first been properly introduced.

But, it is the final five minutes (at a follow-up doctor’s appointment) that is Just. Too. Perfect.

The good news: Brenda is cancer free.

The bad news: looks as though in order to curb some of the symptoms of early onset menopause, Brenda is going to have to … wait for it …

Cut out sweets.

Oh. My. God.

Can BJ even survive on anything less than five Ding-Dongs a day? You swear she is going to have a nervous breakdown right there in the doctor’s office - twitches, short of breath.

It makes the ovarian drilling procedure seem like a breeze.

Whaaaaaat?

S-l-oooo-www … d-oooo-wwww-n … a-n-d … r-eeee-p-eeee-a-t … t-h-aaa-t?

Ovaaaariannnn Drillllinnnnngggg.

The slow-mo reiteration of what is the surgical alternative to helping Brenda reverse her menopause symptoms is a comedic scene for the ages.

You never saw it coming.

And you can’t stop laughing.

Genius.

Only two episode left until the season finale.

New episodes air Mondays at 9 p.m. on TNT.