Roundup: 'Closer' Mails It In; 'Bar' Cops a Bad Feel

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Check, Please

So can we just start with Charlie almost being shipped back to Atlanta after ONE week ...?

Sorry, but did I miss something ...?

I did predict the innocent-goody-two-shoes-misundertsood-teen routine could possibly go out the window this week (and it did). And I also get that a "scenario" needed to be set-up so that BJ and Fritzy would find the compelling reason to keep her.

Still, the timing seemed ... well, weird.

And I'm not sure I could really get past it. Her baking marijuana into brownies (which BJ sniffs out like a bloodhound and, naturally, becomes higher than a kite) is bad - really bad. But IMHO, there didn't seem to be enough getting-to-know-her episodes as yet to justify that kind of an abrupt change in behavior. And having BJ's mom "talk" about how bad Charlie is back home isn't the same as seeing it play out over the course of episodes.

Then again, this is TV. And sometimes they just have to cram it in.

Oh well.

As for the case ... hmmm ... a dead body gets mailed in an ice chest to Major Crimes, which leads BJ and Co. to encounter quite the interesting variety of suspects: a scripture-thumping stepfather, a disgruntled ex-girfriend, a buddy who was constantly being hit up for money and a landlord who simply hated the victim’s guts. Meanwhile, Gabriel is studying for the detective exam, so BJ uses the case as a teaching tool.

'kay. Funny. Weird. Unique.

And yet, I'm still feeling a little underwhelmed with this season's offerings of The Closer.

Dunno.

Maybe I've just watched too long that I can start to piece together aspects of the episode quicker than I have in the past. And when that happens, shows tend to lose a little bit of umph for me.

Still love BJ and Co., though.

New episodes of The Closer air Mondays at 9 p.m. on TNT. For the scoop on the series, head on over to the show's official site.



Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out

Yay!

Evil-creepy-arsehole-bad-guy-cop Tim is gone.

Definitely hated this guy.

And the sad part is we know there are cops out there in the ol' real world who are even WORSE than his character portrayed.

Ouch.

But can I just ask how blind, deaf and dumb was Michelle Ernhardt over this guy?

Seriously?

For a woman portrayed as doing anything to get the upper-hand in her job, I get her fraternizing with the cop to get what she wants. BUT, she is also fiercely protective of her job, so getting involved with someone who seemed so slimey just out of character for her.

And yet, we all have flaws, eh?

And Ernhardt is by no means perfect.

So it worked.

In an annoying sort of way.

But I think what struck me most about this episode was: 1) Bobbi is becoming my second favorite character; and 2) Nick Balco can actually do something good for a change.

The expression on his face once he realizes how fraked up the case was after Tim had tampered with jury, fabricated evidence AND slept with Ernhardt was priceless. And, his stepping in to clean up the mess whilst still seeming sympathetic to Michelle was a nice twist on his hardline character.

New episodes of Raising the Bar air Mondays at 10 p.m. on TNT. For the scoop on the series, head on over to the show's official site