"THE CLOSER: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Kyra Sedgwick as BRENDA JOHNSON J.K. Simmons as WILL POPE Corey Reynolds as DAVID GABRIEL Robert Gossett as COMMANDER TAYLOR G.W. Bailey as LIEUTENANT PROVENZA Jon Tenney as FRITZ HOWARD Not Rated Available on DVD May 26 TheCloserDVD.com Studio: Warner Bros. Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) is in her fourth year with Priority Homicide in the LAPD, and she’s got a whole new set of challenges. There’s an aggressive reporter questioning whether the “priority” in Priority Homicide only works for the white, rich or relatives of police. There’s also some interpersonal conflicts in the office. Brenda tries to keep everything running smoothly while solving crimes by getting much needed confessions. Meanwhile at home, Brenda is dealing with her own relationship issues with Agent Fritz Howard, who is pushing for marriage before she’s entirely comfortable.
WHAT I LIKED
I hadn’t watched the first three seasons of “The Closer,” so I was coming into season four pretty cold. Fortunately, the overall storyline isn’t too complicated, and I was able to get up to speed with all the characters pretty quickly.
It’s hard to rise above all the other police procedure shows on television, as the genre has been a healthy staple on network broadcast and on cable. The twist to this show is having a woman in charge, and letting her rely on her sometimes unorthodox methods to butt heads with her superiors. Kyra Sedgwick carries the show well, deserving the accolades she has received over the years.
However, even with a focus on Sedgwick and her character, the other detectives are not totally left out in the cold. Both Lieutenant Provenza and Detective Sanchez (Raymond Cruz) are given some meaty side stories, which gives them a chance to stretch a bit as actors. But the best supporting character on the show is Chief Pope (J.K. Simmons), who brings a fatherly presence to the series and not a small amount of humor.
Not flooded with guest stars, “The Closer” does have some nice bit parts in the show for some actors. In particular, Amy Sedaris shines as Brenda’s soon-to-be sister-in-law who is also a psychic who lends her powers to the force for one episode. Also, Billy Burke delivers an uncomfortable performance as a suspected serial rapist in one of the latter episodes.
Even though “The Closer” deals with some heavy issues – from murder and rape to family dysfunction – it’s often lighthearted nature and mystery element makes it an easy show to watch and enjoy.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Detective series are difficult to keep free of formulas and cliches, and “The Closer” is no stranger to this. The audience has to leave their reality checks at the door, understanding that ninety percent of what happens in this show would ruin a prosecutor’s case.
The show does follow its own formula, which comes across as a cross between “Monk” and “House,” in which the lead investigator often has far-fetched or hard-to-prove theories that eventually play out to be true. Watch enough cable television, and you’ll see the conventions in this show appear more than once... more than twice... more than a dozen times.
DVD FEATURES
The four-disc set includes “Police Files,” otherwise known as deleted scenes, for the relevant episodes on each disc. Some of these scenes are only a few seconds long, but they can offer a little more insight into the episodes. There’s also a gag reel on the final disc.
The featurettes in this set are quite interesting and offer the viewer more than your standard behind-the-scenes fare. “To Catch a Lie” presents interviews with real FBI interrogators and police officers on how to detect lies in a subject. “A Day in the Life of a Homicide Detective” puts cast member Corey Reynolds in a ride-along with a real LAPD detective who describes how his job works on a day-to-day and case-to-case basis.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Police procedural fans.
