It may be time for network TV to finally give up on the traditional cop show (and with the recent cancellation of the long-running Law & Order series, it may actually be doing just that).
Sure they did ok for awhile: Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue, Law & Order… But everything since has been played out retreads of every other show that came before it. Thankfully the cable networks are prepared to pick up the slack. TNT’s The Closer is a great example.
The drama revolves around Georgia detective Brenda Leigh Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) who heads a major crimes homicide division of the LA Police Department. Though Sedgwick has a ridiculous Southern accent (one most local Georgians don’t even have), she still does a decent job of shouldering this surprisingly original drama. But it’s also the stories that make the series worth tuning into season after season.
The fifth season, just out on DVD, is no different. With strong plots this time out – including a stellar one that revolves around a retired cop who may have murdered a killer to put an end to a cold case – the series is showing no signs of losing steam. Quite the contrary, the drama seems to be hitting its stride.
Rating 7.8 out of 10
The Closer – The Complete Fifth Season/4 DVDs/2010/Warner Home Videos/660
mins./www.closerdvd.com