It’s so nice to see a woman in charge. In The Closer, that woman is smart, sassy, Southern, and has a penchant for solving the most elusive of murder mysteries. Deputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) of the LAPD takes no prisoners. Her instincts are sharp as a tack, and she’ll stop at nothing to follow them. Whether that means overstepping her bounds, her FBI husband, or her co-workers to get suspects to volunteer invaluable information. And in most cases, they confess.
Chief Johnson is a force to be reckoned with. She knows her job and how to do it well - all in a friendly Southern drawl, pink trench coat, and wide brimmed hat. It’s entertaining to see the juxtaposition between her hard hitting nature and charming demeanor. It’s somehow unexpected and positive to see a feminine woman in a powerful position who is able to retain that without losing any power or respect.
Also entertaining this season is Chief Johnson’s relationship to her sick cat, Kitty. She doesn’t blink an eye at a crime scene, but is willing to go as far as to hook her cat up to an IV at work just to keep her going. She then dries her eyes and continues on kicking ass in her current case.
In a particularly effective episode this season, Chief Johnson solves the murder of an entire family while they were eating breakfast on a weekend morning. The immediate suspect is the husband/father, as he had been known to be involved in domestic disputes with his wife. In a brilliantly revealed twist, however, Chief Johnson uncovers that this murder had more to do with a mix-up in driving directions than an enraged spouse.
Chief Johnson is constantly surrounded by men. They are mostly her subordinates who are very respectful of her authority and abilities, which is progressive. Her superior is also male and makes a point of standing up for her in most any situation. It is her relationship to other women in the series, however, that proves most troublesome. From the moment Captain Sharon Raydor (Mary McDonnell) sets foot on screen there is a power struggle between the two women. Raydor continually tries to go over Johnson’s head, even though Raider is knowingly of lesser rank.
She finds ways to complain to superiors about Johnson’s methods of handling cases, insists on being kept in the loop or told information first. Chief Johnson is clearly annoyed by this, uttering exasperatedly such phrases as: “that woman!” or “bitch.” Although The Closer does well to depict a successful woman in a law enforcement job, in charge, and at the center of her own show, it is apparently not yet acceptable for another similarly accomplished woman to share that same space. At least without major competition or conflict.
Is it still such a novelty to see a woman in this kind of position that there can only be one? Must they fight for the spot? Wouldn’t it be nice if two (or more) women could work side by side in a typically masculine role with mutual respect and appreciation, with conflicts arising on an individual basis?
DVD Bonus Features
There is a section called 'Police Files,' and a collection of a few, short, unaired scenes that don't really add anything special.
"The Closer: The Complete Fifth Season" is on sale June 29, 2010 and is not rated. Drama, Television. Directed by Michael M Robin, Rick Wallace. Written by James Duff, Hunt Baldwin. Starring Corey Reynolds, JK Simmons, Kyra Sedgwick, Mary McDonnell.
