TV Jots

Hit Drama Goes High-Tech

There’s virtually tons of stuff going on during the July 12 Season Six premiere of TNT’s veteran hit crime drama The Closer.

When Kyra Sedgwick and Team Brenda return for the summer at 9pm ET during the season premiere “The Big Bang,” the first case on the roster involves a sniper, a mistress and people with a whole lot of money. However, as complex and deadly as that case turns out to be, it’s nowhere near as difficult or irritating as getting used to Major Crimes’ relocated digs in a posh new high-tech building. The squad members’ repeated attempts to adapt to their latest work environment — or adapt their latest work environment to them — provides continual comedic relief throughout the episode.

On the more serious side, Assistant Police Chief Will Pope (J.K. Simmons) prepares for possible career advancement to police chief as the Los Angeles Police Department searches for the next candidate to hold that top position. If Pope succeeds, a promotion could be in the works for Brenda, as well, which is not as simple as it might seem. She has her husband Fritz (Jon Tenney) and his FBI career to consider, too, and never forget that Commander Taylor (Robert Gossett) from Robbery-Homicide is always waiting in the wings for a little career advancement of his own.

Spiffying up the season opener are a few familiar guest stars from around the tube and series past, including Currie Graham, a regular on former TNT legal drama Raising the Bar. Fans can also look forward to the eventual return of one of The Closer‘s best and most memorable guest stars ever, meaning Battlestar Galactica veteran and two-time lead actress Oscar nominee Mary McDonnell, of course. Her character, Captain Sharon Raydor of the Force Investigation Division, is set to tangle with Brenda more than once this season, which could have a significant impact on Brenda’s career. Uh-oh.

Preview “The Big bang” in the sneak peek below. As usual, The Closer remains a dependable choice for consistently entertaining television, and this time around there are no major cast changes to get longtime viewers down (yep — some folks like me are still missing Gina Ravera‘s Detective Irene Daniels). I’m glad the show is back.