The Closer/Major Crimes

I loved both of those shows Kyra was awesome as Brenda Lee. But Major Crimes really fucked over its audience by killing off Mary McDonnell unnecessarily at the end.

I enjoyed both shows.

Over time I came to loathe Brenda Leigh Johnson. I never understood the character Fritz (the incredibly sexy Jon Tenney)... an FBI agent, later big-shot in the LAPD - why was he such a fucking doormat for her lies?

And I think Major Crimes made a major mistake by continuing that s-t-u-p-i-d Phillip Stroh storyloine, making each member of the sqaud squishy and cute, pretending that Rusty had some sort of physical relationship with Gus and the real major crime was indeed killing Sharon Rador.

I wanted someone hotter than Gus for Rusty. Brenda was a control freak who got amazingly annoying as the series progressed. Several gay men, either in real life or portrayed on the show, which was a bit unusual for the time: the two doctors, Buzz, Rusty, Gus... Well, we did get this:

The Stroh plot line was the most annoying.

[quote]I wanted someone hotter than Gus for Rusty.

I feel the exact opposite. Gus was much too hot for drippy, twinky Rusty.

Jesus, I never believed that Gus was gay. An attractive actor with a character who was all over the place... ran away from his family and joined the army; wants back with a sister who wants nothing to do with him... then he's gay... then he's some sort of kitchen worker or sous chef... then he's letting his restaurant boss fuck his ass, then he's back with twinky/bitchy/withholding Rusty... g'ah - so bad.

I swear if we picked up with these characters in 2025, Rusty and Gus would be co-parenting Rusty's half-sister... the epitome of happy gay family life. Again, g'ah.

Thank yewwwwww.

Rusty was the most annoying gay character in TV history. I agree that Gus was out of his league. Hell, even Slider was out of his league and he was jailmeat. Fritz had no sex appeal to me. Was Buzz supposed to be gay? They never really said. Love Mary McDonnell in her role and I agree they did her wrong in the end, but I get it story-wise. I wanted more of her hot son.

I hated Gabriel so much for betraying Brenda Leigh over the shooting of that asshole in the gang. He got his just deserts.

Buzz ( Philip Keene) is gay in real life. We were never given an explanation about how the Rusty/Gus relationship started or how each discovered the other was gay.

R11 The actor is the show creator's husband.

That was his live-in girlfriend, r10. He ran his mouth when he got home.

I watched Prime Suspect for the first time recently and was surprised to see that the first season of The Closer was lifted almost whole cloth from it , at least in terms of the squad’s relationships.

There was a short lived attempt of remaking Prime Suspect for American audiences. It starred Maria Bello and it wasn't that good.

I really enjoyed the early seasons of The Closer. They had a much more lighthearted feel. As lighthearted as murder can get anyway. The later seasons became really angsty with the Stroh storyline, Brenda’s niece, and all the internal affairs investigations/lawsuits.

I like the Closer. But I don't watch Major Crimes. Bad.

I thought Jon Tenney was kinda DILFy at the time.

[quote]It starred Maria Bello and it wasn't that good

Neither was she, r15. She made her character all about a hat.

[quote]Several gay men, either in real life or portrayed on the show, which was a bit unusual for the time: the two doctors, Buzz, Rusty, Gus... Well, we did get this:

James Duff, the creator of both series (and, as mentioned upthread, the husband of the actor who played Buzz), also wrote "Doing Time on Maple Drive." He's often overlooked in discussions of gay show-runners who helped change the TV landscape but his work deserves recognition.

Serving the King...

I like the Closer but sometimes it's so incredibly stupid in the way the plot and storyline do backflips to make sure Brenda is right in all things all the time. The Stroh story line was so incredibly stupid especially the finale. She must be crazy good in bed for Fritz to have stayed with her. She treated him like shit especially with regard to having kids.

I did appreciate the fact that the creators of the show tried to offset Sedgwick's off-brand Julia Sugarbaker characterization with McDonnell's character who seemed to have a scorching addiction to quaaludes if her affect was any indication.

[quote] Brenda’s niece

Played by the Bacon-Sedgwick nepo baby.

Mario Bello’s stupid hat reeked of some showrunner saying, “Let’s give her a Thing.”

*Exactly*, r25.

Does anyone still wear a hat?

The Closer had the wonderful Frances Sternhagen as Brenda's mom and the equally wonderful Barry Corbin as her dad.

Is Frances Sternhagen the one whose dad was killed in a lawnmower tragedy??

I enjoyed both shows but Rusty was almost a bottomless pit on Major Crimes. A few good slaps could have rectified that.

Emma's refusal to take Stroh's death penalty case off the table and settle for life without parole led to a lot of people dying, including Emma. Had she done this, the show would have moved on from the boring ending.

R31 - Emma Sanchez (another awful character) died at the end of Major Crimes? I've no memory of that.

She was killed swimming in her pool by Stroh who got in through the back gate. It was during the episode that began with Sharon's funeral.

The death of Stroh......finally. Some comments:

[quote]I hated the Stroh character so much I wanted to shoot him myself.

[quote]Finally Rusty was useful. He complained for forever and a Day!

[quote]Rusty was easily the worst character the show produced. He was whiny, stupid, and irritating. When I binge the show again, I plan to skip his parts, regardless of their importance. I know he had a crappy life, but the detectives gave him way too much leeway when he did stupid or illegal things.

[quote]Rusty had an amazing character arc and by the end of the show, he has improved a lot of things about himself, thanks to the guidance of Major Crimes especially Sharon. He's a bad communicator, a bit manipulative, yes very irritating and yet he is also smart, driven, and willing to change. I love Rusty.

Rusty should have shown off his body more.

Brenda was a micro-managing, selfish egomaniac who would step all over others to get her way. What Fritz saw in her was baffling, as she betrayed and manipulated him constantly to solve her case. The rest of them be damned.

My favorite scene from " The Closer." Everybody hated Sharon until this.............

I always loved the Closer but mainly because of how all the characters worked together. Now, I see Major Crimes on the TV at the Gym and I don't have earphones to hear the plot lines. Can someone tell me why the befuddled twink was always hanging around?

Timely comment: Malcolm-Jamal Warner had a recurring role toward the end of "Major Crimes'" run.

R37, my first thought when I read your comment was the bean bag scene. Sharon Rador was a bad ass when she needed to be. I do not understand the show creator's need to kill her at the end of MC and wonder if mcDonnell was cool with the decision. I've read an interview with her and says she wa, but damn, I think the last season of MC was just crap and Sharon's demise is just one example of how bad the plot decisions were (for me).

Major Crimes was a good show, but the they started spending 3 or 4 episodes on one case, which is not a good format for this type of show.

[quote]Can someone tell me why the befuddled twink was always hanging around?

Rusty was introduced during the final episode of " The Closer" as a teenaged gay hustler who was stripping for a trick, but witnessed a killer ( Phillip Stroh) carrying a dead body. Thus, he became a material witness and had to be protected, so he lived with Sharon during " Major Crimes" and was subsequently adopted by her.

Did Sharon and Andy Flynn ever even have sex?

I understand that he was the most age appropriate and best looking love interest for her, but they turned his sardonic character into such a schlub.

R43, I completely agree about Andy becoming a schlub - he didn't need to remain a prick as introduced on The Closer, but g'ah... what a 180 degree turn. Actually the writers did the same to Provenza and Sanchez.

Too bad Fritz was such a patsy for Brenda, he and Sharon would have been a fine pairing.

The only mention of sex was when Sharon had the heart incident and the dr told Andy that there could be no sex for two weeks. He responded," No problem." Hell, there was never any hint of sex between former hustler Rusty and Gus. And poor Buzz wasn't getting anything ( on screen). The gays got the celibate route, except for Dr. Morales, who went on vacations with his boyfriend.

Sharon did bring up living in sin in the confession booth.

As for Buzz, one of my favorite episodes was his first outing as a uniformed cop with a hellacious wedding party with Joe Regalbuto as father of the bride. Buzz could be a goody-two-shoes, but did have some backbone building during the two series.

I hadn't realized others found Rusty annoying. The guy never followed instructions and was a needy, selfish PITA.

[quote]I do not understand the show creator's need to kill her at the end of MC and wonder if mcDonnell was cool with the decision.

R40, I seem to recall an interview during that time, where the show's creator/EP killed Sharon in a fit of pique because he was salty about the new TNT head of programming canceling his show and all the other older demographic programs.