Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson (who often thinks rules don't apply to her and was brought in by Assistant Chief Will Pope/J.K.Simmons , her former boss in the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington D.C., with whom she had an affair) as the head of the Priority Homicide Division of the LAPD , which was created to focus on high profile cases . Brenda runs the Priority Homicide Division of the LAPD with an unorthodox style , she is a well trained interrogator and has a great innate ability to get confessions and to read people resolving the city's toughest , most difficult , hardest cases . Later on , there appears Sharon Raydor well played by Mary McDonnell introduced to the Priority Homicide Division universe as the Captain of the Force Investigation Division , taking over the renamed PHD , which looks into officer-involved shootings , including one involving Detective David Gabriel/Corey Reynolds . It is a subdivision of Internal Affairs bound by federal oversight and is unpopular among LAPD personnel . She and Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson are initially antagonistic , although each is very dedicated to her job and believes in following the truth . Subsequently Raynor commands ¨Major Crimes¨ , a spin-off to ¨The Closer¨. Each series of "The Closer" has a theme on which its episodes are based. For Season 1, the theme is a woman in a man's world , the followings about partnerships , family , upon a meditation on power , the changing , and adjustment. The expert team it is formed by the following members : 1- Corey Reynolds plays well Sergeant David Gabriel . The ambitious and eager Gabriel quickly becomes Brenda's favorite in the squad and her right-hand man, also occasionally her driver and errand boy . Gabriel is thoughtful and intelligent, and will stand up for what he believes in, even disagreeing vocally with Brenda when she veers toward street justice outside the system. Gabriel is a problem solver and creative thinker. He subsequently has s love affair to Detective Irene Daniels , Gina Rivera. 3- John Tenney interprets magnificently as Fritz Howard who is a special agent with the FBI and is part of the Crimes Unit in Los Angeles . He knows Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson/Sedgwick from when they both lived and worked in law enforcement in Washington D.C. He has been in L.A. for three years when the series begins and has a sister, Claire, who believes she is psychic. He knows about Will Pope/J.K.Simmons and his relation to Brenda and is uncomfortable around him 3- G. W. Bailey plays very well as Lt. Louie Provenza , he is a cranky older cop who has been married four times , initially gives Brenda a hard time , but warms to her and particularly appreciates her toughness . He and Lt. Andy Flynn/Tony Denison , his best friend and one of her biggest defenders , have a habit of getting into shenanigans together , fouling up cases and tell jokes themselves . As the oldest member of the squad , he is often threatened with forced retirement for budgetary reasons . He is a crusty curmudgeon who hates when people touch his stuff, but he still has sharp detective skills . He is especially protective of Detc. Julio Sánchez/Raymond Cruz . 4-Tony Denison performs perfectly Lieutenant Andy Flynn , he isn't always the most dedicated detective, and sometimes cuts corners or slacks off on cases . His loyalties can be shifting . His best friend is Provenza, and the two have the habit of getting into antics and nearly fouling up cases . Flynn is a recovering alcoholic who has been sober for 10 years . He is divorced and has a grown daughter . 5- Michael Paul Chan plays rightly Lt. Mike Tao , he is the unofficial technology , science and electronics expert for the Los Angeles Police Department's Priority Homicide División . He is of Chinese descent and his wife Kathy is Japanese . They have a teenage son . Before being transferred to Priority Homicide , Tao was a member of the SID . He is a true geek and loves to explain the science behind everything, even when a short answer will do . 6- Raymond Cruz is good as Detective Julio Sanchez , he is an important and competent member of the Priority Homicide Division , under direction of Brenda Johnson . He is a widower and an expert on Latino gangs . He has a quick temper and often plays the "bad cop" in interrogations, getting in a suspects face or threatening violence . Despite his temper, he can also be taciturn, letting his menacing stare do the talking . He is a shameless flirt and also very brave as well as tough . 7- Phillip P. Keene plays as Buzz Watson , he is a Civilian Service Coordinator who provides technical support to the Los Angeles Police Department's Priority Homicide Division . He films crime scenes and runs the audio system in the interrogation room . Brenda also calls on him for random help in a pinch. The squad is protective of him , as a civilian , but also treats him a little bit like a mascot or pet . 6- Robert Gosset plays as Taylor , he is manipulative and works hard to undermine Brenda at every turn . Taylor loves addressing the media . He encourages people in his squad to continue their education . 8- Jonathan Del Arco plays Dr. Morales , Deputy Medical Examiner for the Los Angeles County Department of the Coroner . As such, he is responsible for determining cause of death . He is sarcastic, blunt and has a sense of humor, even over dead bodies. But he is also sensitive and clearly shows pain for victims , especially the younger ones . He is openly gay and sometimes serves as a resource on the gay community.

Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) is a former Atlanta police officer and CIA-trained interrogator. She leaves Atlanta under a cloud, and is hired to run Major Crimes group of L.A. Police detectives by her former boss and ex, Assistant Chief Will Pope (J.K. Simmons). She is meant to alleviate the corruption and inappropriate police practices of the old system. And the cops around her is not happy to see her in charge.At its core, this is Kyra Sedgwick at her best. She creates an unique memorable character. Around her is a balanced cast anchored by G.W. Bailey. This procedural is simple enough. There is a crime. Brenda investigates the crime. Then she gets a confession from the criminal. It is rock solid as a procedural, but it is the group dynamics that is fun to watch.

I can't understand this show. The main character is annoying with her awful accent, and, the whole idea that she is the only one in all of LA that asks the questions she asks...which isn't saying much because they are questions I thought to ask. What makes her character special enough to warrant this show? The description says she uses unorthodox methods. Asking every question in a condescending tone and with a really fake Georgia accent just makes this show feel fake and unbelievable. Oh, and can someone tell the makeup artist that a woman as pale as Kyra Sedgewick shouldn't be wearing bright cherry red lipstick. It makes their skin look sickly. It just sucks.

The Closer is a show which has a fairly realistic portrayal of a working environment; there are relationship dynamics which have evolved over the several seasons and which explore the inter-personal connections made between co-workers as they solve cases. From the beginning episodes where Brenda's staff worked against her, sometimes with the expressed desire for her to fail, to the latest season where they appear to be firmly on her "side" there is an interesting dynamic in showing an intelligent and capable woman as authority-figure and the gradual and sometimes reluctant acceptance of her as the officers she works with see for themselves what she is bringing to the dept. The show brings a lot of elements of the classic mysteries, and uses clever reveals and intelligence as well as past personal experiences and leaps of intuition in solving crimes. The actors who make up the main cast are all very talented and the writing allows us glimpses into the entire cast, though the show is clearly focused on Brenda. Each episode also allows the viewer to see some of the personal drama without being heavy-handed or too soap-opera, keeping a good balance between the police investigation and the people who are doing the investigation.I find it interesting, however, that most of the people I know who do not like the show are male and love similar stories where a male in the central authority and does the exact same things that Brenda does to close a case. For someone who likes police drama, with realistic characters who are not always perfect, this is an excellent show to watch. The episodes are well paced, the story lines through the seasons are detailed and have a lot of personal touches for the characters, and it is nice to see a show where a woman can be represented as a whole person with many layers, instead of as a two-dimensional stereotype.