Created by James Duff and the Shephard/Robin Company which also produces Nip/Tuck, The Closer centers on Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick), who was brought from Atlanta to Los Angeles by Assistant Police Chief Will Pope (J.K. Simmons) to lead up a new special murder investigation task force: Priority Homicide. Pope selected Johnson because of her uncanny ability to 'close' a case by getting confessions others could only dream of.
Despite her tremendous skills, her subordinates resented her for being a female and not a product of the L.A.P.D. system. Brenda doesn't worry much about making everyone else feel comfortable. She has a tough personality and her main concern is solving the latest homicide. Her biggest skeptic is Commander Taylor (Robert Gossett) who developed the Priority Homicide Division under the assumption that he would one day head it up. It irritates him to no end that not only did they bring in an outsider, but she outranks him as well.
One of the best aspects of the early seasons of The Closer was the writers opted not to take the easy way out. Brenda had to spend much of the first season proving to her subordinates she was worthy of her position. The men did give her the cold shoulder and didn't respect her after just one episode. In the second season, she still had to convince other members of the L.A.P.D particularly Commander Taylor, that her ability to get confessions was due to more than just tremendous luck.
Though she has a special ability to break down criminals, the writers of The Closer have given Deputy Chief Johnson a habit that makes her seem all too human. The woman has one of the most serious sweet tooth's you'll ever see. Seemingly always in need of a Ho-Ho or other chocolate confection, she always keeps something in the top draw of her desk at work, in the oversized shoulder bag she carries, makes regular visits to the vending machine, and has a secret stash of sweets at her house.
Season three finds Deputy Chief Johnson finally achieving the respect of her subordinates and colleagues, but struggling with a whole new set of issues. Her biggest problem this season is departmental budget cuts. Chief Pope orders Brenda to either transfer one member of her staff to the counter-terrorism unit (which is getting plenty of money from the federal government) or convince one of her officer to take early retirement, which means Detective Provenza (G. W. Bailey), because he is the only one who qualifies. Pope also declares that there will be no overtime, which sends Brenda into an understandable tizzy. After all, criminals don't commit murders on a tidy 9-5 schedule, five days a week. While I wouldn't ordinarily consider budget cuts a tantalizing storyline, The Closer's writers found a way to use the story arc to highlight Brenda's relentlessness and to create a bubbling conflict between her and Pope. Their ongoing verbal exchanges create moments of comic relief.
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