"Round File"
This was a sweet (as in, "Awww") episode of TNT's
The Closer, with the aging police-beat reporter hunting down one last story. It also served as an easy "transition back in" for Gabriel, though I was surprised we weren't privy to a case while he was away. Maybe no sense in punishing the actor for the character's trespasses? Nice moment when Brenda called out for the MIA Gabriel, creating awkward looks amid the PHDers.
It was a decent mystery, too. Surely the casting of Mrs. McCluskey as the head nurse was to make us view her askew. The manager being the culprit, though, seemed a bit expected and his "defense" a tad pat - especially for a mere $2,500 a pop (or "ma," as the case may be).
Was I the only one who at a midpoint, once the home's financials came to light, began to suspect that Gary Who Never Lies (French Stewart, as sinewy as ever) would be dovetailed into this case as some sort of "supplier" of cash-rich retirees? That'd have been a stretch, though, especially so close to the bridezilla/killer plastics guy "coincidence."
Before I fire off some bullets, I have to say, evil nursing homes are on par with Italian mobsters as far as stereotypical depictions on TV. I know there are some real stinkers in the system and neglect/abuse is a problem, but TV really offers a regular, scary view of them. The place that took care of my dad seemed aces.
The bullets:
" OK, Brenda Leigh's very distinctive ring tone is starting to irk me.
" Noticing the better togs on deputy chief Johnson? Slacks (!), stylish argyle tops...
" Brenda to Provenza: "I'm almost afraid to ask you this: Do you remember anything about this old man?" Fair enough.
" Sanchez whispering for a primer on Rumpelstiltskin
" Have we seen this tool of a medical examiner, Morales, before? Yuck.
" Darkly comic, yet comic: Provenza telling Gabriel, "There's no need to beat information out of this old man. He's been confessing all morning."
" I have a low tolerance for "zany" on my
Closer , but Brenda's fax confusion - wrong papers sent to wrong numbers - was rather amusing.
" The nursing-home receptionist to Provenza: "You must be here for a tour!" His comeuppance for being darkly comic above.
" I'm getting concerned that Pope is becoming that "wrong every step of the way" bureaucrat we see so often in the movies.
" Provenza offering to board Baxter for the night - awwww!
" I got a bit choked up when Gabriel answered Brenda, "Yes, ma'am. Completely ready."
" Brenda's bit at the end, with Whaley: "All I have to find is one package of Rough on Rats...." Great (phony?) product name!
In fact, my greatest pleasure from
The Closer these days is Brenda's weekly post-confession zinger. It leans toward being righteous at times, yeah, but boy, does she put people in their place, adeptly vocalizing what we ourselves are thinking about the guilty scumbag. I want to shout at the perp on my TV, "You've been
served."
PS. Sorry about the late posting. Massive technical probs.
