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The Best Episodes of The Closer

Every episode of The Closer ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Closer!

The Best Episodes of The Closer

Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson transfers from Atlanta to LA to head up a special unit of the LAPD that handles sensitive, high-profile murder...

Seasons7

  1. Background image for To Protect & To Serve
    9.0/10(716 votes)

    #1 - To Protect & To Serve

    S2:E5

    Brenda finds herself involved in a cover-up of her own when she helps the PHD investigate a non-priority case. Why? Because the deceased woman was found in Provenza's garage...Once again, the team finds themselves racing against the clock before the LAPD brass discovers what they're up to. Will Brenda be able to protect her team and their hard-earned trust?

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  2. Background image for The Last Word
    9.0/10(572 votes)

    #2 - The Last Word

    S7:E21

    In the series finale, we bid a final farewell to Brenda Leigh Johnson. When a young man calls 911 to report seeing someone being buried in Griffith Park, police find not only her remains, but those of several other women who were kills as far back as two years ago. Brenda immediately suspects Philip Stroh and, despite departmental restrictions, sets out to finally tie him to the murders. Meanwhile, the witness who called 911 makes Brenda look at her life and future. Stay tuned to the next show, Major Crimes, which will pick up from the moment The Closer ends. A large portion of the characters are moving to the new show. to work under the new supervisor of Major Crimes, Captain Sharon Raydor.

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  3. Background image for Time Bomb
    8.9/10(539 votes)

    #3 - Time Bomb

    S4:E10

    The newly renamed Major Crimes Division investigates the death of a teenager that may be related to a planned massacre.

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  4. Background image for Power of Attorney
    8.8/10(482 votes)

    #4 - Power of Attorney

    S4:E13

    Brenda goes toe to toe with the tricky attorney of a man suspected of a brutal rape and murder.

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  5. Background image for Waivers of Extradition
    8.8/10(436 votes)

    #5 - Waivers of Extradition

    S5:E12

    When a serial killer's spree crosses from Texas to California, Brenda must work with Detective Curt Landry, her Texan equivalent. The two match wits and find themselves going toe to toe as each tries to gain control of the case and the way in which they solve it.

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    Director:Kevin Bacon
  6. Background image for Road Block
    8.8/10(467 votes)

    #6 - Road Block

    S7:E14

    The LAPD's Police Commissioner and his wife, Gail, may be in trouble when Brenda becomes determined to uncover a scandal one of them tried to cover up.

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of The Closer

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  8. Background image for Fatal Retraction
    8.7/10(578 votes)

    #7 - Fatal Retraction

    S1:E12

    Brenda and her team must find not only a killer, but also identify the killer's victim when a deranged, homicidal madman is set free due to mistaken identity. While trying to make sense of an array of complexities in this unusual matter, the case takes an even darker turn when Brenda becomes the center of the psychopathic killer's attention.

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  9. Background image for Standards and Practices
    8.7/10(604 votes)

    #8 - Standards and Practices

    S1:E13

    An unnamed source files a grievance against Brenda in the midst of a high-profile investigation of a murdered L.A. filmmaker. With her career on the line, Brenda is skeptical of Chief Pope's intentions when he volunteers to help. In classic Brenda style, she spurns the accusation and the PHD team comes together to act in unison, sending shock waves through the entire department.

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  10. Background image for Homewrecker
    8.7/10(563 votes)

    #9 - Homewrecker

    S3:E1

    Brenda and the team investigate the grisly slaying of a family, and the only survivor is the drug-addled teen son. Meanwhile, a financial crisis rocks the LAPD, bringing about budget cuts and possibly Provenza’s early retirement. Meanwhile, Fritz hopes to move into a new house with Brenda.

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  11. Background image for Saving Face
    8.7/10(571 votes)

    #10 - Saving Face

    S3:E3

    At a retired cop’s funeral, Lt Provenza and Lt. Flynn discover something quite unexpected along with the corpse.

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  12. Background image for Blindsided
    8.7/10(548 votes)

    #11 - Blindsided

    S3:E9

    In an effort to get good PR for the department, Deputy Chief Johnson takes a journalist on a ride-along, but when the Crown Vic is targeted and shot at, Brenda is forced to live under 24-hour police protection, while being the key witness in the case she must solve.

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  13. Background image for Cherry Bomb
    8.7/10(493 votes)

    #12 - Cherry Bomb

    S4:E3

    Brenda suspects something more than suicide when a high-school girl is found hanged in her bedroom, and the investigation uncovers a ruthless sexual game being played at a private school.

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  14. Background image for Overkill
    8.6/10(487 votes)

    #13 - Overkill

    S2:E13

    Brenda and Fritz have a hard time agreeing who is in charge when an informant's wife and and FBI agent are both murdered. When the killer's identity is uncovered, the PHD finds themselves under attack.

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  15. Background image for Ruby
    8.6/10(549 votes)

    #14 - Ruby

    S3:E4

    A recently released sex offender is accused of kidnapping a child, and with time running out, Det. Gabriel makes a startling choice.

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  16. Background image for Sudden Death
    8.6/10(485 votes)

    #15 - Sudden Death

    S4:E7

    Det. Julio Sanchez' little brother Oscar is shot and killed, leaving Julio beside himself with grief and seeking his killer any way he can, which threatens the investigation.

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  17. Background image for War Zone
    8.6/10(393 votes)

    #16 - War Zone

    S6:E8

    In a case that could carry national security implications, three soldiers are gunned down outside an LA club two days after returning home from duty in Afghanistan. Brenda’s investigation puts her on a collision course with Major Edward Dorset (guest star Gary Cole), a military liaison officer.

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  18. Background image for Silent Partner
    8.6/10(384 votes)

    #17 - Silent Partner

    S7:E15

    Brenda seeks help from a businessman, played by guest star Jason George (Grey's Anatomy), with old ties to the neighborhood where Turell Baylor was murdered.

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  19. Background image for Last Rites
    8.6/10(394 votes)

    #18 - Last Rites

    S7:E19

    The murder of a priest puts the squad on a collision course with the Catholic Church and drives a wedge between Brenda and Chief Pope. Meanwhile, Brenda’s parents are in town while her father continues his cancer treatments.

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    Writer:Leo Geter
  20. Background image for Good Housekeeping
    8.5/10(561 votes)

    #19 - Good Housekeeping

    S1:E9

    The murder of an adolescent girl from Mexico, found dead in the Los Angeles River, proves difficult and painful for Brenda and her team. At first, a known sex-offender seems the likely candidate, but questions arise about why the girl and her mother were brought to the US, leading the investigation in another direction.

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  21. Background image for Manhunt
    8.5/10(499 votes)

    #20 - Manhunt

    S3:E8

    It looks to be the return of a serial killer when two bodies turn up dead. With the knowledge that he kills in sets of three, Chief Pope charges Brenda and her squad to hunt down the killer before the third victim is taken.

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  22. Background image for Dial M For Provenza
    8.5/10(522 votes)

    #21 - Dial M For Provenza

    S4:E5

    Provenza and Flynn lose the evidence in an attempted murder case when Provenza's car is stolen.

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    Director:Arvin Brown
  23. Background image for Tapped Out
    8.5/10(473 votes)

    #22 - Tapped Out

    S5:E6

    When an internet matchmaker is murdered, the team finds themselves investigating the matchmaker's early-stage television show. Adding to the craziness is a fake officer, who turns everything upside down. In an effort to school himself on the inner workings of Brenda's group, Pope decides to work as one of the team.

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    Director:Adam Arkin
  24. Background image for Strike Three
    8.5/10(398 votes)

    #23 - Strike Three

    S5:E7

    A high-profile shoot-out has left two policemen and a teenage boy dead leads to numerous mysteries spinning around the case. Enter Force Investigation Division bigwig Sharon Raydor, who upends Brenda's investigation with her merciless snooping.

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  25. Background image for Maternal Instincts
    8.5/10(411 votes)

    #24 - Maternal Instincts

    S5:E11

    Caught in the crossfire of a shootout, two people end up dead and one remains in critical condition. Now Brenda and the team must figure out the the intended crime and the intended victim in order to determine the perpetrator. Brenda and Fritz disagree as they continue to struggle with Charlie, and Provenza drastically alters his lifestyle.

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    Writer:Leo Geter
  26. Background image for Help Wanted
    8.5/10(417 votes)

    #25 - Help Wanted

    S6:E2

    Capt. Raydor (special guest Mary McDonnell) accompanies Brenda on an investigation involving the disappearance of a nanny working for close friends of the mayor. Meanwhile, Raydor’s real purpose in taking part in the investigation could have big career implications for Brenda.

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Best Episodes Summary

"To Protect & To Serve" is the best rated episode of "The Closer". It scored 9/10 based on 716 votes. Directed by Elodie Keene and written by Adam Belanoff, it aired on 7/10/2006. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Last Word".