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The Best Episodes of The Closer Season 5

Every episode of The Closer Season 5 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Closer Season 5!

Binge this in 11h 30m•Peaking at 8.8/10

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 cases. Johnson's quirky personality and hard-nosed approach often rubs her

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    The Closer Season 5 Episode 1 - Products of Discovery
    8.3/10(424 votes)

    #1 - Products of Discovery

    S5:E1

    While investigating the homicide of an entire family, the team once again finds themselves entangled in an FBI case. They also find themselves distracted by an unusually surly Provenza.

    Director:Michael M. Robin
    Writer:Michael Alaimo

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  2. The Closer Season 5 Episode 2 - Blood Money
    7.8/10(379 votes)

    #2 - Blood Money

    S5:E2

    Brenda and the team are called in to investigate the questionable disappearance of a shady financial investor. The team is a mess with Daniels now in another division, Gabriel doing double duty, and Provenza with behavior more curious than usual. In the meantime, Brenda and Fritz deal with a sick Kitty.

    Director:Rick Wallace
    Writer:Steven Kane

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  3. The Closer Season 5 Episode 3 - Red Tape
    8.3/10(417 votes)

    #3 - Red Tape

    S5:E3

    Sgt. Gabriel comes under investigation for shooting a homicide suspect when the facts don't add up. The internal investigation gets in the way of the original murder investigation, leaving the entire team tied up in knots.

    Director:Rick Wallace
    Writer:Duppy Demetrius

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  4. The Closer Season 5 Episode 4 - Walking Back the Cat
    7.9/10(374 votes)

    #4 - Walking Back the Cat

    S5:E4

    Once again working with Fritz and the FBI, the team helps get to the bottom of a murder which occurred amidst a drug ring investigation. Also again, Brenda finds FBI feathers ruffled by her unorthodox methods.

    Director:Steve Robin
    Writer:Leo Geter

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  5. The Closer Season 5 Episode 5 - Half Load
    8.2/10(392 votes)

    #5 - Half Load

    S5:E5

    When a reformed gang member is murdered, the case takes the team back to a familiar neighborhood where they find themselves unwelcomed. Brenda must figure out a way to solve what appears to have been a missed-mark murder and bring peace to an unstable community.

    Director:Roxann Dawson
    Writers:Mike Berchem, Ken Martin

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  6. The Closer Season 5 Episode 6 - Tapped Out
    8.6/10(497 votes)

    #6 - 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.

    Director:Adam Arkin
    Writer:Adam Belanoff

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  7. The Closer Season 5 Episode 7 - Strike Three
    8.6/10(415 votes)

    #7 - 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.

    Director:Nelson McCormick
    Writer:Steven Kane

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  8. The Closer Season 5 Episode 8 - Elysian Fields
    8.3/10(364 votes)

    #8 - Elysian Fields

    S5:E8

    When a man believed to have murdered two young women is found dead in Elysian Fields, evidence points to his victims' families. Brenda and the team must then wade through the suspects to find the true killer.

    Director:Nicole Kassell
    Writer:Michael Alaimo

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  9. The Closer Season 5 Episode 9 - Identity Theft
    8.3/10(401 votes)

    #9 - Identity Theft

    S5:E9

    Brenda must reopen the case of a murdered psychiatrist when the man claiming to have committed the crime gives a statement that doesn't quite match the actual events. Based on evidence of the man's acquaintance with the doctor, Brenda believes there is a cover-up and sets out to unearth the truth. Willie Rae throws a roadblock in her path when she pops in for a visit, which actually appears to be an attempt to dump Brenda's handful of a niece onto the newlyweds during for the duration of summer break.

    Director:Rick Wallace
    Writers:James Duff, Steven Kane, Ken Martin

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  10. The Closer Season 5 Episode 10 - Smells Like Murder
    8.1/10(368 votes)

    #10 - Smells Like Murder

    S5:E10

    The team digs through several suspects that surface after a man's body is found inside an oversized box. Brenda finds the case the perfect platform to play the role of teacher to Gabriel as he prepares for his detective exam. When Brenda's niece, Charlie, gets out of hand, she and Fritz must consider ending her summer vacation with them.

    Director:Michael M. Robin
    Writer:Duppy Demetrius

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  11. The Closer Season 5 Episode 11 - Maternal Instincts
    8.6/10(428 votes)

    #11 - 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.

    Director:David McWhirter
    Writer:Leo Geter

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  12. The Closer Season 5 Episode 12 - Waivers of Extradition
    8.8/10(450 votes)

    #12 - 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.

    Director:Kevin Bacon
    Writer:Adam Belanoff

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  13. The Closer Season 5 Episode 13 - The Life
    8.0/10(343 votes)

    #13 - The Life

    S5:E13

    When an adolescent boy is found murdered where members of the Tres Colores gang frequently spend time, the subsequent murders of two more gang members point Brenda and the team to gang warfare. Unfortunately, the evidence trail leads them in a different direction.

    Director:Steve Robin
    Writers:John Coveny, Hunt Baldwin

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  14. The Closer Season 5 Episode 14 - Make Over
    8.2/10(434 votes)

    #14 - Make Over

    S5:E14

    The conviction of a woman found guilty of poisoning a banker is overturned when a laboratory essential to proving the case comes under scrutiny. The subsequent re-trial forces Brenda to ask Provenza's former partner for help tying up loose ends. Unfortunately for the team, more scrutiny occurs when they all discover Provenza's former partner is no longer the man he used to be. The importance of the case may ruin Brenda and Fritz's planned vacation.

    Director:Rick Wallace
    Writer:Michael Alaimo

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  15. The Closer Season 5 Episode 15 - Dead Man's Hand
    8.4/10(390 votes)

    #15 - Dead Man's Hand

    S5:E15

    Capt. Raydor (special guest star Mary McDonnell) approaches Major Crimes about delicately looking into a possible case of spousal abuse involving one of her female officers. On the home front, Fritz becomes increasingly irritated at feeling ignored by Brenda.

    Director:James Duff
    Writers:Duppy Demetrius, Ken Martin

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Season 5 Ratings Summary

"Products of Discovery" is the best rated episode of "The Closer" season 5. It scored 8.3/10 based on 424 votes. Directed by Michael M. Robin and written by Michael Alaimo, it aired on 6/8/2009. This episode is rated 0.5 points higher than the second-best, "Blood Money".