The Worst Episodes of The Closer

Brenda and the Priority Homicide Team investigate a sniper who is killing gang members in and around MacArthur Park. Offering assistance is an ex-Army colonel who believes the sniper to be his son. As an all-out gang war looms, Brenda tentatively accepts his assistance, but as her investigation progresses, Brenda's doubts about the Colonel's motives grow. With Fritz' assistance, she realizes the Colonel is not there to help, but to help his son escape. The two face off in the dark on a Los Angeles rooftop, leading to an unexpected outcome. Elsewhere in the story, Sanchez' prior service with the Rampart Division CRASH gang squad allows him to play a pivotal role in the investigation as he briefs the squad on gang activity in the area, goes undercover as a gang member and assists with interrogations. Brenda's tense relationship with Taylor seems to relax, then abruptly grows tenser when a stake-out goes wrong. Gabriel becomes increasingly loyal to her, but Flynn and Provenza continue to resist her methods, dubbing her "Miss Scarlett."

Director: Michael M. Robin

Writer: Wendy West

Brenda finds herself at odds with the FBI in a struggle to gain control of the murder investigation of a well-known businessman. Deciding to work in tandem, Brenda finds herself working directly with Fritz, who was assigned to the case. After discovering that the FBI has ulterior motives in the investigation, Brenda's relationship with Fritz is put under further strain.

Director: Rick Wallace

Writer: Hunt Baldwin, John Coveny

When two Catorce gang members are shot to death, Brenda and her squad must solve the murders before a gang war erupts. Meanwhile, Brenda has her own personal health scare when she finally visits the doctor.

Director: Arvin Brown

Writer: Ken Martin

Brenda and the team investigate an apparent suicide that the medical examiner believes was actually a murder; Brenda's parents are staying with Fritz and Brenda for a few days.

Director: Elodie Keene

Writer: Adam Belanoff

When a gay man is murdered, seemingly the latest victim of a string of hate crimes, Brenda must confront prejudices inside and out of the LAPD. But when the perpetrator of the crimes turns out to be something quite different than expected, and has an alibi for the latest murder, Brenda must dig deeper to discover if this crime is part of the string, or a crime of passion disguised as a hate crime. Meanwhile, Flynn and Taylor step up their efforts to undermine Brenda once again, but with unexpected effects, as the team begins to rally around Brenda. Provenza's quirks begin to emerge, and we meet Terrence Hynes, a County Coroner's Forensics Support worker with an odd sense of humor. On the home front, Brenda finds herself with some new charges when her (male) Kitty has kittens.

Director: Arvin Brown

Writer: James Duff

Brenda and the PHD investigate a high-profile case when a woman is brutally murdered at L.A.'s trendiest restaurant. On the home front, Brenda tries to keep a low profile as she closes in on her 40th birthday.

Director: Arvin Brown

Writer: Steven Kane

When a Chinese business woman is found dead on the tour bus she and her husband operate, Brenda and the squad must dig deep to investigate her past life. Meanwhile, Brenda’s parents reveal to the squad that Brenda and Fritz are engaged.

Director: Elodie Keene

Writer: Adam Belanoff

A man wearing a surveillance wire is shot to death at point blank range in downtown Los Angeles; interpersonal relationships on the squad force Brenda into a corner.

Director: Elodie Keene

Writer: Steven Kane

Fritz's sister agrees to use her psychic powers to help the Priority Homicide Division resolve one of their cases, and while her abilities appear to help her understand how Brenda works, they don't seem to stop her from offering misguided advice.

Director: James Duff

Writer: Steven Kane

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

Brenda enters the high-stakes world of pharmaceutical research, when a drug trial for new anti-addiction medication lead to the death of one of the principal investigators. Nothing is quite as it seems as she investigates the high-powered president of the drug company sponsoring the trial, the seemingly easy-going psychiatrist and the teenaged participants in the study. Too soon, one of the teenagers falls victim to manipulation of the medication, and Brenda untangles a web of exploitation of the young victims leading to an unlikely criminal. Meanwhile, Flynn ratchets up his efforts to undermine Brenda's authority, first by going over her head to Pope, and then, when that fails, by unearthing a groundless ethics investigation Brenda faced in Atlanta. On the personal front, Brenda's relationship with Fritz heats up, much to Provenza's delight!

Director: Craig Zisk

Writer: Rick Kellard

When a judge is murdered in Griffith Park, Brenda's investigation takes an unexpected twist. Her best witness, or perhaps her prime suspect, is his teenaged son with autism. Challenged by the boy's behaviors, but convinced he has the clue to unraveling the case, Brenda must try to understand his disability, and thereby learn what he knows. Meanwhile, she must keep his mother, and the child protective system from taking custody of the boy, limiting her access to him, and the killer.

Director: Gloria Muzio

Writer: Hunt Baldwin, John Coveny

Three wealthy, spoiled and unruly children become the target of Brenda's investigation when their stepmother is murdered and the family butler seemingly commits suicide shortly thereafter. Riding heard on the trio is their family attorney, who cleans up their messes and provides them with alibis. Convinced the butler was actually murdered, Brenda sets out to discover which of the children committed the murders, and finds the real killer was someone altogether different!

Director: Tawnia McKiernan

Writer: Rick Kellard

Things don't add up when an LA cop turns up dead. Brenda and her team race against the clock to get to the truth, while tension increases between the Priority Homicide Division and the Robbery-Homicide Division. In the meantime, Brenda's relationship with Fritz elevates to a whole new level.

Director: Michael M. Robin

Writer: Mike Berchem, James Duff

Brenda and the team find themselves wading through a long list of suspects when a celebrity photographer takes a fatal fall from his hotel room balcony. Once the cause of death is determined, the motive points to a big time actor with something to hide. In the meantime, Brenda starts to feel like Fritz is behaving strangely, making her realize that superstars may not be the only ones who have secrets to keep.

Director: Michael M. Robin

Writer: Hunt Baldwin, John Coveny

The PHD must deal with a case of mistaken identity in order to get to the bottom of an investigation. While they're busy with the case, Brenda is involved in a different case: Pope's divorce. After being called to testify, Brenda finds that both her career and reputation are on the line.

Director: Lesli Linka Glatter

Writer: Steven Kane

Leaving the scene of an accident to get to a multiple homicide scene, Brenda finds herself unable to drive the streets of L.A. which she worked so hard to learn. Once she gets to the crime scene, she and the PHD are faced with another challenge: the murdered bodies are nowhere to be found. In order to solve this case, they must first search for the victims before they can hunt for the killer.

Director: Rick Wallace

Writer: Hunt Baldwin, John Coveny

A car belonging to a Department of Homeland Security employee is found wrecked at the bottom of Mulholland Drive. Priority Homicide is brought in to uncover the details surrounding the driver’s death, but the investigation leads Brenda a lot closer to home then she expected.

Director: Jesse Bochco

Writer: Steven Kane

Brenda finds an opportunity to visit home when she attempts to track down a witness who disappears to Atlanta. Unfortunately, once she finds the witness, her holidays with family take on a whole new meaning.

Director: Roger Young, Scott Ellis

Writer: Mike Berchem

Brenda and the team must determine if a murder was revenge or mere coincidence when a recently released murderer turns up dead, the victim of a hit-and-run. As usual, Brenda's personal life isn't much better: she must deal with a recently incapacitated Fritz.

Director: Arvin Brown

Writer: Hunt Baldwin, John Coveny

Brenda and the squad investigate the murder of a hair stylist; Brenda's parents stop in for a visit on their way to Alaska; Brenda's father wants to know when she and Fritz are going to tie the knot.

Director: Roxann Dawson

Writer: Mike Berchem, Ken Martin

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

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

Writer: Hunt Baldwin, John Coveny

After a man is murdered while taking pictures of the stars from his balcony, the squad suspects the crime is somehow connected to the woman with whom he was having an affair. But their investigation is hindered by a missing murder weapon, as well as the difficult adjustment of moving into a new office.

Director: Rick Wallace

Writer: Mike Berchem, James Duff

While investigating a suspicious suicide, the squad wades into a nasty child-custody dispute between a dying man and his meth-addicted ex-wife. Meanwhile, Pope applies for the police chief job, but Brenda might have something to say about whether or not he gets it.

Director: Michael M. Robin

Writer: Michael Alaimo