In a pleasant surprise, The Closer bucked the trend and picked right back up with the Charlie story this week. I’ve become so use to ideas being floated, and then set aside to be picked up later, that it was almost unexpected. The latest chapter in Charlie’s story also played well with the case of the week. A case with no shortage of suspects, where the question wasn’t so much who wanted to kill Doug, as who actually went through with it.
Starting with Charlie, because while I did really enjoy the case, the happenings on the home-front have a more enduring impact, which makes them more interesting. With the exception of one small detail, I liked everything about this. It managed to pull together a lot of different things. From Brenda telling Willie Rae that she could handle Charlie, to Doug’s mother lamenting that she gave up on her child, all the way back to Fritz first broaching the subject of having children.
The way it all ended up going down was completely opposite of how I thought it would. I had pictured Brenda having the second thoughts, and Fritz bringing her back on board. The way it actually happened was better, if for no other reason than the scene between Fritz and Charlie. On more than a few occasions I’ve felt that Fritz was getting shorted on time, and here we saw just what we’ve been missing. That was a great scene. You had to have an OMG moment when Charlie snapped, “Not my fault you’re a drunk.” Wow.
My only gripe with the entire Charlie story was Brenda’s ignorance of what was going on. Come on now; Brenda is eccentric, maybe even a little nutty, but she’s not stupid. I can’t fathom that she could be totally oblivious to the fact that she was eating pot brownies. That was just a little silly, but the resulting actions that followed more than made up for it. And now we’re left wondering just how long-term Charlie’s stay will be. Is it just for the summer? Or will this be a permanent addition, with Charlie enrolling in school and becoming part of the cast? Based on what I’ve seen so far, I wouldn’t have any problem with that.
Now, back to the case … it was really good. What I liked most about it boiled down to that one quick scene where they cut between the three main suspects:
“Nobody cheats on me!” – Tara
“Not my daughter!” – Landlord
“Everyone wanted to kill him!” – Jordan
There were motives falling everywhere … I think one got stuck in my sock. I caught on to the real reason for the murder as soon as they found the numbers. Of course, that didn’t exactly clear up who had done it, since all three of them had money issues with Doug. I was actually leaning toward Tara (Scottie Thompson) initially, but when the globe trotting aspect came into play, it became clear just what was going on. Jordan’s rationalization for the letters was a nice twist, as well.
It’s also worth mentioning the reappearance of Terence. Excuse me, Dr. Terence. That’s a great example of how to use a recurring character. Bob Clendenin is just perfect in the role. His infatuation with Brenda is both creepy, and fascinating, all at the same time. I’m not looking for him to replace Morales anytime soon, but I will look forward to seeing him pop up again on occasion.
Are there really only two episodes left until The Closer goes on a break? It seems like it’s gone by so fast. Fortunately, while it has gone by quickly, so far it has been another solid season.
Clacked by Brett Love 
on Aug 11, 2009 @ 16:00 EST5EDT
Agree. Love the episode and love the addition of Charlie. When the first baby ep aired, I commented that I thought they would end up with a foster kid instead of a baby. At the time, I didn’t realize there was ‘family’ that could fit the bill. Charlie works perfectly. Hope she sticks around.
Also, like the case, especially because it could have been any of the suspects.
My main complaint was the same as you mentioned…didn’t seem plausible that Brenda would not first- realize there was pot in the brownies and second- really not realize it after eating one of them. But, it made for an interesting scene. Especially loved when Fritz sent Brenda to her room and see looked back and made a ‘sexy’ look. That cracked me up.
I liked the episode, but what annoyed me the most is that those fabulous detectives found a wad of lottery tickets several inches thick, and the didn’t do what I would have done first. “Can someone find out if these numbers have it in the last 5 years?” Case CLOSED. They think to send duct taped coolers to the suspects but don’t think Lottery – duh!
I like Charlie, because she kind of takes the place of Kitty. But I’m not sure about Sosie’s acting as of yet. I did love how Brenda yelled at her, because I imagined it would be just like that at their home! Its a testament to just how naive Brenda is in spite of all of the horrific things she has seen that she would not even think the brownies could be laced with marijuana. Kind of fits with her character. She’s never been the smartest in her own world, but kicks ass at her job. It works.