The Closer

A seemingly routine murder investigation by the LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division is interrupted by the arrival of Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson, the new head of the LAPD’s Priority Murder Squad. An outsider from Atlanta in her first week of service, Brenda has already begun to face the resistance of long-time high-ranking officers, particularly Capt. Taylor of Robbery Homicide, as well as the questionable confidence of her own squad, who have decided to request transfers en masse. Only her assistant, Sgt. Gabriel, seems willing to try to work with her.

Brenda must fight for justice for two Russian prostitutes murdered by the illegitimate son of a Russian mafia figure whiles she overcomes the prejudices of a department who sees one dead prostitute as pretty much the same as another. As she does, she confronts her own prejudices, and discovers the justice for these women is scarce in a world dominated by men. When the FBI steps in to take over the investigation, she shows the stern stuff shes made of, using highly unorthodox methods to finally bring the murderer to an unusual form of justice. Meanwhile, Brendas relationship with Fritz takes a new direction, as the FBIs involvement in this case hints at the challenges that will come when they must balance their work and professional lives. At the end of the episode, Brenda purchases one of the dead girls house, and finds herself the owner of a cat she doesnt want, but who has ideas of its own.

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 Brendas 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, Brendas relationship with Fritz heats up, much to Provenzas delight!

When a judge is murdered in Griffith Park, Brendas investigation takes an unexpected twist. Her best witness, or perhaps her prime suspect, is his teenaged son with autism. Challenged by the boys 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.

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. Soon, the girls backpack suggests the girls uncle or the family for whom the mother worked may have been involved, A search of the house suggests one of the family is the murderer, but which one? An end-run by the family, determined to protect the killer, takes Brenda to Mexico, where she must use all her resources, Fritz and Mexican law to finally bring the killer to justice. The usually cantankerous Dr. Crippen shows his softer side as he briefs Brenda following the autopsy, in a scene representative of the way in which the violent death of a child impacts the police.

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, Brendas relationship with Fritz is put under further strain.

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 Popes intentions when he volunteers to help. In classic Brenda style, she spurns the accusation, refusing to suppress her demeanor in deference to the complaint. In response to the situation, the PHD team comes together to act in unison, sending shock waves through the entire department.

When a juror in the trial of an infamous mobster is found dead, Brenda and the Priority Homicide Division find that their involvement in solving the case may be affecting the jurys final decision. Complicating her personal life, Brenda faces another new challenge: a surprise visit from her mother.

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.

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.

When the drowned bodies of a mother and daughter are found by fishermen, Brenda and the team must determine if the apparent suicides are more than that. Following a strange coil of discoveries, the most surprising revelation that surfaces is one about the killer.

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

Once again, the PHD finds themselves wading through suspects in the murder of the star witness in a capital punishment case. When Estelle, Popes angry ex-wife, spills the beans about Brenda to her team, Fritz begins to wonder how she really feels.

Resulting from the showdown in the murder room, Brenda finds herself taking some involuntary time off. When she is asked to help a friend solve a murder that is linked to a terrorist group, Brenda works to find the killer and still keep it under wraps. Meanwhile, Commander Taylor jumps at the chance to break apart the PHD while Brenda is away.

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, numerous changes --- and possibly Provenza’s early retirement. And Fritz hopes to move into a new house with Brenda.

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

An old man’s confession to seven murders leads Deputy Chief Johnson to investigate the sudden and unnatural deaths at his nursing home.

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.

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.

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.

Still experiencing the strain of her case, Brenda finds herself under another time crunch when she must disprove a questionable alibi within 48 hours to prevent the investigation from falling flat. As Brenda searches for the truth in her case, she discovers some inside information that may have an unfortunate effect on her relationship with Fritz.

Returning to L.A. proves to be a challenge when Brendas witness remains hesitant, causing her to be creative. The fallout left behind in Atlanta leaves Brendas parents picking up the pieces while Fritz becomes buried underneath all the stress.

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, Brendas personal life isnt much better: she must deal with a recently incapacitated Fritz.

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.

When a 12-year-old disappears, Brenda must decide whether to treat him as a runaway or a missing person.

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

The newly renamed Major Crimes Division investigates the death of a teenager that may be related to a planned massacre; the squad searches for a bomb before it can explode.

The body of a man who stole $3 million in diamonds is found in the trunk of a car; the condition of the body makes determining the cause of death impossible.

Fritzs 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 dont seem to stop her from offering misguided advice.

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.

Sgt. Gabriel comes under investigation for shooting a homicide suspect when the facts dont add up. The internal investigation gets in the way of the original murder investigation, leaving the entire team tied up in knots.

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.

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 Brendas investigation with her merciless snooping.

Brenda must reopen the case of a murdered psychiatrist when the man claiming to have committed the crime gives a statement that doesnt quite match the actual events. Based on evidence of the mans 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 Brendas handful of a niece onto the newlyweds during for the duration of summer break.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Provenza once again finds himself in a professionally embarrassing situation when he discovers a dead body in the condo of a flight attendant he picked up while extraditing a prisoner.

After a parole board member is viciously murdered during a panicked phone call with Sgt. Gabriel, Pope announces an overreaching plan to boost the police department’s image. His plan, however, hinges on Brenda first being able to solve the crime.

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.

The murder of two paramedics leads the LAPD and the FBI on separate investigations on a case that could be the precursor to a major terrorist attack. But Brenda fights to remain a step ahead, even though shes forced to work with the counter-terrorism units Chief Tommy Delk, who happens to be one of Brendas fellow finalists for the job of Chief of Police.

Chief of Police Tommy Delk (guest star Courtney B. Vance) assigns Major Crimes a seemingly minor case involving the armed robbery of several medical marijuana dispensaries. But when one of the robberies turns into a murder, the case becomes a test of Brenda’s readiness to move up in the department.

Brenda finds she has another victim and later learns that her parents have been robbed and the Christmas gifts stolen from the RV. The investigation has to continue through Christmas day.

Brenda and the squad investigate the owner of a hip-hop record label when one of his rap artists and six innocent bystanders are gunned down. The case hits home for Gabriel who knows two of the victims from church. Meanwhile, Chief Delk is getting ready to announce the department’s new organizational chart just as Brenda becomes the target of a civil suit against the police department.

Flynn and Provenza get into the usual trouble moonlighting as process servers when a man dies shortly after they serve him.

A family works to protect their late ministers reputation from scandal. Meanwhile, most of the Major Crimes Division is subpoenaed, raising suspicions about the one who wasnt.

The team investigates the puzzling death of a fellow officers daughter. Elsewhere, Captain Raydor advances in her meticulous audit of Brendas unit and begins to sharpen focus on Detective Sanchez.

Brenda cant understand what led to a fathers disappearance just as his daughters single was about to hit the charts making her famous very quickly. Brenda has an opportunity to make her lawsuit disappear by settling with the family that brought it against her but that deal may not be as good as everybody hoped it would.

The death of a high school principal who had been trying to raise test scores at his school to prevent it from being closed causes Brenda and Fritz to fight over who has control of the case because an already existing FBI investigation causes the cases to overlap.

Brendas parents return with surprising news that keeps Brendas mind from her case.

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

Provenza tries to help his ex-wife locate her wedding ring, but he stumbles into red-faced fumbles that include a robbery, an evidence-destroying canine and a frenetic appraiser.

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.

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.