"The Closer" season finale recap: "Executive Order"

Spoilers on the summer finale of "The Closer" below. Don't click through if you don't want to know.

The value of dependability: Reviewing the new season of "The Closer"

Dependability is an undervalued quality in a TV show. It's certainly not a sexy quality. No writer, producer or actor would thrill to have his or TV show assessed as "dependable," "reliable," or "consistent." They'd prefer "gripping," "original," or "ground-breaking."
But there's nothing wrong with being dependable. For instance, whenever I tune in to "The Closer," (returning for its new season Monday at 9 p.m. on TNT), I know what I'm going to get: a solid (but not terribly complicated) murder mystery, spiced with some decent melodrama and/or a little wacky comedy. I know Kyra Sedgwick, playing sassy deputy chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, is going to drawl and mug, and probably scarf down a boatload of chocolate. I know what to expect. And that's not really a bad thing.

IScreen's Top 10 Shows of 2009

Putting together a list of this year's top 10 shows proved harder than I anticipated. While last year was a relatively spotty year for TV (with the exception of excellent final seasons for "The Shield" and "The Wire"), 2009 offered a lot of reasons to love the boob tube. Several returning shows had particularly strong seasons and there were some truly smart and imaginative new offerings.
To accommodate all the year's notable programming, I present not only the traditional top 10 list, but also an honorable mention and a list of runners up. Do you have a problem with that?
I didn't think so. On to the list.
1. "Breaking Bad," AMC: After a strong, but uneven, first season, AMC's wrenching drama "Breaking Bad" blossomed into a devastating, much-watch series in its sophomore outing. With the initial exposition out of the way, the tale of drug-dealing chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston, whose brilliance goes without saying at this point) and his slightly more seasoned sidekick Jesse (Aaron Paul) went into overdrive. The guys got deeper and deeper into the drug biz. They built up a crew, acquired a lawyer (the excellent Bob Odenkirk) and unleashed a whole lot of hell. At its best, "Breaking Bad" is smart, darkly funny and deeply unsettling. It's the year's best show and, along with "Mad Men," cements AMC's reputation as the new home for great drama.

2. "Lost," ABC: Yes, I know the new conventional wisdom is that cable is king and broadcast is yesterday's news. But this year, the networks offered a lot of top-notch programming, including the best season yet of ABC's fascinating sci-fi drama "Lost." This was the show's penultimate season, and it was a doozy. We had time travel, the surprisingly touching romance of Juliet and Sawyer and perhaps the year's most shocking finale. What if, it proposed, everything we'd been watching these five seasons could be undone? The show's final season will, presumably, provide the answer. I can't wait. In the meantime, check out one of the season's funniest moments here.
3. "Big Love," HBO: How does "Big Love" do it? How does it manage to make a drama about a polygamist family seem like just another family drama (albeit an incredibly well-acted and well-written one)? Three seasons in and I'm more hooked than ever on the story of Bill Hendrickson (Bill Paxton) and his three wives, played wonderfully by Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny and Ginnifer Goodwin. This season, everyone shone but Sevigny was a particular highlight as her increasingly unstable Nikki Grant battled her daddy issues, her insecurities and a host of secrets.
4. "Mad Men," AMC: Granted, this season of the period drama "Mad Men" was a little slow. There were too many episodes focusing on adman Don Draper's (Jon Hamm) home life, particularly his increasingly dreary wife Betty (January Jones). But the season's best episodes were so phenomenal, they made up for any lags. How can you deny the brilliance of "My Old Kentucky Home," which includes the now-classic line "My name is Peggy Olson, and I want to smoke some marijuana?" Or the visceral shock of the lawn mower scene from "Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency?" Or the devastating genius of this scene, in which Don finally reveals the truth about his past?
It all led up to the unforgettable, game-changing finale, "Shut the Door, Have a Seat," in which the "Mad Men" world we knew unraveled, and morphed into something new and exciting. Truth is, I'm willing to put up with this show's slow spots, because it delivers the goods more often than not. And when it delivers the goods, few shows are better.
5. "Friday Night Lights," NBC/DirecTV 101 network: Sadly, many people still haven't seen any of the fourth season of the wonderful drama "Friday Night Lights." That's because you can only watch it on DirecTV's 101 channel. The season won't air on the show's other home, NBC, until the summer. That's a shame, because this is possibly the show's best season since its first. The series reinvigorated itself with a brilliant story about Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) being forced to helm the football team at East Dillon High, a hardscrabble school far less well-off than his former home, Dillon High. The show has also successfully introduced new characters and started to close out stories for some of its returning characters. These include tortured good guy Matt (Zach Gilford), whose character has been through the ringer this season. It's disappointing that this series has to fight to be noticed (to even be seen, in fact), because it's easily one of the most moving, intelligent shows on TV.
6."The Good Wife," CBS: 2009 presented a bunch of promising candidates for best new show, but CBS's "The Good Wife" gets my vote. "ER" vet Julianna Margulies plays a familiar type -- the betrayed wife of a scandalized politician. Left behind to raise her family after a dalliance with a prostitute lands hubby in jail, Margulies's Alicia Florrick returns to her legal career -- as a junior associate. Turns out, she's pretty good at her job. The show manages to be both procedural and compelling character drama, with Margulies giving a brave, powerful performance. Bonus: the husband, played by Chris Noth, is portrayed not as a complete jerk, but as a flawed guy who still loves his angry wife. Good, adult entertainment.
7. "Nurse Jackie," Showtime: The next best new show of the season, "Nurse Jackie" stars Edie Falco as the title character, an excellent nurse who is also a philanderer, drug addict and general rule-breaker. But you kind of love her anyway, thanks to Falco's spot-on performance. Bonus: Merritt Wever's performance as newbie nurse Zoe, maybe the year's funniest new character.
8. "True Blood," HBO: A surprise hit in its first season, HBO's vampire soap "True Blood" got even better in its second season, thanks to some truly insane plotlines, the deepening of several characters and LOTS of sex. Yes, the storyline involving Michelle Forbes's quasi-demoness Maryann was uneven, but it was never boring. And all the show's supporting characters were in top form this season, especially Alexander Skarsgard's Eric, Ryan Kwanten's Jason and Chris Bauer's hilarious Andy Bellefleur (I chuckle every time I think of Bauer's reading of the word "pizazz"). With so many elements clicking, there's only one thing I can say: bloody good show!
9. "Modern Family," ABC: Imagine if the Bluth family of "Arrested Development" was made entirely of well-meaning, decent people instead of self-centered brats. It sounds awful, doesn't it? Well, ABC's new sitcom "Modern Family" isn't awful. Not even a little bit. The show has the dry wit, wacky characters and mockumentary format of "Arrested," but has something else, too: a heart. This family isn't stabbing each other in the back. They love each other. And you know what? Loving families can be funny, too. Especially if the family members are played by deft performers like Ed O'Neill, Sofia Vergara, Ty Burrell and Eric Stonestreet. Don't believe me? Take a look at this.
10. "Dollhouse," Fox: Yes, I know that Geek Nation is up in arms because Fox didn't renew its challenging sci-fi series "Dollhouse" for a third season. But come on! It's a show that deals with heady topics such as personal identity, exploitation and our culture's growing dependence on technology. We should be happy it even got two seasons. Particularly since the show's second season has been nothing short of excellent. The show centers on a company that imprints mind-wiped humans, or "dolls," with new identities to meet the needs of clients. This season, doll Echo (Eliza Dushku), has developed a personality and free will. Other characters have deepened as well, including Dollhouse tech Topher (Fran Kranz) who has gone from a smarmy geek to a truly complex, compelling part of the show. So yeah, I'm sad this is the last season. But I'm glad we got to see "Dollhouse" at all.
Honorable Mention -- ESPN's "30 for 30": Technically, this isn't a TV series but a series of occasional specials ESPN is running to celebrate the network's 30th year on the air. But it's too good not to mention. Each special focuses on a different story or personality in sports history. Each is helmed by a different director (Peter Berg and Barry Levinson are among the contributors). And each provides a truly fascinating look at the world of sports. Well-worth watching.
Runners up:
1. "Dexter," Showtime: For John Lithgow's awesome performance as the season's chief villain, Arthur Mitchell.
2. "White Collar," USA: For being one of TV's most entertaining new shows, and providing a star-making role for the charming Matthew Bomer.
3. "The Closer," TNT: For being one of the few procedural dramas with a sense of humor that goes beyond darkly comic puns about body parts.
4. "30 Rock," NBC: For Alec Baldwin's continually great performance as Jack Donaghy
5. "Glee," Fox: For proving that a scripted series with musical numbers can work (take that, "Cop Rock!"). Also for Jane Lynch.

I Screen's totally unscientific, most likely incorrect Emmy predictions!

Sunday night at 8, CBS will host the latest installment of the Primetime Emmy Awards. Though there are some glaring omissions among this year's nominees (OK, one last time: No major nominations for "The Shield"? GRRRRR!!!!), I still plan to watch, and I've still picked my favorites. Of course, my favorites almost never win, but I dare to dream.
Below is my list of the nominees for all the major categories, along with my picks for who should win, and who likely will win. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Best Supporting Actor, Drama
Christian Clemenson, "Boston Legal"
Michael Emerson, "Lost"
William Hurt, "Damages"
Aaron Paul, "Breaking Bad"
William Shatner, "Boston Legal"
John Slattery, "Mad Men"
Should win: Though this is a very strong category, it's a bit compromised by the fact the year's best supporting male dramatic performance, by Walton Goggins on "The Shield," wasn't nominated. Having said that, there are some great performances here, and it's tough to pick my favorite. I'd probably just barely go with Michael Emerson's always-perfect turn as Ben on "Lost" over Aaron Paul's wrenching work as a lonely drug dealer on "Breaking Bad." But it's hard to bet against Emerson, whose creepy stares and deadpan delivery are the best thing about many a "Lost" episode.
Will win: Unless the want to give William Shatner a winning sendoff following the final season of "Boston Legal," I'm guessing Emmy voters will back me up, finally rewarding Emerson.
Best Supporting Actress, Drama
Rose Byrne, "Damages"
Hope Davis, "In Treatment"
Cherry Jones, "24"
Sandra Oh, "Grey's Anatomy"
Dianne Wiest, "In Treatment"
Chandra Wilson, "Grey's Anatomy"
Should win: This is a hard category for me for a totally different reason -- I don't watch "In Treatment" or "Grey's Anatomy." So I'm going with Cherry Jones who, as "24's" first female president, actually managed to make the show's ridiculous dialogue sound less ridiculous.
Will win: A toughie, but Chandra Wilson is a favorite with critics and fans and her show is still popular, so I'm guessing Emmy voters will bless her with a statue.
Best Supporting Actor Comedy
Jon Cryer, "Two and a Half Men"
Kevin Dillon, "Entourage"
Neil Patrick Harris "How I Met Your Mother"
Jack McBrayer, "30 Rock"
Tracy Morgan "30 Rock"
Rainn Wilson, "The Office"
Should win: Though he's often overshadowed by co-stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan is an essential part of the "30 Rock" equation as lunatic comic Tracy Jordan. He's coming off of an especially strong season, and it's first nomination, so I'd love to see him win.
Will win: However, I'm pretty sure the Emmy will go to Neil Patrick Harris who, incidentally, is hosting the freakin' Emmys! He's a critic's darling, an industry darling, and he's funny. Sigh. Better luck next year, Tracy.
Best Supporting Actress, Comedy:
Kristin Chenoweth, "Pushing Daisies"
Jane Krakowski, "30 Rock"
Elizabeth Perkins, "Weeds"
Amy Poehler, "Saturday Night Live"
Kristen Wiig, "Saturday Night Live"
Should and Will Win: Though all her competitors are great, Amy Poehler is my bet for the win, as Emmy will likely want to reward what was more or less her "SNL" swan song. Also, the new mom performed on the show almost right until she went into labor. So I think an Emmy is the least we can do.
Best Actress, Drama
Glenn Close, "Damages"
Sally Field, "Brothers & Sisters"
Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"
Holly Hunter, "Saving Grace"
Elisabeth Moss, "Mad Men"
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"
Should Win: A toughie. I think it's inexcusable that Kyra Sedgwick has never won an Emmy for her stellar work as Deputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson on "Mad Men," but I also love Elisabeth Moss's quiet, understated work as the talented, career-minded Peggy on "Mad Men." I guess, when you get down to it, I'm rooting for Sedgwick, but just by a hair.
Will Win: Again, the category is wide open, but voters rewarded Glenn Close last year for "Damages," and I expect they'll do it again. She's a film actress, which always catches voters' eyes. She plays a flashy character, and she's a gracious winner. All things Emmy likes. Sorry, Kyra, Elisabeth and company: I think Glenn's got this one.
Best Drama, Actor:
Simon Baker, "The Mentalist"
Gabriel Byrne, "In Treatment"
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Hugh Laurie, "House"
Should win: Look, I love Jon Hamm and Michael C. Hall, but Bryan Cranston is just The Man. His performance in "Breaking Bad's" second season was even better than his Emmy-winning work in season one. This is a career defining performance, and I'd love to see him collect another statuette...
Will Win: ... but I think voters are going to go with Jon Hamm. He's glamorous and his show has burst into pop culture in a way "Breaking Bad" hasn't. Hamm is a star and Emmy likes stars, regardless of their decision to reward Cranston last year. I think he takes it home.
Best Actress, Comedy:
Christina Applegate, "Samantha Who?"
Toni Collette, "United States of Tara"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "The New Adventures of Old Christine"
Mary-Louise Parker, "Weeds"
Sarah Silverman, "The Sarah Silverman Program"
Should win: Can I just say that it's so nice to see the female-centered categories so full of quality nominees this year? It's a strong contrast to the Oscars, which often struggle to find enough actresses to fill the categories. Anyway, I'm going with Tina Fey who, even in an uneven season, was always a pleasure to watch as dippy but lovable Liz Lemon.
Will Win: The only thing I can say definitively here is that quirky category newcomer Sarah Silverman won't win for her work on her own Comedy Central sitcom (unless, of course, she does win. Emmy can surprise us, after all). Other than her, I think all the other nominees have a strong shot. But I think Emmy will go glamorous and pick Toni Collette, a former Oscar nominee who plays multiple roles on Showtime's "United States of Tara."
Best Actor, Comedy:
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
Jemaine Clement, "Flight of the Conchords"
Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"
Tony Shalhoub, "Monk"
Charlie Sheen, "Two and a Half Men"
Should Win: I love Jemaine Clement, but it's hard to top Alec Baldwin's oily, hilarious work as money-loving Jack Donaghy. He had another strong season, and I'd love to see him take it home.
Will Win: Everyone's gone gaga over category newcomer Jim Parsons, and Emmy does like to reward dark horses on occasion (case in point -- giving a statuette to Zeljko Ivanek over Ted Danson last year). But I think Baldwin will still win. Jack Donaghy is pretty hard to resist.
Best Comedy Series:
"30 Rock"
"Entourage"
"Family Guy"
"Flight of the Conchords"
"How I Met Your Mother"
"The Office"
"Weeds"
Should Win: Can I tell you which show I really, really, really DON'T want to win? "Entourage." This show is pleasantly amusing at best, and certainly not one of the five best comedies on TV. Other than that, it's hard, but I'm going to pick "30 Rock." Yes, the season was a little shaky at times, but there were so many great moments (Oprah! Kidney Now! "I want to go to there"!) that it can't be overlooked.
Will Win: "30 Rock," unless Stewie from "Family Guy" blackmails the Emmy voters into giving that series a statue.
Best Drama Series:
"Big Love"
"Breaking Bad"
"Damages"
"Dexter"
"House"
"Lost"
"Mad Men"
Should and Will Win: Again, the category is compromised by the omission of "The Shield." That said, it's hard to see "Mad Men" losing this one, despite the presence of the excellent "Big Love" and "Breaking Bad." And you know what? I'd be fine with a "Mad Men" win.

"Weeds," "Breaking Bad," and gender on TV

This weekend, I was watching some preview episodes from the fifth season of "Weeds," which begins at 10 p.m. today on Showtime.
The series focuses on suburban mom Nancy Botwin (Mary Louise Parker) who turns to pot dealing after the death of her husband. Over the course of the past several seasons, Nancy's greed and ambition has driven her deeper and deeper into the drug biz. At the end of last season, she just narrowly escaped getting murdered by her Mexican drug lord boyfriend. The new season finds her still in hot water with the Mexican mafia, while also juggling her two sons and array of wacky associates. The episodes are typical "Weeds," -- solid and entertaining, but occasionally too far over the top and a little too condescending to the supporting characters.
However, throughout the episodes, my mind kept drifting to another series about drug dealing, AMC's drama "Breaking Bad," which just concluded its amazing second season. Like Nancy, "Bad" protagonist Walter White is a suburbanite who tells himself that the drug trade is the only way to support his family (he has terminal cancer). Walter manufactures crystal meth, a drug far less justifiable than pot. He's also gotten increasingly sucked into the drug world in the show's short life.
But there are some distinct differences between the two characters. Most of those have to do with the fact that "Weeds" is a comedy and "Breaking Bad" is a drama (Nancy makes more jokes, for one thing). But I think the core differences between them have to do with the fact that Walt is a man and Nancy is a woman.
The show gives them entirely different sets of strengths that are obviously gender-related. Walt, the man, is a brilliant former chemist who manages to survive in the drug trade, despite his inexperience, due mainly to his intelligence and resourcefulness. His skill at manufacturing drugs has saved his life more than once, as has his ability to think fast in a crisis.
Nancy, the woman, is a former housewife who manages to survive in the drug trade, despite her inexperience, due mainly to her charm and sexuality -- what used to be called "feminine wiles." The whole reason the Mexican mafia hasn't killed her is that she's pregnant by the drug lord, who believes she might be able to deliver him a son. Clearly, this isn't a tactic Walt can use.
I'm not going to make some knee-jerk claim of sexism, accusing "Weeds" of making Nancy dumb (or, at least, non-intellectual) because she's a woman. First off, "Weeds" and "Breaking Bad" were created completely independently of each other at different times. I don't think the two shows were meant to be a commentary on each other at all. Secondly, "Weeds" was created by a woman, Jenji Kohan. Plus, Nancy has a lot of positive attributes that Walt doesn't have. We've never seen her let an innocent person die, for example. In fact, she got in trouble with the Mexican mafia because she couldn't stomach their human trafficking business. Nancy is also much more family-minded. Yes, she's engaged in a trade that endangers her two young sons, but she's always aware of that, and is constantly making arrangements for them in case of her death (the start of this season has her packing off her young son to go live with her sister, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh).
But the contrast between the two characters provides an interesting picture of our different ideas of men and women, particularly men and women in business (whatever that business might be). Nancy isn't the only TV business woman who plays up her sexuality. The female investigators on the "CSI" series, for example, are almost always in low-cut tops and high heels -- clothing that few real investigators would consider practical. And, on these same shows, the men are often wonky intellectuals (or, in the case of David Caruso's character on "CSI: Miami," seem capable of solving a crime by simply whipping off their sunglasses and staring directly into the camera).
Why does this dichotomy exist? Why can't we have a brilliant female cop or drug dealer (or doctor or lawyer or fill-in-the-blank) who wears slacks and turtle necks and can start an RV engine with spare change? Some such characters do exist, including Brenda Leigh Johnson on "The Closer," but they're still too rare. We live in a world where real women can succeed in business without wearing mini-dresses and batting their eyes. TV needs to catch up.

"The Closer" returns

TNT's crime drama "The Closer," isn't a show I write about much, mainly because there's not all that much to say. It's pretty straightforward: quirky police interrogator Brenda Leigh Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) fights crime with the help of a mostly male staff. She's expert on the job, but lacks people skills and other social niceties. It's not really a show that lends itself to being discussed and dissected like, say, "Lost" or "Dollhouse."
But I still like it. I've always liked it, mainly because I think it's one of the most purely entertaining hours on TV. I also love the character of Brenda, and the way that she's allowed to be frumpy and disagreeable, but is never portrayed as less than competent. The show's new season starts tonight at 9 p.m. and, like most "Closer" episodes, focuses on a terrible crime that must be solved by Brenda and her gang. Also, Brenda's cat is sick, and she tries to deal with that, in the kind of tender yet slightly goofy subplot we've come to expect from the series.
The first episode is light on the show's usually reliable supporting characters, focusing mainly on Brenda and the crime at hand (though there is a nice emotional arc for Raymond Cruz's still-waters-run-deep Detective Sanchez).
That's OK. In a TV world where "entertainment" is usually a synonym for "dumb and mindless," "The Closer" is the rare show that's both fun to watch and not insulting to the brain.
Maybe I can't analyze it, but I can sit back and enjoy it. And that's enough.
The new season of "The Closer" starts tonight at 9 p.m.

A show I won't be writing about

Another show premiering on Thursday is NBC's new drama "The Listener." But I've been so swamped with my vacation, series finales, and new cable shows that I didn't even have time to request a screener, let alone watch the show. So, you won't see a review here. But I would like to take a quick minute to talk about a trend that "The Listener" seems to be continuing: the "The ___" trend. You know, as in "The Mentalist," "The Locator," "The Cleaner," "The Closer," "The Beast" and, coming soon from the network that brought you "The Listener," "The Philanthropist." Lots of people seem to be noticing this trend. Amy Antangelo, aka TV Gal, mentioned it in her latest blog posting. And SNL did this hilarious send-up on the "The" trend. By the way, I happen to like "The Closer," but my husband hates it and, thus, adores Kristen Wiig's spot-on Kyra Sedgwick imitation. Even I must admit it's pretty funny ("CON-FAYYYYSSSS!!!")
So, in summary, I have no review of "The Listener." But I give the "The" trend a thumbs-down.