The Closer: Good Faith (winter premiere)

(S04E11) "It's what you do. When you're a hammer, everything in the world looks like a nail." -- Pope to Brenda

Did you notice, as I did, that Brenda was more distressed and unfocused while making decisions for the wedding than she was working on the case? By the end of the episode, Brenda finally settled on the when, the where and the how, so all things considered, it was a good day for Brenda...except for that little thing that happened to Daddy.

Meanwhile, returning after a few months off, the cliffhanger was resolved early on and priority homicide was back at work. However, when is an apparent suicide not a suicide? More on that and the cliffhanger after the jump. Also, Clay Johnson.









Was that relief on Brenda's face when she was called away from wedding planning with Mama to report to work? I think so. But then that's consistent with Brenda's dichotomy, why she's so frustrating to the people who love her, like Fritz. Still, on the job, when the M.E., Dr. Morales, finds proof that the victim was physically unable to pull the trigger to blow out his brains, Chief Johnson easily flipped the switch and was on the case.

This was an interesting set up and it included a scene I haven't seen on another procedural -- I don't watch them all, but it seemed original -- when the detectives returned to the site of the murder with blown up photos of the blood splatter and the victims position on the floor to re-create what really happened. The blood splatter, by the way, was Sanchez's analysis. Yes, I glad to report that Sanchez survived "taking a bullet for Provenza" (more than one), but after five surgeries, there were questions about whether or not he's fit for duty.

As for the case, Pastor Paul seemed hinky to me, and the ex-wife was too obvious, especially when she pilfered Brenda's candy drawer. But the culprit turned out to be the fake cancer patient. I didn't pick up on her at first, but I should have. For one thing, she had eyebrows. When you lose your hair in chemotherapy, you lose it everywhere. Also, if she were on chemo, she'd have either an intravenous port of tell-tale signs on her arms. If Brenda had pegged her a fake using those markers, it would have been even better than the falsified medical bills.

The most poignant moment in the show was Brenda's reaction to her father's heart condition. This wasn't his first and she realized he's not going to be around forever. She told him she loved him and, finally, a wedding plan was solidified. Now we'll wait to see how it all comes together.

Other points of interest
-- Trying on the wedding gowns, Brenda asked, "Who designed this veil -- the Taliban?"

--What's this about Brenda's first marriage? This was news to me. Mama and Daddy chose not to count that one, but -- dang it -- I want to know. When was Brenda married and where's her ex? Is she a widow?