(S05E02) How could a gruesome, blood-splattered murder scene in a Lincoln Town Car leave no trail of blood outside the vehicle? Why would a kidnapper ask for the unlikely sum of $1,190,476.19 as a ransom? Who was putting the zip in Provenza's step after his hound dog attitude about love last week? All that and more was covered in the episode, and after a rather worrisome venture into the random plot devices in the Season Premiere, The Closer was back on track with a nifty mystery.

In the midst of solving the crime, which alternated between being an abduction/kidnapping or a murder, Brenda was also caring for Kitty. If you've wondered if Brenda had a nurturing side, wonder no more. Brenda's ministering to her pussycat involved an IV drip and injections for kidney troubles. Brenda also enlisted Will as her helper in treating the pet. When it comes to Brenda, Pope still has a soft spot and she can get him to do just about anything -- and Brenda knows it, too.

(S04E12) "Believing something to be true and proving it, two different things." - Pope

This is why The Closer is one of the best drama series on TV. When they choose to do a comical episode, which this episode was, they have the ability to hit it out of the park. Without question, this was a home run episode. Funny, clever, wry, involving and memorable. Starting from the moment Brenda said she was using a "personal" day -- as if a workaholic like her could even conceive of such a thing -- to the coup de grace ending when Keith (more on him later) slipped the cuffs and said, "Now you see me, now you don't" -- I rate this one of the best of all.

While Brenda was trying to enjoy the personal time, her parents are still there. Clay's grouchier than ever and fussing about his health and Willie Rae has her own timetable going for getting on the cruise ship to Hawaii. Both character traits, the irascibility and the determination are familiar to viewers because Brenda's a tintype of her folks; even if she would be loathe admitting it.

Kick-ass ratings and another Emmy nomination for Kyra Sedgwick have led TNT to renew The Closer for a fourth season. The police procedural is currently in the middle of its third season and is enjoying huge ratings for a cable series. Last week, it ranked #1 in cable Nielsens with more than 7 million viewers. Overall ratings for The Closer are up 15 percent over last summer.

I review The Closer for TV Squad, and I have to say that this is a spectacular season so far. The investigations are more thrilling and the characters--especially Dep. Chief Brenda Johnson--are getting more complicated, and therefore more interesting. If you haven't been keeping up, you can watch the latest episode on TNT's website or the entire season on iTunes.