The Closer
Confession is good for the soul

// The skinny: Brenda Lee Johnson has moved from Atlanta to LA to serve as the new deputy chief for the priority homocide division. She works with her unit to solve crimes and then pulls a confession from the suspect while trying to manage her personal life.

// Review: The Closer is sort of a guilty pleasure for me. Sort of because while none of my friends would guess I watch this show, it's not bad and I'm not embarrassed to watch it. Unlike a buddy of mine who watches So You Think You Can Dance and The Ghost Whisperer.

/ This show really isn't all that different from the Sharks, the NYPD Blues, or the 700 CSIs and Law and Order spin offs. The formula is that someone gets whacked, a few characters are introduced, the least suspicious one is the real perp, and then Brenda works out a confession by lulling them with her Southern belle schtick before blindsiding them.

/ The reason why this show works for me over all of the other aforementioned ones is Kyra Sedgwick. She is really good even though it looks like she aged 25 years since Phenomenom. While her character is a fantastic investigator and interrogator, like most of us, her life is a mess. She is constantly juggling her work and private life and usually the two coalesce into her work life. Usually some situation outside of work triggers something inside her head, which leads her to her 'aha!' moment that cracks the case.

// Wrap up: TNT is extremely proud that this is the highest rated cable show of all time. Surprisingly good drama, able to be more shocking since it's on cable, Kyra Sedgwick is really good, and Brenda's disaster of a personal life is genuinely funny.

Entertainment rating: 4