Just finished watching the first episode of TNTs new drama, Major Crimes, a spin-off from the highly successful and critically acclaimed drama The Closer which ended last Monday, August 13. During the last six episodes of The Closer, TNT prepared its audience for the coming of Major Crimes by laying the foundations for the majority of the characters' backgrounds. It also seemed as if the show was purposefully making the parting from the wonderful Brenda Leigh Johnson less painful by making it seem as if she was starting to loose a grip on what her real function as the Chief of Major Crimes was. TNT also attempted to warm the audience up to Mary McDonnell's character, Captain Rayder. During the last few episodes of The Closer, I gotta say that I was starting to root for Rayder. You actually became upset (and not because of Rayder's seemingly huge, horrific hairstyle) because Brenda didn't seem to really be giving Rayder a chance and it seemed as if Rayder was really trying to help Brenda out. It seemed as if she really agreed with what Brenda was doing and understood and wanted to continue her work. Well, let me just tell you all something people. SHENANIGANS. The entire plot of the first episode of Major Crimes was basically to undo everything that Brenda had done which, in my opinion, is actually kind of a dick thing to do. I also don't understand why they had to have Rayder take over as the head of Major Crimes. I really don't understand why it wouldn't have been possible to have Provenza, played by G.W. Bailey, take over the division. The tension between the two and the division seems completely unnecessary to the plot of the show. I personally believe that the transition from The Closer to Major Crimes could have been handled by making Provenza the lead and bringing in one or two more characters to work in the division in order to provide the necessary conflict thats needed for a show to survive. The entire last season of The Closer it seemed as if Flynn and Provenza were somehow going to be almost like a duo comic act. I saw none of that in this first episode. To be honest, I didn't even attempt to laugh once and I basically laugh at everything. Actually, Flynn seemed almost constipated and the only speaking that Provenza did was to whine to Assistant Chief Taylor about the indignity of putting Rayder ahead of him. And what in the world is up with the plea-bargaining? Why in the world would you make that the focus of the show?!? You could just sense the tension in the room when that was going on and to be honest, I don't want to watch another Law and Order type show which is really what this seems to be turning into. Why would I want to watch the police officers run around for about half the show to solve it and then watch all of their hard work be whittled away because the city doesn't have the money to pay for trials? I personally don't want to watch week after week a different attorney coming in to plea-bargain so that we don't gain any back story on the crime or the criminals or victims and for the majority of the Major Crimes Division to be out of the picture. I understand that they didn't want Rayder to attempt to be getting confessions as freakingly amazingly as Brenda but seriously there has got to be another way then making us watch plea-bargaining. Also, not a huge fan of this new detective, Sykes. She seems like a brown-noser, which is the last thing this show needs is for everything to be divided along gender lines. And Rusty? WTF? I am just not feeling that dynamic. Also, how is he going to be under adult supervision 24/7 if he's living at Rayder's house? What, is Rayder going to bring him to work because, not gonna lie, I'm not a huge fan of Rusty's character. He's wicked annoying. If this show doesn't really start showcasing the other characters of the Major Crimes Division and doesn't stop this plea-bargaining shenanigans this show is going to get cancelled quickly. I'm going to watch for another episode, but I seriously hope that I get to watch the Major Crimes Division actually have dialogue and interact with one another rather than watch Rayder with her horrible skin and ridiculous amount of hair. Seriously, who is the hairstylist on the show and why in the world do you allow her hair which has obviously been treated before and is starting to get fried wear her hair down for all the world to see? And why is it SO BIG?!? Its very distracting.
Bottom Line: Major Crimes better change its act soon otherwise it will be a cancelled. Fast.
