Air Date: Monday, August 1, 2011, 9/8c
Brenda and Provenza talking shop
The opening scene of “Under Control” is artfully shot. We see a frantic woman screaming her child’s name while Capt. Raydor (Mary McDonnell) goes through a file related to the audit of not only the Major Crimes Division, but the whole of the L.A.P.D.
This week’s case involves a missing nine-year-old named Eric whom the team finds floating in a backyard swimming pool. What a sad case! A kid goes missing and the worst possible scenarios run through my mind. Unfortunately, the worst does happen and the entire team is broken up about it.
The departmental investigation is headed up by Capt. Raydor who is tough and won’t let her feelings about Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) deter her from doing her job. I think Raydor wants to see the team out of harm’s way, but she doesn’t truly know how to achieve that with what she knows. Truth be told, if this investigation could be swept under the rug, I think it would have happened already. But it can’t, so it isn’t going away, which is bad news for Brenda. Raydor walking Brenda through the scene where a former gang member was killed (the basis for the wrongful death suit) gets the job done. I’m convinced now how it would look to a juror; Brenda’s apparent negligence. I have mixed emotions about it though because at the time I felt Brenda performed her duty by doing what was asked of her. Now, I’m having doubts. I’m wondering what more she could or should have done. But what about the victims who were gunned down? Was no justice to be sought for them? Can we label Brenda’s judgment call as justice?
The acting in “Under Control” is top notch. The guest stars all do a great job portraying the right amount of grief, anger and frustration when necessary. I am very impressed with the quality actors The Closer puts forth for our entertainment. Not only do I empathize with the emotional current flowing through the episode, it makes me wonder how I would react in a similar situation.
I had no clue who was guilty or would want to commit such a heinous crime against a young child. Either the actors did such an excellent job or the writing was so on point, it was impossible for me to figure it out.
Capt. Raydor walking Brenda through the crime scene she's to blame for
There are no funny lines this week as the episode is very somber, but that doesn’t diminish the enjoyment I got from watching the acting, editing and camera work. One scene in particular where Brenda and Commander Taylor (Robert Gossett) are walking together is effective in showing the pace in which police officers move during a case. The swift movement of the camera following them as they walk the halls talking strategy, stops when they stop and then starts up again when they do.
“Under Control” is a tough episode to watch. The death of a child always affects me because I have a child and I don’t know how I would handle anything happening to her. So to find out Eric’s father (Marcus Giamatti) drugs him to make his mother (Meredith Monroe of Dawson’s Creek) look bad—well, low doesn’t even begin to cover it. You have to wonder what makes a parent even think to do something so reckless. I enjoyed the episode immensely despite the sad topic. There’s nothing that will replace the look on Tao’s (Michael Paul Chan) face as he gazes at Eric’s picture for the last time. I can only imagine what thoughts are running through his mind considering he has a son to be responsible for.
Tune in to The Closer, Mondays at 9/8c on TNT. For more on the show, visit http://www.tnt.tv/series/closer/.
All pictures ©Karen Neal/TNT Entertainment.
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