After nearly three months of waiting, TNT's The Closer finally concluded its third season on Monday.  The police drama that focuses on sensitive, high-profile murder cases returned to give its fans a treat in time for the holiday season with a two-hour special episode called “Next of Kin.”

In the season 3 ender, Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) found an opportunity to visit home when she attempts to track down a witness who disappears to Atlanta.  Unfortunately, her holiday with the family takes on a whole new meaning after tracking down her witness.

As basic cable's most-viewed scripted series, many fans approached The Closer's two-part episode with excitement.  However, not everyone was satisfied with outcome of the so-called Christmas treat.  “Next of Kin” earned mixed reviews evidently seen on various websites, forums and message boards.

For some fans, the episode met their expectations.  According to those who were satisfied, the finale was built around interrogations and had great material for the supporting cast of characters, without whom the series just wouldn't be the same.  It also had the jolt of the good-old-fashioned police procedural business.  On the other hand, there were also those who considered the finale to be a complete drag with far-fetched plots and a slightly clichéd ending.

Meanwhile, lead star Kyra Sedgwick acknowledges the fact that Christmas-themed episodes are quite difficult to do.

"Every year we go someplace different.  There's a lot of pressure at Christmas because you're supposed to get together and have a great time, and we have this iconic picture of what everything is supposed to look like from the Bing Crosby movies we see on television," Sedgwick said.  "It can never live up to our expectations because it's always complicated and different than what it looks like in the turkey ads.”

But while fans disagree with their opinions on the finale, they eagerly unite in anticipation of the next season.  The cable network has already renewed the series for a fourth season, with 15 new episodes to air in the summer of 2008.


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: TV Guide, TNT
(Image courtesy of TNT)