The Closer - "Sudden Death"

One of the best things The Closer has going for it is the stellar supporting cast. One of the weaknesses of the show is how they handle the members of the squad that aren't Detectives Flynn or Provenza--Gabriel's usage has sure slipped this year. Gina Ravera's Det. Daniels is probably treated the worst on the average "words per episode" scale, beating out Raymond Cruz' Det. Sanchez by a good measure. Frankly, I could live without Daniels--she brings little to the screen aside from being the only female not named Johnson (Willie Ray or Brenda Leigh). But I'm always wanting more Sanchez.

This week's episode was perfect for me. No Daniels screen time (that I noticed, anyway) and plenty of Sanchez. I don't want to get into the details, because I know not everyone has seen it yet, but WOW. Cruz earned his paycheck this week--everyone did, really. Even those players that had few lines nailed it--the way they stood, the looks they gave--every little detail fit just right in this tense story.

Not sure that this one matches Season 3's "Ruby," but "Sudden Death" stands as one of the best episodes of the show, most likely the strongest of the year.