Am I The Only One Not on The Closer Bandwagon?

From the Archives: This one is from August 2007. I still don't watch The Closer and still don't know what the fuss is all about. I did try it again, maybe a month ago. Groundbreaking and moving it was not. I'll stick to my other shows instead. Too bad. I do love Kyra.

What is with everyone loving The Closer? I just don't get it. I thought I would like the show, I am a fan of Kyra Sedgwick and I love Dr. Emil Skoda (I hope you get this reference, but just in case, Dr. Skoda is the name of JK Simmons longtime character on Law & Order). I watched it for the first few episodes when it premiered a couple of years ago. I wanted to like it. I really did, but it wasn't happening and from what I can tell, not much has changed since I last watched.

So, what's my problem with this show? Several things. First let me say, terrible title for a show. I mean, I've heard it pronounced both ways, which is never good, and besides that, it just isn't the right title for this. We are talking about people here, you "close" a deal, you don't "close" a person, it's insensitive to term it that way and sort of inhumane. And I don't really see it as "closing a case".

My biggest problem is I think I find the show a bit insulting to women and what many probably view as quirky, I view as unnecessary and sorta demeaning more than anything else. Now, I think many won't understand my point of view here simply by virtue of there being a female lead who is shown to be the most skillful in his job and in her department. I guess I think this just masks what I find insulting, it doesn't excuse it and in many ways allows it to happen. Would they have her character with these tendencies without her being the lead? Probably not because then it would stick out as more demeaning to women.

So, what's insulting? Like I said, I'm sure people will think of it as quirky. Her tendency to starve herself and then almost binge eat is cringe-worthy and not a good message to women and her need to be fashionable and buying habits are very stereotypical. Also, don't think that a female detective such as Kyra's character Brenda Johnson would realistically wear dresses around the precinct, at the crime scene, or interview witnesses. This isn't the 1950s, women are allowed to wear pants and most do, especially when it is literally at odds with functioning in your occupation. These may sound like small things, but they aren't as much so since she's in just about every scene, it became quite annoying.

I also think the supporting characters on here are pretty weak and them not appreciating a female detective is a pretty old storyline that doesn't bear repeating. I mean, you don't see them playing that up with Olivia (Mariska Hargitay) on Law & Order: SVU because it's been done and detracts from what is happening on the show. So, I could do without that. Now, obviously I don't consider JK Simmons a weak supporting character, and the interaction between Kyra and JK was one of my favorite parts of the show, they have a great dynamic. I also liked Jon Tenney's character. It's not that the acting is bad by the rest of the cast, but I also wouldn't call it a strength on the show.

So, are people loving this show more because they get to see Kyra in action more than loving the entire show by itself? I definitely think this is possible since the show has been critically acclaimed to a large extent and has received many awards and nominations, but they are almost all for Kyra, not for the show itself.