The Closer
Aug. 24th, 2011 10:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
telperion1I've been watching old episodes of The Closer in a spurt of last-of-summer freedom tonight. In this case it's a downloaded version of the third season, which ends with two double-episode sets - a Christmas, and the season finale about the murder of a lawyer (it's a rare episode where the case actually goes to trial). In downloaded form these episode sets are 12-13 and 14-15, respectively.
The thing is, the timeline gets a bit screwy here. It's at the end of the season finale that Brenda agrees to put hers and her affianced's house on the market. This is a major plot point - it's a mark of trust in their future that Brenda is finally willing to make this step. The Christmas special begins with a real estate broker showing their house, which would suggest that the Christmas special is set after the season finale, chronologically. It was also broadcast last. I can see why the download would order the season finale last, since it makes the most emotional sense of that season's characterization arcs and so on.
Only... not so much. The Christmas special has a scene where Brenda has to get a suspect drunk. Fritz objects to this because the suspect has a history of substance abuse (both drug and alcohol), but Brenda decides to go on with the drinking since they are trying to prevent a future crime and need information out of them. What struck me was Brenda's and Fritz's interaction over the booze. If she already knew that Fritz was a recovering alcoholic (revealed in the season episode) then she's being incredibly callous. She might still decide to go on with the plan, but I don't think even she would brush off his concerns. I also think Fritz would be much more upset with her than he was. Fritz can get upset quite well; in that episode he's given Brenda the evil eye over how much money she is spending carelessly, lying to her dad, and even over not helping him load their suitcases into the RV.
I know, this is a little thing, and I probably shouldn't complain. Still, the timeline issue irks me. It left me scratching my head on how to situate things in my mind.
The thing is, the timeline gets a bit screwy here. It's at the end of the season finale that Brenda agrees to put hers and her affianced's house on the market. This is a major plot point - it's a mark of trust in their future that Brenda is finally willing to make this step. The Christmas special begins with a real estate broker showing their house, which would suggest that the Christmas special is set after the season finale, chronologically. It was also broadcast last. I can see why the download would order the season finale last, since it makes the most emotional sense of that season's characterization arcs and so on.
Only... not so much. The Christmas special has a scene where Brenda has to get a suspect drunk. Fritz objects to this because the suspect has a history of substance abuse (both drug and alcohol), but Brenda decides to go on with the drinking since they are trying to prevent a future crime and need information out of them. What struck me was Brenda's and Fritz's interaction over the booze. If she already knew that Fritz was a recovering alcoholic (revealed in the season episode) then she's being incredibly callous. She might still decide to go on with the plan, but I don't think even she would brush off his concerns. I also think Fritz would be much more upset with her than he was. Fritz can get upset quite well; in that episode he's given Brenda the evil eye over how much money she is spending carelessly, lying to her dad, and even over not helping him load their suitcases into the RV.
I know, this is a little thing, and I probably shouldn't complain. Still, the timeline issue irks me. It left me scratching my head on how to situate things in my mind.
