Major Crimes (TV series)
Major Crimes is an American television police procedural series starring Mary McDonnell. It is a continuation spin-off of The Closer, set in the same police division, now headed by McDonnell's character, Sharon Raydor. It premiered on TNT August 13, 2012, following The Closer finale.
In January 2017, during Major Crimes fifth season, TNT renewed the series for a 13-episode sixth season. On October 3, the network announced the sixth season would be its last. Series star McDonnell commented on Instagram, "as many of you have stated, this was not a surprise. The writing was clearly on the wall. Trying to make sense of TNT's choices is an activity that James Duff and Mike Robin and all of us have been engaged in for a long time." The final season premiered on October 31, 2017, and ended on January 9, 2018, wrapping the series with 105 episodes.
Premise
With the sudden departure of Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson sending tremors throughout the entire Los Angeles Police Department, Captain Sharon Raydor faces difficult challenges as she assumes Johnson's former post as head of the Major Crimes Division. For one, as a former internal-affairs officer, many of her squad members do not trust her. Additionally, the controversial new rules she had instituted as head of the Force Investigation Division are reaping unintended consequences at crime scenes. Finally, the LAPD's new cost-saving policy of striking deals with violent criminals instead of extracting confessions from them is generating additional rancor among the rank and file, particularly with Major Crimes' senior officer, Lieutenant Provenza.Raydor's foster son Rusty Beck adds more drama to Raydor's personal life, but it bleeds into her professional life as well, since Rusty is the key eyewitness in the trial of serial killer Philip Stroh. Rusty ends up attending the same Catholic school Raydor's grown children once attended.
The series stars numerous cast members continuing in their roles from The Closer, including actors Mary McDonnell, G.W. Bailey, Tony Denison, Michael Paul Chan, Raymond Cruz, Phillip P. Keene, Robert Gossett, Jonathan Del Arco and Jon Tenney. They are joined by Graham Patrick Martin as Rusty and Kearran Giovanni as Detective Amy Sykes, the only main character not previously seen on The Closer.
Cast and characters
Main cast and characters
- Mary McDonnell as Captain Sharon Raydor, lead officer of the Major Crimes Division. As a well-known internal-affairs officer, she is initially distrusted by other members of the squad when she is named head of the division. She takes in and later adopts Rusty Beck, a material witness in a murder trial, and in the course of the series she falls in love with her subordinate, Lt. Andy Flynn.
- G. W. Bailey as Detective Lieutenant Louie Provenza, second-in-command of Major Crimes, primary incident commander, and a vocal critic of Capt. Raydor—though the two come to an understanding and learn to work together. One of the LAPD's most senior officers, he is known for his four ex-wives, whom he detests. In the series he begins to date a woman who becomes his fifth wife. He also takes a role in assuring Rusty's well-being, grudgingly at first.
- Tony Denison as Detective Lieutenant Andy Flynn. He has a history with Lt. Provenza and is a recovering alcoholic. He eventually marries Cdr. Raydor.
- Michael Paul Chan as Detective Lieutenant Michael Tao, who specializes in some of the more technical aspects of crime investigations. He is a consultant on the fictional crime show Badge of Justice.
- Raymond Cruz as Detective Julio Sanchez, the squad's gang-activity expert who suffers from anger-management issues.
- Kearran Giovanni as Detective Amy Sykes, an ambitious new officer in Major Crimes. In early episodes she is derided as a "suck-up" by Lt. Provenza, and is often seen complimenting Capt. Raydor.
- Phillip P. Keene as Civilian Surveillance Coordinator Buzz Watson. Although himself white, he and Det. Sanchez are the only members of the squad who speak Spanish.
- Graham Patrick Martin as Russell "Rusty" Beck, Sharon Raydor's adopted teenage son. A former child-sex worker, he witnessed a serial killer dumping the body of one of his victims in Griffith Park, and from then on became the ward of the LAPD and Capt. Raydor. He initially resists Captain Raydor, though he comes to love her. He also struggles with sexuality issues. In the fourth season Rusty starts dating Gus.
- Jonathan Del Arco as Dr. Fernando Morales, Los Angeles County Deputy Medical Examiner. As a gay man he occasionally educates squad members about gay culture.
- Robert Gossett as Assistant Chief Russell Taylor, Assistant Chief of Operations. An antagonistic character in The Closer, Chief Taylor has a much better rapport with Capt. Raydor.
- Jon Tenney as Deputy Chief Fritz Howard, retired FBI Special Agent; currently Deputy Chief of the LAPD Special Operations Bureau, who served temporarily as the Acting Assistant Chief of Operations. He is the husband of The Closer's Brenda Johnson, the previous commander of the Major Crimes squad, who is never seen in Major Crimes.
- Leonard Roberts as Assistant Chief Leo Mason, Taylor's replacement as Assistant Chief of Operations
- Daniel Di Tomasso as Detective Wes Nolan, an undercover detective on temporary duty with Major Crimes
- Jessica Meraz as Detective Camila Paige, a new recruit to Major Crimes who has a past with Provenza
Recurring cast and characters
- Kathe Mazur as Deputy District Attorney Andrea Hobbs
- Ransford Doherty as Medical Examiner's Investigator Kendall
- Ian Bohen as Daniel Dunn, Rusty's biological father
- Nadine Velazquez as Deputy District Attorney Emma Rios
- Madison McLaughlin as Kris Slater, Rusty's schoolmate who has an unrequited love for him
- Bill Brochtrup as Dr. Joe Bowman, Rusty's therapist, an occasional consultant with the Major Crimes unit
- Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Lieutenant Chuck Cooper, head of the LAPD's Special Investigation Section and Sykes' boyfriend
- Tom Berenger as Jackson Raydor, a successful lawyer and Sharon Raydor's troubled ex-husband
- Dawnn Lewis as Patrice Perry, Provenza's girlfriend and, later, fourth wife. She was introduced in the third season as the grandmother of a psychotic killer.
- Ever Carradine as Sharon Beck, Rusty's biological mother
- Billy Burke as Phillip Stroh, a cunning lawyer and serial killer who resurfaces periodically
- Rene Rosado as Gustavo "Gus" Wallace, Rusty's boyfriend
- Garrett Coffey as Greg "Slider" Rasenick, the murderer of Gustavo Wallace's sister, Mariana
Development and production
Following an average of over 7 million viewers for its first season, TNT renewed Major Crimes for a 15-episode second season on September 27, 2012, which the network increased to 19 episodes in April 2013. Season 2 premiered on June 10, 2013. The series was renewed for a third season of 15 episodes on August 15, 2013, which aired from June 9, 2014, through January 12, 2015. On July 18, 2014, TNT renewed Major Crimes for a 15-episode fourth season, later expanded to 23 episodes, which aired from June 8, 2015, to March 14, 2016. On December 15, 2015, TNT renewed the series for a 13-episode fifth season, On June 22, 2016, TNT ordered eight additional episodes for season five, bringing the total to 21. On January 18, 2017, the series was renewed for a 13-episode sixth season, clarified in October as the final season, which aired from October 31, 2017, to January 9, 2018.
Episodes
Home media
Reception
Major Crimes received a score of 65/100 and "generally favorable" reviews based on 17 critics at Metacritic.Newsdays Verne Gay gave the series a B+ grade, calling it "sharply written, acted and directed", adding "producers now have to turn an antagonist into a full-time protagonist. Let the metamorphosis begin."
Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times called the series a "nice balance between the tragic and comic", citing Mary McDonnell's performance as "modulated and cool, but with a blue-flame intensity".
Entertainment Weeklys Ken Tucker thought there were "fundamental distinctions" between The Closers Brenda Leigh Johnson and Major Crimes Sharon Raydor that "render the shows very different", adding "I've always found Raydor's serene assurance a palliative to the twitchy eccentricity of Kyra Sedgwick's Johnson."
Mike Hale of The New York Times thought the series " the dullest character from the old show the central figure of the new one," adding "Major Crimes feels like a reasonably sharp black-and-white copy of The Closer, but fans of the franchise are likely to miss the color provided by Ms. Sedgwick’s vivid performance."
The first episode, helped by the final episode of The Closer airing beforehand, had 9.5 million viewers, the largest viewership for a series premiere on basic cable. Its first season ratings were the highest for any new show on cable.
Broadcasts
Major Crimes airs on TNT in the United States. In Canada, it was aired on Super Channel from August 22, 2012 to 2016. In Australia it airs on 9Gem. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Major Crimes began airing on Universal Channel on March 18, 2013.In late 2016, Major Crimes entered broadcast syndication in the United States.