Major Crimes is a well written show. We look forward to watching it every week. Thought we would miss the Closer but this show is so good we have not. Look forward to next summer when it returns.

Major Crimes is a great crime-solving series. I watched the first episode and it was interesting, intriguing and quite smart. The acting --especially McDonnell-- is superb. She's incredibly versatile and her character will grab your attention immediately. If you watched The Closer, this will feel familiar, but also renewed with new interesting things to explore. I'm definitely watching the whole thing.… Expand

Great show better than the closer after 5 year run. It was time for Brenda to go. Too predictable and Mary McDonald is an excellent replacement. I was a loyal fan of the closer but Branda's character just became to predicatable and irritating. All the lying and excuses every show to her family just became boring instead of cute and funny

As this review is written, this series has shown four episodes. In some respects, this first season is a rehash of its progenitor, "The Closer." We have familiarity with most of the cast, including the new protagonist, Capt. Sharon Raydor, portrayed by Mary McDonnell, who has been a recurring character for the past three seasons. The creators' job is to somewhat rehabilitate this character and make her more likable. The device they use is the "adoption" of a street kid who is a material witness in a serial murder. They also have her slowly winning over the squad who was intensely loyal to former chief, Brenda Leigh Johnson, who is no longer seen. The transition has been slow and plodding. The cases pursued by the squad have been less than potent compared to the prior series.

However, it's early yet. There are six more episodes to this season to be played out over the fall, and presumably, around the holidays. Will "Major Crimes" attain the popularity of its predecessor? The jury is still out.

UPDATE:

The first season has now concluded and the good news is that the series has gotten much better. The emphasis on making deals in order to close cases has been de-emphasized and the cases have more of the twist and turns that "The Closer" had in its cases.

The device of incorporating the street kid, Rusty Beck, into Sharon Raydor's life has been effective. It shows us another side of a character who, until exposed, has been an anathema to fans of "The Closer." In fact, by season's end, young Mr. Beck has been "adopted" not just by many of the fans and Capt. Raydor, but by the Major Crimes squad itself.

The other new character introduced, Det. Amy Skyes, was also distasteful in introductory episodes. However, by season's end, she also gained her footing and became an integral part of the squad.

There are still problems. It's incongruous when the FBI's Fritz Howard is around that no mention of Chief Johnson is made. Johnson, Gabriel and Pope are unseen and, with the exception of Pope, seldom mentioned.

However, the play's the thing and the quality of the stories have been much more compelling. The characters are even more "familiar" with one another with a simple device of addressing one another by first names.

All in all, "Major Crimes" has developed into a solid series. I'm looking forward to next summer's 13 episodes.… Expand

Extremely well done. This is "The Closer" part two, with the same high quality acting, writing and directing. Mary McDonnell does not have Kyra's personality, quirkiness or appeal, but she still pulls off her sterner, stiffer approach to crime solving. The segue from "closing" to "conviction without trials", was a major coup for the writers.

Major Crimes basically picks up where The Closer left off. The cast seems to be trying extra hard to cover the hole left by the amazing Kyra Sedgwick. Maybe too hard. In one episode Mary McDonnell dramatically screams at a Lab Technician "don't put me on hold I am the police." The most interesting character might be the awkward yet strangely talented detective Amy Sykes played by Kearran Giovanni. The writing on the show is still top notch. The cast may want to dial it back a notch.… Expand

Major Crimes, following up The Closer, tries to inherit the cult of fans from its predecessor by keeping its entire cast (except for the main, of course). I tried to go into this show with an open mind and not as much as a sequel. Mary McDonnell, a great actress, gets stuck with the most boring character possible. She isn't allowed to show any type of emotion at any times and she acts professional 24/7. Most annoying of all, she inserts herself into situations too much. Obviously as the lead character & as Captain of the LAPD's Major Crimes, she's bound to be around a lot to make sure the suspects are locked up and convicted. However, Captain Sharon Raydor is a nuisance and constant bother where she should just let the investigation hold itself. The main characters also have no chemistry or charisma on this TNT installment whatsoever, even less than their final season on "The Closer" where they were closer than ever. Not to mention that adding two more detective is not only excessive, but confusing to the fanbase. Major Crimes forces its viewers to focus on and only on Captain Raydor, who is constantly disrespectful and ignorant to any suggestions or insertions by her Detective Lieutenants. The biggest distraction in the room is the unnecessary addition of Raydor's adoptive son, Rusty Beck. In an backdoor attempt to meet the burden of getting into Raydor's personal life in comparison to Brenda Leigh Johnson's, the showrunners add Beck to show the compassion and care Raydor can have (which fails terribly). All of this is added onto a basic, if not terrible, kindergarten-like Crime Drama script. Even with McDonnell's unfortunately getting stuck with a mediocre character, the rest of the cast is colorful, well played and intelligent.
Unfortunately, "Major Crimes" is nothing as advertised, and has yet to prove how it is starting "a new chapter" in LAPD's Major Crimes Unit. If you look at it with enough of an open mind and without focusing on Raydor too much, It's worth watching if there's nothing better on. Just don't DARE compare it to "The Closer"… Expand

The intensity of Brenda's character coupled with the fast pace of the plot made The Closer highly successful. And since the debut of Major Crimes was intentionally billed as a hand-off, it failed. It promised something but did not deliver and the failure is due to the slow-paced, deliberate style of Major Raydor whose personality suits a support character--and fails as the pivotal lead. Provenza's character is groping for some strength, but it's not clear he will deliver. And if the excitement is around plea bargaining--which is what is suggested--then this series will focus on arrogant lawyers glaring across a table and not the kick-ass smarts of a great detective. It's a recipe for boring.… Expand

Major Crimes was a major disappointment for me. By retaining almost the entire cast of The Closer the show invites a comparison in which, in my opinion, it comes off as a pale imitation of the original. While Mary McDonnell is a fine actress her character is not likable and the manner in which she is installed as the head of Major Crimes made that situation even worse for me.

That same situation and the events that it causes also made me dislike Assistant Chief Taylor even more that I did in the first few seasons of The Closer. The same was true of Chief Pope even though he did not appear on screen. While their actions can be attributed to political realities that fact does not make any of them more sympathetic to the audience.

Added to this is the addition of another cast member whose character is also made to be rather unlikable by the manner in which she gets her promotion to the squad.

For me all that Major Crimes accomplished was to make me miss The Closer. I will watch the second episode to give it a chance to change my mind but if it is more of the same I won't be watching the third. I do not enjoy watching shows when this many cast members are not likable.… Expand