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.

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

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, 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

Slow and boring. The old characters have been diluted and the new lead is weak. The Rusty story is improbable and irrelevant. Very little to hold my attention. I watched my last episode tonight.

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

This show takes what The Closer had going to new heights, Mary McDonnell is incredible and brings new perspective to what was becoming a monotonous tv series, can't wait for

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

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