Quicklet on The Closer Season 1

The Closer introduced TV mystery fans to the prickly and intense Brenda Leigh Johnson, a brilliant

CIA-trained interrogator recruited by L.A.P.D. Assistant Chief Will Pope to head a new homicide squad for high-profile cases. Johnson's thin veneer of Southern charm often cracks as

she hones in on a suspect, but she gets results: "She's not Miss Congeniality,

I'm aware of that, but she is a closer," Pope says.

A ratings smash for TNT, The Closer won fans thanks to its twisty plots and the portrayal of Brenda by Kyra Sedgwick, showing a woman confident in her investigative skills but awkward at personal relationships. It also paved the way for the debut of other original cable-TV series during the summer-rerun doldrums -- and shows with strong female characters over 40, such as TNT's Saving Grace with Holly Hunter and Hawthorne with Jada Pinkett Smith, plus Damages with Glenn Close on FX.

Go inside the initial season with this informative guide that includes detailed episode summaries, character bios, interesting trivia, and more.