Season 7, Episode 20: Armed Response - August 6, 2012

Change is good...at least that's what everyone says...and really, who is everyone? The 2010 season of The Closer began with my desk in the same place, but with a new wardrobe crew. Eric, my costume supervisor had decided to move on. I hired two new set costumers, Melissa Kidd and Felicia Molinari and Emilo was back to take care of Kyra and I had a new cutter fitter, Maria. Change is good. It seemed like a fresh start emotionally and professionally. Sure we miss the old habits, the old memories the old ways of doing things and then welcome the new...the eager to please, the new approach to solving the same old problems. There was no real change to Brenda Leigh's fashion world. There were new vintage Irene suits and new colors of cashmere sweaters, I think when anyone...there's that word, kind of like "everyone", when anyone gets comfortable in ones skin, ones life, there doesn't need to be too much change in the everyday, the mundane tasks of "getting dressed" even on a TV show where designers and producers want to update a characters wardrobe every season, but that's not real life and even though we in TV are dealing with a "reel" life, I like that a character keep wearing the same old things... with a few updates of course.

Provenza wears the same old ties, of course he had a gal pal that updated his wardrobe for him... Tao never gets too far away from his miss-matched plaids and stripes. Sanchez wears suits and shirts from Season One! Buzz is about the only one that kind of reinvents himself every year, but still maintains the same style and color story. In "Armed Response" Brenda came back from the funeral in Atlanta in a black coat, respectful for her mourning and an early Irene suit from Season three. A subtle shade of gray, I would loved to have had her stay in black like Queen Victoria, but my producers opted for a respectful shade of gray. This for me perhaps was the best-acted episode of The Closer in over one hundred hours of first class TV. If Kyra doesn't win another Emmy for the performance when the nominations are given out next year... well, there's no justice in Hollywood. I sat in front of my television shaking my head at the range of emotions and fierce acting chops that she has imbued Brenda Leigh Johnson with for all these many years. I am in awe of her talent. The touching last scene of Brenda sitting on the bed where just last week Willie Ray had died, thoughtful, mourning, sad, worried and wearing THE sweater... her touchstone, her go-to comfort sweater. I never could have imagined that some woven cashmere would mean so much to her, to me, to her story. Next week we'll see if change is good... the last episode of The Closer ever... and my last Fashion File blog... ever?