Major Crimes Season 4

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

Phillip Stroh may be gone, but Major Crimes is back! The powerful crime drama featuring some of television’s favorite characters continues for another gripping season of cases as law enforcement officers and prosecutors work together to score a conviction. The fantastic ensemble cast is led by the Oscar®-nominated Mary McDonnell, and the series remains one of basic cable’s Top 10 original series.

The level of acting in this show, as with The Closer, is so good, that it would be worth watching just for that reason. However, the writing is also top-notch, and the stories are interesting. I feel like I am getting an insider’s look at part of policing, as far as the politics, the inter- and intra-departmental squabbles, and the issues–like Julio’s rage–that come along with the job. I like the lighter episodes, and always enjoy seeing the stars they get in guest roles. I think they–and The Closer–have done one of the best jobs on TV as far as diversity in age,k race, and ethnicity, and Major Crimes has done much better as far as women in regards to diversity. The women also–usually–dress appropriately for actual jobs, which I like to see. I have enjoyed the story lines with Rusty, and thought they did a good job with his sexuality and the mixed emotions it caused him to have. I also like the personal stories we get glimpses of. I believe they also used hanged correctly–as when someone was hanged, or hanged himself (cannot remember); most other shows use “hung” and I know I am picky but it drives me crazy! Writers–even on TV–should know grammar! Back on track: Obviously, I am a big fan! I highly recommend Major Crimes!

-Mary Christine Delea

Major Crimes (AKA “Everybody Loves Rusty”) continues to deliver engaging tales of this LAPD squad of dedicated detectives. The largely intact cast from “The Closer” tackle a diverse caseload of homicidal mayhem and as always are fun to watch. Less rewarding for viewers is the somewhat strained ongoing makeover of Capt Sharon Raydor (Mary McDonnell). The efforts trying to transform her cold, by-the-book persona into a more likable character seem contrived to me. First we had her taking in and later adopting perpetual crime witness Rusty Beck (more on him later) and this season we have Raydor dating Lt Andy Flynn (Tony Dennison), a guy who previously loathed her. It’s hard to believe that a former Internal Affairs officer who is known for her strict adherence to the rules would engage in this sort of fraternization. She’s Flynn’s supervisor, would rate him on performance reports, and ethically it’s just wrong. They’re supposedly “being careful”, whatever that means, but inevitably there’ll be a complaint about favoritism and this relationship will prove toxic to the squad’s good order and discipline. They both should know better.

I know there are many besides myself who are long past being fatigued with the prominence Rusty Beck’s role has achieved. Appearing in the finale of “The Closer” as a witness against Deputy Chief Johnson’s serial killer nemesis, Philip Stroh, Rusty should have been a dispensable peripheral character. Instead, the writers decided to exploit this needy street kid and use him as a vehicle to help audiences warm up to the icy Capt Raydor. Raydor’s primary job on “The Closer” was to serve as a reappearing obstacle to the freewheeling Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson and play the villain within the department using rules and regulations as her weapons of choice. So, Rusty lives on, and on, and on and has insinuated himself to a ridiculous degree into the Major Crimes unit. The access this budding journalist has to sensitive information is just preposterous; no way in real life they’d let this kid hang around the murder room as he does. Graham Patrick Martin who plays Beck is probably a nice guy and I wish him well but Rusty detracts from an otherwise great show…he needs to join the Peace Corps and move to Pago-Pago. This would allow future scripts to explore the back stories of main characters; how about Sykes, whom we know very little about after 4 years as an example?

The theme for this season seems to be romantic relationships, everyone’s getting them. I’ve mentioned the Raydor/Flynn dating already, we also have Sykes is seeing SIS Lt. Chuck Cooper played by Malcolm-Jamal Warner, then unlikely couple Provenza and Patrice (Dawnn Lewis) are getting serious, Julio finds someone to be involved with and of course Rusty isn’t left wanting. He actually gets two boyfriends this time around, first a cell phone expert dude who helps him track down the brother of a victim from last season but it doesn’t work out. Then later when Rusty finds the missing brother (who’s conveniently turns out to be gay) their relationship evolves. For me it’s all a bit too much and consumes valuable screen time. I know it can’t be murder all the time but this season’s love-fest seemed to be overboard.

Good news for fans is that the series while finishing up it’s fifth season in broadcast has already been renewed for a sixth. Spin off’s are a funny thing, huge hits like M*A*S*H* results in colossal dud “After MASH” but shows like CSI spawns innumerable successful clones. “The Closer” ran for 7 years and the rate it’s successor is going it will do the same or better. In a sea of mind numbing reality shows “Major Crimes” stands out and provides excellent entertainment.

– Colonel D

DVD Wholesale Main Features :   

Actors: Mary McDonnell, G.W. Bailey, Tony Denison, Michael Paul Chan, Raymond Cruz
Producers: James Duff, Greer Shephard, Michael M. Robin, Rick Wallace, Adam Belanoff
Format: Box set, Color, NTSC
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)
Number of discs: 5
Rated: NR – Not Rated
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: May 24, 2016
Run Time: 1012 minutes