Great Action Sequence: The Closer

Great action sequences are usually described as huge events: big explosions, leveled buildings, massive body counts, endless minutes in which viewers like me check their watches.

Elsewhere I commend Die Hard for being remarkably brief in its action sequences. Although I love The Lord of the Rings movies, I tuned out a sizable portion of The Return of the King. One reaches a point where one just doesn't care about one person shooting or punching or stabbing another person.

I'm a big fan not only of short action sequences but of plausible, even slowly paced ones. One of my absolute favorites takes place in The Closer, "Waivers of Expedition," directed by Kevin Bacon.

Major Crimes chases down a serial killer driving a car trailer. He is not driving slowly but is also not driving tremendously fast, which makes the maneuvering of the chasers possible. There's never any question that the killer will be caught--even if Sanchez didn't succeed (which he does)--yet the sequence is still riveting.

And, Xander Berkeley guest stars (hooray). 

This is the way action should be! Scarecrow & Mrs King has an equally awesome sequence in the episode "Burn Out". It isn't a big deal, just a truck smashing through a shack.

It's enough!