LIFE OF ‘CRIMES’
TNT drama gets a reprieve from expected death sentence
Warning: Spoilers ahead from the “Major Crimes” Season 5 finale
N OW that’s a major twist.
Last year when “Major Crimes” creator James Duff was writing the two-part Season 5 finale — which concluded Wednesday night — it was originally planned as a series finale.
“It felt like a fait accompli, that we were packing our bags and leaving,” Duff says. But the series was renewed by TNT in January, which led, Duff says, to “a lot of changes.”
Series-ender or not, the finale was, quite literally, an explosive one as Captain Sharon Raydor (Mary McDonnell) and her team tracked down a bomber who targeted the LAPD with a massive blast in the Major Crimes department. “We tried to create a huge spectacle for our fan base and we saved our budget dollars to do it,” Duff says of the explosion, which left the show’s characters surprisingly unscathed. “I already killed one character and got a lot of grief for it. I felt like there was a limit to how many could go,” Duff says, alluding to the shooting death of Assistant Chief Russell Taylor (Robert Gossett) before last fall’s midseason break. Taylor’s demise led to a power struggle between Raydor and Deputy Chief Winnie Davis (Camryn Manheim in a recurring role), both in the running to replace him.
The finale instead elevated Commander Leo Mason (Leonard Roberts) to assistant chief with Raydor promoted to commander. That sets the stage for “bigger storytelling than what we’ve been doing” next season, says Duff, adding that Manheim’s reappearance is still a possibility. One key narrative: the return of serial killer Philip Stroh (Billy Burke) — a character that originated on “The Closer” — who will be part of a fourpart arc that “will loom over all of Season 6,” Duff says.
The finale also saw the heartbreaking split between Raydor’s son Rusty (Graham Patrick Martin) and his boyfriend Gus (Rene Rosado), who left for a job in Napa. But not all love is lost, says Duff: the engagement of Raydor and Lt. Andy Flynn (Tony Denison) will culminate in their marriage about a third of the way through next season. —