Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson returns for a third summer season in The Closer on Monday night and I'm happy. If Jane Tennison returned in another episode of Prime Suspect one day, I'd be thrilled.
Juicy screen roles for women with a little seasoning under their hats seem few and far between. The lead in The Closer was originally written for a male. It looks like there's a trend brewing as more talented actresses play lead and ensemble roles in cable and network television series.
Anytime we see exceptional writing for exceptional talent, we breathe a sigh of relief and relish the storytelling. While the writer brings a character to life on the page, both Kyra Sedgwick and Helen Mirren help us discover Brenda and Jane down to their bones.
Brenda and Jane could be us. We connect. We understand them. We feel their disappointment and glow with pride in their triumphs. We've been there. We enjoy watching them reveal who they are in ways which surprise us---and them.
The two remain different in personality, if not in their approach to life and career.
Take a look:
Addictions: Brenda is addicted to sweets, Jane to alcohol.
Sex & Relationships: Brenda satisfies her sexual libido with a guy from the office. Ditto for Jane. Their relationships develop into more than one-night stands.
Saying What They Mean: Brenda uses a true Southerner's affinity for meaningful metaphor when describing a situation. Jane uses the English language. Brenda and Jane never mince words.
Fashion Sense: Brenda's wears off-the-rack ensembles, perhaps Target-like vintage. Sometimes they're flowery and quirky with a classic jacket over a short dress or skirt. Jane often prefers white blouses, classic skirts and jackets, and sensible heels. She begins wearing colored blouses, a single strand of pearls and nice scarves. Fashion remains a necessary afterthought at first as both evolve their own sense of style.
Heart: Brenda often hides her heart. Jane hides hers. Both are softies who wear a suit of armor and tough-as-nails attitude. A natural survival instinct, look at their line of work.
Humor: Brenda comes with a sense of humor. Jane either lost it along the way or never had one.
Love & Family: Brenda grapples with insecurity, commitment, parental approval, and a ticking biological clock. Jane struggles with most of these same issues. And don't forget about Jane's abortion decision as her own biological clock ticked down.
Professional Reputation: Brenda's competency and skill drives her boss and the other guys a little nuts. As rivalry among department peers and her own staff develop, she deftly works around and through it. Ditto for Jane. Both face sabotage and work to restore their professional reputation.
As Helen Mirren discovered Jane Tennison, we grew to love and accept Jane along with her often self-destructive behaviors and misguided relationships between home and office. We rallied around Jane when plum assignments and promotions passed her by. We worried about Jane when she drove herself to right criminal wrong doing---she was losing herself in the process. And there were times when we didn't know if Jane would see the light of tomorrow.
During interviews promoting last year's final episode, Mirren remarked how easy it was for her to play Jane Tennison even after being away from the role several years. She said that it was as if she were meeting 'an old friend.' Mirren wore Jane well.
Kyra Sedgwick admits that after first turning down the role of Brenda Leigh Johnson, she kept hearing a voice in her head say Prime Suspect. We're happy she listened. Like Mirren wears Jane, Sedgwick wears Brenda well. Both actresses know who these characters are right down to their bones.
Photo Credits: The Closer, TNT and Prime Suspect, Granada Television
