How to watch

Kyra Sedgwick won an Emmy as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Southern-born interrogation expert who joins the LAPD to run its Priority Homicide Division. Her unmatched ability to get confessions made The Closer one of TNT's biggest hits. When Brenda left, Captain Sharon Raydor, played by Mary McDonnell, took over the squad in the direct continuation Major Crimes.

🕐 Release Order

Release order follows The Closer through its seventh season, then hands over to Major Crimes the same night the original ended.

1. The Closer Season 1 (2005)
2. The Closer Season 2 (2006)
3. The Closer Season 3 (2007)
4. The Closer Season 4 (2008)
5. The Closer Season 5 (2009)
6. The Closer Season 6 (2010)
7. The Closer Season 7 (2011)
8. Major Crimes Season 1 (2012)
9. Major Crimes Season 2 (2013)
10. Major Crimes Season 3 (2014)
11. Major Crimes Season 4 (2015)
12. Major Crimes Season 5 (2016)
13. Major Crimes Season 6 (2017)

Because Major Crimes picks up immediately after The Closer's finale with most of the same detectives, the two shows really form one long story.

📖 Story Chronology

Story order is the same as release order, which makes this one of the simplest crime franchises to follow.

1. The Closer Seasons 1-7 (2005)
2. Major Crimes Seasons 1-6 (2012)

Which Order Should You Choose?

Watch The Closer from the start and roll straight into Major Crimes. Raydor first appears in The Closer's fifth season as Brenda's rival, and her relationship with the squad only makes sense if you have seen that slow change. Major Crimes also shifts focus to Rusty Beck, a character introduced in The Closer's final episodes, so skipping ahead would leave you lost.

🔗 Related Guides

• Castle Watch OrderGuide
• The Mentalist Watch OrderGuide
• Criminal Minds Watch OrderGuide

Did we miss anything? Let us know and we'll keep this guide up to date!