A seemingly routine murder investigation by the LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division is interrupted by the arrival of Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson, the new head of the LAPD’s Priority Murder Squad. An outsider from Atlanta in her first week of service, Brenda has already begun to face the resistance of long-time high-ranking officers and only her assistant, Sgt. Gabriel, seems willing to try to work with her.

Brenda and the team must investigate the murder of high-profile model Heather Kingsley, who dies as a result of nicotine poisoning. As Brenda investigates, she is drawn into the world of celebrity beauty, where illusion is everything, and the standard high.

Brenda must fight for justice for two Russian prostitutes murdered by the illegitimate son of a Russian mafia figure. As she does, she confronts her own prejudices, and discovers the justice for these women is scarce in a world dominated by men.

Brenda and the Priority Homicide Team investigate a sniper who is killing gang members in and around MacArthur Park. Offering assistance is an ex-Army colonel who believes the sniper to be his son. As an all-out gang war looms, Brenda tentatively accepts his assistance.

Brenda enters the high-stakes world of pharmaceutical research, when a drug trial for new anti-addiction medication lead to the death of one of the principal investigators. Nothing is quite as it seems as she investigates the high-powered president of the drug company sponsoring the trial, the seemingly easy-going psychiatrist and the teenaged participants in the study.

Brenda finds herself the unexpected victim of violence against women when she investigates the murder of a congresswoman's daughter. At first, it appears the victim was engaged in sexual activity online that included an invitation to violence.

A judge is murdered in Griffith Park and Brenda's investigation takes an unexpected twist when her best witness, or perhaps her prime suspect, is his teenage son with autism. Challenged by the boy's behaviors, but convinced he has the clue to unraveling the case, Brenda must try to understand him in order to learn what he knows.

When a gay man is murdered, seemingly the latest victim of a string of hate crimes, Brenda must confront prejudices inside and out of the LAPD. Meanwhile, Flynn and Taylor step up their efforts to undermine Brenda once again, but with unexpected effects, as the team begins to rally around Brenda.

The murder of an adolescent girl from Mexico, found dead in the Los Angeles River, proves difficult and painful for Brenda and her team. At first, a known sex-offender seems the likely candidate, but questions arise about why the girl and her mother were brought to the US, leading the investigation in another direction.

Three wealthy, spoiled and unruly children become the target of Brenda's investigation when their stepmother is murdered and the family butler seemingly commits suicide shortly thereafter. Riding heard on the trio is their family attorney, who cleans up their messes and provides them with alibis.

Brenda finds herself at odds with the FBI in a struggle to gain control of the murder investigation of a well-known businessman. Deciding to work in tandem, Brenda finds herself working directly with Fritz, who was assigned to the case.

Brenda and her team must find not only a killer, but also identify the killer's victim when a deranged, homicidal madman is set free due to mistaken identity. While trying to make sense of an array of complexities in this unusual matter, the case takes an even darker turn when Brenda becomes the center of the psychopathic killer's attention.

An unnamed source files a grievance against Brenda in the midst of a high-profile investigation of a murdered L.A. filmmaker. With her career on the line, Brenda is skeptical of Chief Pope's intentions when he volunteers to help. In classic Brenda style, she spurns the accusation and the PHD team comes together to act in unison, sending shock waves through the entire department.

Brenda and her team race against the clock to get to the truth, as things don't add up when an LA cop turns up dead. Meanwhile tension increases between the Priority Homicide Division and the Robbery-Homicide Division.

When a juror in the trial of an infamous mobster is found dead, Brenda and the Priority Homicide Division find that their involvement in solving the case may be affecting the jury's final decision. Complicating her personal life, Brenda faces another new challenge: a surprise visit from her mother.

Things are not as they seem when Brenda and the team investigate the accidental murders of three college students caught in the middle of a gang shootout. Brenda must also continue her attempts at keeping her relationship with Fritz under wraps while her mother remains in town.

Brenda and the PHD investigate a high-profile case when a woman is brutally murdered at L.A.'s trendiest restaurant. On the home front, Brenda tries to keep a low profile as she closes in on her 40th birthday.

Brenda finds herself involved in a cover-up of her own when she helps the PHD investigate a non-priority case. Why? Because the deceased woman was found in Provenza's garage...Once again, the team finds themselves racing against the clock before the LAPD brass discovers what they're up to. Will Brenda be able to protect her team and their hard-earned trust?

Brenda and the team find themselves wading through a long list of suspects when a celebrity photographer takes a fatal fall from his hotel room balcony. In the meantime, Brenda starts to feel like Fritz is behaving strangely, making her realize that superstars may not be the only ones who have secrets to keep.

When a few body parts of an adult film star are found in a dumpster, Brenda and the team must scramble for more pieces to solve this puzzle. Once they begin putting things together, the suspect list seems to get longer. Adding more questions to her life, Brenda also finds herself making a potentially life-altering discovery.

When the drowned bodies of a mother and daughter are found by fishermen, Brenda and the team must determine if the apparent suicides are more than that. Following a strange coil of discoveries, the most surprising revelation that surfaces is one about the killer.

When a young boy blames himself for the death of his friend, Brenda must tread lightly to get to the bottom of the case. Complicating matters is the deceased child's mother, who offers up accusations of her own.

The PHD must deal with a case of mistaken identity in order to get to the bottom of an investigation. While they're busy with the case, Brenda is involved in a different case: Pope's divorce. After being called to testify, Brenda finds that both her career and reputation are on the line.

Leaving the scene of an accident to get to a multiple homicide scene, Brenda finds herself unable to drive the streets of L.A. which she worked so hard to learn. Once she gets to the crime scene, she and the PHD are faced with another challenge: the murdered bodies are nowhere to be found. In order to solve this case, they must first search for the victims before they can hunt for the killer.

Once again, the PHD finds themselves wading through suspects in the murder of the star witness in a capital punishment case. Meanwhile, Pope's angry ex-wife, spills the beans about Brenda to her team and Fritz begins to wonder how she really feels.

Brenda and Fritz have a hard time agreeing who is in charge when an informant's wife and and FBI agent are both murdered. When the killer's identity is uncovered, the PHD finds themselves under attack.

Resulting from the showdown in the murder room, Brenda finds herself taking some involuntary time off. When she is asked to help a friend solve a murder that is linked to a terrorist group, Brenda works to find the killer and still keep it under wraps.

While working with the CIA, who also wants their hands on this suspect, Brenda realizes that she was given false information, and wonders if she's been set up. To prevent herself and the PHD from falling prey to a sinister plan, Brenda must untangle a web of lies to determine who she can trust before it's too late.

Brenda and the team investigate the grisly slaying of a family, and the only survivor is the drug-addled teen son. Meanwhile, a financial crisis rocks the LAPD, bringing about budget cuts and possibly Provenza’s early retirement. Meanwhile, Fritz hopes to move into a new house with Brenda.

The body of a long-dead murder victim is uncovered along with Lt. Provenza’s business card, setting off the squad’s search for his identity and killer.

At a retired cop’s funeral, Lt Provenza and Lt. Flynn discover something quite unexpected along with the corpse.

A recently released sex offender is accused of kidnapping a child, and with time running out, Det. Gabriel makes a startling choice.

An old man’s confession to seven murders leads Deputy Chief Johnson to investigate the sudden and unnatural deaths at his nursing home.

Brenda and the PHD investigate the murder of a personal trainer who was involved with the wife of a possessive husband with a temper. Complicating the investigation, their only witness is the man's frightened valet, who also has OCD.

When two Catorce gang members are shot to death, Brenda and her squad must solve the murders before a gang war erupts. Meanwhile, Brenda has her own personal health scare when she finally visits the doctor.

It looks to be the return of a serial killer when two bodies turn up dead. With the knowledge that he kills in sets of three, Chief Pope charges Brenda and her squad to hunt down the killer before the third victim is taken.

In an effort to get good PR for the department, Deputy Chief Johnson takes a journalist on a ride-along, but when the Crown Vic is targeted and shot at, Brenda is forced to live under 24-hour police protection, while being the key witness in the case she must solve.

When a Chinese business woman is found dead on the tour bus she and her husband operate, Brenda and the squad must dig deep to investigate her past life.

A car belonging to a Department of Homeland Security employee is found wrecked at the bottom of Mulholland Drive. Priority Homicide is brought in to uncover the details surrounding the driver’s death, but the investigation leads Brenda a lot closer to home then she expected.

Deputy Chief Johnson’s investigation into a famous Hollywood divorce attorney found floating in his swimming pool is under heavy scrutiny. Meanwhile, Fritz and Brenda are trying to consolidate their bills and Brenda discovers a secret Fritz has been keeping.

Still experiencing the strain of her case, Brenda finds herself under another time crunch when she must disprove a questionable alibi within 48 hours to prevent the investigation from falling flat. As Brenda searches for the truth in her case, she discovers some inside information that may have an unfortunate effect on her relationship with Fritz.

Brenda finds an opportunity to visit home when she attempts to track down a witness who disappears to Atlanta. Unfortunately, once she finds the witness, her holidays with family take on a whole new meaning.

Returning to L.A. proves to be a challenge when Brenda's witness remains hesitant, causing her to be creative. The fallout left behind in Atlanta leaves Brenda's parents picking up the pieces while Fritz becomes buried underneath all the stress.

When a massive fire breaks out in Griffith Park, Priority Homicide is on hand to help. Meanwhile, Brenda and Fritz are living in a small apartment and getting on each other's nerves.

Brenda and the team must determine if a murder was revenge or mere coincidence when a recently released murderer turns up dead, the victim of a hit-and-run. As usual, Brenda's personal life isn't much better: she must deal with a recently incapacitated Fritz.

Brenda suspects something more than suicide when a high-school girl is found hanged in her bedroom, and the investigation uncovers a ruthless sexual game being played at a private school.

A man wearing a surveillance wire is shot to death at point blank range in downtown Los Angeles, while interpersonal relationships on the squad force Brenda into a corner.

Provenza and Flynn lose the evidence in an attempted murder case when Provenza's car is stolen.

When a 12-year-old disappears, Brenda must decide whether to treat him as a runaway or a missing person.

Det. Julio Sanchez' little brother Oscar is shot and killed, leaving Julio beside himself with grief and seeking his killer any way he can, which threatens the investigation.

Brenda and the squad investigate the murder of a hair stylist and Brenda's parents stop in for a visit on their way to Alaska.

When an FBI informant is the prime suspect in the deaths of two Tijuana police officers, Pope, Taylor and Brenda must deal with a public relations mess when a newspaper prints an unflattering story about Priority Homicide.

The newly renamed Major Crimes Division investigates the death of a teenager that may be related to a planned massacre.

Brenda and the team investigate an apparent suicide that the medical examiner believes was actually a murder.

The body of a man who stole $3 million in diamonds is found in the trunk of a car and the condition of the body makes determining the cause of death impossible.

Brenda goes toe to toe with the tricky attorney of a man suspected of a brutal rape and murder.

Fritz's sister agrees to use her psychic powers to help the Priority Homicide Division resolve one of their cases, and while her abilities appear to help her understand how Brenda works, they don't seem to stop her from offering misguided advice.

Brenda and Fritz's attention is diverted by problems on the job even though their wedding day has finally arrived, and bad blood between the members of the Priority Homicide Division threatens to cause one of the officers to leave the department.

While investigating the homicide of an entire family, the team once again finds themselves entangled in an FBI case. They also find themselves distracted by an unusually surly Provenza.

Brenda and the team are called in to investigate the questionable disappearance of a shady financial investor. The team is a mess with Daniels now in another division, Gabriel doing double duty, and Provenza with behavior more curious than usual. In the meantime, Brenda and Fritz deal with a sick Kitty.

Sgt. Gabriel comes under investigation for shooting a homicide suspect when the facts don't add up. The internal investigation gets in the way of the original murder investigation, leaving the entire team tied up in knots.

Once again working with Fritz and the FBI, the team helps get to the bottom of a murder which occurred amidst a drug ring investigation. Also again, Brenda finds FBI feathers ruffled by her unorthodox methods.

When a reformed gang member is murdered, the case takes the team back to a familiar neighborhood where they find themselves unwelcomed. Brenda must figure out a way to solve what appears to have been a missed-mark murder and bring peace to an unstable community.

When an internet matchmaker is murdered, the team finds themselves investigating the matchmaker's early-stage television show. Adding to the craziness is a fake officer, who turns everything upside down. In an effort to school himself on the inner workings of Brenda's group, Pope decides to work as one of the team.

A high-profile shoot-out has left two policemen and a teenage boy dead leads to numerous mysteries spinning around the case. Enter Force Investigation Division bigwig Sharon Raydor, who upends Brenda's investigation with her merciless snooping.

When a man believed to have murdered two young women is found dead in Elysian Fields, evidence points to his victims' families. Brenda and the team must then wade through the suspects to find the true killer.

Brenda must reopen the case of a murdered psychiatrist when the man claiming to have committed the crime gives a statement that doesn't quite match the actual events. Based on evidence of the man's acquaintance with the doctor, Brenda believes there is a cover-up and sets out to unearth the truth. Willie Rae throws a roadblock in her path when she pops in for a visit, which actually appears to be an attempt to dump Brenda's handful of a niece onto the newlyweds during for the duration of summer break.

The team digs through several suspects that surface after a man's body is found inside an oversized box. Brenda finds the case the perfect platform to play the role of teacher to Gabriel as he prepares for his detective exam. When Brenda's niece, Charlie, gets out of hand, she and Fritz must consider ending her summer vacation with them.

Caught in the crossfire of a shootout, two people end up dead and one remains in critical condition. Now Brenda and the team must figure out the the intended crime and the intended victim in order to determine the perpetrator. Brenda and Fritz disagree as they continue to struggle with Charlie, and Provenza drastically alters his lifestyle.

When a serial killer's spree crosses from Texas to California, Brenda must work with Detective Curt Landry, her Texan equivalent. The two match wits and find themselves going toe to toe as each tries to gain control of the case and the way in which they solve it.

When an adolescent boy is found murdered where members of the Tres Colores gang frequently spend time, the subsequent murders of two more gang members point Brenda and the team to gang warfare. Unfortunately, the evidence trail leads them in a different direction.

The conviction of a woman found guilty of poisoning a banker is overturned when a laboratory essential to proving the case comes under scrutiny. The subsequent re-trial forces Brenda to ask Provenza's former partner for help tying up loose ends. Unfortunately for the team, more scrutiny occurs when they all discover Provenza's former partner is no longer the man he used to be. The importance of the case may ruin Brenda and Fritz's planned vacation.

Capt. Raydor (special guest star Mary McDonnell) approaches Major Crimes about delicately looking into a possible case of spousal abuse involving one of her female officers. On the home front, Fritz becomes increasingly irritated at feeling ignored by Brenda.

After a man is murdered while taking pictures of the stars from his balcony, the squad suspects the crime is somehow connected to the woman with whom he was having an affair. But their investigation is hindered by a missing murder weapon, as well as the difficult adjustment of moving into a new office.

Capt. Raydor (special guest Mary McDonnell) accompanies Brenda on an investigation involving the disappearance of a nanny working for close friends of the mayor. Meanwhile, Raydor’s real purpose in taking part in the investigation could have big career implications for Brenda.

While investigating a suspicious suicide, the squad wades into a nasty child-custody dispute between a dying man and his meth-addicted ex-wife. Meanwhile, Pope applies for the police chief job, but Brenda might have something to say about whether or not he gets it.

Provenza once again finds himself in a professionally embarrassing situation when he discovers a dead body in the condo of a flight attendant he picked up while extraditing a prisoner.

At the request of Detective Mikki Mendoza, the squad becomes involved in investigating a series of brutal murders that indicate a Mexican drug cartel may have moved into the city.

After a parole board member is viciously murdered during a panicked phone call with Sgt. Gabriel, Pope announces an overreaching plan to boost the police department’s image. His plan, however, hinges on Brenda first being able to solve the crime.

A bank robbery supposedly committed by a known gang of thieves leaves a security guard dead. It also leaves a lot of unanswered questions about the prime suspects and why this latest robbery doesn't fit their regular pattern. Meanwhile, Pope gets some news about his chances at becoming the city's police chief.

In a case that could carry national security implications, three soldiers are gunned down outside an LA club two days after returning home from duty in Afghanistan. Brenda’s investigation puts her on a collision course with Major Edward Dorset (guest star Gary Cole), a military liaison officer.

Brenda's next case has her investigating the brutal murder of an actress who was dating through an online service, unfortunately the case takes a backseat because Brenda has an interview with the mayor for the next chief of police. Brenda still has second thoughts about whether she'd like the job.

The murder of two paramedics leads the LAPD and the FBI on separate investigations on a case that could be the precursor to a major terrorist attack. But Brenda fights to remain a step ahead, even though she's forced to work with the counter-terrorism unit's Chief Tommy Delk, who happens to be one of Brenda's fellow finalists for the job of Chief of Police.

One of Brenda's detectives is ambushed on the street, and the main clue to figuring out the motive behind the attack is a garbage bag containing more than $37,500. The investigation then turns into a race to clear the detective's name over allegations of witness tampering.

Chief of Police Tommy Delk (guest star Courtney B. Vance) assigns Major Crimes a seemingly minor case involving the armed robbery of several medical marijuana dispensaries. But when one of the robberies turns into a murder, the case becomes a test of Brenda’s readiness to move up in the department.

Brenda's holiday plans change suddenly when a man is attacked by a knife-wielding assailant who is accidentally run over and killed by the police officer responding to the 911 calls. Brenda & Fritz receive a huge surprise for Christmas from Brenda's parents.

Brenda finds she has another victim and later learns that her parents have been robbed and the Christmas gifts stolen from the RV. The investigation has to continue through Christmas day.

The routine arrest of a crack addict exposes a questionable rehab facility and leads Brenda and her squad on a race to find a missing young woman. The case leads Gabriel to question Brenda’s judgment and Fritz to reveal to Brenda the some ugly truths about his past.

Brenda and the squad investigate the owner of a hip-hop record label when one of his rap artists and six innocent bystanders are gunned down. The case hits home for Gabriel who knows two of the victims from church. Meanwhile, Chief Delk is getting ready to announce the department’s new organizational chart just as Brenda becomes the target of a civil suit against the police department.

Brenda has to figure out how house sitting led to the death of a young lady. As the fallout from the civil lawsuit continues Captian Rader has to broaden her investigation to include the LAPD while the realignment within be in LAPD gets started.

Flynn and Provenza get into the usual trouble moonlighting as process servers when a man dies shortly after they serve him.

Tao's son works at a camp where a boy goes missing.

A family works to protect their late minister's reputation from scandal. Meanwhile, most of the Major Crimes Division is subpoenaed, raising suspicions about the one who wasn't.

A body turns up on a home construction site, while Brenda and Fritz weigh the expense of a high priced attorney.

The team investigates the puzzling death of a fellow officer's daughter. Elsewhere, Captain Raydor advances in her meticulous audit of Brenda's unit and begins to sharpen focus on Detective Sanchez.

Brenda seeks Capt. Raydor's help in an investigation of possible police brutality; Brenda's attorney starts deposing the squad about the Baylor case.

Brenda can't understand what led to a father's disappearance just as his daughter's single was about to hit the charts making her famous very quickly. Brenda has an opportunity to make her lawsuit disappear by settling with the family that brought it against her but that deal may not be as good as everybody hoped it would.

The squad investigates the death of a deputy sheriff; the judge considers dropping the charges against Brenda.

The death of a high school principal who had been trying to raise test scores at his school to prevent it from being closed causes Brenda and Fritz to fight over who has control of the case because an already existing FBI investigation causes the cases to overlap.

Fred Willard (Modern Family) guest stars as Santa Jack, the owner of a Christmas village who believes he could be the real Father Christmas.

Brenda's parents return with surprising news that keeps Brenda's mind from her case.

The LAPD's Police Commissioner and his wife, Gail, may be in trouble when Brenda becomes determined to uncover a scandal one of them tried to cover up.

Brenda seeks help from a businessman, played by guest star Jason George (Grey's Anatomy), with old ties to the neighborhood where Turell Baylor was murdered.

Brenda encounters her nemesis, Philip Stroh. the defense attorney she suspects is a murdering rapist. Obsessed with taking him down, she pulls a shock-and-awe courtroom stunt that jeopardizes a case and lands her in hot water with the new D.A..

Provenza tries to help his ex-wife locate her wedding ring, but he stumbles into red-faced fumbles that include a robbery, an evidence-destroying canine and a frenetic appraiser.

Investigating the death of a beloved cancer doctor hits too close to home for Brenda who's already upset after learning that Pope is monitoring everything she does.

The murder of a priest puts the squad on a collision course with the Catholic Church and drives a wedge between Brenda and Chief Pope. Meanwhile, Brenda’s parents are in town while her father continues his cancer treatments.

Brenda finds a young couple involved to in the investigation by accident after finding two people dead outside in the street Brenda has no idea that the DA is watching her every move Capitan Raydor and Chief Pope find out who the leak is.

In the series finale, we bid a final farewell to Brenda Leigh Johnson. When a young man calls 911 to report seeing someone being buried in Griffith Park, police find not only her remains, but those of several other women who were kills as far back as two years ago. Brenda immediately suspects Philip Stroh and, despite departmental restrictions, sets out to finally tie him to the murders. Meanwhile, the witness who called 911 makes Brenda look at her life and future.

Stay tuned to the next show, Major Crimes, which will pick up from the moment The Closer ends. A large portion of the characters are moving to the new show. to work under the new supervisor of Major Crimes, Captain Sharon Raydor.