Kyra Sedgwick's Underrated Police Procedural Series Is Blowing Up On Netflix

Police procedurals are a dime a dozen, but it's tough to find an arresting one that keeps you hooked throughout its run. "The Closer," starring Kyra Sedgwick and the unusually ripped-for-his-roles J.K. Simmons, fits this category. While its last episode aired more than a decade ago, it's now finding an audience on Netflix who are either discovering it for the first time, or revisiting its undeniable charm.

According to FlixPatrol, "The Closer" found itself in the top 10 most-watched shows on Netflix in the U.S. at the end of 2025 and into early 2026. There's no shortage of content to consume over the holiday season, so the fact that a lot of viewers chose to go back to a decades-old show demonstrates how good it is — perhaps even better than some of its contemporaries.

"The Closer" sees Sedgwick (who was also one of the best "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" guest stars) light up the screen as Brenda Johnson, who moves from Atlanta to Los Angeles to lead a crime unit that specializes in high-profile murder cases. However, Brenda and her team aren't sitting around in crime labs all day. Instead, Brenda is known to be one of the best interrogation specialists in the industry, knowing how to squeeze criminals for airtight confessions.

Airing for seven seasons from 2005 to 2012, "The Closer" garnered positive reviews from both critics and fans. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds 83% on the Tomatometer and 78% on the Popcornmeter, with the majority praising Kyra Sedgwick for her portrayal of Brenda Johnson. The series received a spin-off titled "Major Crimes," centered on Mary McDonnell's Sharon Raydor, which then aired for six seasons.

Despite "The Closer" establishing itself as a big ratings hit and securing an Emmy for Sedgwick, it didn't have the transformative effect on her career that people may have imagined. "I would try to get jobs during my hiatus," Sedgwick told Variety in 2024. "And I landed some good ones that did well. But I was never able to parlay the success of 'The Closer' into more great features or TV work. Like, I would have loved to have been in 'Succession.'"

While Hollywood might have slept on Sedgwick's talents and indisputable success as a lead actor, the fans haven't. The fact that "The Closer" turned out to be a mega hit on Netflix years after it ended is only testament to this. Maybe it is time to put this underrated police procedural in the same league as some of the best cop shows of all time.