The Closer 7.3 "To Serve With Love" Review

Flynn (Tony Denison) and Provenza (GW Bailey) think it's easy money when they're hired to serve papers by a lawyer.  They can find the man by using a phone number and Buzz (Phillip P Keene) knows how to track him down.  Provenza offers Buzz a third, $200, but they're getting more.  Steven Hirschbaum sounds familiar to Provenza.  Of course they're keeping the actual money amount from Buzz.  Buzz's car has a broken taillight which I noticed when they went into the hotel.  Hirschbaum is served but doesn't want them to leave, claiming he's afraid.  Gunshots are heard when they are outside and his DB lands on Buzz's car.  Provenza says they should call Gabriel (Corey Reynolds) and the others.

Provenza lies about them being here to take Buzz to dinner.  Tao (Michael Paul Chan) finds three casings and Sanchez (Raymond Cruz) finds the photo with Provenza posing with Hirschbaum (Adam Arkin).  Fritz (Jon Tenney) arrives.  Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) isn't happy about them moonlighting and doesn't want to talk to Provenza who asks for her signature to make their off-duty working legal.  Doyle (Andy Milder) the lawyer called them. Brenda's angry cos of Raydor's transparency audit.  Fritz tells them only the FBI knew he was at the hotel.
Dr Morales (Jonathan Del Arco) finds Hirschbaum wasn't circumsized and is found to be Scott Esposito, an actor.  Gabriel likens Hirschbaum to Ken Lay who he believes is in Figi and Fritz tells Brenda it's the FBI's job to locate Hirschbaum.  Provenza and Flynn worry about not being paid and with just cause since it's apparent they won't be paid either, which is how an episode that's about them always ends up, with nothing but trouble.

Hirschbaum switched with the actor after he checked into the hotel.  Doyle claims to have been working at his office and that Hirschbaum's daughter, Andrea (Katie Lowes) gave him his private number.  Taylor (Robert Gosset) is about to brief the press on the murder and Brenda and Fritz don't tell him Hirschbaum's still alive.  Pope (JK Simmons) thinks his widow is hot.  Brenda thinks calling her a widow is premature and Pope agrees to the LAPD rep lying to the press since it's only Taylor.

His wife, Shannon (Amy Gumenick) repeats three times that she had an argument with him and he left;  uh oh a case of a dumb blonde.  Whereas Andrea wants a copy of the death certificate already.

Tao finds Esposito's phone is still in use and Brenda suspends Flynn and Provenza for 72 hours and gives them the number to track down the number.  Buzz refuses to help.  Provenza convinces him Doyle will pay for the car and an extra $200 will be his.  Provenza flashes his badge off duty to send the limo driver away and Provenza gets hit by Hirschbaum's phone.  Buzz drives up for a quick getaway when the FBI arrives.  Thought they couldn't find him.

Hirschbaum says he didn't steal the pension funds and Provenza calls Sanchez who tells him about the FBI thinking he's been kidnapped.  Brenda speaks to Provenza pretending it's Taylor in front of Fritz, so you knew that he'd walk in.  Shannon was the only one who knew he was at the hotel, she was too ditzy to have wanted him dead.  She also knew of his girlfriend, Lisa, their personal trainer.  Small world.  Brenda notices Buzz's taillight.

Hirschbaum offers the three money to look the other way which Provenza is tempted to accept.  Buzz is shocked they're thinking of accepting it.  Fritz shows Brenda sketches of Flynn and Provenza.  Buzz discovers his light was broken outside the lawyer's office, obviously it was him and Doyle follows them back to the motel after Provenza gets another subpoena from him.  Doyle is arrested as he tries to break into the motel and Fritz arrests Hirschbaum who entered his offshore account numbers into the phone.  Pope tells Taylor he took one for the team and he should be able to put a positive spin on arresting a murderer or he's in the wrong job.

The Vic's blood and bullets were matched to Doyle and his car.  Doyle claims he only killed an actor, was that meant to be funny?  He's broke and doesn't have any money so they won't be getting paid.  Knew that was coming.  Buzz gets the reward since he's a civillian and he bought the phone Hirschbaum used.  He gives them a third, $200 each like they were giving him.

Flynn knew things would go wrong from the outset, "anything that starts with you whispering, ends up with other people shouting."  Well if that's the case then the same can be said for last episode when Provenza whispered to Brenda about Raydor wanting to question everyone.  Oh and the wife sitting behind the daughter in English class was a funny line.  Kenneth Lee Lay whom Gabriel mentions was CEO of Enron.  He suffered a heart attack before sentencing in 2006 and conspirators claimed he was living in luxury somewhere as the funeral was held in private and he was cremated.