Writer:	Hunt Baldwin, John Coveny
Director:	Gloria Muzio
Star:	Kyra Sedgwick (Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson),  Corey Reynolds (Sgt. David Gabriel),  Anthony John Denison (Detective Lt. Andy Flynn),  G.W. Bailey (Detective Lt. Provenza),  Robert Gossett (Capt. Taylor),  Jon Tenney (FBI Agent Fritz Howard),  J.K. Simmons (Assistant Police Chief Will Pope)
Recurring Role:	Phillip P. Keene (Buzz),  Michael Paul Chan (Detective Lt. Tao),  Raymond Cruz (Detective Sanchez),  Gina Ravera (Detective Daniels)
Guest Star:	Bubba Lewis (Keith Thompson),  John Fleck (Eddie Hoke),  Colleen Flynn (Jillian Thompson),  Holmes Osborne (Attorney to Eddie Hoke),  John Dohle (S.W.A.T. Lieutenant),  Cheryl Carter (Attorney to Jason Murphy),  Leigh Bush (Investigator for Coroner),  Allen Cutler (Bartender),  Michael Worth (Jason Murphy)

Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by four clusters of behaviors: limited or no communication skills, few social interaction skills, high levels of sensitivity to external stimulai, and fixation on established routines or repetitive behaviors. Ranging in severity and often accompanied by some degree of mental retardation, children with autism present substantial challenges to the adults who must care for them. They often have a fixation on an item or event, such as Keith's need to know where he is, and extreme sensitivity to external stimuli such as color or touch. High functioning autistic children are often able to participate in the academic curriculum at their schools, but only in rare cases can keep up with typical learners. Their limited social and communication skills mean these children lack the ability to play or interact with other kids, feel typical social emotions (anger, sympathy, grief, etc.) or appreciate nuances of language such as humor, sarcasm or irony. More problematic is their behavior, which, because they have no sense of what is appropriate or what can hurt another, may be violent. Children with autism live in a literal world, the stability of which depends on the maintenance of routine. (edit) G.W. Bailey (Detective Lt. Provenza) does not appear in this episode. (edit)

Brenda: But you do understand what happened to your dad?
Keith: Yes, my dad is dead; like grandma, she's dead too.
Brenda: So you don't get to see them any more.
Keith: No. Where is it?
Brenda: Where's what?
Keith: Where's dead? (edit) Brenda: Low functioning autistics have no language skills; they cannot survive independently by themselvles. Keith is not like that. According to his school records, he's very intelligent but he does have issues : he's unemotional, frequently says inappropriate things, he's literal-minded, he gets fixated on minor details, he gets agitated when his routine is altered and he's extremely uncooperative when anything or anyone gets in the way of him doing what he wants.
Flynn: Does he have a Georgia accent? (edit) Brenda: ...I like to have answers before I ask questions. (edit)

The judge is murdered in Griffith Park. At over 4,200 acres, Griffith Park, which lies just north of downtown Los Angeles along the Santa Monica Mountains, is the largest municipal part with an urban wilderness in the world. The park rises in elevation from 300 to over 1600 feet, much of it canyons covered with vegetation such as indigenous live oak trees, sage and chaparral. Along with numerous picnic areas, the park's features include the Griffith Park Observatory, The Autry Museum, The Greek Theater, The Los Angeles Zoo, The Los Angeles Equestrian Center and the Travel Town Railroad Center, as well as miles of hiking paths, bicycle trails, bridle trails and mountain roads. Griffith Park was originally part of a Spanish land grant, Rancho Los Feliz, which also gave its name to the Los Feliz neighborhood that adjoins the park to the east. Located just outside the park are Dodger Stadium to the south, and to the west, the city of Burbank, Warner Brothers Studios (where The Closer is filmed), Forest Lawn Cemetery, and Universal City Studios. Griffith Park draws approximately 10 million visitors a year. (edit) Fritz: I never get tired of saying this: You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can or may be used against you in a court of law.

It's close, but it's not the Miranda warning that's normally used in the show, which is ...can and will be used against you..." The "can and will" version is normally the one that's used on most television programs. However, what Fritz uses is equally correct - the statement of Miranda rights exists in several forms, all of which are designd to protect an individual under arrest from self-incrimination. Any Miranda warning must include the required statement of Miranda rights: the right to remain silent, to have an attorney present during questioning, and to have one appointed at public expense. (edit) Keith is significantly upset by the color red, as is demonstrated by his reaction to Pope's tie. In one scene, Keith successfully solves a Rubik’s Cube - with the red stickers that normally cover one side removed. (edit)

Gabriel: I can't believe our best lead came from Rain Man.

An obvious reference to the 1988 film Rain Man starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. Hoffman plays an autistic savant, similar to the character of Keith, who is what it more accurately termed a high-functioning autistic. In both characters' case, they demonstrate what are termed "splinter skills," small skill areas in which they demonstrate high levels of ability and interest. (edit) Flynn: What about the kid? Maybe he went a little Menendez on his rich old man.

This is a quick reference to the infamous case of the Menendez brothers, Lyle and Erik, who were convicted of murdering their wealthy parents in their Beverly Hills home in order to inherit their money. (edit) Brenda: I've always depended on the paranoia of shopkeepers.

The original line, "I've always depended on the kindness of strangers," spoken by the character Blanche DuBois (in a heavy southern accent,) is from A Streetcar Named Desire written by Tennesse Williams. (edit)