Peter Paige Does Hannibal Lecter-Lite on "The Closer"

**SPOILER ALERT** This post contains major plot details from last Monday night's episode of The Closer.

The Closer has been sort of hit or miss in its GLBT representation. Last year Beau Bridges' turn as a transgender woman was cringeworthy, mostly for how the male detectives on Detective Brenda Leigh Johnson's team reacted to her.

But the show has also had some more thoughtful episodes. Like last year's "Walking Back the Cat," which involved the disappearance of a gay man, an investigation which prompted coroner Dr. Morales to come out.

This week's new episode was "gay notable" for a couple reasons: First, it guest-starred out actor Peter Paige, and his role was worlds away from Queer As Folk's Emmett Honeycutt. 

Here he plays Rick Zuman, sociopathic prison inmate. Think Hannibal Lecter-lite: He's smart, on death row, rocking an orange jumpsuit, and even comments on Brenda's handbag.  All that was missing was a reference to fava beans and a nice chianti.

Anyway, Zuman is plotting to have his conviction overturned on appeal, so to do that he convinces his mild-mannered former cell-mate Jeff to bribe a witness and, worse, to hire a contract killer to murder the detective who put him behind bars: Major Crimes' own Detective Flynn.

The brutal murder attempt fails, and Brenda Leigh's investigation eventually leads her to the accomplice, Jeff. Which prompts this exchange:

Brenda Leigh: "You know what I don't understand Jeff? Is why you care so much about Rick Zuman getting out of jail? You're free. You know where the money is...."

Jeff: "Some people care about more than just money."

Turns out Jeff is acting purely out of love – he just wants his boyfriend out of jail.

Okay, so Zuman is a total sociopath and Jeff, however pleasant in person, is in a conspiracy to commit murder. Both characters are pretty vile. But the notable thing is, their most human quality, the only one the audience is really expected to empathize with – is that Jeff truly loves Zuman.

I sort of appreciated that the show had drawn such truly despicable characters, but their gay relationship was the only thing that made them human.

See, it is possible to make gays the scary bad guys and have it not be offensive. The Closer proved it this week.

In case you missed it, TNT will re-air the episode (titled "Old Money") this Saturday at 11:00AM EST, as well as next Monday at 8:00pm EST. The episode is also available on iTunes. 

Fans of the show might also be interested in the following PSA The Closer cast recorded for the GLSEN Safe Space Campaign: