It has been years, but people still can't stop arguing about the major crimes last episode. Honestly, it’s one of those finales that sticks in your craw. You either loved the audacity of James Duff and the writing team, or you felt like you’d been slapped in the face after years of loyalty to Sharon Raydor.
The two-part finale, titled "By Any Means," wasn't just a wrap-up; it was a brutal, somber exit that felt fundamentally different from the The Closer spin-off we’d grown accustomed to. Let's get into what actually happened.
The Unthinkable Reality of the Major Crimes Last Episode
The vibe was off from the start. Usually, a series finale feels like a celebration, but major crimes last episode felt more like a funeral. Because, well, it was. Mary McDonnell’s Commander Sharon Raydor was already dead. That’s the kicker. Most shows wait until the final five minutes to kill off a lead, but Major Crimes did it with episodes to spare, leaving the finale to deal with the messy, grieving aftermath.
Philip Stroh. That name still triggers a physical reaction for most fans. Billy Burke played that sociopath with such a chilling, greasy intelligence that you just wanted to reach through the screen. In the finale, the hunt for Stroh finally reached its boiling point.
The team was broken. They were mourning Sharon while trying to stop a tactical genius who was always three steps ahead. It wasn't about the "crime of the week" anymore. It was about survival and a very dark kind of justice.
Breaking Down the Confrontation
Everything led to that boat. The tension was thick enough to choke on. Rusty Beck, played by Graham Patrick Martin, had spent the entire series looking over his shoulder. Seeing him stand his ground against Stroh was cathartic, sure, but it was also terrifying.
Rusty kills Stroh. He shoots him.
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It wasn't a clean, "police-sanctioned" takedown in the way we usually see on procedural TV. It was desperate. It was raw. When the team arrives and realizes what happened, there’s this unspoken agreement. They protect Rusty.
- They check the scene.
- They realize Stroh had a gun—well, he was reaching for one.
- Provenza, the old guard, steps in to make sure the narrative protects the kid.
This shift in the major crimes last episode reflected a massive change in the show's moral compass. Throughout the series, Sharon was the pillar of "by the book." With her gone, the team drifted into a gray area to protect one of their own. It was a heavy way to go out.
Why Fans Are Still Divided
Go on any forum today and you'll see the same debate. Was it a masterpiece of subverting expectations, or did it betray the characters?
Basically, some viewers felt that killing Sharon Raydor before the finale even started robbed the show of its heart. They wanted a goodbye. They wanted a ceremony. Instead, they got a gritty manhunt. But if you look at it from a narrative perspective, it forced the rest of the squad—Provenza, Flynn, Sykes, Sanchez, and Tao—to grow up. They had to function without their moral compass.
The major crimes last episode focused heavily on legacy. Provenza taking over wasn't just a promotion; it was a testament to how much he’d changed since the early days of The Closer. He went from a curmudgeon who hated change to a man who would lie to the FBI to protect a kid Sharon loved.
The Silence of the Final Scene
The very end wasn't a big party at a bar. It wasn't a montage of "where are they now."
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It was quiet.
The squad room felt empty. We see the characters moving on, but the weight of their loss is palpable. It’s rare for a show to allow that much space for grief. Usually, TV shows want to leave you feeling good so you’ll buy the DVD box set or stream it again. Major Crimes decided to leave us feeling the hollow ache of a desk that’s no longer occupied.
The Technical Execution of the Finale
The pacing was frantic. One minute we're looking at digital forensics, the next we're in a high-stakes standoff. The writers utilized a lot of "shaky cam" and tight close-ups during the boat scenes to ramp up the anxiety.
- The Lighting: Notice how dark the finale is? Not just metaphorically. The color palette shifted to deep blues and grays, a far cry from the bright, sterile whites of the LAPD offices in season one.
- The Dialogue: It was sparse. Provenza’s final lines weren't some grand speech. They were functional. Direct.
- The Stakes: This wasn't just about catching a killer; it was about whether Rusty could ever truly be free of his past.
Honestly, the major crimes last episode was more of a psychological thriller than a police procedural. It leaned into the trauma that these characters had accumulated over six seasons.
Was Philip Stroh the Right Final Villain?
Some say Stroh was overused. I get that. He was the boogeyman that kept popping up whenever the ratings needed a nudge. But realistically, who else could it have been? He was the only person who could force the team to break their own rules.
His death was necessary for the show to end. As long as Stroh was alive, the story of Major Crimes—and specifically Rusty’s story—couldn't conclude. By ending him, the show allowed the characters to finally breathe, even if that breath was heavy with sorrow.
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Real-World Reactions and E-E-A-T
When the episode aired, the backlash against creator James Duff was intense. Fans were devastated by Sharon's death. However, Duff defended the choice in several interviews, stating that he wanted to show the reality of a life lived under high stress and the "noble sacrifice" of a leader.
Critics from outlets like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter noted at the time that the finale was "unusually bleak" for a TNT drama. It challenged the audience. It didn't offer easy answers. Is it justice if you have to bend the truth to achieve it? That’s the question the major crimes last episode leaves you with.
Lessons from the Major Crimes Conclusion
Looking back at the major crimes last episode, there are a few things we can learn about how stories end.
First, a happy ending isn't always a "good" ending. The finale was miserable in many ways, but it was honest. People die. Villains are pathetic in the end. Justice is messy.
Second, character development is everything. Compare Rusty in his first appearance to Rusty on that boat. He transformed from a victim into a survivor who took control of his narrative, for better or worse.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans Revisiting the Series
If you're planning a rewatch or just finishing the series for the first time, keep these things in mind to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch for the foreshadowing: Sharon’s health issues weren't sudden. The writers dropped hints throughout Season 6 that her heart wasn't holding up.
- Pay attention to Provenza: His transition from a secondary comedic character to the soul of the squad is the real "long game" of the show.
- Analyze the "Why": Ask yourself why the writers chose to have Rusty pull the trigger instead of a police officer. It changes everything about the moral weight of the finale.
- Look at the background: In the final scenes in the office, look at the items on the desks. The production design team tucked in little nods to past cases and departed characters.
The major crimes last episode remains a landmark in procedural television because it refused to play it safe. It opted for an ending that felt earned, even if it wasn't the one we wanted. It’s a reminder that even in fiction, there are no clean breaks. Only transitions.
To truly understand the impact, one must look at the entire "Stroh Saga" as a single arc. From the moment he appeared in The Closer to his final breath on that boat, he represented the chaos that the legal system couldn't always contain. His end was the only way to restore a semblance of peace to the LAPD’s most specialized unit.