It’s almost time for The Closer’s December 21 fifth-season finale “Dead Man’s Hand,” so continue reading for a brief advance review, courtesy of the advance copy of the episode that TNT was kind enough to send me a while ago.

As noted previously, the finale features the return of Battlestar Galactica alumna and two-time Academy Award nominee Mary McDonnell (pictured above at left), who plays Captain Sharon Raydor. Moreover, the episode was directed by none other than series creator James Duff.

Fabulous recurring guest star Mary McDonnell (pictured below at left) returns to reprise her role as tough Captain Sharon Raydor on The Closer’s December 21 Season Five finale called “Dead Man’s Hand.”

And as hard as it is to believe, when Raydor shows up, she’s going to need a big favor from her nemesis Brenda’s team.

Acting veteran Beau Bridges (My Name Is Earl, Stargate Sg-1) guest stars on the brand-new December 14 episode of The Closer called “Make Over.”

Bridges plays Lieutenant Provenza’s former partner Detective Andrews, and TNT promises his role will be “surprising.”

Don’t forget the current fifth season of TNT’s hit crime drama The Closer kicks off with “The Life,” the first of three brand-new winter episodes, on Monday, December 7, at 9pm ET.

If you’d like a hint or two about what’s coming up before the show goes on hiatus again at the end of December, just follow the jump for a few handy and informative spoilers.

The December 7 fifth-midseason premiere of The Closer is rapidly approaching, and TNT has a brand-new sneak peek at the episode called “The Life.”

The main case revolves around the murder of a 12-year-old boy in the unfortunate position of having had both a father and brother involved with gangs.

The Closer completes its summer run with the August 24 midseason finale “Waivers of Extradition.” The crime drama will return in the winter, however, to air the remaining three episodes in the current 15-episode fifth season.

Next up for Team Brenda is a fatal stabbing and, even better, a Ninja!

Brenda gets locked and loaded during “Maternal Instincts,” the new August 17 episode of The Closer.

When the Major Crimes boss isn’t preoccupied with determining how to deal with her troublesome visiting niece Charlie (Kyra Sedgwick’s real-life daughter Sosie Bacon) after the last episode’s funny “magic” brownies incident…

The Closer is about to air one of its eeriest episodes ever. During August 10’s “Smells Like Murder,” Team Brenda investigates a mysterious corpse stuffed inside a box.

That’s not the biggest twist, however. Follow the jump to learn what is.

Actress Cynthia Watros drops by The Closer for the brand-new August 3 episode “Identity Theft.”

Also joining Watros on the guest-star list are acting veteran Bruce Davison (Knight Rider, Close to Home, X2); relative newcomer Michael Arden (Kings, Bride Wars); and lovely Frances Sternhagen, who plays Brenda’s mother Willie Ray Johnson, of course.

Am I excited for the July 27 episode of The Closer or what?! The reason why is because the installment, “Elysian Fields,” features Emmy-winning guest star Tom Skerritt, whom fans like me remember from the intriguing long-ago series Picket Fences.

Details follow the jump…