The detectives in the Los Angeles Police Department’s Major Crimes division are still reeling from the departure of Brenda Lee Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) and this creates a tough transition for the newly appointed head of the division, Captain Sharon Raydor (Mary McDonnell). Unlike their previous chief, Raydor is determined to lead the department with a rule-based, more team-oriented approach, sharing the credit with the people with whom she works. Raydor’s hardest job, however, will be gaining the full trust and confidence of her detectives, who aren’t quick to forget her long history of internal investigations targeting them and their previous boss.