Irene Daniels

Detective Irene Daniels is a fictional character featured in TNT's The Closer, portrayed by Gina Ravera. Daniels is a Detective on the Los Angeles Police Department's (LAPD) Priority Homicide Department in seasons 1 through 4.

While her character is usually not in the foreground of the show or the investigation, Daniels is a very strong woman who can relate to the families of victims. She is extremely intelligent, hard-working, and has a sharp sense of humor. Her good looks get her more on-the-job attention than she sometimes wants. However, she never hesitates to put the detectives in their place when they attempt to flirt with her—except for Sgt. David Gabriel, whom she dates for a time. Even in that case, they avoid being flirtatious in public so as to avoid attention to their relationship from their superiors.

The friction caused by the breakup between Daniels and Gabriel grows stronger throughout season 4. During the season finale "Double Blind," Provenza orders that either she or Gabriel apply to the CI division, to save the squad from their drama. They both apply, though Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson is unaware of it. At the start of the 5th season, Daniels transfers to another division. Though her character was never directly replaced, her departure roughly coincided with Mary McDonnell's first appearance as Sharon Raydor.