The message to TNT should blast as loud as the siren on Officer John Cooper's squad car: Just renew Southland already.
The last of the cop drama's 13 episodes aired Tuesday, April 6, and though it wasn't originally intended to be a season finale, many storylines hit such a critical point that it's just as well.
The episode, "Maximum Deployment," centers on the search for a serial rapist impersonating a police officer. But besides a dirtbag criminal, everybody on the show seems to be searching for something.
Officer Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) seeks a release from his thoroughly messed-up childhood. Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) is looking to overcome physical pain that a dangerous prescription drug problem probably won't alleviate. Officer Chickie Brown (Arija Bareikis) is just searching for acceptance from her co-workers after Cooper berates her for being a "crap cop" in a previous installment.
And this isn't the half of it. The mosaic of personalities packs such a punch, and their portrayals are so unequivocally convincing and believable, that another season is not only a good idea, it's a necessity.
Elements of Drama and Humor in 'Southland'
The highest praise a show can receive is for acting so good that it doesn't look like acting. It's what makes Friday Night Lights so irresistible, and it's what gives Southland instant authenticity.
Two scenes in the batch of TNT first-runs are intensely illustrative. Det. Lydia Adams (Regina King) is reeling from her partner, Russell Clarke (Tom Everett Scott) getting shot and checks in on him nearly to the point of smothering. Russell's inability to reciprocate, because he's so dejected and weak, causes her to collapse in tears outside his hospital room.
Likewise in the episode "What Makes Sammy Run," Det. Sammy Bryant (a terrific Shawn Hatosy) is trying to maintain a level of sanity apart from his pot-smoking, "aspiring photographer" wife (Emily Bergl) who gets scolded for her photo subjects -- namely, gangbangers he can easily identify. Perhaps as a way to ease stress or seek refuge, he is somewhat of a mentor to a really smart kid, Juanito (street name Li'l Casper) who knows L.A. gang life all too well.
The reaction to the news of something terrible Juanito has done gives the episode its name. The scene which follows, a whirl of emotions in a matter of seconds, is a jaw-dropper. Hatosy deserves something, anything, in recognition of his work here. A finer piece of television not a soul may see this year.
But the show isn't without comic moments. Cudlitz delivers one-liners at a Secretariat-like clip. And one great set piece has Sherman and Cooper visiting old colleague Dewey (C. Thomas Howell, who is a scream) in rehab, even sitting in at one of his gather-round-in-a-circle sessions. McKenzie has been so brilliant that with another season, TV viewers may remember him less as Ryan Atwood, but more as the rich-kid-turned-cop who might care too much and get too involved in the cases. Just the looks he gives in these scenes are worth the chips.
Stepping Into the LAPD's World
This is about as real life as it gets on television. Nothing is sanitized -- not the crimes, not the storylines, certainly not the language, which is refreshingly genuine.
Unlike some procedurals, the personal lives carry just as much weight and add to the show's gritty realism. Like the police officers, life isn't a bed of roses. Sammy and Tammi Bryant are obviously a dysfunctional mess. Sammy's partner, Nate Moretta (Kevin Alejandro), is struggling to exert authority over a teenage daughter who assumed he was her brother. Their boss, "Sal" Salinger (Michael McGrady), is carrying on an affair with a local TV reporter.
To borrow from English classes, these are dynamic, not static, characters. And the near-flawless writing, mostly by old pro and series creator Ann Biderman, elevates them further.
Full Episodes on TNT
NBC's misfire is TNT's triumph. As per the time stamp, it's the first Tuesday without Southland as the NBA heads to the postseason. The playoffs may be great theater, but so is this show. It was sad to see the season end. But the series practically begs for further study of characters that viewers have come to care about. Go to TNT's site, watch full episodes and hope for more.
Alex Hoffman - Alex Hoffman is a graduate of the University of Kansas' journalism school whose credits include Midwest Commercial Journal, Lawrence ...
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