# Southland, season five starts tonight **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197 "2013-02-13T17:31:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/1 "2013-02-13T17:31:58Z")
This is a truly excellent cop procedural on TNT. If you haven’t been clued up on this one, the last half of season four is available on-demand. We got seasons 1-3 at the local library. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/2 "2013-02-14T03:46:30Z")
One of my favorite shows that I have called “Shield-Lite” in the past. I think I just read somewhere the other day that Southland is the series with the most “on the street” location scenes, and not filmed on the studio lot for any TV show now. This certainly does give the show that edgy, real-life feel. For those who have never seen this show, please check it out - it zooms right along and I don’t think you will be bored one iota! ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/3 "2013-04-15T19:23:05Z")
I guess not a lot of people watching this show - too bad. The most recent episode was quite the shocker - and for a series that never ceases to shock and awe, this was a real heart-stopper! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/4 "2013-04-15T19:30:48Z")
Yeah, I don’t get it. It’s better than _The Americans_, far better than _The Killing_, far better than any police procedural on the major networks. It must have a good cult following to have gone five seasons so far. I expect that TNT will pick it up again for next year. It had Lucy Liu as a season-long guest star, and this season it was Anthony Ruivivar (from the old _Third Watch_ program) doing an excellent job as Sergeant Lucero. It will be a sad day when it wraps. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/5 "2013-04-15T20:00:18Z")
I like it a lot. It’s nowhere close to The Shield but definitely holds my interest. I grew up in LA so it’s fun to see lots of places that I recognize. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/6 "2013-04-15T20:38:45Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I like it a lot. It’s nowhere close to The Shield but definitely holds my interest. I grew up in LA so it’s fun to see lots of places that I recognize. I must be the only person alive who didn’t like _The Shield_. Probably because I tried to watch it after seeing _The Wire_. Pretty much everything cop pales by comparison. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/7 "2013-04-16T02:10:19Z")
Oh, I was hoping more people watch this excellent show. The season fanale is a two parter. I couldn’t believe last weeks. It was gruesome to watch! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/8 "2013-04-16T02:48:20Z")
It’s a great show. Last week’s episode was pretty shocking. And Ben’s descent from idealistic, heroic trainee to asshole cop has been interesting to watch. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/9 "2013-04-17T02:37:43Z")
Glad this show is back. That last episode made me yell out “HOLY F\*CK!” ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/10 "2013-04-17T15:31:08Z")
The Hollywood Reporter often rates the particular episodes of TV show by the week…and here is [this week’s wrap up](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/southland-tops-power-rankings-439806). He ranks Southland as number one for the week, with these comments: “…I swear, if this thing goes off the air, Shawn Ryan better do some kind of Shield spin-off and quick. Who else out there is ready to launch a first class cop show? People, we need fewer detectives and more uniforms. We need boots on the ground. Stories from tough cities. In Southland, we got procedural mistakes made in the defense of an unlikable partner, bad decisions made from another partner that went sideways, and enough intrigue, tension and craziness to fill two hours at least. Standout performances all around. **One of the best hours of TV all season**.” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/11 "2013-04-17T16:52:17Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > The Hollywood Reporter often rates the particular episodes of TV show by the week…and here is [this week’s wrap up](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/southland-tops-power-rankings-439806). > > He ranks Southland as number one for the week, with these comments: > > “…I swear, if this thing goes off the air, Shawn Ryan better do some kind of Shield spin-off and quick. Who else out there is ready to launch a first class cop show? People, we need fewer detectives and more uniforms. We need boots on the ground. Stories from tough cities. In Southland, we got procedural mistakes made in the defense of an unlikable partner, bad decisions made from another partner that went sideways, and enough intrigue, tension and craziness to fill two hours at least. Standout performances all around. **One of the best hours of TV all season**.” It seems like they allow the actors to do just enough unscripted dialog to keep it realistic. It seems like sometimes the direction is “okay, you guys are going to be very upset by this, so let’s hear what you have.” ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/12 "2013-04-17T16:58:10Z")
I’d never seen an episode before this year, and I’ve probably seen maybe 4 of this season’s, including last week’s. That was just brutal television (in a good way, not that it was a terrible show). I felt watching Lucero the way I did when Lem was on the run in The Shield. Lucero’s screams from _that_ scene sounded real. Just gut-wrenching. I don’t think I’ll get the dvds and catch up, but I’ll probably be watching this from now on. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/13 "2013-04-17T17:25:51Z")
> [@mkecane](#): > > I’d never seen an episode before this year, and I’ve probably seen maybe 4 of this season’s, including last week’s. That was just brutal television (in a good way, not that it was a terrible show). I felt watching Lucero the way I did when Lem was on the run in The Shield. Lucero’s screams from _that_ scene sounded real. Just gut-wrenching. I don’t think I’ll get the dvds and catch up, but I’ll probably be watching this from now on. I’d recommend finding back seasons at your library, if possible. There’s quite a bit of back story to be had. Just want to note that Gerald McRaney is doing his usual outstanding acting job on this season’s episodes. He should get an Emmy nom for it. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/14 "2013-04-17T22:39:39Z")
I thought what happened to Nate (the cop not the baby) was shocking, but dayummmmmm at Lucero. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/15 "2013-04-18T06:35:49Z")
Damn. What an ending. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/16 "2013-04-18T15:23:00Z")
Wow…didn’t see that coming. At this rate, there won’t be any characters left to do another season. Another amazing episode. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/17 "2013-04-18T16:19:22Z")
Cooper might not be dead. Of course, there might not even be another season. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/18 "2013-04-19T02:06:22Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Cooper might not be dead. Of course, there might not even be another season. I guess it could go either way. We were trying to figure it out: was he upset enough over the baby plan falling through after all he’d been though to sucide by cop? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/19 "2013-04-19T02:38:18Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I guess it could go either way. We were trying to figure it out: was he upset enough over the baby plan falling through after all he’d been though to sucide by cop? The baby plan fell through. He still hasn’t processed the thing with Lucero. Lucero’s estranged wife made him realize that Lucero was a self-loathing, closeted gay man. His mentor questioned him about giving up the gun. He just snapped and didn’t give a shit anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197/20 "2013-04-19T03:13:02Z")
Ah, man. They can’t get rid of that character without seriously damaging this show. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/southland-season-five-starts-tonight/650197.md?page=2)