Unlike most cop shows that only show one side of law enforcement, such as the detectives’ or the crime scene investigation team’s point of view, Southland chooses to show you a lot of different sides to what goes on in the lives of L.A.’s finest men and women in blue. An episode may show a few different teams of beat cops and detectives from different areas of the city and their cases may or may not intermingle. You’ll see what is going on in their personal lives as well, and this can often spill over into their work life. In a different style than most shows, the beginning scene of every episode shows the pivotal moments of that episode. The scene will later appear typically towards the latter part of the episode, but not always the end, per se. The first time I saw the show and actually, for a couple of episodes after that, I didn’t realize what they were doing, especially since I expected a recap of Season One during the premiere of Season Two. Once I realized what they were doing in setting up the episode, I really enjoyed the style. It has an almost Dragnet feel to it, with a narrator explaining whatever the crux or "lesson" of the episode happens to be, while pivotal moments play out in the background.
It’s difficult to say who the main players are, because they seem to shift over time as members come and go, whether by transfer, promotion or sometimes even death. In Season Two, the series focuses a lot on Officer John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) and his rookie trainee, Officer Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie). We learn that Cooper is battling a prescription drug addiction because of an on-the-job back injury and during the season, his addiction puts his rookie partner in danger several times. Sherman is the cute cop that chases a lot of skirts, but he has a good heart and yearns to be a great cop. Detective Lydia Adams (Regina King) is struggling with new, temporary partners while her current partner, Detective Russell Clarke (Tom Everett Scott), recovers from a devastating shooting that has left him incapacitated. The department is dealing with media backlash following an addiction-based breakdown by Officer Dewey Dudek (C. Thomas Howell) that became a Youtube sensation/embarrassment for the department and Dewey goes into treatment to recover. Gang-based detectives Sammy Bryant (Shawn Hatosy) and Nate Moretta (Kevin Alejandro, True Blood) undergo ups and downs both in their tumultuous personal lives and on the job working the dangerous streets of L.A. As the seasons go on, we see the departure of Detective Nate Moretta and Officer Chickie Brown (Arija Bareikis). Detective Sammy Bryant decides to return to life as a beat cop and becomes partnered up with Officer Sherman, all the while quietly (and sometimes, not so quietly) seeking revenge against the gang members who shattered his life with a brutal murder. Cooper gets teamed up with Officer Jessica Tang (Lucy Liu), who is bent on making Sergeant, sometimes to the detriment of her partner and the people of L.A. Lydia Adams goes through a lot of personal changes, including a surprise pregnancy, and how she deals with it will be pivotal to Season Five.
As far as special features go, there is commentary on several key episodes, a number of unaired scenes through the seasons, plus a featurette on the most colorful L.A. locations where the show was filmed.
While I wasn’t a fan of Southland prior to seeing this DVD release, I definitely am now. I love seeing so many facets of law enforcement and the stories are really moving, at times. The acting and storylines work together beautifully to create a gripping series with characters you’ll easily find yourself deeply invested in. If you haven’t yet seen Southland and you like a good cop drama, you should check out Southland: The Complete Second, Third and Fourth Seasons – Uncensored. However, I recommend seeing Season One first, if possible, so you aren’t left trying to figure out who is who like I was when you first pop in Season Two.
