Season Three Finale Advance Episode Review
“Graduation Day” Airing March 8, 2011
Tuesday nights at 10 PM EST on TNT
March 6, 2011
By Lena Lamoray
About Southland
From Emmy Award winners John Wells, Ann Biderman and Chris Chulack comes a raw and authentic look at a police unit in Los Angeles. From the beaches of Malibu to the streets of East Los Angeles, "Southland" is a fast-moving drama that will take viewers inside the lives of cops, criminals, victims and their families. Michael Cudlitz ("A River Runs Through It") plays John Cooper a seasoned Los Angeles cop, assigned to train young rookie Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie, "The O.C."). Cooper's honest, no-nonsense approach to the job leaves Sherman questioning whether or not he has what it takes to become a police officer. Cudlitz and McKenzie are joined by other cast members, including Regina King ("Ray," “Jerry Maguire”), who plays Detective Lydia Adams. Adams lives with and is the primary caregiver of her mother. Her partner, Detective Russell Clarke (Tom Everett Scott, "Boiler Room") is an unhappily married father of three. Michael McGrady ("The Thin Red Line") plays Detective Daniel "Sal" Salinger. Sal oversees fellow gang detectives Nate Moretta (Kevin Alejandro, "Drive," "Ugly Betty") and Sammy Bryant (Shawn Hatosy, "Alpha Dog"). Arija Bareikis (“Crossing Jordan”) plays patrol officer Chickie Brown, a single mom who dreams of being the first woman accepted into SWAT.
“Graduation Day” – Premieres Tuesday, March 8, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT) In the gripping season finale, challenges abound for Ben Sherman on his final day as a rookie. But nothing is more daunting to the officer than figuring out how to handle his partner's growing reliance on painkillers. Directed by Chris Chulack. Written by John Wells.
SOUTHLAND Advance Review, Season 3 Finale, “Graduation Day” Airing 3/8/2011
SOUTHLAND wraps up another season this week with another phenomenal episode. This season has been extraordinary. I have a love hate relationship with season finales. They always tend to be the best episode of the season but that comes with a price. You have to say goodbye to your favorite characters and take a break from your weekly small screen cinematic journeys of delight. SouthLAnd is definitely my favorite cop show on, at this moment. It reminds me of “The Shield” with a little “Cops” blended in. It is raw and gritty and has the perfect amount of everything. The writing and storylines are superb. The acting is brilliant and so full of intense passion. I can’t say one negative thing about the show. I really hope we get to celebrate at least ten more seasons of SouthLAnd because as of right now we don’t know if we are getting another season and it really would be a shame to lose such a magnificent show.
If you have seen the preview for this week’s SouthLAnd you witnessed a portion of the amazing leap that Officer Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) took. Well, the episode begins with that clip but in SouthLAnd fashion, we have to work our way back to that point.
Officer John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) has provided us with several “well, who knew”, moments throughout the season and he is not done wowing us, quite yet. Michael does a breathtaking job portraying John and I will admit, he honestly made me cry in the finale. He projects the pain and suffering of John Cooper so precisely that you literally get chills. He is my favorite character on the show because he is so powerful, yet so flawed and you really want him to succeed but he has to come to terms with himself and face his demons.
Detective Lydia Adams’ (Regina King) new love interest could really put her partnership with Detective Josie Ochoa (Jenny Gago) in jeopardy. On one hand, they are both consenting adults but the other side of it, is that is her partner’s son and we are talking about Josie, so I don’t think she would approve. I do believe she would feel betrayed and lose respect for Lydia. You have to be able to trust that your partner has your back at all times and if your relationship is riddled with lies then everything will crumble.
Sergeant Hill (Jamie McShane) has a last day challenge for the boots and it isn’t an easy one. I would say it is almost impossible to win but you never know. The motto for this episode is, “last day, don’t get us all killed.”
Officer Dewey Dudek (C. Thomas Howell) can’t resist showing his support to Ben in a way that only he can. I would hate to be Dewey’s partner. That guy is just a jerk. Even when you think he has a heart, he does something or says something incredibly inappropriate. Luckily, Officer Chickie Brown (Arija Bareikis) is present to keep him in line. Chickie has a lot of patience and she handles his “gender equality” rant perfectly.
Detective Sammy Bryant (Shawn Hatosy) discusses his “complicated place” with his current partner and you can’t help but feel for him. He lost his partner, Detective Nate Moretta (Kevin Alejandro) and now he has to share the joy of his first born with Tammi’s (Emily Bergl) boyfriend/photography instructor. Sammy is definitely my second favorite character in SouthLAnd and I adored him in this episode. This is definitely an episode for all of the Sammy fans. His face just lights up when he bears witness to the new light in his life. Sammy doesn’t back down and that is what really draws you into his character.
John and Ben’s final day is a mix of silent treatment, photo opts, a “numb nuts’ comment and John basking in the “warm embrace of the great population we serve”. Those are the lighter things that occur in the season finale. It all leads up to the rooftop chase that features the most intense fighting sequence that I have seen this season and it will leave you holding onto your seat. It is extreme. That is all I will say because I don’t want ruin it and because you really need to witness it firsthand. You know the parties involved actually went home with the bruises and scars to prove just how monumental the fight sequence is.
SouthLAnd’s season three finale will have you holding your breath in anticipation of what is coming next and it is just such a beautiful episode. I don’t know what else I can say without ruining it for you. Everyone does a remarkable job and Ben’s expression is the most exquisite way to end the season. You will love it. Don’t miss SOUTHLAND, Tuesday night at 10 PM EST only on TNT.
