SOUTHLAND Season 4 Premiere Advance Review

SOUTHLAND Season 4 Premiere Advance Review

SOUTHLAND
Season 4 Premiere Advance Review
“Wednesday” Airing January 17, 2012
Watch SouthLAnd Tuesday nights at 10 EST on TNT
January 15, 2012
By Lena Lamoray

SouthLAnd returns this week and trust me, this is one hell of a premiere. This is what all premieres should strive to be like. If the premiere is this incredible then I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season has in store for us. SouthLAnd is a true masterpiece, unique and full of raw emotion that no other show can top. Of course it helps to have a couple of high powered tools in the box; I’m looking at you Officer Dewey Dudek (C. Thomas Howell) and Officer Ferguson (Lou Diamond Phillips). Dewey is a jerk but he is so much fun to have around. My man on the inside believes that Dewey just needs a few good hugs. Will someone please hug Dewey?

“Wednesday” is all about new partnerships and what it takes to make it on the streets. Things are not always going to be black and white, so sometimes you have to face your own mortality to realize that it’s the shades of gray that have your back.

Officer John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) is paired with Officer Jessica Tang (Lucy Liu), and we finally get to see what a “clean” Cooper brings to the table. He had me crying during last season’s finale, so it was refreshing to see him in a different light. I’m so proud of him, and just wait until you see him put all of his raw car-stopping power on display. It is breathtaking. Cop shows are cool, but cop shows with Cooper are sensational. Tang doesn’t get the respect she deserves from her colleagues, but she handles it like a professional. She is aware of what she should have done and has learned from her mistakes. Her fascination with a certain truck is borderline creepy, but I feel that she is exactly what Cooper needs to further his recovery. They have a run in with a young man and an overly zealous third party that makes it clear why jail is the preferred option.

New dad, Officer Sammy Bryant (Shawn Hatosy), is paired up with Officer Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie), and Sammy really wants you to know that he looks good in his glasses. Are you going to tell him otherwise? I dare you. I love the constant teasing that goes on between the two.

Detective Lydia Adams (Regina King) gets a surprising visit from someone from her past and that leads to a remarkably touching scene. Her actions demonstrate the true emotional beauty of her soul. Regina does a phenomenal job bringing this multidimensional character to life. I am always fascinated by her portrayal of Adams. Adams is paired up with Detective Ruben Robinson (Dorian Missick) and I think he is a far better fit for her than her last partner.

One of the highlights of this episode was getting to meet Officer Ferguson (Lou Diamond Phillips). I’m a huge Lou Diamond Phillips and SouthLAnd fan, so what a treat this season has been for me so far. Ferguson is stern and unkempt but he serves a purpose, and you will realize that right away. He knows his way around the streets and how to handle himself when it matters the most. I’m going to give The First Power props for giving Lou a decent background in police training. I just loved that movie so I had to mention it.

Ben questions Ferguson’s actions but it is Sammy that sets the record straight. It gets a bit complicated between Ben and Ferguson but Ben is forced to see the world through Ferguson’s eyes and that will have a lasting effect on him.

The cast of SouthLAnd certainly earns my respect as being one of the hardest working casts in the business. The running, jumping, climbing, etc. is unmatched by any other series on television. What an intense premiere. You really have to see it to believe it. Don’t miss the season four premiere of SouthLAnd Tuesday night on TNT.