Well this is it. The final episode of Season 2 (or Season 1.5, depending on how one keeps score.) Not so much a season finale, more the sixth episode of what was supposed to be at least 13 on NBC (before we were so unceremoniously cancelled before premiering). I wish I could say that this episode wraps up the plot lines in nice little bows, providing all of us — cast and crew as well as fans —some closure if in fact this episode does serve as a series finale. The truth is it doesn’t.
No surprise there: it was never intended to do so. Instead, it is simply another strong episode of a show of which I am immensely proud to be a part. That will have to suffice for the time being. Nothing worth having comes easy, and Southland is a testament to that fact. No body who worked on this show doesn’t miss making it. We all hope we can make more of it. But at this point, the decision is out of our hands. The ratings have been solid (particularly the DVR numbers), but not spectacular. It is up to TNT to decide whether there will be more Southland. I would like to thank them for the enormous efforts they have undertaken on our behalf. They have believed in the show from Day 1, and have done a fantastic job promoting it and nurturing it along in the difficult transition from network to cable. Thank you, TNT.
I would also like to thank the fans, who have been so passionate in support of Southland. Many of you guys have taken ownership of the show, promoting it virally through Facebook, Twitter and fan sites. These efforts are invaluable to us — thank you for spreading the word.
Thanks to the cast and crew. I miss working with you guys. I hope we work together again on this soon. If not, I look forward to seeing you on other projects, or just around town. It has been my pleasure to work alongside you.
Thanks to the producers, John, Anne, and Chris, who have steered us through treacherous waters and have kept the ship intact. To many more voyages together.
To Michael Cudlitz: it’s been a joy working with you buddy. I have learned a lot about a lot from you, and it’s with pride that I call you my friend.
Finally, to members of the LAPD and law enforcement personnel everywhere: I hope we have done right by you. We have tried to honor your work and present it as best we can. We all thank you for the work you do everyday to keep us safe. We are mere actors upon a stage you have set for us. We hope to have done you justice.
Fans of TNT’s critically acclaimed police drama series Southland have one last chance to ask their burning questions before the season finale. On Tuesday, April 6 stars Ben McKenzie and Michael Cudlitz will do a live twitterview @tntweknowdrama. Fans can tweet questions to @tntweknowdrama 4-6 p.m. ET. Ben and Michael will tweet answers from 5-6 p.m. ET. To follow the twitterview uninterrupted, go to http://twitter.com/tntweknowdrama.
TV-Guide
From: JustJared.com
The 31-year-old actor has had a lot of meetings recently about upcoming projects but took a quick break to talk to JustJared.com about the final two Southland episodes of season 2 (they start airing TONIGHT on TNT). Here’s what the always nice and always affable Ben had to share:
JJ: Is the fate of Southland still up in the air? Do you feel anxious at all?
BM: Look – it’s the way it’s always been with the show. We seem to always be in this situation, so we’re not in uncharted territory. The reviews have been amazing, the ratings have been solid, not spectacular – we’re just going to wait until all the episode ratings come back in two weeks and then we’ll make a decision. I really can’t call it either way. I think it’s a true toss-up right now. But I think TNT would like to renew the show – they believe in it! We’ll just have to see if the ratings hold up and continue to grow.
JJ: What can we expect from Tuesday’s episode, “What Makes Sammy Run?”
BM: Shawn Hatosy, who plays Detective Sammy Bryant, has a really great plotline involving a young kid that he’s trying to get out of the life of gang-banging. Michael [Cudlitz] and I uncover a large amount of contraband in a plotline revolving gun running and truck smuggling and cash. (laughs) I don’t know what else can I say! Oh, and I get some love. Yes, Ben Sherman finally gets laid! One of the rare opportunities – he’s very excited.
JJ: And the last episode, “Maximum Deployment”?
BM: Last episode, a lot goes on – it’s very heavily focused on Chickie. There’s a rapist who’s dressing up as a cop and pulling over women and raping them and it’s our job to find him and track him down. The entire force is put on the case – that’s what maximum deployment means – they double up and put extra officers on the street, usually to look out for one particular suspect or one particular guy who’s doing something bad – in this case, a rapist.
JJ: If this is the end of the series with episode six of season two, would you he happy with the ending?
BM: It’s a little tricky, to be honest, because we didn’t get to wrap it up the way you usually wrap up a show with a finale. Instead, NBC just pulled the plug two weeks before the premiere. I think it’s a very good episode – I think all of the episodes are very good. Is it a finale like a typical show would have a finale? I’m not going to lie to you and say that it is. There’s no big musical montage with all of us in various states of peril. It’s just another solid episode of a show that I’m very proud of.
(more…)
The title of this episode refers to Det. Sammy Bryant, whom we open on in full sprint, racing through the streets of LA. (I should add, it is also a sly reference to the famous novel about showbiz by Budd Schulberg.) In typical Southland fashion, we later discover “what makes Sammy run.” Without spoiling the plot, suffice to say his reasons have to do with a bright young kid from the neighborhood whom Sammy is desperate to save from a life of crime.
Of course, cops often develop close ties to the communities they serve; it’s only natural. For some, they grew up in the areas they patrol, although that is perhaps less true in a city as vast as Los Angeles. But even for the transplants, there is a logical bond that forms between a police officer and the community in which he works. It’s his job to develop ties to the folks he is charged with protecting. The more the citizenry know and trust the LAPD officers in their neighborhood, the easier it is for the police to gather information on local criminal elements. When a crime does occur, it’s easier for witnesses to step forward if they believe the cops can actually protect them from retribution (no easy task in gang-heavy neighborhoods).
LAPD reaches out to the community in a variety of ways, but the one I find most inspiring is their Explorer program. (It was featured on Season 1 of Southland, as Detectives Bryant and Moretta led a group of members through drills.) This organization aims to provide a safe, structured after-school environment for local youth interested in law enforcement. The kids, ages 14 to 20, assist officers in a variety of policing programs. Most importantly, they are given a route to success in neighborhoods where a lot of negative influences (drugs, gangs, etc.) can lead them astray.
Tens of thousands of young people have graduated from the Explorer program since its founding in 1962. Some end up becoming cops and policing the same areas where they grew up. Most do not, but they have at least been given a precious opportunity to avoid the temptations that ruin the lives of so many kids who grow up in rough neighborhoods all over the city. With that opportunity, they can go on to lead productive lives in any field they choose.
What’s heartbreaking to cops is when they lose the fight over a young kid’s future. At the end of “What Makes Sammy Run?” we find out the cause of Det. Bryant’s mad sprint through the streets. It is a devastating scene (beautifully played by Shawn Hatosy), which perfectly illustrates John Cooper’s maxim: “You can’t save everyone.” No matter how hard Sammy runs.
TV-Guide
All week I’ve been trying to come up with a subject for this blog post. It’s not that I don’t have plenty to choose from as “The Runner” features a new partner for Lydia, the murder of a college athlete, and a trip to desert for John and Ben. Rather, I think I’ve been a bit overly serious in some prior posts and I want to have fun on this one. So, without further ado, a little love letter to one of my favorite actors, who also happens to work on “Southland.” C. Thomas Howell. I love C. Thomas Howell.
I’m sure you have seen him in any number of movies over the years (The Outsiders, Red Dawn, The Hitcher, Side Out, Soul Man, etc.). He’s been working consistently for decades, ever since he booked a role on E.T. at the tender age of fifteen. Now he plays alcoholic burnout Billy Dewey, an LAPD officer so reckless and impulsive that he always seems to leave a trail of destruction in his wake. From befriending Tom Sizemore (sorry actor “Timmy Davis”) to going on a bender-induced joyride that nearly kills both him and his partner, it’s always exciting when Officer Dewey is on screen. His character has been somewhat controversial for fans of the show because he seems to possess almost every quality a cop should not have. Is his character a bit over the top? Yes. Would he have been kicked out of the force a long time ago for such poor behavior? Most likely. The way Tommy plays him, however, I can’t help but love the guy. He’s like a kid who’s had too much caffeine, creating crisis after crisis to fulfill the desperate thrill-seeker inside. Or maybe his behavior is just an elaborate subconscious cry for help; if he can just do something bad enough, he will get himself kicked off the force and be forced to confront his demons.
I understand that some fans of the show (and some real-life cops) object to having a clearly unfit cop in the line of duty, but to me he’s the spark plug for a lot great conflict between his fellow officers. And it is a TV show, after all. We are not real cops, nor could we ever be (well maybe Michael Cudlitz, but that’s beside the point). I love Tommy and what he does with the role. His passion for the show is infectious, and his manic energy helps drive every scene in which he appears. Watch this week’s episode and you will see a terrific actor giving a great performance.
TV-Guide
« Previous Entries |
Next Entries »
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010)
Southland (2009-2010)
Sin Bin (2010)
The Eight Percent (2009)
Johnny Got His Gun (2008)
