I am sensing a very horrible pattern in my TV/film watching selection habits. I tend to write off shows based on the network that they are on. Never again. The reason for this: Southland. Formerly on NBC, but then dropped for it being too dark in the "Leno at 10" era then TNT picked it up. Southland is on its 3rd season and the show deserves more attention. I like to think of this show as Band of Brothers meets Cops meets freaking amazing. The show follows the lives and careers of cops in different departments of the LAPD from patrolmen to detectives. We see their lives intersecting in the brutal war against gangs, homicides, and whatever crimes you can think of. This isnt your typical Law and Order bullcrap, nor your run of the mill NCIS or CSI. This is the unglorified, and uncensored view of real life as a cop.
The fact that this show runs without a soundtrack or background music reminds me of that kind of gritty Michael Mann feel that I got in Public Enemies during the gun fight scenes. No music. Nothing added to give the viewer the feel of the white knuckle tension of the moment. The scene is all you need. One thing that kills me about this series is that each season is about six episodes. Being that it has such great content, as the viewer, I crave more.
I like that there isn't the generic "dirty cop". The show isn't about exposing a rat, it's about survival. Surviving on the job and trying to salvage your life outside of the force. Everyone should be watching this show. The cast is phenomenal, the pacing is fantastic, and the story is compelling. So take a day off from work or put the kids to bed early, and dig in. Once you enter Southland, it's hard to get out.
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