Southland - Let it Snow recap/review

Yay! Southland is back. It really is a good show. Southland is one of those shows that you have to sit down and watch. You won't get into it if you are surfing the web at the same time or if you just have it on in the background. It is a procedural, but there is a lot of character development. You can jump right into the story, but don’t expect the show to just repeat the same ground like most procedurals.

In the season three premiere, Lydia is still dealing with her new partner, Josie. We think Josie is pretty annoying, and we wish she’d get shot or something and go away. Lydia and Josie investigated a missing person’s case and found the missing woman’s body inside the bathroom ceiling of the office building where she had worked. She had been duct taped and strangled. Yikes. Evidence pointed to the building’s security guard, but all of the victim’s friends were immigrants and didn’t want to talk to the cops (the victim was a cleaning lady, by the way). Lydia and Josie turned to DNA evidence, but before they could get the arrest warrant, the suspect fled to the airport. The two cops followed the suspect’s car and Josie spun the cop car out to get the suspect. Lydia caught the baddie and the DNA came through, but Lydia was angry with Josie for her crazy actions. We kind of like Josie’s recklessness, but her personality is irritating, so we are on Lydia’s side for this one.

Sammy and Nate investigated the deaths of two gang members whose bodies were found under a highway with bullets in their heads. A homeless man let the cops know what type of car the victims were dropped out of. The victims had been investigated for a gang rape, but they got off, because the victim had been drinking. The victim was a gang leader’s daughter, and the gang leader had just the kind of car that had dropped off the victim’s bodies. Even though Nate felt bad for the guy who was just sticking up for his daughter, when blood was found in the trunk, the gang leader was arrested. We felt for the gang leader too.

Chickie, Chickie’s partner, John, and Ben’s job this week was to go to the scene of a bank robbery and help out Sarge, who had been shot. They rescued Sarge, and Ben chased after one of the robbers. The robber shot himself in the head rather than let Ben catch him. In this episode, John was still suffering from back pain and was having trouble getting pills. Ben had to help him to his car at one point. Ben asked John to get help, but John wants to keep handling this solo. Ben, we’ve got this show we think you should watch. It’s called Intervention. “Millions of Americans suffer from addiction. Most need help to stop.”

This was an action-packed, classic Southland episode. It was also decently bloody (the bank robber shooting himself in the head was on-camera). We just wish we weren’t so annoyed with the new character, Josie. That needs to pan out or get less aggravating. Good premiere.

Episode grade: B+