DVD Corner

Southland Season 5 DVD Review

“Southland” ends its run in the fifth and final season.

In the uncensored 10 episode season 5, fans get to bid one last farewell to the LAPD officers that they have followed on both NBC and and TNT since 2009. In this season, expect lots of turmoil for the main cast of characters. Among the main plots in this season: John Cooper deals with personal demons while also training a rookie (Gary Steele) and getting a new partner (Henry Lucero), Lydia Adams balances work and her child while also trying to deal with her child’s father and the loss of her mother, David Mendoza gets injured, Ben Sherman gets a medal of honor and struggles with relationships, Sammy deals with issues at home and work and becomes a celebrity, and John and Henry are both kidnapped by drug addicts. Aside from that, expect to see police cases involving murders, drugs, suspects, and even corruption.

In an age where TV shows are constantly pushing the boundaries ala “Breaking Bad” and “Game of Thrones,” “Southland” feels positively stale. With every episode I watch of “Southland,” I am constantly reminded of gritty cop shows and films such as “The Shield” and “Training Day.” In fact, “Southland” makes me want to watch the films and shows that it is so clearly inspired by.

Now granted, “Southland” is not bad by any means. Compared to the police procedural junk on network TV, “Southland” is a downright masterpiece. This series at least has well written screenplays and some semi-engaging character arcs. With all of that said, I have never felt any sort of connection to any of the characters on screen. It’s not because of the cast, but rather the characters just feel recycled and flawed for the sake of conflict.

Video/Audio:

Presented in widescreen, the series has a very raw and shaky cam style that we have seen before. Love it or hate it, it does work to the show’s advantage.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 does the job. I’m always happy to see a 5.1 track for a TV show.

Extras:
* A very short featurette titled “Southland: Shooting In Progress” which contains cast and crew interviews, the production schedule, the style of the show, discussions about life on set, etc.
* Deleted scenes from all 10 episodes.

Summary: If you’ve followed the show for the past four seasons, you will undoubtedly want to catch up with season 5 (especially since there will not be a season 6). You’re not going to get any closure here, but I think fans will be happy enough with the season’s stories.

August 22, 2013 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | Southland Final Season, Southland Season 5 DVD Review, Southland Season 6