Southland

10 Best Episodes of Southland - Season 5

A raw and authentic look into the Los Angeles crime scene, going far inside the lives of cops, criminals, victims and their families. The show centers on four main characters: Officer John Cooper, a seasoned cop who will have to prove himself again after recovering from surgery; Officer Ben Sherman, who still has much to learn after recently completing his training rotation; Detective Lydia Adams, whose unending caseload hits closer to home; and Sammy Bryant, a former detective who decided to go back to being a uniform cop after the traumatic death of his partner.

Written by Sophie and last updated on jan 22, 2023.

PS: The following content contains spoilers!

PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!

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Southland - S5E1

#10 - Hats and Bats (Season 5 - Episode 1)

Officer John Cooper clashes with his new boot, Gary Steele, a vet from Afghanistan. Lydia struggles to balance detective work and motherhood. Ben Sherman falls in with a sketchy crowd of cops, while Sammy Bryant is trapped in a hellish custody battle with Tammi.

The episode was rated 7.79 from 240 votes.

Southland - S5E4

#9 - Under the Big Top (Season 5 - Episode 4)

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Lydia and Reuben track the killer of a man whose body was slow cooked down to the bone. John and Lucero settle into their new friendship during a day filled with strange calls. Ben and Sammy respond to an insane bank robbery in which the suspects throw cash out into the streets as they make their escape in a getaway car.

The episode was rated 7.80 from 213 votes.

Southland - S5E3

#8 - Babel (Season 5 - Episode 3)

A breakdown in the LAPD's dispatch system makes a difficult job even harder for the cops, all of whom are already grappling with communication issues. Lydia, in a moment of weakness, reaches out to her old flame, Terrell. John is assigned a new partner; Ben and Sammy's partnership is strained just as Ben makes a romantic connection on the job.

The episode was rated 7.82 from 214 votes.

Southland - S5E6

#7 - Bleed Out (Season 5 - Episode 6)

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The day’s events bring all of our cops face to face with some of their greatest fears. The death of a baby shakes Lydia to her core. Sammy is questioned by I.A. about his altercation with Tammi. A difficult day on the job causes Cooper to seek solace in Hicks but finds none. Ben becomes more deeply involved with Brooke while continuing to see Elena.

The episode was rated 7.86 from 238 votes.

Southland - S5E5

#6 - Off Duty (Season 5 - Episode 5)

John is forced to think about what life will hold for him once he leaves the LAPD. Lydia connects with a man she sent to death row earlier in her career. Much to his chagrin, Sammy becomes a tabloid celebrity for the day after a very public act of heroism. Ben makes a dubious decision to get a drug dealer arrested. And a foot pursuit puts Dewey in danger.

The episode was rated 7.90 from 215 votes.

Southland - S5E2

#5 - Heat (Season 5 - Episode 2)

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After Mendoza is injured in a drive-by, Ben takes it upon himself to solve the case, much to Sammy's dismay. Lydia regains her footing as a detective while investigating the murder of a female boxer's husband. Tensions between Cooper and Steele finally come to a head during a traffic stop-gone-sideways.

The episode was rated 7.96 from 224 votes.

Southland - S5E7

#4 - Heroes (Season 5 - Episode 7)

John takes drastic measures to try to save Hicks while being confronted with demons from his past. Sammy’s lie about the tape weighs heavily on his conscious. Lydia and Ruben track down a John Doe. Ben’s relationship with Elena becomes more serious.

The episode was rated 8.15 from 233 votes.

Southland - S5E8

#3 - The Felix Paradox (Season 5 - Episode 8)

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The funeral of a major drug dealer brings gangsters of all kinds out of the woodwork, there is chaos in the streets but as our cops learn sometimes the greatest threats come from within. Lydia and Ruben investigate the drug related murder of Sgt. Hill’s son; they discover police corruption in the process and clash over how to handle it. Ben suspects that Sammy did not destroy the tape and decides to take matters into his own hands with tragic consequences. John sinks farther into his loneliness.

The episode was rated 8.16 from 237 votes.

Southland - S5E9

#2 - Chaos (Season 5 - Episode 9)

Chaos prevails in the city of angels when Cooper and Lucero are kidnapped and held hostage by a pair of tweakers. All of our cops join the frantic search to find their brothers in blue before it is too late. Sammy searches for Strokeface. Ben tries to throw Sammy off the trail while simultaneously dealing with an increasingly irrational Brooke.

The episode was rated 8.55 from 258 votes.

Southland - S5E10

#1 - Reckoning (Season 5 - Episode 10)

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John copes with the aftermath of his kidnapping. Sammy closes in on the real robbers. Lydia continues to pursue John’s kidnappers and becomes more intimate with Russell.

The episode was rated 8.57 from 264 votes.

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