Last night, Southland answered one of the questions I had about it: What’s the deal with Tom Everett Scott’s character? A familiar face appearing in an ensemble cop show, Scott had until recently been pushed to the corners of this increasingly fine new series. But last night, his police detectivbe Russell Clarke was prominent in two subplots: a murder investigation that obsessed his partner, Lydia Adams (is Regina King headed for an Emmy, or what?), and just as interestingly, Russell’s off-duty pursuit of becoming a writer.
Scott’s Russell has followed through on the invitation made last week by a female writer to join her writing class. We know that part of his inspiration is because he kinda has the hots for teacher. But we also learned that Russell has a wife (or, least, a woman he lives with) who’s both a writer herself and rightly suspicious of Russell’s sudden interest in tapping out prose on his dad’s old manual typewriter. The two had an exquisitely short, bitter scene of tension and recrimination: this is a relationship in jeopardy. Scott is terrific: he conveys boyishness and sleaziness, weariness and cyncism, with understatement.
Southland was so good last night, it wasn’t until it approached its last ten minutes that I thought, hey, where’s Ben McKenzie? The show is fast becoming necessary viewing.
Did you watch? What do you think about the show and its performances?
I guess I will now
I’ve watched every episode and Southland just keeps getting better. NBC has a great show on its hands, now if they can just keep from putting it in the ditch.
Last night was a good episode. I like Regina King’s character (but I was unclear as to her reluctance to tell her date she was a cop) and she really knocks it out of the park each week. But honestly, I like the story arcs that follow the patrolling officers (the kid from the OC, C. Thomas Howell) better. I was dissapointed not to see them last night.
Oh, and I just keep thinking the wife of the one detective – the one with the drug sniffing dog – just can’t get any stupider. And, yet, she does.
Great show. I hope that it sticks around.
I’ve missed Ben but it was a pretty good episode.
My boyfriend has been watching since the beginning and I watched my first episode last night and I’m hooked. What a great show.
This episode was so taunt and finely acted by Regina King and Tom Everett Scott, I felt like I was a voyuer in the scenes reflecting their personal lives. When the show was almost over then I thought of Ben McKensie. His character is riveting as well.
I’m really like the show and Almost all of the characters. The two that I feel are really bringing the show down are Det. Bryant and his wife Tammy. Either they are bad actors or these are bad characters. Am I alone here?
I’m really like the show and Almost all of the characters. The two that I feel are really bringing the show down are Det. Bryant and his wife Tammy. Either they are bad actors or these are bad characters. Am I alone here?
I love this show, but I thought they should of followed the Ben/Father storyline more last night, to follow up from last week. Although it was nice to see the other characters, it seems like the Ben story has lost its momentum.
http://tvdonewright.com/2009/05/01/tv-tonight-friday-may-1st-2009/
Love this show! I missed Ben & John, but loved getting more backstory on the others.
This and ‘Parks and Recreation’ are my two new favorite shows. I love the casts on both shows. Good job NBC!
This show has serious potential. But it’s always when they’re working the cases that it’s at its best. Is there a single well-adjusted member of the LAPD? It seems like every one of the male characters has an f’ed up home life. And that Tammy chick is so boring. I flip to see what other shows are up to when she appears on screen.
Haven’t watched last night’s episode yet, but am excited to now. I dig this show so far, it’s got soul.
Regina King was made for this role. Great, great show.
This is a TOP NOTCH show. The ensemble works well. I found it easy to invest in the characters. I hope this show gets the chance it deserves.
Southland drops AGAIN in ratings. What the hell?
http://tvdonewright.com/2009/05/01/ratings-report-greyscsi-all-time-low-southland-continues-to-fall/
What’s NBC’s problem?