Rotten Tomatoes
Suggestions will appear as you start typing. Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Season 5 – Southland

Play trailer Poster for Season 5 – Southland Feb 2013 Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 17 Reviews 96% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Veteran Los Angeles cop John Cooper is assigned to train rookie Ben Sherman, who finds himself questioning whether he has the right stuff to be a police officer after witnessing Cooper's no-nonsense approach. Other members of the police team include Detective Lydia Adams, who is her mother's primary caregiver away from the office; her partner, Russell Clarke, an unhappily married father of three; Detective Daniel "Sal" Salinger, who oversees gang detectives Nate Moretta and Sammy Bryant; and patrol officer Chickie Brown, a single mother who dreams of joining the SWAT team.
Watch on Fandango Stream Now

Where to Watch

Southland — Season 5

Southland — Season 5

What to Know

Critics Consensus

In its final season, Southland remains gloriously gritty and observant, upending cop show clichés with emotionally resonant characters and bravely unsettling twists.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Nina Metz Chicago Tribune Feb 19, 2020
You don't see cop shows like this on TV anymore. Stark. Naturalistic. Unafraid to let small moments count just as much as the big ones, sometimes even more. Go to Full Review Brian Lowry Variety Nov 19, 2013
The final episode was emblematic of a series that, creatively speaking, appears to have gone out the way it operated - on its own terms, making no allowances for those who might call it too dark, too depressing or too inaccessible to deliver commercially. Go to Full Review Mike Hale New York Times Nov 19, 2013
Southland still gets it right most of the time, and stands above the more popular police and forensic dramas that satisfy our appetite for predictability while insulting our intelligences to greater or lesser degrees. Go to Full Review Jace Lacob The Daily Beast Feb 19, 2020
Southland remains one of the most morally complex and insightful dramas on television today. Go to Full Review Dorothy Burk Vasquez PopMatters Feb 14, 2020
9/10
Season five is shaping up to be yet more intense than the previous seasons of Southland. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Flossie S @Flossie432 Aug 5, 2026 A really enjoyable show about the lives of Police officers working for the LAPD. See more Kevin D @Kevinizon Jul 14, 2026 I loved how they give just enough, in terms of snippets of crimes or pursuit. The camera work, direction, acting, and writing: stellar. There were times when I was just so impressed by how believable the characters were, based on terrific performances and blocking by the actors. This show is just very rich, on a lot of levels. See more Juli M @RT20678323 Jul 13, 2026 Just wow. One of the best cop series ever, if not the best! See it! See more J P @NotZeppoMarx Apr 20, 2026 Best cop drama I've seen in the last 15 years! I could binge watch this weekend after weekend. Great script and dialogue. The characters are very compelling. See more Bernadette J @JBern Feb 14, 2024 Half of season 5 episode 10 "reckoning" had too much of episode 9 included in it. And didn't like how Cooper's character ended. Season 5 episode 10 seemed like a rush writing and directing. Disappointed and no need to do a season 6 because season 10 sucked. See more Mindrax @RT48353802 Feb 14, 2024 Really good show, such a big misstake to axe it. Gritty and realistic to the core. See more Read all reviews
Southland — Season 5

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Félix Enríquez Alcalá

Director

Christopher Chulack

Director

Stephen Cragg

Director

Regina King

Director

J. Michael Muro

Director

Michael Cudlitz

John Cooper

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Feb 13, 2013 Hats and Bats John Cooper clashes with a veteran from Afghanistan; Lydia struggles to balance detective work and motherhood; Ben Sherman falls in with a questionable crowd; Sammy Bryant battles Tammi for custody. Details Episode 2 Aired Feb 20, 2013 Heat Mendoza is injured in a drive-by; Ben works to solve the drive-by case; Lydia investigates the murder of a female boxer's husband; Cooper and Steele face off during a traffic stop. Details Episode 3 Aired Feb 27, 2013 Babel LAPD's dispatch system breaks down; Lydia reaches out to an old flame; John is assigned a new partner; Ben and Sammy's partnership is strained. Details Episode 4 Aired Mar 6, 2013 Under the Big Top Lydia and Reuben search for a killer who cooked a man's body; John and Lucero have a day filled with strange calls; Ben and Sammy respond to a bank robbery. Details Episode 5 Aired Mar 13, 2013 Off Duty John considers life after the LAPD; Lydia connects with a man she sent to death row; Sammy becomes a celebrity after a public act of heroism; Ben decides to get a drug dealer arrested; Dewey is put in danger during a foot pursuit. Details Episode 6 Aired Mar 20, 2013 Bleed Out A baby's death shakes Lydia to her core; Sammy is questioned about his altercation with Tammi; Cooper seeks solace in Hicks; Ben grows more involved with Brooke while continuing to see Elena. Details Episode 7 Aired Mar 27, 2013 Heroes John takes drastic measures to try to save Hicks; Sammy's lie weighs heavily on his conscious; Lydia and Ruben track down a John Doe; Ben's relationship with Elena grows serious. Details Episode 8 Aired Apr 3, 2013 The Felix Paradox A drug dealer's funeral brings gangsters out into the open; Lydia and Ruben investigate the murder of Sgt. Hill's son; Ben suspects that Sammy did not destroy the tape; John sinks into loneliness. Details Episode 9 Aired Apr 10, 2013 Chaos Cooper and Lucero are kidnapped and held hostage; Sammy searches for Strokeface; Ben tries to throw Sammy off the trail; Brooke becomes increasingly irrational. Details Episode 10 Aired Apr 17, 2013 Reckoning John deals with the aftermath of his kidnapping; Sammy closes in on the robbers; Lydia pursues John's kidnappers. Details

More Like This

View All
Hand of God 30% 85% Hand of God Watchlist Dexter 71% 81% Dexter Watchlist Justified 97% 95% Justified Watchlist The Bridge 88% 83% The Bridge Watchlist Top of the Lake 83% 63% Top of the Lake Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

Southland — Season 5

Southland View more photos

Season Info

Director
Felix Alcala, Christopher Chulack, Stephen Cragg, Regina King, James M. Muro
Executive Producer
John Wells, Ann Biderman, Christopher Chulack
Network
NBC
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date
Feb 13, 2013
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings