By Alexandra Sparco

She might not receive nearly as much screen time as the rest of the characters, but that doesn’t mean Officer Chickie Brown (Arija Bareikis) isn’t worthy of such treatment.

In fact, while many other SouthLAnd fans say that Cooper (Michael Cudlitz), Sherman (Ben McKenzie), or Lydia (Regina King) are their favorites – Chickie has always been mine.

The small bit in “Unknown Trouble” (the series pilot) where it was said that Chickie wanted to join S.W.A.T. is what first drew me into the character. As soon as I heard that bit of info, I knew it was a character I would grow to like, as she had aspirations – she knew what she wanted to do, and where she wanted to end up. Her calm, cool, and collected demeanor also contrasted perfectly with the brash, Alcoholic, man-child partner Officer Billy Dewey (recurring guest C. Thomas Howell). Although she waited an awful long time to turn Dewey in for his actions, the fact that she was still willing to do so to a person she had grown to trust (in certain aspects) is still commendable. (continue reading…)

By Alexandra Sparco @cautionwriter

Cooper & Sherman in "Butch and Sundance"

The theme song to Southland has never sounded so eerie before. Maybe TNT remixed it a bit? It could just be my anxiety for the episode to begin, or the fact that I’m actually using headphones and watching it on my iPod as I write this. The point being, I’ve never had a television show theme song give me this anxious feeling before. A scary suspenseful scene, sure. A theme song, not so much. However, this is Southland people, it’s damn good television and it’ll do that to you every time.

We start with Cooper and Sherman, henceforth referred to together as “Coopman” for my convenience engaged in a car chase. Zipping around parking lots and nearly ninety degree turns, something’s bound to happen – and it most definitely does. The car they’re chasing (a Toyota might I add) clips a curb, flips several times, the gas tank is leaking and it’s starting to catch fire. Coopman rushes out of their squad car to help, but Cooper realizes nothing can be done, he pulls Sherman away from the car and they both manage to get away before the thing explodes.

Officer John Cooper knows, and Ben Sherman will learn, that sometimes…you see things as a cop that nobody should see. (continue reading…)