Southland 2.01 and 2.02

[hackthis_archive]

Okay, so, I know we didn't have discussion time last week, but that's because I had side discussion time during the episode and then by the time it was over I was so exhausted mentally (I gave myself a headache with all the shrieking) and physically (you'be be surprised how many times you can fall off the sofa before you do yourself serious injury) that I just couldn't do it.

Items of note for 2.01 - Phase Three in my head mostly boiled down to:

- OMG! COOPER I MISSED YOU SO MUCH! DID YOU MISS ME TOO?!

- Cooper's arms got bigger. They're like ham hocks. And Michael Cudlitz looks VERY trim. Those personal training session did that body good. (Not that it wasn't good before, but DAAAMN).

- Ben and his yenta number are love.

- Ben and Cooper and Lydia in scenes together are DOUBLE LOVE. (I have not thought of a pithy saying yet, so double love it is).

- Amaury Nolasco. I know your name, you are too slick. Do not approve.

- Lydia crying over Russ. I had theories about involvement there. Russ is a dick. Nobody would deny that, but just because somebody's a dick doesn't mean you don't love them.

- AVON MOTHERFUCKING BARKSDALE IS ON SOUTHLAND?! Everything comes back to David Simon and The Wire. Don't believe me? Wait until Treme premieres in April on HBO. You'll believe me then.

- The ending scene with Cooper and Ben in the hallway when Chickie thanks them. Ben in his leather jacket and Cooper in the Black Shirt of Sex (TM somebody). I want that icon. I will drabble 100 words for that icon.



And now... now we can talk about Southland 2.02

OH HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT PEOPLE!!!

No, like, really, ask maurheti that was the end reaction there.

Fireballs, passive aggro, Ben and John apologizing to each other.

JOHN CALLED BEN HIS PARTNER!! Y'all just don't know what this does to my blood pressure. Don't tell my GP.


Here are mental notes that I took for this episode that I'll want for writing later. Feel free to ask me about them, expound, squee or just laugh at me. I don't care. I don't think I have ever appreciated or loved the realness of show the way I do with Southland

1. This episode was called 'Butch and Sundance' subtitled 'Only Paul Newman and Bob Redford were as slashy as John and Ben'. I admit the minute they went in that house and did their SWAT number I was like... hmmm. Extra knickers must be around here somewhere.

1a. Ben was lead on checking out the house... he was so nervous, and you know Cooper was ready to snatch his ass out of danger at any second. ♥

2. The storyline was... man, they don't fuck around on this show, do they? That's why I love it, but still. Har.row.wing. Fuckin' A.

3. Lydia, Cooper and Sherman in a scene together! Have a double shot!

3a. Lydia sees that Ben's upset and sends them home! OMG! I may have swooned. She did the mommy number on Ben! LOVE LOVE LOVE!

4. Avon Barksdale!

5. Cooper goes home and drinks. He has Knob Creek. I have had experiences with Knob Creek. That shit does not play. Cooper's home has changed from last season. The sofa is now camel leather instead of plaid cloth. I don't recall the second floor.

5a. Ben goes home and has insomnia.

5b. THIS IS WHEN YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DRIVE OVER AND GET/GIVE COMFORT PEOPLE!

6. The following day when John's asking about how Ben slept. Could be cause Ben slept on his sofa. Could be. At a stretch. No, I would but I already wrote that last season.

6b. John called Ben his partner!!!!

6c. And yelled at him about being passive aggro!

6d. And Ben threw up his arms, like, fine, you may've won this battle, but the war is still ON.

7. Who knew Sammy could run like that?

7b. At the end of the interrogation when Kevin Alejandro's whose character's name I can never remember pings that dude in the back of the head with a piece of bread? THAT is when I knew that this show was probably the best thing I've ever seen. Yes, better than The Wire. Yes, better than Generation Kill. Why? Because it's these little things... like getting pinged in the back of the head with a piece of bread that are so fucking REAL, that make this show real. Nobody puts this stuff on TV. Nobody. Except Ann Biderman and John Wells, so, thank you to them

8. We need to talk about Olivia and Tammy. First, Tammy. Tammy... should not be anybody's parent. Ever. She's a disaster. I just... she's too selfish. And her marriage to Sammy is too volatile. Too shallow. A kid... please no.

Second, this Olivia is not the Olivia from last season. Last season's Olivia was a teenager. 16 at the most. She was fun, smiley. She adored her older brother. This new Olivia is slick, too slick. Too old. Too caught up in her own shit. She invites Ben to dinner to set him up with the chick from Everwood and is surprised when he doesn't want to talk about a triple homicide? This new Olivia I can see being the daughter of Defense Attorney Ben Sherman. Last season's Olivia, that was the one I could see being the beloved half-sister of Officer Ben Sherman. Not the same at all and not any Olivia I would ever want to write about. I'll stick with the S1 incarnation.

ETA: I realize I wasn't specific here. This S2 Olivia is a different ACTRESS altogether. And I do not approve of her.

9. Ben apologizes during lunch for over stepping his bounds. John apologizes for yelling about his pills. Do you see what this is people? THIS IS COMMUNICATION. They are trusting each other. Building a relationship. Personal growth. The writers are building their relationship. Give props, they are due!

10. John's dealer thinks he has a problem. Wait. I'll repeat that. John Cooper's DRUG DEALER thinks he has a problem. Uh, Houston...

11. We end with Ben at the shooting range. The place we learned he was taken by a friend's father after he and his mom were attacked when Ben was 10. This is clearly a place where Ben feels safe. Where he feels he can be in control. Life is chaotic. If you think you're in charge, you're probably mistaken. Some of us work out. Some of us take drugs. Some of us shoot guns. But even those things can only do so much.

Sooner or later, Ben and Cooper are going to have let it out somewhere else.

I'll be waiting to see where.

ETA: Random trivia alert: the mostly bald doctor at the hospital was the dad from Beverly Hills 90210. The original one.


*I would like to give special love and adoration to maurheti who knows all good conversation happens during commercial breaks and to serialkarma and sparky77 who are nice enough to just let me shriek and keyboard smash until I'm hoarse.

Comments

[rainjewel.livejournal.com]

I am SO glad you pointed out the New!Oliva. I kept squinting at the screen thinking I'd lost my ever-loving mind.

Lydia is breaking my heart on so many levels. I didn't like Russell at ALL and I am pulling so hard for him right now it is disgusting.

AND AND AND yes, the shirt on the Coop is The Shirt of Shirts, and those arms are like fucking magical ponies. They shouldn't exist and be able to do the things to me that they do. UNF.

Also, I cannot tell you how little I care about Nate Moretta's problems with his daughter right now, mostly due to the fact that I'm not speaking to him until he shaves his face and stops making Sammy have all these FEELINGS. Aside from the Coop and the Sherman I spend most of my time running circles around Tammy and Sammy drawing happy happy hearts because their dysfunctional relationship makes my life. They are so bad and so good together it makes my teeth itch.

AND YES TO THE BREAD TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD. It almost made me want to talk to Moretta again. Almost. But that was probably from my glee at Sammy being a little sprinting badass.

Okay, I'll stop! I'm sorry! I just love this show and I love you and your love for show!

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

You act like you don't know me.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Yeah, as far as I can tell this is a different actress altogether. I'm sure they aged her to help the set-up for Ben, but just.. ew.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

It was like Bad Decisions 101.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

That sprint was fucking *amazing*. Who knew he had it in him. And I totally agree with your thoughts on Lydia and John and Ben.

[forsweatervests.livejournal.com]

Honestly, with his build? I really did not think that was gonna come out of him. And it went on, and on, and on; he must have seriously trained for that. I was incredibly impressed.

Obrigada, senhorita. I have to say I agreed with all yours, so I think we're even.

[iwwfw.livejournal.com]

It's such a pleasure to read your reactions to the show. It makes me go back and watch the show again -- thank god for DVRs. On top of that, it reinforces for me how awesomely you get a handle on these characters. Your reviews and squee adds another level of complexity and depth that makes the show that much more enjoyable.

11. We end with Ben at the shooting range. The place we learned he was taken by a friend's father after he and his mom were attacked when Ben was 10. This is clearly a place where Ben feels safe. Where he feels he can be in control. Life is chaotic. If you think you're in charge, you're probably mistaken. Some of us work out. Some of us take drugs. Some of us shoot guns. But even those things can only do so much.

When I read this I thought YES! And in my head, I could already see Sherman and Cooper no longer riding together because Ben's training had ended and he was in his own car, but when Ben comes home, smelling of gun powder and he doesn't immediately attack John's mouth with kisses and the unbuckling of belts, John knows that Ben was at that scene. The scene everyone had been talking about over the radios. And he knows that Ben needed to take it out on the gun range and that he still needs someone to pull him out of his head and so John grabs Ben for a kiss and drags him into the shower to wash off the blowback and give him a blow job. *guh*

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I loved the part about the maps, too.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I do not like this new Olivia. Do not want! Do not want! I want gangly, giggly 16 year old Olivia, not slick, bitchy, shallow new Olivia who looks wayyyy older than Ben. No. *stomps foot* <-- This is actually the only time I have actively been unhappy with anything Southland's done story or casting-wise.

Nate needs to pick a plan and go with it. But first, the facial pubes must go. TODAY. And yet, c'mon, him with the sunglasses and the hat and the throwing food. It was hot. I cannot tell a lie.

[gidgetgirl84.livejournal.com]

Ok, first of all I have to thank you again for getting me into this show. It was because of one of your fics that I even gave it a chance, so now I like owe you an organ or my firstborn or something, because I totally agree with you on how awesome this show is. ;)

Anyways, I didn't have a chance to comment when you first posted this, but I'm confused by you saying Olivia is a new actress. I think I may have missed something. The woman we first saw in the restaurant is I guess Ben's second sister, although I never caught a name my CC said her name was Chloe, and the blonde who comes in with the guy and brunette girl is Olivia, the same one as season one I thought. I checked imdb, and the same actress is listed for last season and this season as Olivia. Did imdb and I get it wrong? I could totally have, I admit, but I'm all confused now. :/

[engenda.livejournal.com]

AVON MOTHERFUCKING BARKSDALE IS ON SOUTHLAND

This was my reaction.

Also, Mr Walsh.

And yes to pretty much the rest of this post.

Also Ben must have two sisters, because sister at the restaurant mentions "Ward and Olivia are coming too" and in walk the two from last season. Which makes me wonder if Sister 2 with the very funky ring is a full sister. Ben, explain your family to me please. Better yet, explain it to Cooper, when you're both naked.

That would work for me.

Pour vous

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

John points to a peroxide blond sucking on a Blo-Pop. "That one."

Ben shakes his head vehemently as Blondie sings about her heart of glass. "No, definitely not that one."

John smirks. "Why not? She's definitely interested."

Ben eyes John incredulously. "Because the ID that got her in here is probably fake."

"So the jailbait doesn't go for jailbait." John makes an imaginary check mark in the air. "Got it."

Ben ignores him and takes another sip of his beer.

"What about her?" John points to a redhead with an off the shoulder neon dress.

"She is a he," Ben mocks. "Might be more up your alley."

John elbows him in the ribs. "I like my men to be men and my women to be women, Boot."

"And you say I'm picky."

John orders another round of shots. They clink them together and as John swallows, out the corner of Ben's eye he notices a man about his age eying them curiously. He's taller than Ben, well-dressed. He's not looking at Ben at all.

Hell no.
Ben deliberately directs John's attention towards the heavily-pierced bartender at the other end of the bar wearing a Warrant tee shirt. "How do you feel about piercings?"

John just rolls his eyes and carries on watching the foot traffic.

They continue on with their game for another few beers, but eventually enough is plenty. "Okay, I'm done," John says, sliding off his stool and getting to his feet. "I remember all this 80s shit from the first time around; seeing it again is just depressing.

"But we didn't find you anybody," Ben protests as John pulls out his wallet.

"Yeah, but at least we found you somebody." John nods at something over Ben's shoulder and when Ben turns around he sees a pretty brunette. Not too flashy, not too staid. His mother would be thrilled.

Ben turns back to John. "Not interested."

"What are you interested in?" Ben watches John pull a few bills out of his wallet and set them by his drinks.

Ben makes a scoffing noise. "You, dumbass."

John raises an eyebrow in amusement. "Did you hear the words that just came out of your mouth, Sherman?"

"Yeah."

John nods. "You sure about that?" he presses.

Ben shrugs. "As sure as anybody can be."

"What makes you think I'm not going to use this against you?

Ben downs the rest of his last beer and belches obscenely. "I'm kind of hoping you will," he admits.

John laughs. "You're never boring, kid, I'll give you that."

Re: Pour vous

[elizaria.livejournal.com]

I LOVE YOU LIKE CAKE!!! Oh man, snark and stealth is like THEM, ♥ (seriously though, I really need to make you better icons for this awesomeness *flail*)

Re: Pour vous

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you liked it! :D

Re: My random explosion of thoughts, let me show you them

[bayleaf.livejournal.com]

Heh, thank you! I failed utterly in my Imdb search and instead ffwded through all the eps to figure this out. I was thinking it was possible they'd changed actors for the same role, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

[henpecked.livejournal.com]

But... that's the same girl who played Olivia in Season 1 (who is 22, irl). The middle sister, the one who is waiting for Ben when he gets to the restaurant, hasn't been named, and I can't find any credit for her on IMDB. Olivia and Wade (and Lila) all show up after middle sister and Ben have been seated. It's a little confusing because he "doesn't know" Olivia is coming, when in a previous scene we assume he's talking to Olivia on the phone & she's the one setting him up. But he only says "my sister" wants to meet for dinner :/

[cdnbookslave.livejournal.com]

Question: Was Olivia Sherman in more than one episode last season? Because the actress who played her in Butch and Sundance is listed as also having played her in See the Woman in 2009. Not arguing with your dislike of her portrayal in this episode but it may be the same actress with a different take on the character from the writers.

[true-masquerade.livejournal.com]

RealLife!Ben is funny?! That's awesome! That interview just made me love him twice as much :-D

I realise this is a much belated and somewhat random comment, but I just wanted you to know that I thought this was awesome.

I apologise to Hackthis for hijacking her journal for that, but I am that excited about Southland :-) and thought she might understand?