"Southland" hits its stride and finds stability on TNT

"Police officers often find themselves frustrated with the limitations of the legal system. Sometimes cops have to improvise."
After being mishandled by NBC and transferred to another network, the first season of "Southland" completely produced for cable premiered this Tuesday with a top-notch episode. If you haven't tuned in before, I don't think it's a problem jumping in now. You lose a little character development from the earlier episodes, but due to its procedural nature, there are no big ongoing storylines to be confused by.

My favorite description of the show I've read so far is by Entertainment Weekly, who called it a "procedural with the soul of a serial drama" when recommending it. The show also has a healthy dose of realism to it that you often don't get on network television. And I don't just mean that in reference to its grittiness. The scene where Lydia tells Russell about her new partner was a great example of one of the best things the show does - it takes small, everyday moments and focuses on them, as they are often the big moments in day to day life. I particularly enjoyed Ben and John trying to settle a sales dispute, the kind of mundane stuff that doesn't make headlines but does make up a good portion of street level police work.

This episode had some great writing as well, from "better live pussies than dead heroes" to "she needed a restraining order, not a hug." Another favorite of mine was from a neighborhood local being interviewed by the detectives regarding a murder, telling the detectives that "this isn't a fucking whodunit. Everyone in this neighborhood knows whodunit." The show isn't shy about the real life limitations of the legal system either, as the opening voiceover points out. When discussing the spate of murders of women, Lydia says, exasperated, that "if they were killing Muslims like this, everybody...they'd be protesting and trying to pass bills in Congress." Detectives Bryant and Moretta also struggle with the imperfections when finding out why some gangbangers walk free after gang raping a girl. Bryant asks why they were acquitted, to which Moretta explains "she was drunk."

I highly recommend "Southland," especially if you're like me and you're going through withdrawal. There seems to be a shortage of good TV right now as we're kind of in a transition period between great big TV dramas. Phenoms "Lost" and "24" ended this year and the next big thing hasn't been found yet. Meanwhile, the 2010 fall season is the weakest in recent memory for new shows. So if you need a new fix of quality TV, check into "Southland" on Tuesdays at 10 on TNT.