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The Best Episodes of Southland Season 5

Every episode of Southland Season 5 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Southland Season 5!

Binge this in 7h 0m•Peaking at 9.1/10

A raw and authentic look into the Los Angeles crime scene, going far inside the lives of cops, criminals, victims and their families. The show centers on four main characters: Officer John Cooper, a seasoned

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Southland Season 5 Episode 1 - Hats and Bats
    7.7/10(306 votes)

    #1 - Hats and Bats

    S5:E1

    Officer John Cooper clashes with his new boot, Gary Steele, a vet from Afghanistan. Lydia struggles to balance detective work and motherhood. Ben Sherman falls in with a sketchy crowd of cops, while Sammy Bryant is trapped in a hellish custody battle with Tammi.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Southland Season 5 Episode 2 - Heat
    8.1/10(291 votes)

    #2 - Heat

    S5:E2

    After Mendoza is injured in a drive-by, Ben takes it upon himself to solve the case, much to Sammy's dismay. Lydia regains her footing as a detective while investigating the murder of a female boxer's husband. Tensions between Cooper and Steele finally come to a head during a traffic stop-gone-sideways.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Southland Season 5 Episode 3 - Babel
    8.0/10(264 votes)

    #3 - Babel

    S5:E3

    A breakdown in the LAPD's dispatch system makes a difficult job even harder for the cops, all of whom are already grappling with communication issues. Lydia, in a moment of weakness, reaches out to her old flame, Terrell. John is assigned a new partner; Ben and Sammy's partnership is strained just as Ben makes a romantic connection on the job.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Southland Season 5 Episode 4 - Under the Big Top
    7.8/10(251 votes)

    #4 - Under the Big Top

    S5:E4

    Lydia and Reuben track the killer of a man whose body was slow cooked down to the bone. John and Lucero settle into their new friendship during a day filled with strange calls. Ben and Sammy respond to an insane bank robbery in which the suspects throw cash out into the streets as they make their escape in a getaway car.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Southland Season 5 Episode 5 - Off Duty
    8.1/10(252 votes)

    #5 - Off Duty

    S5:E5

    John is forced to think about what life will hold for him once he leaves the LAPD. Lydia connects with a man she sent to death row earlier in her career. Much to his chagrin, Sammy becomes a tabloid celebrity for the day after a very public act of heroism. Ben makes a dubious decision to get a drug dealer arrested. And a foot pursuit puts Dewey in danger.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Southland Season 5 Episode 6 - Bleed Out
    8.1/10(336 votes)

    #6 - Bleed Out

    S5:E6

    The day’s events bring all of our cops face to face with some of their greatest fears. The death of a baby shakes Lydia to her core. Sammy is questioned by I.A. about his altercation with Tammi. A difficult day on the job causes Cooper to seek solace in Hicks but finds none. Ben becomes more deeply involved with Brooke while continuing to see Elena.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. Southland Season 5 Episode 7 - Heroes
    8.1/10(349 votes)

    #7 - Heroes

    S5:E7

    John takes drastic measures to try to save Hicks while being confronted with demons from his past. Sammy’s lie about the tape weighs heavily on his conscious. Lydia and Ruben track down a John Doe. Ben’s relationship with Elena becomes more serious.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Southland Season 5 Episode 8 - The Felix Paradox
    8.4/10(274 votes)

    #8 - The Felix Paradox

    S5:E8

    The funeral of a major drug dealer brings gangsters of all kinds out of the woodwork, there is chaos in the streets but as our cops learn sometimes the greatest threats come from within. Lydia and Ruben investigate the drug related murder of Sgt. Hill’s son; they discover police corruption in the process and clash over how to handle it. Ben suspects that Sammy did not destroy the tape and decides to take matters into his own hands with tragic consequences. John sinks farther into his loneliness.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Southland Season 5 Episode 9 - Chaos
    9.1/10(580 votes)

    #9 - Chaos

    S5:E9

    Chaos prevails in the city of angels when Cooper and Lucero are kidnapped and held hostage by a pair of tweakers. All of our cops join the frantic search to find their brothers in blue before it is too late. Sammy searches for Strokeface. Ben tries to throw Sammy off the trail while simultaneously dealing with an increasingly irrational Brooke.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Southland Season 5 Episode 10 - Reckoning
    8.7/10(530 votes)

    #10 - Reckoning

    S5:E10

    John copes with the aftermath of his kidnapping. Sammy closes in on the real robbers. Lydia continues to pursue John’s kidnappers and becomes more intimate with Russell.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Season 5 Ratings Summary

"Hats and Bats" is the best rated episode of "Southland" season 5. It scored 7.7/10 based on 306 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 2/13/2013. This episode is rated 0.4 points higher than the second-best, "Heat".