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The Worst Episodes of Southland

Every episode of Southland ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Southland!

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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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  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    Southland Season 1 Episode 2 - Mozambique
    7.5/10(456 votes)

    #1 - Mozambique

    S1:E2

    An investigation is opened after Ben, John, and Officer Chickie Brown encounter an infant crawling down the street. Lydia takes a personal interest in the case after Child Protective Services gets involved, and goes out on a limb for the mother. Meanwhile, Sammy and Nate are furious when they learn their teenage eyewitness won't get police protection due to lack of funds, and put up their own money after an attempt is made on her life.

    Director:Nelson McCormick
    Writer:Ann Biderman

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  2. Southland Season 1 Episode 3 - See the Woman
    7.5/10(428 votes)

    #2 - See the Woman

    S1:E3

    Ben and John are called to the home of a man who wants them to find his dog, and another in which a drug overdose led to homicide. Chickie and her partner, Officer Bill "Dewey" Dudek, butt heads after he makes some poor decisions that may have repercussions, and later, Dewey finds himself in an embarrassing situation.

    Director:Christopher Chulack
    Writer:Ann Biderman

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  3. Southland Season 3 Episode 6 - Cop or Not
    7.6/10(284 votes)

    #3 - Cop or Not

    S3:E6

    While working a celebrity murder, Lydia discovers the pros and cons of being in the spotlight. Meanwhile, six weeks after Nate's murder, Sammy finally returns to street patrol. Elsewhere, John voices his anger over the department's waste of money, man-power, and hours spent guarding the home of a celebrity suspected of murdering his estranged wife from the reporters trying to get a scoop.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Southland Season 1 Episode 4 - Sally in the Alley
    7.7/10(392 votes)

    #4 - Sally in the Alley

    S1:E4

    A young Jane Doe found murdered in an alley sets Lydia on an emotional journey, and she discovers her suspect was involved in a cold case. Meanwhile, Sammy's wife, Tammi, decides to embark on a new career, and Nate deals with some family issues and reveals a deep secret.

    Director:Christopher Chulack
    Writer:Ann Biderman

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  5. Southland Season 1 Episode 6 - Westside
    7.7/10(371 votes)

    #5 - Westside

    S1:E6

    Lydia and her partner, Detective Russell Clarke, investigate a string of jewelry thefts in Bel Air and Ben discovers one of the victims is someone he knows. In another matter, Ben must face his past when it comes back to haunt him. Meanwhile, John reveals a secret he's been harboring for a long time, Russell has troubles at home, and Sammy and Nate take extraordinary steps to protect their eyewitness, Janilla, after another attempt is made on her life.

    Director:Christopher Chulack
    Writers:Ann Biderman, Dee Johnson, Angela Amato Velez

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  6. Southland Season 4 Episode 3 - Community
    7.7/10(270 votes)

    #6 - Community

    S4:E3

    On Hood Day, a day where gangs seek retribution, LAPD is trying to keep the peace by camping out in neighborhoods prone to violence. Sammy and Ben leave their assigned neighborhood with disastrous results. Meanwhile, the neighborhood grabs a golden opportunity to seek a little retribution of their own against the gang banger who has been terrorizing them. Elsewhere, John and Jessica discover that another group of neighbors will go to any lengths to get a registered sex offender off their streets.

    Director:Félix Alcalá
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. Southland Season 4 Episode 4 - Identity
    7.7/10(282 votes)

    #7 - Identity

    S4:E4

    Jessica goes the extra mile to assist a homeless war vet obtain an ID so he can be admitted into a shelter . Meanwhile, Sammy is determined to save a dog after he accidentally shoots it in the leg. Elsewhere, Lydia struggles with a serious personal matter while she and Ruben investigate the murder of a man who sheltered and aided women in need.

    Director:Nelson McCormick
    Writer:Unknown

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

    #8 - 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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  9. Southland Season 4 Episode 7 - Fallout
    7.8/10(264 votes)

    #9 - Fallout

    S4:E7

    Jessica and John exchange angry words after she lies to Internal Affairs about the facts surrounding her shooting of a teen with a toy. Meanwhile, Sammy continues to hold a grudge with Ben and Lydia continues to dodge questions about her condition.

    Director:Allison Anders
    Writer:Etan Frankel

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  10. Southland Season 4 Episode 8 - God's Work
    7.8/10(255 votes)

    #10 - God's Work

    S4:E8

    Lydia and Ruben investigate the death of a young nanny, but first they have to find the kids who were in her care. Ben tries to intervene in the life of a prostitute with a daughter, but his efforts only make things worse. Tang gets an update about the boy she shot, but John still wants her to come clean about what really happened.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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

    #11 - 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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  12. Southland Season 1 Episode 5 - Two Gangs
    7.9/10(389 votes)

    #12 - Two Gangs

    S1:E5

    In an effort to recover Detective Daniel "Sal" Salinger's stolen weapon, Sammy and Nate crack down on the residents in the neighborhood where it occurred. Elsewhere, a man exposes himself to Lydia.

    Director:Christopher Chulack
    Writers:Ann Biderman, Dee Johnson

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  13. Southland Season 2 Episode 2 - Butch & Sundance
    7.9/10(329 votes)

    #13 - Butch & Sundance

    S2:E2

    John and Ben are the first responders to a gruesome triple homicide in Hancock Park, where a mother is bludgeoned to death and her young daughters are found bound, gagged, raped and dead in their bedrooms. In investigating the case, Lydia and Rene realize they have two very different investigation styles. Meanwhile, Sammy continues to have problems with his wife and Ben confronts John about his increasing reliance on pain pills.

    Director:Nelson McCormick
    Writers:Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess

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  14. Southland Season 2 Episode 4 - The Runner
    7.9/10(342 votes)

    #14 - The Runner

    S2:E4

    Lydia and Rene are called to Compton to investigate the murder of a young SULA student, only to discover that the girl was not exactly who her parents claimed she was. Meanwhile, John takes Ben with him to Indian Wells to attend the funeral of his friend, a cop who committed suicide. On the way back, they stop at the rehab center to check in on Dewey.

    Director:Guy Ferland
    Writer:Diana Son

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  15. Southland Season 1 Episode 1 - Unknown Trouble
    8.0/10(622 votes)

    #15 - Unknown Trouble

    S1:E1

    On his first day, rookie officer Ben Sherman is assigned to veteran cop John Cooper, his no-nonsense training officer. After being involved in a fatal shooting, Ben already begins questioning his career choice. Detectives Sammy Bryant and Nate Moretta try to convince a young teen to testify after learning she is an eyewitness in the attempted murder of a boy who was mistaken for a gang member. Meanwhile, Detective Lydia Adams investigates the disappearance of a young girl.

    Director:Christopher Chulack
    Writer:Ann Biderman

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  16. Southland Season 3 Episode 1 - Let It Snow
    8.0/10(334 votes)

    #16 - Let It Snow

    S3:E1

    Lydia endures a stressful adjustment period with her new partner, Detective Josie Ochoa, as they investigate the disappearance of an illegal immigrant. Meanwhile, Russell must learn to adapt to a new desk job, Sammy and Nate look for the killer of two gangbangers, Ben catches the eye of an attractive woman, and John struggles with increasing back pain.

    Director:Christopher Chulack
    Writers:Ann Biderman, John Wells

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  17. Southland Season 3 Episode 2 - Punching Water
    8.0/10(308 votes)

    #17 - Punching Water

    S3:E2

    Lydia and Josie are assigned to assist Sammy and Nate with a series of gang murders. John discovers he can't stand the "new and improved" Dewey, fresh from rehab, when he's forced to ride with him in order to evaluate whether Dewey is competent to return to duty. Ben must then ride with Chickie, who drives him nuts with her very personal questions about his private life and his new relationship with the "cop groupie" he's been seeing.

    Director:Christopher Chulack
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Southland Season 3 Episode 3 - Discretion
    8.0/10(303 votes)

    #18 - Discretion

    S3:E3

    Ben has a confrontation with his mother’s rapist after the man is released from prison and is devastated when his mom reveals some information she's been keeping secret for years. Meanwhile, Lydia and Josie continue to bump heads, and Sammy deals with his wife’s betrayal.

    Director:Nelson McCormick
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Southland Season 4 Episode 2 - Underwater
    8.0/10(302 votes)

    #19 - Underwater

    S4:E2

    Things are gonna change with Joel Rucker as the new captain. Lydia and Ruben investigate a convenience store murder, and Lydia uses her typical compassionate charm to collect facts on her suspect from an unassuming grandmother. Meanwhile, John and Jessica get to test their physical abilities when they're attacked on the street. Elsewhere, Sammy and Ben ride with a mistake-prone officer, but Ben is the one making mistakes... mistakes that earn him some notoriety.

    Director:Nelson McCormick
    Writer:Unknown

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

    #20 - 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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  21. Southland Season 2 Episode 1 - Phase Three
    8.1/10(358 votes)

    #21 - Phase Three

    S2:E1

    Lydia and her new partner, Detective Rene Cordero, investigate the disappearance of an elderly man. Meanwhile, Nate and Sammy investigate a freeway shooting and inadvertently threaten the integrity of a major undercover operation. Elsewhere, Chickie finds herself in the middle of a mini-riot after her new partner panics and takes a shot at a 13-year-old boy.

    Director:Christopher Chulack
    Writers:Ann Biderman, John Wells

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  22. Southland Season 3 Episode 8 - Fixing a Hole
    8.1/10(290 votes)

    #22 - Fixing a Hole

    S3:E8

    Sammy seeks answers in the desert, Lydia and Josie babysit an important alcoholic witness before a murder trial, and John and Ben go against procedure to help a child in need.

    Director:Christopher Chulack
    Writer:Unknown

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

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

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

    #25 - 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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Worst Episodes Summary

"Mozambique" is the worst rated episode of "Southland". It scored 7.5/10 based on 456 votes. Directed by Nelson McCormick and written by Ann Biderman, it aired on 4/16/2009. This episode scored 0.0 points lower than the second lowest rated, "See the Woman".