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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(636 votes)

    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(588 votes)

    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(383 votes)

    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(537 votes)

    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(502 votes)

    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:Angela Amato Velez, Dee Johnson, Ann Biderman

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  6. Southland Season 4 Episode 3 - Community
    7.7/10(362 votes)

    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(374 votes)

    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(402 votes)

    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 2 Episode 4 - The Runner
    7.8/10(411 votes)

    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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  10. Southland Season 4 Episode 7 - Fallout
    7.8/10(351 votes)

    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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  11. Southland Season 4 Episode 8 - God's Work
    7.8/10(343 votes)

    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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  12. Southland Season 5 Episode 4 - Under the Big Top
    7.8/10(333 votes)

    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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  13. Southland Season 1 Episode 1 - Unknown Trouble
    7.9/10(872 votes)

    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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  14. Southland Season 1 Episode 5 - Two Gangs
    7.9/10(520 votes)

    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:Dee Johnson, Ann Biderman

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  15. Southland Season 2 Episode 2 - Butch & Sundance
    7.9/10(438 votes)

    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:Mitchell Burgess, Robin Green

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  16. Southland Season 3 Episode 3 - Discretion
    7.9/10(399 votes)

    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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  17. Southland Season 3 Episode 1 - Let It Snow
    8.0/10(444 votes)

    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:John Wells, Ann Biderman

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  18. Southland Season 3 Episode 2 - Punching Water
    8.0/10(409 votes)

    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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  19. Southland Season 4 Episode 2 - Underwater
    8.0/10(398 votes)

    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(346 votes)

    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(471 votes)

    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:John Wells, Ann Biderman

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  22. Southland Season 3 Episode 5 - The Winds
    8.1/10(399 votes)

    S3:E5

    When a rape victim hires a lawyer and refuses to talk with the two detectives unless her lawyer is present, Lydia and Josie want to know why. Meanwhile, John strikes up an unlikely friendship with a boy who returned home after a sleepover, only to discover his parents had packed up and moved during the night, abandoning him and leaving him to fend for himself, Later on, John begins to feel the stress over the prospect of testifying at his father's upcoming parole board hearing, but he doesn't realize his testifying will open up an emotional can of worms that he's not prepared for.

    Director:Nelson McCormick
    Writers:Mitchell Burgess, Robin Green

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  23. Southland Season 3 Episode 7 - Sideways
    8.1/10(383 votes)

    S3:E7

    When crime scene photos from the case of the celebrity suspected of murdering his estranged wife show up on the internet, all of the first responders are suspended, including Lydia and Josie. Further investigation proves the photos were the unauthorized pictures taken by Lydia using her phone, and she's shocked when she learns who was responsible for the leak. Meanwhile, Sammy fails to pick the right guy from the line-up for Nate's murderer, and Dewey and Chickie are involved in a high-speed chase that ends in disaster.

    Director:Allison Anders
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Southland Season 3 Episode 8 - Fixing a Hole
    8.1/10(385 votes)

    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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  25. Southland Season 5 Episode 2 - Heat
    8.1/10(381 votes)

    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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Worst Episodes Summary

"Mozambique" is the worst rated episode of "Southland". It scored 7.5/10 based on 636 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".