| Southland Episode | |
| Season 4, Episode 1 | |
 | |
| Air date | January 17, 2012 |
| Written by | Jonathan Lisco |
| Directed by | Christopher Chulack |
| Episode Guide | |
| previous "Graduation Day" (Season Three) |
next "Underwater" |
"Wednesday" is the first episode of Season Four of Southland. It originally aired on January 17 2012. It was written by co-executive producer Jonathan Lisco and directed by executive producer Christopher Chulack. The episode marks the debut of the smaller starring cast now consisting of just Ben McKenzie, Michael Cudlitz, Shawn Hatosy and Regina King.
Plot[]
Ben Sherman and Sammy Bryant have settled into their relationship as partners in patrol. Sherman has been promoted to Patrol Officer 2 and bought a house in central LA while Bryant is living in the suburbs and raising his new son. Their cases include an alleyway shooting where both perpetrators end up dead and an assault in broad daylight where the perpetrator is killed in a road traffic collision. Throughout the day Sherman butts heads with Officer Danny Ferguson and the two have an altercation in the locker room at the end of the shift.
John Cooper returns to work having had back surgery and spent time in rehabilitation. He is assigned to Jessica Tang. Dewey Dudek tells him that Tang features in a youtube video clip. Their cases include two traffic stops and an attempted suicide. Tang is frustrated when their workload prevents them from getting lunch at her favourite spot: a food truck named Truck Norris that offers fusion cuisine. During they cross paths with an aggressive cafe customer and Cooper has a distant reunion with Sherman.
The coffee shop customer later comes to the 22 division's station with a shotgun and opens fire on the officers there. Ferguson displays heroism by distracting the shooter and then charging at him allowing the others to bring him down. It is unclear who exactly brought the shooter down but it's implied that [Sherman] and [Byrant] were responsible. Ferguson is shot and wounded along with three other officers. Sherman and Bryant escape unscathed but shaken.
Lydia Adams has also been assigned a new partner; detective trainee Ruben Robinson (played by Dorian Missick). She is troubled by the reappearance of, Donelle, a high school friend who is now a witness who is supposed to be in the relocation program. Donelle is a drug addict and is asking to be relocated again despite returning to LA because of her addicition. She is arrested at a narcotics bust and Adams asks her to leave town. She is later found dead, dumped at the beach in a storage box.
Cast[]
Starring
- Ben McKenzie as Officer Ben Sherman
- Michael Cudlitz as Officer John Cooper
- Shawn Hatosy as Officer Sammy Bryant
- Regina King as Detective Lydia Adams
Special guest stars
Guest stars
- Jamie McShane as Sergeant Hill
- Dorian Missick as Ruben Robinson
- Lou Diamond Phillips as Officer Danny Ferguson
- JoNell Kennedy as Danelle
- Dean Cameron as Mr Millsap
Trivia[]
- One of the wounded officers is named Alcala - a reference to regular director Felix Alcala.