Southland Season 5

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

….I just thought I’d offer this since, as we know, it’s never going to happen. And it should have happened.

I’ve followed this show from the beginning, always watching the seasons on DVD after they aired. I’ve followed the mismanagement on the part of the stations that aired the series, shuffling it from place to place like an unwanted child; the mismanagement on the part of those who created and sold the DVD’s, packaging and repackaging seasons so I had to buy some of them twice; and ultimately, mismanagement on the part of those who decided this show wasn’t worth renewing. And through it all, the one constant has been the quality of the show itself, the remarkable performances, writing and cinematography. Within the range of five remarkable seasons, this Fifth and Final Season was, for me, the very best. Yes, this season is the most graphic in terms of everything from language to imagery to subject matter; but the payoff was there for me, episode after episode without a single exception. Of how many seasons of how many shows can one say that about?? Not many.

“Southland” has always been a difficult show. Each episode thrusts the viewer into any number of situations without prior explanation, without explicit tie-ins to previous storylines or neat packaging of new ones. But I believe that was intentional, as it reflects the reality faced by inner city police officers on a daily basis. So it took five or ten minutes to get acclimated to each episode, not unlike the way it takes ten or fifteen minutes each time you pick up a novel to continue reading. But like the reading of a really good book, the rewards are far greater than that of disposable junk that doesn’t take any effort.

So “Southland” is gone, while “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” goes into its (eighth? ninth?) season without an end in sight. If you’re reading this, you probably followed “Southland” too. But if you didn’t, and if you’re wondering if this season or series is worth buying on DVD, I would say a resounding yes–with a caution that you’re in for a wild ride, and in the end, your heart is going to be broken, half by the characters you’ll surely care about, and half by those in the television industry who didn’t let them continue.

-Tom

So many times I hear people say there isn’t very much on television that’s worth watching. This is an example of television programming as art. The actors are masterful in their performances, and the writing is both compelling and complex. There are no heroes here, just very three dimensional men and women living heroic lives on the job. I confess I was in disbelief that this show was cancelled, but not surprised. These days programs that are “too good to be true” often end up on the scrap heap. I sometimes wonder if it’s because they really are too good, and some people “in the industry” cannot handle the competition. In any event, this entire series is not just worth seeing, it’s worth owning.

-Amazon Customer

Great drama piece with too few watchers.

As with NYPD Blue, there was a gritty element to the scenes and cast which made it seem much more realistic than with other cop dramas filled with impeccably dressed and model-looking casts. Its cancellation due to low ratings (twice) was a blow, because even though I’d only seen a few episodes, the ones I caught were really good. The fact that it had a dedicated cult following allowed it to be picked up again after the first cancellation. I didn’t see any reason this couldn’t have been a long running, ratings busting drama series. Sometimes the parent station and time slot just don’t work in favor of a certain type of show. Mores the pity.

I do not recommend this for children under the age of 16. Its adult, and sometimes graphic, plots, views and subject matter means this series is for grownups only.

Solid drama, great cast, excellent writing – Definitely recommend
Read more

-Great drama piece with too few watchers.

As with NYPD Blue, there was a gritty element to the scenes and cast which made it seem much more realistic than with other cop dramas filled with impeccably dressed and model-looking casts. Its cancellation due to low ratings (twice) was a blow, because even though I’d only seen a few episodes, the ones I caught were really good. The fact that it had a dedicated cult following allowed it to be picked up again after the first cancellation. I didn’t see any reason this couldn’t have been a long running, ratings busting drama series. Sometimes the parent station and time slot just don’t work in favor of a certain type of show. Mores the pity.

I do not recommend this for children under the age of 16. Its adult, and sometimes graphic, plots, views and subject matter means this series is for grownups only.

Solid drama, great cast, excellent writing – Definitely recommend
Read more

DVD Wholesale Main Features:

Actors: Michael Cudlitz, Shawn Hatosy, C. Thomas Howell, Regina King, Ben McKenzie
Writers: Ann Biderman
Producers: Christopher Chulack, John Wells, Jonathan Lisco
Format: Color, NTSC
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 2
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: August 13, 2013
Run Time: 430 minutes