 by Lyle Masaki |
What does "Southland"'s next season have in store for Officer Cooper?
Fans of NBC's police drama Southland were worried when word came out that the second season would focus more on Benjamin McKenzie's Officer Sherman and Regina King's Detective Adams. For a moment, there was concern that this new direction would minimize Officer Cooper, the gay cop played by Michael Cudlitz. NBC quickly clarified that the series would focus on Sherman, Adams and their partners, including Cooper. Thankfully, there's Southland news that confirms that Cooper won't completely fade away next season. TV Guide recently reported that this season will likely see Cooper coming out to Sherman, a revelation that Cudlitz predicts won't be a big deal. Cudlitz also reports that Southland is looking to cast Cooper's extended family, so we should be continuing to see glimpses of his personal life as the show continues. So far, Southland has offered a subtle and nuanced portrayal of a gay man, one very different from how gay men usually are depicted on TV. Things look hopeful Southland will continue that way when the series returns on September 25, so we'll be looking forward to the series' return - even if NBC and ABC are forcing us to choose between Southland and Ugly Betty. And thanks to Raleigh for the tip! Submitted by on Wed, 2009-08-19 15:46. |
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Cudlitz Twitters quite actively
High hopes for Southland
I wasn't too panicked by statements that they would focus more on Ben and Lydia. Both seemed to be the POV characters in Season One anyway. Cooper, as Ben's mentor cop, often had a lot of dialogue that was for clearly for Ben's (and the audience's) benefit.
So I'm waiting to see how it goes. If they're focusing down on Ben and Lydia more that will of course include their partners as those relationships tend to be central to a cop's life. If lucky, this means we will have less of Sammy and his annoying neurotic wife or Sal and his marital/parental problems. It's a pit to sideline characters, but the show was just too hard to follow at times due to the soap opera elements.
What I like about Cooper is that he is a tough cop who is incidentally gay, rather than a "gay cop". Certain aspects of him, such as his toughness, his age, the fact that he was previously married and may have come to terms with being gay later in life are unusual and frankly rather fresh. The whole "gays are people too" thing may seem trite, but I think that we're now at a point where a multi-dimensional gay character can't just be a coming out story. I think it's good for the focus to be more on who the character is as opposed to what they are.
So here's to hoping that season two will be good stuff!
Still waiting
Second Season
I have really liked all of the episodes that I've seen of Southland, but I wonder if Cooper has been open about his sexuality with any of the other officers who've been around longer than Ben. I just worry about that Cooper's story could suddenly become a general coming-out story in the second season, and that's been done so much already.
Can't wait.
This show has so much promise.
I am definitely looking forward to this second season. I just went on the NBC site the other day, actually, looking for info on the new season premiere. So thanks for this.
Becoming a gay cop..
Hey, Oliver Fish HAS to tune in for Southland's next season! It will be proof for him that it is possible to be a gay and a cop! Simultaneously! Yeeess! And it's sexy too! ;o)
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H LEDGER R.I.P.
J WRIGHT for MLK Jr biopic
Yes
i definitly like the idea of cops out there protecting me and wanting to sleep with me ;)
I mistakenly thought that Officer Cooper was already out
Southland was one of those shows that I enjoyed when it was on, but I never really made plans to watch it. I would catch 3/4 of an episode here and 1/2 of an episode there. From reading about it, I mistakenly thought that Cooper had come out to Ben at the end of the first episode. It was only when I went back yesterday and watched the entire first season that I realized that he is not out, at least to Ben. I think that I actually enjoyed the story line more when I thought he was out and it was just such a non-issue.
I see now that Cooper will be coming out to Ben this season. Considering Ben's back story of a privileged kid growing up in Bel Air, it seems that this should not be seriously troubling for him. At least I like to think that such a life would introduce you to a variety of friends and acquaintances at an early age. I will be very disappointed if it is otherwise. I also really hope that we learn that at least some of the other cops already knew about Cooper's sexuality and were already this cool with it. If this show turns into a depiction of a veteran officer suddenly ostracized and facing homophobia after coming out, I am going to be extremely disappointed in the writers.