Southland

Phase Three

Lydia and Russell's replacement, Rene Cordero, investigate a possible abduction of an elderly man by a known drug addict. Nate and Sammy investigate a freeway shooting and wind up threatening the integrity of a major undercover operation. And Chickie finds herself in the middle of a mini-riot after her new partner shoots at a 13-year-old boy.

Butch and Sundance

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 styles of doing detective work. Sammy continues to have problems with his wife, who seems unable to complete even the simplest of tasks. And Ben confronts John about his increasing reliance on pain pills.

U-Boat

Ben winds up in a patrol unit alone for the first time. Among the cases he has to handle on his own are a missing girl and a suspected stalking case. Lydia and Rene spend the day checking in on and helping out Brianna and her baby. Over in Gangs, Gil Puente leads the task force to take down ex-banger Trinny Day, but Sal and Sammy have a hard time working with Puente. While patrolling with John, it is clear that Chickie has no command presence, but she is determined to work harder and become a good cop again.

The Runner

Lydia and Rene arrive in Compton, where a young USC student was murdered. Kenny and Andy canvass the neighborhood while Nate and Sammy investigate a house nearby where a party took place the night before. John and Ben head to Indian Wells for the funeral of a cop that proves to be very personal for John. They also stop at a halfway house for cops to see Dewey.

What Makes Sammy Run?

Gangsters open fire in a crowded club and kill two bangers, one of whom has a connection to an officer. Meanwhile, tensions rise between Sal and Gil on the gang task force. And Sammy confronts his wife, Tammi, after discovering that she has been out photographing gang members.

Maximum Deployment

John gets an unexpected request from his ex-wife just as he, Ben and Chickie are sent out as part of a maximum deployment to capture the "Canyon Rapist," a perp who has been impersonating a cop. Lydia gets re-partnered with Russell for a double-homicide case. And Sal gives his wife Susan a special gift to commemorate her promotion, but their night turns into a disaster when their daughter reveals Sal's affair with TV news reporter Mia Sanchez.

Let It Snow

Detective Lydia Adams (Regina King) endures a stressful adjustment period with her new partner, Josie Ochoa (Jenny Gago), as they investigate the disappearance of an illegal immigrant. Detective Russell Clarke (Tom Everett Scott), Lydia's former partner, adjusts to a new desk job on the force. Meanwhile, Detectives Sammy Bryant (Shawn Hatosy) and Nate Moretta (Kevin Alejandro) look for the killer of two gangbangers and Officer Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) catches the eye of an attractive woman during a traffic stop, while his partner, John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz), struggles with increasing pain.

Punching Water

Sammy and Nate feel threatened when Detective Daniel Sal Salinger (Michael McGrady) calls in Lydia and Josie to help them solve a series of gang murders. John gets saddled with Officer Billy Dewey (C. Thomas Howell) in order to keep an eye on him after his stint in rehab. And Ben rides with Officer Chickie Brown (Arija Bareikis), who quizzes him about his relationship with a woman obsessed with cops.

Discretion

Ben seeks revenge when his mother's rapist is released from prison. Lydia and Josie bump heads over a chainsaw, as Sammy deals with his wife's betrayal.

Code 4

John teaches Ben several key tips to being a police officer, including the proper ways to make a death notification and arrest a suspected drug user. Sammy stays with Nate's family while he sorts out how his marital problems. Lydia and Josie handle a drug-related murder case with an unorthodox suspect.

The Winds

Lydia and Josie catch a complicated rape case on the Westside. John bonds with an abandoned teenager while also having to deal with testifying at his own father's parole hearing.

Cop or Not

While working a celebrity murder, Lydia discovers the pros and cons of being in the spotlight. Sammy leaves the confines of the office to go out on patrol. John and Ben chafe with frustration over a tedious security detail.

Sideways

Lydia gets suspended from duty and bonds with an injured witness. A high-speed chase haunts Chickie, and John tries to clean up a neighborhood.

Fixing a Hole

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.

Failure Drill

Ben nears the end of his training period as he deals with John's escalating drug problem. Sammy prepares for fatherhood. And Lydia embraces a teenage victim and fights her emotions during a high-octane shootout.

Graduation Day

In the gripping season finale, challenges abound for Ben Sherman on his final day as a rookie. But nothing is more daunting to the officer than figuring out how to handle his partner's growing reliance on pain killers.

Wednesday

John Cooper returns to duty after recovering from back surgery and meets his new partner, Officer Jessica Tang, a tough and disciplined cop with her own set of baggage from working the streets. Lydia, whose new partner is Ruben Robinson, can't seem to escape helping a former CI who won't stay in safety. Ben, Sammy and Dewey chase an armed man into an elementary school, while Ben bumps heads with an intense street cop whose cynical attitude is affecting their work.

Underwater

Tang and Cooper's past physical problems are put to the test when they are attacked by a perp on the street. 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. Ben and Sammy ride with another officer who is prone to small mistakes. And Joel Rucker takes over as the new captain.

Community

It's Hood Day on the streets of Los Angeles, and Captain Rucker has the department playing hall monitors. Sammy lets old grudges die hard when he leaves a gang territory unattended, only to have a violent gang war erupt throughout the city. Ben's recent mistake continues to haunt him publicly everywhere he goes. Ruben practices his speech for his daughter's quinceaera in the midst of a murder investigation. Cooper and Tang investigate a robbery in a strict Orthodox Jewish home, leading Tang to reveal parts of her past.

Identity

Tang tries to help a homeless vet get an ID so he will be admitted to the homeless shelter. The situation opens John's eyes to his partner's past. Sammy is determined to save a dog after he accidentally shoots it in the leg. Lydia and Ruben investigate the murder of a man who lent a helping hand to women in need. And Ben and Lydia each face big life changes.

Legacy

John tries to save a suicidal teen in a situation that hits extremely close to home. Sammy convinces a former addict to be an informant, with devastating consequences. Tang gets a visit from someone in her past. And Lydia and Ruben investigate a supposed home invasion that appears to have been staged to cover up murder.

Integrity Check

Sammy tries to make amends after the murder of a young man who agreed to testify in one of his cases. John and Tang find themselves babysitting a documentary film crew. And Lydia is ordered to put on her uniform and serve as shift supervisor for the day, but the job could be more than her body is able to handle.

Fallout

The day just goes from bad to worse when Tang is served legal papers in the morning and involved in a shooting in the evening. Sammy holds a grudge against Ben for not backing him up over drug evidence that may have been planted during a recent arrest. And Lydia comes to a decision about her situation.

God's Work

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. And Tang gets an update about the boy she shot, but John still wants her to come clean about what really happened.

Risk

Ben's attempts to help a prostitute with a daughter put him on a collision course with the woman's pimp. Lydia and Ruben investigate the murder of a gang-banger who may have been killed over a graffiti tag. Tang faces more questions about her shooting of an innocent bystander, which could determine whether she gets promoted to sergeant.

Thursday

It's the last day on patrol for Tang, as she prepares to move to another precinct as sergeant. But first she wants to tie up some loose ends on the beat. Lydia is pressured to make a decision about the extent of her police duties during the rest of her pregnancy. With Sammy recovering from injuries, Ben and Dewey are partnered together. But Ben is bent on tracking down the prostitute he's been trying to help and then getting her and her daughter away from the abusive pimp controlling their lives.

Hats and Bats

In the season 5 premiere of Southland, Officer John Cooper clashes with his new boot, Gary Steele (guest star Derek Ray), a vet from Afghanistan. Lydia struggles to balance detective work and motherhood. Ben Sherman falls in with a sketchy crowd of cops (Chad Michael Murray guest stars), while Sammy Bryant is trapped in a hellish custody battle with Tammi (guest star Emily Bergl).

Heat

After Mendoza (guest star Chad Michael Murray) 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 (guest star Derek Ray) finally come to a head during a traffic stop-gone-sideways.

Babel

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 (guest star Michael Jace). John is assigned a new partner; Ben and Sammy's partnership is strained just as Ben makes a romantic connection on the job.

Under the Big Top

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.

Off Duty

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.

Bleed Out

In episode six, 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 (guest star Gerald McRaney) but finds none. Ben becomes more deeply involved with Brooke (guest star Annie Monroe) while continuing to see Elena (guest star Carmen Corral).

Heroes

John takes drastic measures to try to save Hicks (guest star Gerald Mcraney) while being confronted with demons from his past. Sammy's lie about the tape weighs heavily on his conscious. Lydia and Ruben track down a John Doe. Ben's relationship with Elena (guest star Carmen Corral) becomes more serious.

The Felix Paradox

The funeral of a major drug dealer brings gangsters of all kinds out of the woodwork, there is chaos in the streets but as our cops learn sometimes the greatest threats come from within (Shaquille O'Neal guest stars). Lydia and Ruben investigate the drug related murder of Sgt. Hill's son; they discover police corruption in the process and clash over how to handle it. Ben suspects that Sammy did not destroy the tape in episode 7 and decides to take matters into his own hands with tragic consequences. John sinks farther into his loneliness.

Chaos

Chaos prevails in the city of angels when Cooper and Lucero are kidnapped and held hostage by a pair of tweakers. All of our cops join the frantic search to find their brothers in blue before it is too late. Sammy searches for Strokeface. Ben tries to throw Sammy off the trail while simultaneously dealing with an increasingly irrational Brooke (guest star Annie Monroe).

Reckoning

John copes with the aftermath of his kidnapping. Sammy closes in on the real robbers. Lydia continues to pursue John's kidnappers and becomes more intimate with an old friend.