The Los Angeles-based crime drama
Southland returns for a third season on Tuesday, January 4.
Southland originally premiered
on NBC, but the network axed the series right before the start of its
second season. Cabler
TNT picked up the series and ordered 10 more episodes to be
broadcast in the new year.
Advocates of greater gay-inclusion on
television had lauded Michael Cudlitz's role on the show as part of a
broader trend that includes non-stereotypical gay characters.
Tough-as-nails training officer John
Cooper is about as non-stereotypical as it gets. The divorced cop
has a soft spot for family but he's not taking any crap from the
street thugs he wrangles with everyday.
On the show, Cooper gave off a gay vibe
from the show's premiere, but producers made us hold our breath until
the show's first season finale before pairing him up with another
man. Season 2 picked up after Cooper shared a tender moment with
Caesar under a cascade of Memorial Day fireworks, and ended with
Cooper's sexual orientation being questioned by one of his
colleagues.