Southland 3x10, "Graduation Day"

John and Ben:
In the interest of disclosing embarrassing stuff up front: I cried during last night's episode, and not, like, cool perfect-double-tears-like-Demi-Moore-in-Ghost crying, but more like making-high-pitched-Stan Laurel-noises crying.*

I wish my usually reliable video source had posted so I could make screencaps--a million millions screencaps of Ben and John, particularly of Ben looking over across the rooftops to John. But I can't...
 ETA Thanks, TNT promotional department:

...so I'll just say that even though I am a seasoned tv veteran and know in my logical "This is how TV shows work" way that Ben and John will be partners again in the fourth season that will totally happen very, very soon, part of my 8th-grade soap-opera watching past self is wringing my hands and worrying while loving the drama, the conflict, and the gentleness of their resolution. I never want them to be split up; as much as I love Sammy, I think we're all supposed to know that his bluster is simply a shadow of John Cooper.

Cudlitz rocked it, especially in that closing scene when the camera mercilessly closed in on John and he listed all the medications he'd been taking, then replied to the narcotics question with "I'm a cop." He's never sounded more unsure of that ever in the history of the show, and it was shattering. What a hard tieback to John's angry disbelief at Dewey's admissions of being on the job bombed out of his mind on liquor. I feel like this storyline couldn't have resolved better or more realistically for the two characters. I believed Ben's fury (I like how much of the dialogue as Ben began shouting down John was repeated from the last episode, like how a lot of people sound when they've rehearsed speeches over and over in their head) and I believed the collapse of John's bravado and his (Stan Laurel Stan Laurel don't be Stan Laurel) "Thank you" to his boot, the man who likely saved his life and his job.

*Said crying started when Ben and John pulled up in front of the hospital, and John matter-of-factly asked Ben to bring him a change of clothes in a few days after the withdrawal had subsided.

Lydia and Josie:
I suppose I should think of it as a sort of reflection of Russell's betrayal of Lydia--how lies of omission can sometimes be the hardest to dig yourself out of and how easy it is to explain away selfish behavior--but it's hard to do since pretty much everyone in the mess is guilty of something: Josie was overreacting as only a mother can (calling Lydia a child molester while they were investigating a child molester case was a nice bit of irony); Roderigo was showing his immaturity by refusing to tell his mother, then being a big ol' boner, horndogging all over Lydia in bed while she was trying to take Josie's phone call (as charming as the character is otherwise, I found that pretty gross); and Lydia, not exactly stepping up and taking control of the situation, which you think she'd know better.

Anyway, I will be interested to see where it all goes in the fourth season (which is totally, totally going to happen REALLY soon). It feels like they're leaving the door open to have Josie remain Lydia's partner With Issues, or potentially partner Lydia off with Sammy (who kept one foot in the detective door, but in Gangs, so maybe I'm wishfully thinking).

Dewey and Chickie:
 I thought the little bit with Dewey and the drug-addicted prostitute was surprisingly touching. C. Thomas Howell is pretty for-real. I love how he can continue to be the obnoxious loudmouth and transition into little moments like the last scene at the park bench and not make it seem like it's out of character.

I hope that Chickie and the thing about Metro isn't the show's way of potentially writing her out. I like Chickie a lot. I'd actually be a little disappointed if the show returned for its fourth season, starting tomorrow, and she and Dewey weren't still partners.

I also liked Chickie's high-five with Ben. Mostly because super, super cute.

Sammy:
Speaking of a million, million screencaps...his expression of trepidation in the delivery room and the way that changed to vulnerable, gentle wonder and love capped by the hesitant kiss on Nathanial's forehead was amazing. Some forum poster over at TWoP--I KNOW I KNOW--said something about being unimpressed by Hatosy, and I had a mild metaphoric nosebleed for a moment or two.

Anyway, I liked how everything wrapped with Nate's (alleged? but really, he did it, right? go back and watch it) killer, how Sammy vacillated between a desire for the guy to stay alive and the uncontrollable fury of wanting him dead. And it was interesting to see him step into John Cooper's shoes; again, I think the show was going for the point that those really aren't Sammy's shoes at all, no matter how much his heart really wants to be back "out there."

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to write a bunch of fictional nonsense about how Sammy and Lydia met up at the hospital and stuff.

In closing: Southland season 4! Get ready, because it's happening in five minutes hooray!

(I will probably post a million screencaps.)