Preview: Will Season Three of "Southland" Deal More With John Cooper's Sexuality?

Ben McKenzie and Michael Cudlitz in Southland

Are you excited about the return of Southland next Tuesday night on TNT? That might depend on how well you feel the show has handled the fact that John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) is gay. Some gay viewers are frustrated that the first two (abbreviated) seasons haven't shown more of his personal life or made his sexuality more explicit. Indeed, despite revealing that particular plot point at the end of last season, some straight viewers still aren't convinced Cooper is gay. 

Other gay fans of the show, however, love that Cooper's sexuality isn't a particularly big deal and those fans have instead focused on the fact that Cooper is unlike almost any other gay character currently on TV. This is a gay man who is tough as nails and who excels at being a cop, while ultimately having lost none of his humanity. Not an easy feat after sixteen years of working one of the tougher beats in Los Angeles.

Additionally, Cooper is incredibly private, gruff and taciturn. Yet he's always there for his fellow officers, even if that means sometimes showing them tough love rather than being their friend.

Indeed, Officer Cooper is such an interesting creation that AfterElton.com readers voted him in at spot #45 for The Top 50 Gay Characters of All Time. This despite the fact that Southland had aired fewer than ten episodes at the time of voting.

Having seen the first two episodes of the upcoming season, and unearthed quite a few more details about other episodes, it's safe to say that if you liked the show before, you'll continue to like it now. But if you were one of those frustrated by the lack of details about Cooper's private life, you'll continue to be frustrated — at least for a while.

Which is too bad, because Cooper is a terrific addition to the gay character pantheon. And the show, if frequently tough to watch because it's so gritty, is also exceptionally well-written and acted. Cudlitz is especially good as Cooper and Regina King is outstanding as Detective Lydia Adams.

Viewers unhappy with how little time the show has spent on Cooper's personal life should keep in mind two things. The first is that while this is technically the show's third season, only thirteen episodes have aired thus far due to the abrupt move from NBC to TNT. Second, this is an ensemble show and the characters' personal and romantic lives are not the focus.

That being said, of all the characters, Cooper's romantic life has probably received the least amount of attention. Viewers have seen the divorced cop in a gay bar where he purchased pain pills to deal with his back problem, and later invited the same drug dealer home. Then the first season finale briefly showed Cooper watching fireworks with a man named Caesar, whom most viewers believed to be in some kind of relationship with Cooper.

We also saw Cooper, along with his patrol partner Ben Sherman (Benjamin McKenzie), attend the funeral of a dead cop that Cooper was friends with and who had killed himself, possibly because he was gay. This was likely the moment Ben realized his partner was gay.

So what is in store for Officer Cooper in Season Three? He'll still mentor Ben, although the two men will also come into conflict over John's back problems and the pills he's taking to deal with it. And John will continue to be the street cop who is smarter and tougher than anyone else. Indeed, when Dewey returns from rehab, he's assigned to Cooper since he's "the best cop" in the division.

In addition, the first episode sees Cooper risk his life to save another cop. And for those frustrated the show hasn't made it clear enough that Cooper is gay, Episode 6 reportedly features him naked in bed with another man. That should finally put that issue to rest.

And in two examples of Cooper's gruff exterior belying his caring side, he not only rescues a small dog from a boa constrictor in another episode, but later calls to check on how the dog is doing. We also see him try to help a young boy who has been abandoned by his parents and how it breaks his heart when there isn't much he can do for the kid who ends up in foster care.

But it's the season's fifth episode — "The Winds" — that will tell us the most about Cooper and what drives him. I won't give anything away, but let's just say back problems and being gay are the least of his personal issues. Indeed, there are some shocking reveals about Cooper's past that might explain why he became a cop in the first place, as well as why he is the kind of man he is.

Let's just say Cooper has "daddy" issues, but not the sort you usually associate with some gay men.

Southland airs on TNT, Tuesdays at 10 PM.

Further reading: Interview with Michael Cudlitz.
Season 2 recaps