Southland (2009–2013): Season 3, Episode 6 - Cop or Not - full transcript

♪ Southland 3x06 ♪
Cop or Not
Original Air Date on February 8, 2011

♪

The celebrity culture makes
police work in Los Angeles

different from anywhere else
in the country.

But ask Detective Lydia Adams
about it and she'll tell yah.

Celebrity a bitch.

Not tonight, please.

Adams.

Wait. Hold on, hold on.

All right, go ahead,

All right.



Ohh.

Go back to sleep, Pete.

Are you going to work
today?

Yeah. I am.

Are you gonna get killed
like my dad?

No.

Wasn't this house
in a Snoop Dogg video?

Which one?

"Let's get blown," I think.
That was my jam back in the day.

I lost track
after "gin and juice."

You know, Tony --
he always played

that "doggystyle"
nonstop.

You like snoop,
Detective Adams?

You're from L.A., right?



Snoop d-o-double-g is
the first thing on my mind

at the scene
of a double axe murder.

Who called this in again?

Oh, a nosey neighbor.

Fluffy came home
with blood on his paws.

Oh, hey.
We can all go home now.

Sherlock Holmes
arrived.

What's up?

Chief sent me.
She's at Parker center,

preparing
for the press conference.

She wanted me to come,
check the scene out.

Why?

I just do
as I'm told.

Bert Wilson, R.H.D.

Just hit Twitter.

Blogger must have recognized
the address.

Here comes the circus.

What's up with
little lord fauntleroy?

You don't know
the half, brother.

You guys are the primaries
right now,

but this case
is gonna get transferred

to robbery and homicide
after you brief Wilson.

Oh, that's great.

We get all the guts,
and r.H.D. Gets all the glory.

That's what
we're here for.

This place is crazy.
Wow.

Oh, man.

Phew.

What are you doing?

In case we need a few angles
that S.I.D. doesn't shoot.

Caught that?

Yeah, looks like
a sneaker.

Air Force 1s.
I can tell by the logo --

most versatile sneaker
ever made.

I heard she gave killer head,
but damn.

Well,
it's nothing personal.

You got to joke
about it.

You want to fall asleep
thinking about that all night?

Bastard
cut her head off,

and you're trying out
for the Improv?

You okay?

Yeah.

See that tattoo?

British special forces.

It's just one of ours.

I thought the house
was cleared.

Don't shoot!
Don't shoot!

It's okay.
It's all right.

What's your name, baby?

Cristina.

I can't find my daddy.

I want my daddy.

- Can I help you?
- Yes, officer.

I live on this street.

Really?

You got a license?

See, I could let you
on the street,

but then I'd have to
search your car,

and if I searched your car,
well...

I might find
some camera equipment.

And if I found
some camera equipment,

I'd have to confiscate it.

You don't live on this street,
do you?

Do you even have
a press I.D.?

Get out of here.

Get him out.

Detail is crap.

What do you see
everywhere you look?

Photographers.

Helicopters.

Cops.

Cops, standing around
for hours,

guarding some street from
these shitbirds taking pictures

for lonely housewives
who are bored out of their minds

'cause their husbands
won't screw them anymore.

Should be out
doing real police work.

You know how many cops
were deployed

when Michael Jackson died?

Bet you're gonna
tell me.

3,900.

3,900.

It's $1 million in salaries,
$2 million in overtime.

For what? So we could watch
people cry over that...

Freak?

Hey, hey. Relax.

I happened to like
the guy, okay?

Yeah, all that
for the "man in the mirror."

Goddamn waste.

Say what you want,
but you know how many crimes

got committed
in South Central

during the hours
of the funeral?

Zero.

Even the gangsters were home
watching it on TV.

Morning, ladies.

Yeah.

You mind if I smoke?

Your house.

You got your silly, little
arrest warrant. Fine.

But I'm not gonna let this
turn into a fishing expedition.

This is a potential
crime scene.

But if we see or hear anything
that we can find useful,

you can't stop us.

They don't have shit.
Don't answer anything.

So, you and Bethany
are divorced?

We're still working out
the details.

Where were you
last night?

I was here.

Fell asleep around 1:00.

Can anyone
verify that?

Nice sword
collection.

Thank you.

You're missing one.
What happened to it?

Don't answer that.

Somebody broke in a while ago
and stole some of it.

Anything else missing?

Nothing I want to talk
to the police about.

What happened to your hand?
You cut it?

I've been training.

I'm doing Tony Scott's
new movie.

We're remaking
"Shogun Assassin."

It's been a long time
since I've had a good movie.

They flew in Sonny Chiba himself
to train me.

You know who he is?
This is my big shot at coming back.

No, it was your big shot.
Come on.

We need to move him.
It's getting bad out there.

All right.
Give me your hand, please.

I didn't do it.

Bethany's the only woman
I ever loved.

My babies were in the house.

C-c-can I see them?

Come on.

I just got my life back.
Why would I this up now?

All these flashes?
No wonder King Kong flipped out.

Back up! Back up!

So, what do we
do now?

We wait.

For what?

You mean, we stand outside
an empty house?

Yeah. Yeah, 'cause
Mr. Dreamworks himself

lives at the end
of that street.

And Rocky Balboa
lives at the other end.

And if one of these paparazzis
step on their azaleas,

the Mayor's phone's
gonna ring,

the Chief's phone
after that,

and the Watch Commander's phone
after that, so you tell me --

which direction does
this shitstorm roll in?

This is your new home...

Like it or not.

That stuff
will rot your brain.

You know they pay people
for information?

Yeah, so do we.
What does that say about us?

Besides, look.

It's got information
on victim number two --

British ex-commando boy toy,
Charles Upson.

Looks like he was guarding
her body and her "boot-ay."

It says right here that
"Billy was furious about it."

Mm.
I still can't believe

we're looking at Billy Stearn
for this.

- Man, he's been a star since he was 15.
- I know.

Lydia, look.
Look at his sneakers.

Air Force 1s.

Yeah, we got to look
at these

and see what they look like
spattered in red.

- His parents?
- Oh, no, that's hers.

Mom looks
just like daughter, huh?

Damn pappos -- how'd they
get here so fast?

How'd they know that the kids
were at the crime scene?

Celebrity death
in the Twitter age.

Look at this.

This is like a zoo.

Oh, my gosh.

Come on, stay back, stay back.
Come on, Josie.

I'll give you 20 bucks if you hit one of them.
Move back, move back.

Let's go.
All right, let's go.

Hey, Bryant.

Welcome back, baby.

Good to see you.
Hey, I like this.

Hey, man.

I'm glad to see you getting
back up on that horse, Sam.

Can't get rid of us all,
can they?

You know, last time
I saw you suit up

was back
on C.R.A.S.H. days.

So, what, you going back to doing real
police work now or what?

I'm rolling with
gang enforcement detail.

- Hop in a car.
- There you go.

Make the rounds.
You sure that's a good idea?

Hey, I'll see you
out there, Sam.

Hey, Sal.
Hey, Chuck.

It's only been
six weeks.

Nothing wrong with rolling slow
for a while.

They need to see
that they didn't win.

Amen.

Gonna have to shave that peach
fuzz off your face, though.

No way Sergeant Miller

is gonna let you out on
the streets looking like that,

even though you are
just a guest.

He's old-school.

I like it, and anybody
that's got a problem with it,

they know where to find me.

See you later, Sal.

Hey, Sammy.

Damn!
Look at this.

What?

Check you out, girl, working
your inner Naomi Campbell.

Stop.

Aww, if you weren't black,
you'd be bright red.

Should have worn
my green blouse.

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

You got 30 messages,
all from media relations.

For what?

Interview requests.

They already had me talk
to Scott Glover at the Times.

E!, CNN, Essence, Ebony,
The New Yorker.

Jet wants to feature you
in this week's best photos.

Wow. Jet?

My grandma's gonna flip.

Oh, girl, you go.

Come on.
Give me that Naomi.

Oh, gosh, stop.

I don't think
Billy Stearn did it.

Oh, come on.

That guy could charm
the panties off a nun.

Come on, Lydia,
he's an actor.

That's why he was making
all that eye contact with you.

Yeah, but his girls
were there,

and she was coked up
all the time.

When we got there, they asked
for daddy, not mommy.

That's motive.

That's why he killed her --
for them.

I don't care
how mad he was at her.

I don't see him
cutting off her head

and going all "Kung Fu Panda"
on the bodyguard.

Can you imagine
the screams

with his girls right there
in the house?

I don't have to
imagine it, Lydia.

We saw what he did.

Still doesn't match up.

Hey, gorgeous.

Just quoting
the bloggers.

This is Nina Brown,
Bethany's divorce attorney.

Hello.
She has something she wants you to hear.

Is there a private place
we can talk?

It's secure here.

Both parties had agreed
to a $25 million settlement.

Billy would get cash
from Bethany.

Bethany was gonna get
full custody.

With her gone,
he gets it all.

The girls?

And her entire
$300 million fortune --

her estate, the royalties
from her records,

clothing, dolls,
perfume line, everything.

I can't stand the bastard.

I hope he fries like an egg
at San Quentin.

Bitch, pick up
the goddamn phone!

Oh, that's right.
You can't speak

'cause you got that limey's
dick in your mouth!

I see you right through
the window.

Our kids are upstairs asleep,
bitch.

Don't you have any decency?

I'll gut you
like a goddamn fish,

you trout-mouthed bitch!

He's not sleeping.
He may not be guilty.

Oh, that's a homicidal
old wives' tale.

Hey, superstar.

Stop.

What are you doing here?

Just wanted to see
the bastard,

just look at him
for a minute.

Detective Ochoa,
do we have a problem?

Yeah. I don't like you
very much.

Any particular reason?

No, not really.

- No?
- Mm.

Oh, come on!

We know he's guilty.
We just don't have enough?

I guess he just walks.

He
chopped her head off!

He's gonna sleep
in his own bed?!

Russ...

No! He's gonna be playing
"Call of Duty"

and getting a handjob
less than 18 hours

after he slaughtered
his kids' mother.

This.

What's wrong with him?

He's acting like
it's his case.

He just gets wrapped up
into the victims,

especially
when they're women.

Hey, you sure you two
never, um...

Yeah. No.

I-I'm sure we never.

Sergeant Brown tells me
you used to work in C.R.A.S.H.

Wow.

He still tells war stories
about you in the old days.

Why you got us over
in Trece territory?

Usually not over here.

Four Trey is my hood.

Me, personally, I like
working the latin gangs.

They're all business.

They respect the badge
a little.

It's always worse with the
brothers when you're a brother.

No offense.

Always talking crap
when you jam them up.

"Sell out"...

"Uncle Tom"...

"Oreo."

The older ones always got
a nickname for you.

They used to call you PacMan,
right?

I see that.

Got that Sean Penn,

"crazy white boy" thing
going for you.

You ever shut up?

Hell no.

You know how boring
this job can be?

Stop.

Stop!

Sammy!

Any available units, please
respond to a report of a 211

at 4301 Hoffman Place.

Any available units.

Second time
I heard that call.

Third time.

No one's
gonna answer it.

We don't have
the manpower.

Those of us
that aren't on...

Mandatory days off are caught up
with this bullshit.

Put your hands
on your head.

Lock your fingers
together!

Let me see them.

All right.

Okay, turn around slowly.

Slowly.

What's your street name?

They call me Doobie.

Yeah?
Where you from, Doobie?

I'm from Main Street Trece.

You mess with the best,
and you die like the rest.

- You were there that night.
- What?

You were there
that night!

You say "what" again!

You know that you can drown
in an inch of water?

If you'd have stayed in school,
you would have learned that.

- Were you there that night?!
- Where?!

Were you there?!

Yeah! Yeah!

Look at me.

Open your eyes
and look in my eyes.

You think by killing my partner,
you can run me off?

When you wake up,
you're gonna see me.

When you go to sleep,
you're gonna see me.

I'm your worst
nightmare.

You tell all of the rest
I'm back!

Sammy Bryant is back!
You hear me?!

I'm back

Bryant!

Trying to get us
greenlit?

Here you are.

Oh, we didn't
order these.

Oh, they're actually
from the gentleman at table 7.

He, uh --
he said he saw you in the paper.

And there's a note, too.

Oh, come on.

You're in the spotlight.
Enjoy it.

Enjoy what?

One more briefing,
and R.H.D. takes it.

What does that
have to do

with that fine man over there
staring at you?

You better jump on that ship
before it sails, girl.

Oh, let it sail.

Come on, Lyd.

All this love stuff
is getting on my nerves.

All right, so,
why don't you date a cop?

I don't want to
talk shop in bed every night

before going to sleep.

Girl, when I'm with my man,
we don't do much talking.

His mouth's too busy.

Ooh! Nasty.

...Through
the exemplary reporting

of our emmy-winning I-team

that we are able to bring you
exclusive images

you won't see anywhere else...
What is it?

...Photos from the
Bethany Sanders murder scene.

Police sources suspect
that Billy Stearn,

who received sword training

while preparing for his
"Shogun Assassin" reboot,

had the training and the motive
to inflict such damage

on the singer and her lover.

Are you kidding me?
A late-breaking exclusive --

a voicemail left by
Billy Stearn to Bethany Sanders,

angry about an alleged
sexual encounter

with her bodyguard,
Charles Upson.

Here's a piece of it,

but be warned -- it's graphic.
Wow.

Bitch, pick up the phone!
Here we go.

I'm telling you,
you should sit down.

Job called for a chair,
they'd have gave me one.

It's part of the job --

you stand
where they tell you...

...For however long
they tell you.

Should have stayed home
if you're gonna

play on that thing all day
like a teenage girl.

Did you hear this?

Olivia just texted it
to me.

I'll gut you like a goddamn fish,
you trout-mouthed bitch!

And now it's a ringtone.

♪ I'll gut-gut-gut-
gut-gut-gut-gut you ♪

♪ like a goddamn
fish, fish, fish ♪

♪ trout-mouth bitch -- ♪
Shut it off.

You know how many domestics
I've seen turn into murders?

People don't like it,
but you know what?

People fight.

They get drunk,
they say nasty things,

and, yeah,
they hit each other.

You get one up.

They should have
hauled his ass away

after the second call-out.

Straight to jail,
just like a D.U.I.

Jesus.

I stopped
10 feet ahead of you.

If you weren't so busy
looking at cars

and playing
with your walkman --

I was fine, okay?

I have my buds in because
that's how my phone works.

Give it up.

♪ I'll gut-gut-gut-
gut-gut-gut-gut you ♪

♪ like a goddamn
fish, fish, fish ♪

♪ trout-mouth bitch, bitch, bitch! ♪
That's just great.

We're sitting here
with our thumbs up our asses,

and Billy Stearn
almost killed two more people.

Thank you.

Be right back.

You're gonna have to fill out
some paperwork.

Hello.

Th-this is --
this is Sammy Bryant.

Yeah. No, yeah, go ahead.
I'm listening.

You're sure?

Thank you very much.

Lab just called.

I'm gonna be a father.

- Yeah?
- I'm the dad.

I'm the dad.

Detective Adams,
Detective Ochoa,

may I see your phones,
please?

Excuse me?

Detectives, your phones.

Computer division says that
the photos that TMZ has

didn't come from S.I.D.

And because of their
higher digital resolution,

they're more consistent
with a smartphone.

And we checked with every
patrol officer at the scene that day,

as well as
Detective Wilson's phone.

So...

Did either of you take pictures
of the crime scene

with your own phone?

- Are you trying to say we leaked this?
- Lydia, calm down.

How the hell
can I calm down?

Lydia, did you take pictures
of the Sanders crime scene

with your cellphone?

Yes.

Your phone.

I'm not gonna ask again.

I uploaded them
to my computer

like I've done
hundreds of times,

but I didn't give them
or anything to the press.

You're off the case.

If R.H.D.
needs anything else,

I want you to contact
Detective Ochoa.

- Am I suspended?
- No.

I.E.D.'s gonna conduct
its own investigation.

I suggest you contact
a union rep.

Should I go home?

Catch up on some
administrative paperwork

on open case files
at your desk.

Oh.

May I help you?

Move the barricade!
This is my house!

Yeah, all right.
Go ahead.

He's good.

You hear that?

It's Billy Stearn.

So, he's out on bail.

I guess so.

Uh-oh.

This shit.

Any available unit to handle.

P.R. reports unusual odor coming
from 6901 Lennox Street.

Buy it.

- It's probably just a D.B. Call.
- I don't care.

Probably a hundred 911 calls
got ignored today

because of this pop singer
getting murdered

by her drug-addicted
ex-husband,

and this piece of shit --
he's not gonna even spend

one night in jail
for what he did.

And the Watch Commander?
What's he gonna do, arrest me?

You drive.

A43,
show us handling.

These are my babies --

Carter and Keegan.

I follow
the patrolman's creed --

make it home alive,
whatever it takes,

to the wife,
your girlfriend...

Or, in some cases, both.

You saying
I got my partner killed?

No.

But you're out here
playing Denzel,

dunking baby gangsters?

You saying
I got my partner killed?

There are rules
to this shit.

We both know that.

They kill a cop,
we kill them.

And it goes
back and forth...

And it won't stop.

I don't want my babies
wearing black suits,

holding a flag
at my funeral.

Let's go.

Come on.
I'm driving.

You want some?

Police!

Hello.

It never felt like home.
Police.

I mean, pat was cool,
but he was always working.

Half the time, mom was
zonked out on sleeping pills.

That name -- Koehler...

Hello.

...Meant something to me.

It was my only connection
to my dad.

My mom did everything she could
to take that away from me.

I wanted to love her,
but she was cold.

She loved her things
more than she loved me.

You want to know where
my acting career got started?

It was from making myself smile
when she kissed me good night.

Stearn's career did start soon
after that before he was 11.

Hey.

Hey.

You okay?

All right?

Give me your hand.

Can you get up?

Okay?
Stand up for me.

Stand up for me.

Okay. All right.
Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

This where it happen?

We were driving home.

Somebody threw a bottle.
It wasn't a big deal.

You know, he could have
let it go,

but Nate wasn't like that.

I had a different attitude
about gangs

before I met Nate --

night sticks, kiwi shampoo.

But Nate...

He grew up here.

Where I saw assholes,
he saw kids.

But, um...

You know,
he -- he talked to people.

He taught me
that if you...

If you treat them
with respect

that th-th-they'll talk to you
when you need them most.

It was just a bottle,
you know?

I could have let it go.

Could have let it go.

They came from everywhere.
There was --

One of them had a...Pipe.

Hit him here.

I had five guys on me,
kicking.

I wanted to get to him,
I tried to get to him,

but I couldn't get
to him. I --

I saw one of them
reach for the gun,

and that's where I fired.

George 33.

Show us code 6 at Whitmeer and
Lynewood, requesting backup.

He treated these assholes
like people.

They killed him for it.

It was a righteous shoot.

Hell, you could have
killed six of them,

and it still would have
been righteous.

They'll probably give you
the medal of valor.

I don't want
a medal.

That's him!

You know
where you're at?

Yeah.

Do you?

You got about 30 seconds
to get in your car.

You killed my partner.

Or let someone
from the Trece do it.

I'm coming
for everything you got.

I ain't going anywhere.

You hear me?
I ain't going anywhere.

Sammy, Sammy.
Nowhere.

I'm gonna be right here!
Come on.

I ain't going anywhere.
You hear me?

Y'all go on back
to your homes.

I'm not going anywhere!

Not going anywhere, man.

Think it was Josie?

Not everyone's
out to get you, Lydia.

R.H.D.?

Just go home.

16 years.

Southeast, narco, gangs.

I protected that little girl.
It wasn't even my case.

They shot up
my mom's house.

And now they want to accuse me
of being disloyal?

It's smoke. No fire.

They're run your financials.
They're gonna search your computer,

and they're not gonna find
anything

'cause you didn't do
anything.

You'll be fine.

What if
I'm not a cop, Russ?

All I got is this job.

You're gonna be fine.

And, you know,

after you get over the fact
that you can get killed,

there's only two things
you worry about on this job --

you worry you're not gonna
be there for your partner

if something happens
to them...

...And if the department
is gonna hang you out to dry

'cause something doesn't fall
the way they like.

That's not
gonna happen. It's not.

Okay?

That ain't gonna happen.

Go home.

I'll call you.

It was on
the "Wild Bunch" remake

that both Sanders and Stearn
were smitten.

Three days.

Eating what was left
in the refrigerator.

Heart attack.
The kid didn't even leave.

Just stayed there.

Where's he gonna go?

The mother's hooked on meth.
Father's nowhere to be found.

Yeah.

He had the training and the
motive to inflict such damage.

Too bad kids
can't pick their parents.

Why weren't you guys
at your post?

Cooper?

Stearn eventually
cleaned up his act...

Sarge,
th-that kid out there?

..."Good girl gone wild" image
that sold millions of albums...

He was with his dead grandfather
for three days eating nothing but garbage,

all because the Mayor cares more
about celebrities

than people in this town.

And you want someone
to guard a yard,

get some explorers
with orange traffic cones,

not real police officers
with things to do

and people to protect.

...Monitor her progress
24/7.

Get back
to Billy Stearn's house now.

Why?

They just found his body.

What he didn't count on

was Upson and Bethany
falling wildly in lust.

Come on, Petey, two bites.

Please?

He's here!

Ohh!

What do you got to say?

- You're home.
- Yeah?

- Hey.
- Hey.

How was it?

You got --
uh...

Uh, it was okay.
It was emotional.

You hungry?

Oh, I'm starving.

Really.
Real hungry.

Well, I would have
packed you lunch.

Do you want tacos?

Mm...

Saved a lot of money
with that gunshot.

Rocky Balboa's still gonna
be pissed about his azaleas.

That's not our problem.

Think he did it?

Said he was innocent
in the note he left.

I still think he did it.

What about you?

A43, see the woman,
unknown trouble.

24356 Magnolia.

Let's go do
some real work.

What's even more stunning
than Stearns' suicide

is the fact that he might
be innocent after all.

Half an hour ago,
police arrested this man,

ex-marine sergeant
Robert Marion

at the L.A.X. Hyatt rent-a-car

after he violently disputed his bill.

In the trunk of his Ford Focus,
police found a samurai sword,

a pair of bloody Nikes,

and a camera with hundreds
of photos of Sanders and Upson

taken without their knowledge.