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Michael Cudlitz's Gruff Gay Cop Returns To 'Southland'




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.
BY ON TOP MAGAZINE STAFF 
PUBLISHED: JANUARY 01, 2011

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