Holy smoke!  I never saw it coming. 

The end of tonight’s Southland just blew me away. The irony of “Code 4” became crystal clear when Nate gives the no-assistance sign to the chopper overhead.  He thinks the situation is under control as he jokes with a man about his new tattoos. Then, just as he steps away, someone slams him in the back of the head with something.  A bat maybe? 

As in real life, it all happened so fast it was hard to tell what the weapon was when Hell broke loose.

Shawn Hatosy (Sammy) was stellar in that scene.  I could feel his terror as the once-controlled crowd became an angry mob. It was horrifying to watch Sammy desperately trying to drag Nate to safety amidst the presence of people intent on stomping on his already-bleeding and unconscious body.  I’ve watched the scene twice now and I don’t think I can watch it a third time.

Nate’s death was not what I expected.  At the beginning of this episode, I would have picked Sammy as the character in the most danger, but Southland surprised me.  I love it when a show can do that. Nate was a complex character with a lot more story to tell and I'm gonna miss him.

The humor in this episode is what made the tragic ending all the more surprising.  It was comical to see how Ben’s ego drove him to make one mistake after another.  Like the cuffed suspect who takes off when Ben turns his back on him.  Loved John’s line,  “Why run when you can drive?  One more thing they didn’t teach you at the academy.”

Or the crazed man high on PCP, standing in the middle of the street in his underwear with multiple taser wires hanging from him.  Even when Ben seems to save the day, it still backfires when he fails to secure the prisoner properly.  It was a hellish day to be Ben overall.

Despite the humor, John’s point was valid.  This isn’t fraternity hazing, regardless of what Ben might think.  This is a job where overconfidence will get you or someone else killed.  Better he find that out sooner than later.

I missed Josie this week, as the show had her in court and off screen.  I enjoy her give and take with Lydia.  It’s fun to see those two get on one another’s nerves.

Watching Nate’s wife fall apart in Sammy’s arms was a heartbreaking way to end the episode.  What do you think the aftermath of this tragedy will be?  Do you think Sammy will actually pull it together and get his life on track?  I doubt it.  My guess is that his guilt over Nate’s death will send him spiraling out of control. 

This was one of my favorite episodes of Southland so far.  Where did it rank for you?

C. Orlando was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.