You never know how another person will react to the circumstances they face. That small truth never seemed more real than while watching "Heat."

In last week's Southland season 5 premiere, I wondered if the male rape victim could be pushed over the edge by Lydia's manipulation. This time around, more than one person was pushed to his/her limit with consequences that ranged from the expected to the truly shocking.

Lydia gave up breast feeding and I couldn't really blame her. As healthy as the choice to breast feed is, it's not for everyone and I honestly can't imagine doing it while being a full-time detective who gets called out overnight. Having a mother who's sane is just as important to her son.  

On the upside, Lydia's certainly gotten her runners legs back. That was one heck of a tackle she put on that boxer but just when her day was looking up, fate pulled the rug out from under her.

With her mother gone, Lydia's world just got turned upside down. She's a strong woman but there's only so much any of us can take. She's definitely going to need some help taking care of that baby and a few more friends to talk to couldn't hurt either.

I guess Sammy was wrong about Mendoza's shooting being the end result of an affair with a gang banger's girlfriend. The real story was even worse. He shot himself in the hopes of bilking the job, friends and colleagues out of money to pay off his debts. 

I always knew Mendoza was sleazy but that took it to a whole new level. Looks like he won't have to worry about how crappy his pension was. He's probably not going to have it any more.  

The scariest part of the whole story was Ben's ability to justify the outcome of his actions. He didn't necessarily do anything wrong but it did lead to a child being shot. It was horrible to hear him tell Sammy that that's simply what a gang banger's kid could expect. Look how far Ben Sherman has fallen from the idealistic young boot we met five seasons ago.

Given all of that, Cooper and Steele were still the most surprising storyline of the night. 

I half expected the elderly driver to kill himself. He was terrified of losing his independence along with his license. Still, I agreed with Cooper. If he was allowed to continue driving, it was only a matter of time before he got someone killed. Cooper made sure that didn't happen. 

Steele's reaction to the shootout was the point that shocked me. The guy did two tours in Afghanistan. I would have expected him to be the first one to have Cooper's back when the bullets started to fly. Boy, was I wrong.

At least in Afghanistan he knew what he was fighting for. The problem here was that he only became a cop for the paycheck and if you don't believe in the work, then it's not worth risking your life. 

I certainly wasn't sad to see Cooper take the badge off of Steele. If you aren't capable of protecting your partner then you shouldn't be on the street but I can't imagine who Cooper willl be partnered with next. 

The one thing I do know is that there's never a dull moment on Southland.

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