On a solid episode of Southland:

- Ben checks in on his Mom and finds out her rapist has been released from prison. Ben tracks him down and threatens him. The rapist files a harassment complaint against Ben.

- When Ben and John are called to a dispute where a man is beating a woman with a belt. John tazers the man. He is incapacitated when Ben begins to beat him. It takes three officers to pull Ben off of him. John finds out about the complaint and tells Ben he won’t risk his job for him.

- Ben's mother finds him sitting in his car outside of the rapist's apartment.  She tells him that she has forgiven the man so that she can move on with her life and that Ben needs to find a way to do the same.

- Josie and Lydia investigate a rented chainsaw. The saw was returned to the store with blood and flesh in the mechanism. Lydia wants to run a DNA test. Josie thinks it’s a waste of time and money. When they interview Steven Lasky who rented the chainsaw he says he slipped and cut his leg. It appears Josie is right and no crime was committed.

- Mr. Lasky’s neighbor is reported missing. Josie thinks it’s a coincidence until the results from the chainsaw come back. The chainsaw had cut through bone as well as tissue. Josie and Lydia confront Steven. He confesses that he fought with his neighbor over cutting down an oak tree and his neighbor was accidentally killed. Then he got scared and cut up the body with the chainsaw and took it to the local dump. Mr. Lasky is arrested for murder.

- Russell is caught searching for another job while applying for disability and almost loses his job on the force. He and Dina are divorcing. Dina has frozen their bank accounts. Russell asks Lydia if he can borrow money and she turns him down.

- A witness, el Flaco escapes protective custody three days before the trial in which he needs to testify. If Nate and Sammy can’t find him, a man who shot a kid in the face may go free.

- Sammy is staying at his partner’s place, sleeping on the couch and driving Nate’s wife crazy. Sammy and Nate go back to Sammy’s to gather his things and find that Tammy has changed the locks. When Sammy tries to break in he is nearly arrested by the local police. Nate manages to calm Sammy down and get him to leave.

- Sammy and Nate eventually track el Flaco to a cock fighting ring. El Flaco never misses a fight. They take him back into custody in time for the trial.