Tuesday, March 27, 2012

"Southland" Personalities and Money, Part 3

This article is a continuation of the ongoing writing that Jana at Daily Money Shot and I have been doing about the television show "Southland."  If you haven't been watching the show, you'll have several months to catch up before a new season starts in the fall (hint: don't get too invested in Detective Lydia Adams' partner(s) as they all, well, you'll see).

Today, I'll be focusing on Officer Sammy Bryant.

Personality Type:  The still-young veteran.

Background:  Sammy worked as a detective for the first few seasons of the show, where he investigated narcotics and gang activity.  After his partner was killed in front of him by a group of gangbangers, Sammy kidnapped and nearly murdered the person that he thought was responsible for his partner's death.  He realized that his conscience wouldn't let him murder, and, as a result, he requested a change from being a detective to being a training officer.

This past season, he's been paired with Officer Ben Sherman, for whom he played an appropriate foil as Sammy had gone through and dealt with many of the same strong, angry emotions that Ben portrayed in the last few episodes of this season.  Tragically, Sammy's experience couldn't deter Ben's inexperience, and season four ended with Ben shooting and killing the object of his fury.

Oh, also, Sammy's ex-wife was maybe the most annoying character on tv.  I was not unhappy that she didn't appear in this last season.

Analysis:  It is telling that Sammy was pushed to the edge with grief over his partner's death, but he still couldn't let himself murder whom he believed to be the guilty party.  While Sammy made mistakes by going rogue and kidnapping the gang member, he stopped short of murder, and, in doing so, was able to turn his life around.

Money Personality:  Though it is not a matter of life and death, many people out there have made a series of bad choices in their lives when it comes to money.  However, it is only a fortunate few who have had the gumption to say, "Enough!" and to then resolve to make better choices and to lead healthier lives when it comes to money.

In particular, I'm thinking of Andrea at So Over Debt, Annabelle over at Shopping Detox, and, of course, my "Southland" buddy, Jana at Daily Money Shot.  I love reading about how they're working to turn their lives around when it comes to money, and I think you will too.

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