Southland reaches the end

"Most cops manage to stay sane despite the chaos all around them, but in their hearts they know, everyone has their breaking point." — Narrator, "Southland"

On Friday, TNT pulled the plug on "Southland" after five seasons. The show — which featured beat cops and detectives on the streets of Los Angeles — debuted to critical acclaim and fanfare on NBC during its first season. The show came from John Wells, who served as a producer on "ER" and "The West Wing," and held promise as a gritty drama.

NBC aired part of the first season then cut the show loose. When it was picked up by TNT, it found new life. And the show's quality continued to attract an audience — at least for a while.

But, much like the promise NBC once had when it produced shows like "Southland," the show went in some dark and confusing directions. The quality of the writing and story telling continued, even through the grim final season.

I have mixed feelings about the cancellation. On one hand, it wasn't a huge surprise. Also, given the way the show was going — having ruined most of the main characters — it might have been for the best.

On the other hand, the show deserved a proper send off. The finale of season five, which turns out to be the last for the show, was a bit of an open-ended downer. Now, like so many shows that were cut short due to flagging ratings, that's the only ended fans will get.

While the show never really lived up to its early promise, I think it deserved a better ending.