Gay cop John Cooper (
Michael Cudlitz) is set to come out to his new LAPD partner, Ben Sherman (
Ben McKenzie), is an early fall episode of NBC's
Southland.
In last season's limited run, Cooper was only seen swirling drinks at gay bars, but viewers will get to see more of his private life in the new season. "We're going to find out a lot very soon about John Cooper's past, present and future," Michael tells me. "But his sexuality won't be forced on viewers. That's not what the show's about."
Michael suspects that Officer Sherman will be just fine with the news, and believes that troubled alcoholic Officer Dewey (C. Thomas Howell) has already known about Cooper for some time. "We've both been on the force for a long time and Dewey recognizes that John is a good cop."
So will anyone have a problem with John being gay? Oh yeah, says Michael, "but not someone we've already been introduced to. It's going to be somebody new we come in contact with." The show will also be casting members of Cooper's extended family - so maybe one of them is the big homophobe.