MovieChat Forums > Southland (2009) Discussion > Detective Moretta (spoiler)

Detective Moretta (spoiler)

posted 12 years ago by fathersonholygore
16 replies | jump to latest

Was anybody just absolutely gutted when he died? Not only was I upset to see him go, but coupled with the way he went, it was a heartbreaker! Also, he had some interesting stuff going on in his life (his daughter specifically), so it would have been great to see more. Although it worked so well for the show in my opinion, so it's not like it damaged the show for me. I just can't help but wonder what Moretta and Bryant would have gotten up to as the seasons went on. I thought Kevin Alejandro did a great job with the character! There's one scene with the witness he and Bryant are trying to protect in Season 1 in the very last episode of that season that stands out; he's teasing the girl, Janila, about seeing her boyfriend, and just the way he played it was so natural, funny.

This show is just full of great characters though. That's why I love it. Michael Cudlitz is by far my favourite actor on the show because I think his portrayal of Officer John Cooper is incredible.

Anybody else a big fan of Detective Moretta??

[–] BSQuared_41 12 years ago

Yes, absolutely. Nate was one of my favorites in the early seasons and I remember crying my eyes out right along with Sammy when he died. Gutted is a great word for how I felt because I am a big fan of Kevin Alejandro. (I even sat through a rapidly-going-downhill True Blood season in large part due to him).

Truthfully, and even though I loved the Sammy/Ben partnership, I never really got over Nate's death. I always missed him in the episodes that came after. But I agree, the way it was handled was done beautifully, and I absolutely love the scene between Marisol and Sammy at the hospital at the end of that episode.

Couldn't you do something less drastic than sleeping with her? Couldn't you just kill her?

[–] fathersonholygore 12 years ago

Absolutely. When Sammy was trying to drag Nate to their car, firing the gun off, screaming, I had goosebumps everywhere. Then I was just full of tears watching Sammy in the waiting room before she screamed and came out. Heartbreaking!!

I agree with you though. I enjoyed Sammy and Ben together because they're both like a couple frat boys together almost! Yet I always missed Nate. Even though I'm glad Sammy never shot and buried that guy when he came so close, I was still hoping to see some vicious retribution for Nate. I think it was cool to see Sammy work through it though, and not succumb to revenge. Good arc for his character.

Glad to know somebody else misses Detective Moretta like I do!

[–] MortalFrailty 11 years ago

Those scenes were some of the best I've ever seen on television. Very powerful, emotional, and visually done so well.
Season 3 is when I realized how amazing and gritty SouthLAnd was.

Take care, God bless.

[–] JudeDeveraux 12 years ago

Did you see Kevin Alejandro on Golden Boy BSQuared? I didn't realize it was the same person until TNT started airing the earlier episodes the past couple of weeks!
Too bad Golden Boy was cancelled...it had just began to get good.

I didn't see the earlier episodes of Southland...I always just thought Ben & Sammy had been partners...liked Sammy & Nate much better. And he named his son "Nate" for him...
That whole scene where those gangbangers just stomped him was horrific ..they didn't seem to care they were police and didn't seem to care when the others showed up! Very surreal.

I know...that was a sad scene at the hospital especially when she wanted Sammy out of her house so badly...

[–] fathersonholygore 12 years ago

I've actually never watched Kevin Alejandro in anything else (at least not while knowing it was him; I've watched films where he has been in a small part, so evidently I didn't know until going through his IMDB listings that it was him). I'll have to check it out!

Yeah, that scene where the gang is trying to stomp him, take his gun, that was absolutely terrifying! I kept thinking they were going to just swarm Sammy, and beat him to death. I just love Shawn Hatosy. The intensity coming out of him during that scene was unbelievable. There's one part in particular that just gives me the goosebumps; when they first start crowding all around Moretta, Sammy puts one leg over his partner sort of blocking them, and starts firing shots in the air. Just the way he screams and lets loose, I was like- god damn, he is going to shoot everybody!
He's another one. I know Shawn Hatosy has done a bunch of stuff, but he's criminally underrated. His character on Southland was amazing. He has this weird dynamic where he can be very intense, but also has this boyish quality to him, which I find interesting.

And to the last poster- I agree. I was so stressed out the first time I watched that episode. At the end, I just wanted to cry with Sammy and Nate's wife in the hospital. One of the more intense episodes of Southland, in my mind.
Also during the final two episodes of Season 5 when everything was going down (and particularly in the very last scene of the show), I felt such mental anguish. I almost felt like I couldn't keep watching a few times. That, to me, is the sign of a good television show (or movie), when the emotions are so intense you could almost shut it off; not from hating it, but just from the pure stress and fatigue of the emotional response. Although I wish some other network would pick up Southland again, and give me another 3-4 seasons. Haha is that selfish? I mean, I know the finale of Season 5 pretty much left us with a particular idea of what happened to who, but I'd still love to see more because John Cooper and Sammy Bryant are just about two of my favourite characters ever.

[–] BSQuared_41 12 years ago

I didn't get a chance to see Golden Boy! I wasn't aware Kevin Alejandro was in it either, until after I'd heard it was sure-to-be cancelled. I would have checked it out if I knew he had a role on it. Maybe one day I'll watch it via Netflix or something.

Sammy & Nate were great together! Plus, the gang-related storylines were very interesting. I was sad to see that unit and their storylines (except for Sal's mistress, that was boring) go when the show had to reduce their budget.

Nate as a character had so much potential, but from what I can recall at the time, it wasn't just the budget concerns that led to Kevin's exit from the show, but also his offer for True Blood -- which, and spoilers to follow for True Blood -- is very ironic considering his character on THAT show went on to die, too. But I wasn't as nearly attached to him as I was to Nate though.

Couldn't you do something less drastic than sleeping with her? Couldn't you just kill her?

[–] benbo-3 12 years ago

Agree on Kevin Alejandro. He was a terrorist in season 2 of Sleeper Cell, also prematurely cancelled. The guy is a good actor, but kryptonite to good shows.

[–] JudeDeveraux 12 years ago

The guy is a good actor, but kryptonite to good shows.

That reason Golden Boy was cancelled? LOL
It was a good show but not as good as Southland.

[–] burnseys37 12 years ago

I think that he's played the character so strongly that gay people who watched this show were probably really inspired by his character I personally would have to put him on my top ten characters from any series the hole show is great and I hope to see more like it maybe from swat angle etc

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Starwarschix5683 12 years ago

As a matter of fact, Nate's death actually gave me nightmares, the way it was so sudden and violent. I really didn't expect him to die.

I agree, I think he had a lot of interesting things going on as far as his character and was floored when he died. I am so saddened this show was cancelled. It was well written and the actors were incredible. Every single one of them.

Everyone has a right to his/her opinion. Be thankful we have that right.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Starwarschix5683 12 years ago

I agree. I don't normally concern myself with the racial representation on a show unless I think it adds something or SHOULD be a part of the show. Considering Southland is in Los Angeles, would it hurt them to have Hispanic representation? (and I don't mean gang members). Sort of unrealistic, as realistic as this show was actually, to not have a Latino police officer.

Everyone has a right to his/her opinion. Be thankful we have that right.

[–] BSQuared_41 12 years ago

Even though it was only for one season?

Lucero in season five was Hispanic.

Couldn't you do something less drastic than sleeping with her? Couldn't you just kill her?

[–] Brainlock2 12 years ago

when they killed off Nate in s3, they did move away from the Gangs aspect which had a lot of Hispanic extras, but we still had Ochoa, her son who had the relationship with Lydia, Lucero, one of the main recurring sergeants (Ortiz?), and Lou Diamond Phillips' book-ending s4 character was Hispanic instead of his actual mixed heritage.

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[–] 12 years ago

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