Customer Reviews

Flashpoint Season 1

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Let's keep the peace," is the catch-phrase uttered by team leaders as the Strategic Response Unit gears up for a hot call. It's hardly as adrenaline-inducing as "Let's roll," or "Lock and load," but I don't think it's supposed to be; in fact it sets the tone for the series. This cop drama is about saving lives and trying to bring sanity and compassion to out-of-control situations, not racking up a body count in the name of peace and justice.

Flashpoint is an undiscovered gem, hidden away behind a overused genre. If the phrases "SWAT team," "hostage negotiators," "Canadian television," and "police drama" don't exactly grab your interest, please do yourself the favor of at least reading this review and perhaps watching a couple of episodes. You might be glad you did.

The premise on its own is not terribly new: A fictional SWAT/hostage negotiation team takes on kidnappings, suicide attempts, bank robberies, and the like. What IS new is the approach. The writing of this show is steeped in the humanity, compassion, and psychological realism markedly absent from current TV.

The team members are deeply decent human beings who love their jobs and their team-mates, but Flashpoint does a superb job illustrating the real-life issues such as PTSD, stress, and guilt that come with such work.

Markedly absent is the fictional conceit that events don't have consequences. When team leader and sniper Ed Lane shoots a hostage-taker in the series premier, not only do they show his emotional reaction immediately after the shooting, they follow him through suspension, investigation, and debriefing by a psychologist. The consequences of the shooting continue to appear through the series; Ed experiences flashbacks, is sued, and in season two the hostage-taker's son even tries to kill him.

Flashpoint does not stop at portraying the team in a compassionate and realistic light; the subjects of their calls are rarely black-and-white "bad guys." Psychologically disturbed individuals are portrayed as layered individuals with reasons for their behavior. Sometimes these reasons are morally justifiable, sometimes not. Sometimes we sympathize with them, sometimes we want them dead sooner rather than later - but we are almost always given insight as to how and why they reached their "Flashpoint."

Anyone who has experienced traumatic events or PTSD in their own life or helped friends and family cope with traumas should watch this show. It is deeply validating and provides excellent models of how to cope and how not to, as well as being sensitively and realistically written.

Flashpoint is a cop show with real people and ethical, caring human beings in difficult situations. As one friend of mine put it, "It's the anti-24." If you're tired of television where the writers can't think of any better way to create drama than to set up a crisis and then torture their way out of it, try Flashpoint.

This is the (ironically, Canadian-produced) television show that jaded, wounded America needs right now.

Flashpoint is such a pleasure to watch. Smart writing!!! Superb acting!!! Real humanity!!! You come away with a respect for this law enforcement team that remembers that it is created to protect and serve. Many episodes have seamlessly transferred the goal of the team from being there to stop the sniper to rescuing him/her. The idea of getting as much background information on the situation so that it can be handled properly is such a no brainer. Is this really how the SWAT teams operate in Canada? Any chance that they could retrain some of our police teams here in the states? What a wonderful show.

One evening, I flipped through channels to find something to watch. At first, I thought it was another "crime drama" along the lines of "Cold Squad" or "DaVinci's Inquest". I still like the complexity of Chris Haddock's characters. So I was pleased to find another ensemble cast that had similar complexities and issues. One of the unique quirks of the writers is that the theme of each episode resonates through the relationship between the characters in some way. The characters are interesting, compelling, and "real" and the writers do a great job at not revealing every little thing about them right away. Their lives are woven into the storytelling to good effect. It is usually subtle but always present. The brief addition of Jessica Steen (the original Dr. Elizabeth Weir in "Stargate SG-1") in Season Two to fill in for Amy Jo Johnson was well done. So if you're not home, record it! You will not want to miss it!

I never heard of Flashpoint until I came across it thru amazon doing a search. And I sure am very glad to have found it! This is a different police drama where it centers on Canada's SRU--the Strategic Response Unit. Its a unit where SWAT, Negotiators, Profilers and Forensic Psychology are all rolled into one. It is a specialized police unit where the use of deadly force is ONLY employed when and if all other options fails. It is a unit where the human aspect of law enforcement is concretely personified. Although they are capable of unleashing unprecedented firepower if the situation warrants, they first employ the human act of compassion and understanding in every situation they are involved in.

Enrico Colantoni is great as Sgt. Greg Parker, the team leader of this elite unit. Ed Lane, the other veteran of this unit, personifies professionalism in every tactical situation he is involve in. Among the members of the team are: Julia "Jules" Callahan (the only female member), Sam Braddock--the hotshot special forces sniper who went to law enforcement upon discharge from the military, Spike---electronics and explosives expert, with Wordy and Lou. They are an excellent bunch of police personnel that can interact and anticipate each other's reactions, teamwork at its very best!

They respond to a lot of calls, from the outrageous to dangerous. "Let's Keep The Peace" is their battlecry before each and every response to an operation. Great, great show! Highly recommended!

I hate to admit it, but being Canadian I have not always had the highest regard for our domestically-produced television shows - we don't have as much money available for producting, casting, etc., and that has unfortunately shown up on the screen in the past. But with this show, I have been proven wrong. "Flashpoint" definitely stands up against any other show currently on the air, in production values, in the talent of the cast, in the writing and directing. It's compelling, involving television, with interesting and diverse characters and it consistently makes me proud to be Canadian, and homesick for my hometown of Toronto. Enrico Colantoni (who recently won the Gemini for his role on the show) and Hugh Dillon head a cast that has no weak points - even the smaller recurring roles are well-played and add to the overall team atmosphere of the show. I especially appreciate that the hostage and situational negotiations are shown as just as important - if not more so - than the action-oriented scenes. And, I have to say that I am especially pleased to have some age-appropriate eye-candy on my tv screen every week! This show definitely goes to prove that you don't have to be a teenager to appreciate a man in uniform.

This is easily one of the best police shows of all time. Hopefully it will be on Blu Ray and DVD soon!

Flashpoint is a terrific show, a Canadian-produced updated version of the mediocre 1970's cop show "Swat." The difference between the shows is that Flashpoint is not just another shoot-em-up, it is a show in which you care about the characters: the victims who must be rescued by this elite police unit and the police officers themselves.
Each show begins the same way. We start at a point, the flashpoint, wherein the unit must take immediate action and then jump backward several hours to see what led up to this situation. The show is well-produced, well-written and well-cast. The lead actor is a Canadian actor and musician, Hugh Dillon, who plays Ed Lane, the family-man who seems to be the sniper of the team. The female lead is Amy Jo Johnson, the original Pink Ranger from the Power Rangers and the head of the team is terrifically played by Enrico Colantoni, the actor who previously played Veronica Mars' father. The technology shown in this show is terrific. I don't know whether most of it is real or not but if it is real, I don't know how criminals stand a chance.
There is not a bad episode in the bunch. The set includes a couple of short films about the creation and production of the show.
I cannot wait for CBS to bring this terrific show back again, I heard today it might be first returning in the summer. Whenever it returns I'm sure the new episodes will be just as good as the episodes in this set.
If you have not seen any episodes of Flashpoint, grab this set. You will not be sorry.

Yes! It's coming to DVD soon. I find it ironic how it's already available in the U.K. I figured with it being produced in Canada that it would be released in North America. Well hopefully it will be within this year.

Having never seen 24 while it was on the air, I sat down and watched the entire 8 season series within a couple of months. I could hardly wait to watch the next episode. When I had seen the final episode, I kinda felt a little lost as to what to watch that may fill the gap. I stumbled accross FLASHPOINT. I had never heard of it and knew nothing about it. I thought, "What the heck?" Well, I found something that was as addicting as 24, without being the same as 24. FLASHPOINT follows the members of the Strategic Response Unit (SRU) in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as they try to "keep the peace" under highly volatile situations.
SRU is what most Americans would call a SWAT team. But, instead of focusing all of the attention on the weapons, which there is plenty of, the focus is directed more towards the tactical aspects of resolving each crisis. Each member of the team brings their own special talents to the table. They are not meerly a bunch of "shooters." Using high-tech equipment and negotiating, the team tries to keep each situation from reaching its "flashpoint" before having to bust through the door (or window, skylight or wall) with guns-a-blazin'. Of course, sometimes it comes to that.
FLASHPOINT also delves into the personal lives of its characters outside of the "family" of SRU Team 1. There is the young female officer who has proven herself to be the equal of her all-male counterparts. The devoted father and husband who is also highly devoted to his team. The new guy on the team who is overly eager at times to do his job. The sergeant, a divorced father, who wants to reconnect with the son he hasn't seen in years.
All in all, FLASHPOINT is a very well written and carried out police drama, that doesn't always end up pitting the good guys against the bad guys. Instead, it brings out the more human side of each situation, showing that all is not black or white, good or bad. Maybe that's why SRU wears grey uniforms. Definitely worth a look-see if you want to watch a police drama with something more.

I completely enjoyed every episode of this outstanding Canadian series. In Canada this show is in its third season. Unfortunately, only the first is available on DVD in the USA. A very strong cast plays a crisis team in Toronto which is called into action every time an individual hits the flashpoint, i.e. he or she becomes a source of imminent danger to himself or others. This covers a wide array of situations, settings and people. One of the things I like best about this show is that it is gutsy enough to show when their efforts do not work. We get to see them fail. The actors are top notch as well. With the exception of the newest young guy member to the team, they are more notable for their acting ability than their looks, which is refreshing. These people look like they could be real life workers and not tv stars. I highly recommend you give this a try.

Tip: On a related note, I found another show by looking up the further work of Hugh Dillon from this show. Turns out he is simultaneously starring in another Canadian tv drama called DUNHAM COUNTY. I watched two seasons of that show and it is even better than this one! Only problem is that it is not available on DVD in USA yet, which is why I have no way of reviewing it here.