Flashpoint - The First Season

Let's keep the peace!
"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...

What an excellent show!!!
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.

Great 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!

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