|
Flashpoint
Flashpoint is the
latest in a long line of crime procedurals in the vein of Law and Order,
CSI and so on. So what’s the difference with this one? What sets it
apart that makes it worth watching? Well for starters it’s Canadian, but
don’t hold that against it. It looks just as good if not better than all
the US procedurals clogging up the airwaves at the moment. It also stars
the charismatic Enrico Colantoni as the lead. Fans of excellent TV might
remember him from Veronica Mars, other fans might remember him
from Just Shoot Me, either way Colantoni is a solid, believable
actor. Twenty-somethings may also recognise Amy Jo Johnson, who will
have no doubt haunted their pre pubescent fantasies as the pink Power
Ranger. Flashpoint also doesn’t deal with investigations into
crimes, it deals with responses to dangerous situations, which creates
dramatic intensity. Has Flashpoint got your attention yet? If so do read
on. For those sceptical of procedurals as a whole this will do little to
convince you that it does anything radically different. Read on anyway
though, as Flashpoint is a rather interesting show.
Flashpoint concerns
itself with the Strategic Response Unit, which is sort of like a SWAT
team, except with a focus on negotiation instead of suspect takedown.
This means that they are called in for all sorts of dangerous hostage
situations where one wrong move could lead to a lot of bloodshed and
tears. Colantoni is the leader of the gang, a cool, intelligent man who
wrote the book (literally) on hostile negotiation. Hugh Dillon plays a
sniper and grizzled veteran of the team, who struggles with his
occasional use of lethal force. Johnson plays another sniper and the
squad is rounded out by a bomb disposal expert, two non lethal weapons
specialists and a soldier that is now a rookie with the elite unit.
Every episode follows a fairly specific formula. It
begins with a potentially dangerous situation, that heightens to the
point where it flashes back and the viewer sees the events leading up to
the potential carnage. This formula is followed rigidly every episode,
which can grate as it gives an air of predictability to every episode.
The episodes also give a small insight into the personal lives of each
of the SRU members. Marriage issues, separation from children, and the
stress of the job are all issues dealt with by the crew, and it helps
make things a little more relatable. It also helps make the situations
a little more real, as the members of the SRU aren’t just faceless
wisecrackers, they are real people.
Of course the main focus of the episodes are the
situations themselves. As with all procedurals, the interest of these
situations makes or breaks the interest of the episode. Seeing as the
SRU deals with issues like hostage negotiation and bomb threats, most
are pretty tense and interesting. However some of the cases are just not
as immersive as the others which means that the episodes themselves
suffer. Some of the standouts are the pilot, where Dillon has to deal
with the effects of using lethal force on a suspect, the following
episode where a father holds up a hospital to secure a transplant for
his daughter, and the episode where a former security chief robs a bank
so he can take care of his wife with Alzheimer’s. The best episodes are
the ones where the situation is interesting and the characters are
relatable. The people committing the crimes aren’t clear cut bad guys,
they are usually normal people who have been put under extreme duress.
This works well as it means the viewer forges an emotional connection on
both sides, and can often see why the culprit is doing what they are
doing.
Flashpoint season one contains all thirteen episodes
from the first series. The set comes with no special features, which is
a shame as there could have been the opportunity for some interesting
features on the look of the show and the basis of the cases.
At the end of the day, Flashpoint is just
another procedural, and Keith Mars and the Pink Power Ranger aren’t
doing anything to change that. However it is a well written, well acted
and incredibly slick looking television show. The cases are often
gripping and relatable on both sides, and the small window into the
personal lives of the crew give the viewer something to keep coming back
to. It is never going to be mind blowing television, but it is a solid
cop show to add to the long list of similar shows.
Episodes:
Scorpio
First in Line
The Element of Surprise
Asking for Flowers
Who's George?
Attention Shoppers
He Knows His Brother
Never Kissed a Girl
Planets Aligned
Eagle Two
Backwards Day
Haunting the Barn
Between Heartbeats
|
