Flashpoint Season One Bluray Review
Successful Canadian Police Series Makes Debut on Bluray
Oct 13, 2009
Having seen a healthy variety of police procedural shows in the past decade, from Law & Order's investigative aspect, to the plethora of CSI-type shows about forensic evidence, it's quite refreshing to see a new approach to the police genre -- the one about the team they bring in when all hell has broken loose.
Brief Overview of Flashpoint Season One
The setting is a large Canadian city (though the seasoned TV watcher will easily recognize it as Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Everyday, some police situations, be they hostage negotiations, or lone gunman rampages, occur in the city. That's when the SRU -- Strategic Response Unit -- gets called in. Basically a team of about eight specialists trained in the art of saving human lives when unstable elements come into play, these unsung heroes put their lives on the line for the sake of protecting the innocent and the public at large. For them it's all in a day's work. Thankfully, these experts aren't unfeeling robots, they're vulnerable people just like everyone else.
In the course of this show's first season, the audience is exposed to one hair trigger moment after another. Be it at the hands of a scorned husband looking to seek retribution on his ex-wife, or an exhausted father ensuring his daughter doesn't get passed up on the heart transplant list again, this SWAT-like brigade attacks every situation with calculated coolness, yet find themselves empathizing with the very situations they face everyday.
The Cast of Flashpoint
At the head of the team is Sergeant Greg Parker (Enrico Colantoni, Galaxy Quest), in charge of talking down potential perps about to use deadly force on innocents. Under his wing are snipers Ed Lane (Hugh Dillon, Hard Core Logo) and Julianna "Jules" Callaghan (Amy Jo Johnson, the sole American lead actress on the show), along with tactical experts Lew Young (Mark Taylor), Spike Scarlatti (Sergio Di Zio), Wordy Wordsworth (Michael Cram) and impulsive rookie Sam Braddock (David Paetkau), an ex-military hothead. The team usually gets some scientific/psychological support from team shrink Amanda Luria (Ruth Marshall). Though her input come in handy, she often acts as the voice of reason and experience for her teammates.
Together these highly proficient people do whatever it takes to get the job done, while still trying to maintain a healthy home life while under the pressure of their daily actions.
Overall Analysis of Flashpoint Season One Bluray
Folks, this is one addictive program. Show creators Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern manage to infuse some much needed humanity, into what could easily have turned into a cold-blooded drama about efficiency killing. From the very first episode, "Scorpio", we can see how even one deadly shot in the line of duty, can still have some psychological repercussions on a teammate, despite having acted within the required parameters of the job. As the series' first season progresses, we get to experience several viewpoints, as several of the main characters experience some personal crises.
Former Headstones lead singer Hugh Dillon, whose acting career came to the forefront with the 1996 Bruce McDonald mockumentary Hard Core Logo, anchors a very engaging cast with his portrayal of Ed Lane, a family man forced to compartmentalize many aspects of his professional life for the sake of his own sanity. His screen presence is undeniable, as comfortable in front of the camera as any A-List Hollywood leading man today.
As for the rest of the cast, it's great to see them attack the script with such humor and energy, without losing that dramatic touch when needed. Many critics have often lambasted Canadian TV series for being somewhat softer on the subject matter, when it comes to televised drama. It's refreshing to see a series such as Flashpoint destroy that shaky theory, which may also explain why American network CBS is also offering the show as part of their weekly line-up. The show has been doing very well in the ratings, leading the series into a third season as of this date.
If you enjoy watching a crime show where camaraderie exists between cast members, while still retaining quality throughout its run, then Flashpoint Season One on Bluray is definitely a great pick. Each episode has a different ingredient to keep you coming back for more.
8 out of 10 for being a great Canadian police show, filled with well rounded characters and great writing, infused with humanity rarely seen in the genre.
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