The first season of the police drama Flashpoint t comes to DVD on October 13. Spanning thirteen episodes on three discs, this suspenseful show offers an interesting take on the traditional police television program.
Flashpoint is about an elite police force known as the Strategic Response Unit (SRU). Each episode deals with a crisis of some sort that requires the SRU’s involvement. Not merely a bunch of gun-wielding goons, the SRU is comprised of highly intelligent tacticians and negotiators whose primary goal is to peacefully resolve the dispute.
Enrico Colantoni (Just Shoot Me, Veronica Mars) plays the team’s sergeant and main crisis negotiator. Colantoni’s performance is fantastic throughout the entire season (See: “First In Line”). This show, while fast-paced and full of intense situations, is not necessarily right for you if you are looking for nonstop shoot-outs and high-octane explosions at every turn. In fact, many of the episodes end without the SRU ever firing a shot. This realistic tone is an appeal to quality, and comes as a welcome relief from certain shows where the body count mounts to laughable extremes. “False alarms are my favorite kind of alarms,” quips Colantoni in one episode. This mindset accurately captures that of real police officers who would rather not have to utilize lethal force if it can be avoided. Flashpoint takes a more cerebral approach to diffusing dangerous situations rather than a guns-blazing one.
Hugh Dillon (Hard Core Logo, Assault on Precinct 13) plays the team leader. Dillon really shines as he balances being a husband, a father, and a dedicated SRU member. Amy Jo Johnson was the original Pink Ranger on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and she plays the only female member of SRU. Despite the fact that Johnson was pregnant for some of the filming, she does a good job at playing a convincing elite police officer. David Paetkau (Final Destination 2, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem) plays the brash young rookie on the team, but he manages to avoid being a caricature and actually steals a lot of scenes with his natural charisma.
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