Flashpoint

Wow, a cop show without perps. A TV drama with guns and not 'necessary' evil. Moral, caring cops with emotional consequences. Explosions, when all else fails.

I like 'The Unit' (also on CBS) when it addresses the egregious use of force needed to defend against force and the guilt that comes from fighting evil with evil actions. They have their moments of destruction far from home and leave the guilt for later (when they are home). Flashpoint takes place down the street. In your office building or mall. The consequences of action or inaction are to be replayed in their mind, home, community and above all on TV. And despite the preparations our heroes take, it just doesn't assuage the situations that go tits up.

This show is grounded in moral motives that will pierce the heart of it's viewers. Let the Rambo's have their shows, and let us tread the thin, ever moving and twisting thin blue line of Flashpoint. In the show's own words, "We're not here to target practice, we're here to save lives".

Excellent show, with movie quality cinematography that shows the behind the scenes of the snipers. It takes from some of those SWAT reality TV shows and throws in the personal issues and struggles that no one gets to see. Only one episode has been aired so far, so I don't have a lot to base this on, but I give it a 9 as this is something fresh although how long it can keep it up remains to be seen. My other complaint is the late airing time, but a very high quality show none the less (as their huge budget indicates).

Gorobi

9/10

The basic premise is that they show the 'flashpoint' of a situation, a brief glimpse at a volatile situation. This teaser provides a context for the story telling that comes afterward as a depiction of the various events that led to the situation, and then goes to resolve the issue.

I really, really enjoy this show. Working in Toronto, I enjoy seeing some of the same places that I travel to in this show. The 'shades of grey' antagonists, the not quite impenetrable armour of the protagonists and the fact that there are unexpected twists to the stories makes for some great watching. Unlike some of the other shows, where you get into a "Oh, we're getting near the commercial, he's going to puke / crash / seize" routine, the show has managed to use believable twists and character development to surprise, despite the 'spoiler' that begins each show.

I sincerely hope that there are many seasons to come, and that it will continue to develop the characters and story lines behind them. Kudos to the wonderful cast for their great performances, and to a show based in Canada that doesn't look like it was crafted on a shoe string budget.

I would have to say since the very first episode I have been hooked, I also got a glimpse of it on a talk show, who showed the audience a clip, then they talked about it. they talked about how the actors dealt with real cops to get an idea of the realism to the episodes they were about to act. The show is a DRAMA not and ACTION so that is why you wont see explosions and gun fights and not all situations come to that they are trying to give the view all the sides that cops would have to deal with on a regular basis. and to see it from my home town is even more exciting cause i have a lot of friends from high school who are metro cops. not tactical as far as i know but still to see what they have to deal with it makes you realize how dangerous their job is. I think anyone who likes a realistic drama that shows the highs and lows of tactical teams day drama with a little action this is the show for you. I watch all the C.S.I's and 24 and dexter, i pretty much enjoy a show that has a good story line unless it becomes unbelievably repetitive like 24. like how many times do we need to see Jack Bauer get captured and fall in love with anew woman and loose the respect of his team for the sake of saving the world! I am sure everyone can agree that not every time a cop gets a call its all about explosions and blood and guts come one now that isn't real life! not in Canada at least maybe in LA l.o.l where all lousy shows take place! the unit sucked i haven't heard one good thing about it he was better as the president on 24 than on that show! flash point all the way.

A breath of fresh air. I love action/police dramas, but most are so predictable you can guess what the characters are about to do or say. Flashpoint is an exception. I find it more original, very suspenseful, and occasionally quite moving. The consistently impressive teamwork and professional attitude of the characters may be a bit unrealistic, but it makes for tight drama and people you can really feel connected to. The ensemble acting is seamless and effective. I am also a fan of Canadian shows such as Da Vinci's Inquest and Cold Squad. It seems our neighbors to the north are quite adept at creating excellent dramas with well-developed, appealing characters, and original plot lines.