Rescue Special Ops

Found this on Amazon Prime and decided to give it a shot. I was quickly impressed with the authenticity of the rescue methods and realism, even though the show is 10 years old. The characters are believable but with just enough drama to keep things interesting and fluid. I enjoyed having Sydney and surrounding areas literally brought into my living room as many of the locations were real, including areas where they referenced lat/longs - Google Maps is great for that! I do regret this only lasted for three seasons and can't find out why it ended so soon.

This started out such a great show!! Great characters, great situations, love the theme song which absolutely fits the show. Season 1 and Season 2 kept you wanting more. Unfortunately, by the end of the 2nd season, the producers decided to start focusing mainly on the characters, making them too impulsive, reckless, and so caught up in their personal lives they could barely function. Instead of keeping the reality of life front and center, troubled souls got slaps on the wrists, bar invites, and more exciting plots to show their foolish need for another adrenaline rush. The 3rd and last season almost abandoned the whole premise of the show -- Rescue. Almost every episode was predictable and flat. I wish I hadn't wanted it to end, because it started out So Well, but by Episode 22, I was done.

Too bad this won't happen until possibly 2012. The first two seasons production was only 13 episodes each. Season 3 was just announced and will yield 22 episodes. With 48 in the can maybe we'll see this in the U.S and U.K. Is shown on Channel 9 Australia. You can watch some episodes on You Tube though. It's worth watching even with the splitting of each episodes into 5 or 6 parts as is the custom with You Tube. This show is filmed in, and around Sydney. The program is produced by Southern Star Entertainment with the assistance of Screen Australia and the New South Wales Government. The high energy action drama series focuses on a team of experienced professional paramedics who specialize in unique rescue operations. The only recognizable one of the cast of stars to U.S. and U.K. viewers would be Gigi Edgely, (Chiana) of Farscape fame. Give it a go, you'll like the wonderful photography of outdoor down under.

Love the series only complaint is, Dean over steps the line sleeping with victims, and Lara is just a pain in the ass. Seems like she has a crush on Dean, and is too into his private life. She takes unnecessary risks and doesn't listen well to orders.

'Rescue Special Ops' is an Australian drama series, that centers around a Sydney based Special Operations rescue unit who are trained paramedics, abseil off buildings and consistently find themselves in high risk situations to help save their patients.

The team features a core unit of characters throughout the duration of the series. Dean Gallagher is the unit team leader and his team consists of his brother Chase, love interest Lara and friends Heidi and Jordan. Peter Phelps' character Vince and Libby Tanner's Michelle are in management positions and often assist from the office, however they sometimes also visit the site of the emergencies. Over the course of the series a few other characters also join the group.

Rescue is relatively fast paced with each episode centering on a different location and story often involving secrets that have lead to the accidents. The stunt work is well done and the special effects are relatively believable. However some viewers will find frustration at some situations that seem a little too neat, or resolved 'just in time'. I also found that the characters were a bit undeveloped and inconsistent and throughout the course of the three seasons I felt like I didn't learn that much about who they really were.

Overall, Rescue is an enjoyable and at times edge of your seat watch. It has encouraged me to watch more shows of a similar genre. Throughout the action there are moments of friendship, romance and multiple locations showcasing the beauty of New South Wales. An interesting watch.