Search - Flashpoint - The First Season on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 2/5/2023...

Really solid SWAT drama similar to 24 Series that keeps you on the edge of your seat. A must watch!

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Vicki H. (WNCadventurer)
Reviewed on 3/9/2020...

Ok, so I am reviewing this a decade late, lol. To my surprise, this Flashpoint series based in Canada,seems very current, as if filmed now in 2020. I like that the writers stick to the main story lines of distress calls and slowly tickle in the characters' backstories. The team has a chemistry, and each actor commands her/his character superbly.

4 of 4 member(s) found this review helpful.

Lisa C. from PALMYRA, IL
Reviewed on 5/17/2017...

Love this series! It has everything--action, emotion, drama. The acting in this excellent TV series is exceptional, and there are some very intense moments. Wish there were more seasons.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Let's keep the peace!

Jessi S. Clark-white | Veneta, OR | 04/25/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Let's keep the peace," is the catch-phrase uttered by team leaders as the Strategic Response Unit gears up for a hot call. It's hardly as adrenaline-inducing as "Let's roll," or "Lock and load," but I don't think it's supposed to be; in fact it sets the tone for the series. This cop drama is about saving lives and trying to bring sanity and compassion to out-of-control situations, not racking up a body count in the name of peace and justice.

Flashpoint is an undiscovered gem, hidden away behind a overused genre. If the phrases "SWAT team," "hostage negotiators," "Canadian television," and "police drama" don't exactly grab your interest, please do yourself the favor of at least reading this review and perhaps watching a couple of episodes. You might be glad you did.

The premise on its own is not terribly new: A fictional SWAT/hostage negotiation team takes on kidnappings, suicide attempts, bank robberies, and the like. What IS new is the approach. The writing of this show is steeped in the humanity, compassion, and psychological realism markedly absent from current TV.

The team members are deeply decent human beings who love their jobs and their team-mates, but Flashpoint does a superb job illustrating the real-life issues such as PTSD, stress, and guilt that come with such work.

Markedly absent is the fictional conceit that events don't have consequences. When team leader and sniper Ed Lane shoots a hostage-taker in the series premier, not only do they show his emotional reaction immediately after the shooting, they follow him through suspension, investigation, and debriefing by a psychologist. The consequences of the shooting continue to appear through the series; Ed experiences flashbacks, is sued, and in season two the hostage-taker's son even tries to kill him.

Flashpoint does not stop at portraying the team in a compassionate and realistic light; the subjects of their calls are rarely black-and-white "bad guys." Psychologically disturbed individuals are portrayed as layered individuals with reasons for their behavior. Sometimes these reasons are morally justifiable, sometimes not. Sometimes we sympathize with them, sometimes we want them dead sooner rather than later - but we are almost always given insight as to how and why they reached their "Flashpoint."

Anyone who has experienced traumatic events or PTSD in their own life or helped friends and family cope with traumas should watch this show. It is deeply validating and provides excellent models of how to cope and how not to, as well as being sensitively and realistically written.

Flashpoint is a cop show with real people and ethical, caring human beings in difficult situations. As one friend of mine put it, "It's the anti-24." If you're tired of television where the writers can't think of any better way to create drama than to set up a crisis and then torture their way out of it, try Flashpoint.

This is the (ironically, Canadian-produced) television show that jaded, wounded America needs right now."

What an excellent show!!!

Valerie D. Hall | Sacramento, California | 05/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Flashpoint is such a pleasure to watch. Smart writing!!! Superb acting!!! Real humanity!!! You come away with a respect for this law enforcement team that remembers that it is created to protect and serve. Many episodes have seamlessly transferred the goal of the team from being there to stop the sniper to rescuing him/her. The idea of getting as much background information on the situation so that it can be handled properly is such a no brainer. Is this really how the SWAT teams operate in Canada? Any chance that they could retrain some of our police teams here in the states? What a wonderful show."

Great show!

J. Williams | Ohio | 05/23/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One evening, I flipped through channels to find something to watch. At first, I thought it was another "crime drama" along the lines of "Cold Squad" or "DaVinci's Inquest". I still like the complexity of Chris Haddock's characters. So I was pleased to find another ensemble cast that had similar complexities and issues. One of the unique quirks of the writers is that the theme of each episode resonates through the relationship between the characters in some way. The characters are interesting, compelling, and "real" and the writers do a great job at not revealing every little thing about them right away. Their lives are woven into the storytelling to good effect. It is usually subtle but always present. The brief addition of Jessica Steen (the original Dr. Elizabeth Weir in "Stargate SG-1") in Season Two to fill in for Amy Jo Johnson was well done. So if you're not home, record it! You will not want to miss it!"