Connect, respect, protect || Flashpoint Review

So I'm doing a Flashpoint review. Because. Flashpoint.

Flashpoint is AMAZING

You: You say that about every single show you review.

Me: I pick fabulous shows, what can I say?

You: ......

Me: ........

You: ........

Me: Suck it. 

What is Flashpoint?

Flashpoint is awesome!

It's also a cop show. 

I really like cop shows.

Summary*:

Team One is part of an elite police force, the Strategic Response Unit. They're SWAT but with training in psychology, so they can negotiate. They come in to bad scenes and clean them up, doesn't matter what kind: Kidnapping, bank robbery, hostage situations... they're there. They're prepared. They're Team One for a reason.

*My summaries suck.

So boom. As per usual, I shall start with the bad. 

*Um. 

*Ah. 

*There's like one kissing scene. (It's fairly uncomfortable.)

*There probably two episodes where the scenes take place in a girl's dressing room, and she's changing. (But it's not like "WOO SHE'S CHANGING, REVEAL ALL!" It was respectfully done, and I didn't find it offensive.)

*That's literally it, in the whole freaking series. 

*It's super clean. 

*Unless you count swearing, and if can't handle a few damns and hells, that's too bad.

And now for the good. There's a lot. Be warned.

Before I get started though, let's introduce characters. (Squeeeee, characters!) 

Sergeant Greg Parker.

Greg is the commander of Team One. He's the main negotiator in the situations they get into, he's the one who usually talks down the Subject. He makes the hard calls, so if it's necessary to take out a threat, he's the one who give the command to use lethal force.

He's the father figure of the team, he's the sweetest. LIKE OH MY GOSH! No matter what happens, no matter what's going on in the situation or the area around him, he always has time to be there and comfort other people.

He has little to no respect for himself. (Yaaaaay, another person who hates himself. I have a thing for broken characters.) 

He just needs a hug. 

LOOK AT HOW SAD HIS EYES ARE

Ed Lane

Eddie is the Team Leader. That means he's in charge of coming up with battle plans and attack options. He's not hugely into negotiating. If there's a bad guy that needs to be taken out, he's usually the sniper that has to do it. He never misses. 

Eddie's character grew a lot over the show. He was put in situations that left him almost vulnerable. He has some serious trauma he needs to deal with. Sometimes he gets his priorities mixed up (between work and family and such.) but all in all, he's the kind of guy you want on your team. You do not want him as an enemy. 

He also just really needs a hug. 

Jules Callaghan

Jules is what I think of when I say someone is a good, strong female character. She's so cute! And so tough, and she's not afraid to take on guys. But she's not stupid about it, she's not obnoxious. She's funny and brave, and all for policing. If Greg isn't negotiating, it's almost always her taking his place. She's the heart of the team.

I love how when she's not in uniform, she always dresses really femininely, "Yeah, I'm actually girl, and I'm not ashamed of it!" It's so good to have characters like her who can be strong and not butch, you know? 

She is the queen of Girl Power. 

She gives out hugs. 

Sam Braddock

Sam is... I dunno, I guess you could say Team Leader 2.0. If Ed isn't taking control, he is. He was a soldier in Afghanistan before coming to SRU, and he has some issues getting used to the whole "We don't attack right off the bat." But he really, really grew on me. He's one of my favorite characters, he's just like... he's really gentle for being a soldier, and I appreciate how the show doesn't portray soldiers in a bad light. (I HATE IT WHEN THEY MAKE THE SOLDIER FEEL GUILTY FOR DEFENDING HIS COUNTRY. You respect them for that, how dare you accuse them of mindlessly killing people. NO.)

I ship him and Jules so hard. 

Not gonna lie though, the first few episodes he was in, I was mostly going, "Wow. He's a little punk. I'm not sure." and there's there's one episode that focuses on him, and I was like, "AAAAAAAAH, HE'S SO SAD." 

He just needs a hug. 

SPIKE SCARLATTI

Spike is the bomb expert, and he's the computer guy. So he hacks and diffuses bombs and it's very attractive. Hands down, he's my favorite. In the words of Eddie, "He's not a geek. He's a geek with combat skills. That's why the ladies love him." 

SPIKE IS ITALIAN, in case you couldn't tell from the name Michelangelo Scarlatti. 

He's just awesome and funny. He's the one who always has a snappy comeback, he's so geeky, it's fabulous. 

He loses people and he's sad. But he never gives up, and he's smart. (Isn't it funny how when you really like people, you can give a good summary of their character, but the minute you go from really liking them to REALLY LOVING them, the summary of the character turns into: "he's brave and sweet and cute and funny and I love him, you should love him. Aaslkdfjlsdkf!!!") 

By the end of the show. He also needs a hug. 

Kevin Wordsworth

Wordy is the Entry Expert, he's usually the one at the front when Team One takes on a building. He's the voice of reason when emotions are running wild and stress is taking over. He's always calm, he's always sweet. 

He's the cutest daddy I've ever seen. Oh. My. Gosh. With his little girls... Oh. Cute. 

He's a good balance for Eddie, he makes Ed  calm down when Ed is all testosteronal. (If hormonal is a thing, testosteronal is too.) He's just nice. 

Everyone on this team needs a hug. 

Lewis Young

Lew is hard to pin down, because he's not a huge character. He's Spike's right-hand man, and he's good at hacking, and defusing bombs, but he's also not too shabby when it comes to hands on police work. He's a jack of all trades. He's fabulous. 

But you don't really notice him until one episode when you suddenly go, "LEWIS IS SO BRAVE I LOVE HIM. OH MY GOSH!!!"

There. Those are the main characters. I'm not going to go into the side ones because that takes forever. BUT THE SIDE CHARACTERS ARE ALSO BRILLIANT! I mean... Donna! Dean! (yes there's a Dean in this show. Bonus!) Just watch it for the rest of them. :) 

So now for the part where I actually tell you what's good about Flashpoint.

1.) It's a cop show. I've mentioned like a bajillion times that I love cop shows. The problem is real. But it's not your typical, solve-the-crime cop show. This one, is more "Let's help the people." sort of thing.

SRU is basically a SWAT team, except, including tactical skills and general kick-butt awesomeness that is SWAT, the SRU also trains in psychology, so they can negotiate and talk down people before they do anything drastic. I like that about the show: that they're very interested in saving people's lives, and making things work before they have to take a shot. (Please note that I am in no way talking down SWAT. I think SWAT is the bomb diggety, and any one who says other wise is clearly not American.)

The SRU motto is "Connect, respect, protect."
And their battle cry is, "Let's keep the peace.' I LOVE THAT. It's literally the coolest thing of ever!

The SRU, and anybody on the team is an elite group of cops. They come in when the situation is almost out of control, and more often than not, they can contain it.

But let's face it, it's realistic: people die, Team One can't win them all. (And I'm serious, people die, no one is safe, you spend the intenser episodes going, "If you kill that character, I will take out the planet.")

SO yes, it's a cool take on a cop show. 

2.) Flashpoint is so freaking clean! It's the cleanest new show I've ever seen, besides Doctor Who. It has married people, and dating people, but it doesn't take it to the bedroom. Ever. And I love that. Call me what you will, I don't believe you need to show me that stuff, okay? It's. Nasty.

3.) One word: Team. I don't know what it is about teams and family stories, but they make my cold heart sing Hallelujah. Every single one of my favorite fandoms features either a family or a team or both. (SPN: family, Leverage: team, Grimm: a bit of both, Doctor Who: both, The Librarians: team, Psych: family + team, Crossing Lines: Team. Avengers: Team. SEE THE PATTERN?)

Team One is the main SRU unit. They get first pick on the hot calls of pain and sorrow. (I think there were what, eight other teams?) Team One is the best of the best.

But because of how closely they work together, and the long hours they put in, and the stressfulness of their job, they're also a family. They depend on each other, they trust each other with their lives. (Literally.) They work together, they love each other, they'd do anything for each other. It's epic.

4.) The plots are tight, even the ones that weave throughout the entire series. There were maybe two or three weak episodes in the entire five seasons, that's not shabby, ya feel me? From what I can see, they do well on police procedure as well, and that's refreshing. (I mean, I could be wrong, seeing as they're in Canada, but it looks good, so yeah.)

When people mess up, there are consequences.

Taking a life is a serious thing, and it's not taken lightly, it's a big deal, I like that. So when there are situations that Team One can't win, and they have to take the kill shot, it's not like, "Oh well, collateral damage." There's an investigation to make sure lethal force wasn't used unnecessarily, and it's intense.

5.) CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Yeah, I know, what can I say, characters drive a story for me. I don't like the character-- even if the plot is fabulous-- I don't like the show. SO. Characters and their development = huge thing. Make me love them or go away.

This show rocks on character development, all the characters make me die. (Inwardly. My heart goes pitterpat in sympathy and sadness.)

It's a good sized team.

But every single person gets a few episodes that focus on them, and you care about people. And when I say you care about them, I mean, you cry and scream and desperately want them to have a little good luck, oh my gosh.)

6.) It has a good view on families and having kids. It shows that family is important and you need to work for it, and you can't take it for granted.

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW NICE IT IS TO HAVE PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANT A FAMILY AND BABIES?

There are members of the team that are fathers, and I love how they are with their kids. It's cute.

7.) Guns. Just.... guns.

8.) Can I recommend this show? ABSOLUTELY. No questions asked, it's epic, and it gave me hope for humanity. It's proof that good people still exist, and that is so nice to know.

By the time it's done you are so emotionally invested in the characters you're riveted during the finale. Ooooh the finale.... that was... just.... *dies*

So yes, it's super good, it's super clean, and I'd give it a high recommendation. I will say it's not very kid friendly, just because of the type of show it is. They're real life situations, and it can be hard to watch sometimes. It's intense.

But it has Spike.

And Greg says things like:

It's on netflix.

As your soon to be Supreme Overlord of All (I'm booting Cait out of her throne) I command you to watch it.

Cheers!