This 87%-Rated Overlooked Police Procedural Is a Perfect Replacement for S.W.A.T.
S.W.A.T. is canceled yet again, so we found a show that will definitely fill the hole in your heart left by the Shemar Moore series.
Fans of action-packed police procedurals, this is definitely not your best week – S.W.A.T. has been canceled by CBS. Yes, again. Yes, for the third time in a row.
If you don't know where to get a new dose of adrenaline, we've found the perfect replacement for you – the Canadian series Flashpoint, which has received less attention than it deserves.
Flashpoint Is a Police Procedural With an Unusual and Fresh Focus
The main feature of Flashpoint is the Strategic Response Unit itself, to which the series is dedicated. These are not ordinary patrolmen, not detectives conducting an investigation, and not even undercover cops.
The show offers something completely new. It is an elite special unit that is involved in negotiations, performs complex tactical tasks and makes a lot of high-risk decisions every day.
Flashpoint Is More About Tense Suspense Than Wild Action
Due to the specifics of the work, there are almost no exciting car chases and dangerous shootouts, but there are enough tense moments and a kind of "quiet" action.
Watching a multi-hour hostage situation or a search for a hidden sniper between skyscrapers is no less exciting than following the progress of a complex investigation.
Canadian Show Changes Our Perception of Police Work
The first season begins with a new addition to the team, which gives the viewer an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the specifics of the department's work.
Together with rookie Sam, a former military man, we go through an interesting transformation – our ideas about police work change.
We learn that it is not so much a matter of shooting masterfully and understanding explosives, but of communicating with people, showing empathy, negotiating and calming those who are now on the edge or have even crossed it.
Step by step, episode by episode, we dive deeper into the Strategic Response Unit routine and better understand why the team acts the way they do in various critical situations.
You Can Watch Flashpoint Anytime and Anywhere
The definite advantage of this show is the freedom it gives the viewer. Flashpoint is suitable for contemplative viewing and for listening to in the background while doing the dishes – the show is quite tense, but most of the action here is driven by dialogue.
This is not about luxurious costumes or mesmerizing landscapes, not about incredible puzzles and clues scattered in every frame.
No, Flashpoint is about impulses, about rash actions and how to react to them, about human nature and the ability to see dramas, problems, needs and worries behind nightmarish decisions.
