Premiered July 11 at 10pm
Like CBS’s other current scripted series, “Swingtown”, this seems like a show destined for the summer. Unfortunately, it’s not nearly as good as the latter show, and in fact pretty darn uninteresting. The token gimmick of the show is to launch headfirst into the middle of the hostage situation for about thirty seconds before rewinding to show just what it was that sent the eventual hostage-taker over the edge. The case in the pilot episode is relatively routine, so you’d expect that the show’s cast would make up for that lacking with some intrigue. Cocky rookie who thinks he knows everything but is still a really good shot with a gun is far from original. Star Hugh Dillon has the right look for the role, but that doesn’t mean he can act. I don’t know who cast Amy Jo Johnson in her role. She’s annoying, and the character seems expressly designed to have no personality. I’ve never found Enrico Colantoni to be a terribly good actor (and I’m not even a fan of “Veronica Mars”, where I know fans like him), thus his underwhelming negotiating abilities don’t impress me much. Overall, the show is a rather poorly put-together procedural which tries to pander to an audience who can accept unsatisfying action without a hint of substance.
How will it work as a series? Unless there’s a really good case or the team members are actually given some substance, I’d imagine it would be the same thing over and over again. I’ve also already seen episode two, which still flatlines, even with a better case.
How long will it last? As I said, summer show. CBS has just announced that it will swap the time periods for “Swingtown” and “Flashpoint”, sending the latter show to Thursdays at 10pm. It could squeak by until the end of the summer, but beyond that, this show is history.
Pilot grade: F
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