Network: CTV
Cast: Enrico Colantoni (1), Hugh Dillon (2), Amy Jo Johnson (3), Sergio Di Zio (4), David Paetkau (5), Michael Cram, Mark Taylor, and Henry Czerny (6)
Did you know? - Henry Czerny won a Gemini Award for the role of Jack Swanson in this episode.
Read about 'Scorpio', the pilot episode of Flashpoint.
Episode 2 - First In Line
More often that not with a police procedural type series, I follow it diligently to get a glimpse of the story lines of the various cast characters on the show. However with Flashpoint, I find myself drawn into the case of the week as well. And more often than not, the case of the week is even more compelling than the characters stories themselves.
In the all important second episode, Flashpoint not only delivers a great case, it also continues to show us how the main characters are affected and expand on their personalities. Sam's continued education about what the SRU is all about continues meaning that we also continue to get to know more about what their job entails. In episode 2, a father pushed by unfortunate circumstances pulls a gun on everyone and demands that his daughter is given the heart instead of another man on the list. Is he right? Of course not. But is what he's doing wrong? Well that's a gray area isn't it? You can't help but empathise with him and understand why he's doing what he's doing.
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| Henry Czerny's compelling and heartbreaking turn as Jack Swanson makes you think about what's right and wrong, and every thing in between. |
Hospital Director: Mr Swanson I'm afraid we've had a bit of a miscommunication.
Jack: What's up?
Hospital Director: The transplant coordinator... The recipient list had been updated and she had not been made aware of that. I know this is distressing but the truth is another patient has had to be given priority.
Jack: I'm sorry what?
Hospital Director: I'm so sorry Mr Swanson, but the next heart will be Phoebe's.
Jack: Urm maybe you don't know this but Phoebe has been on the waiting list for 14 months.
Hospital Director: I really have to apologise.
Jack: She's first in line, she's been first in line for months.
Hospital Director: This is not a deli counter Mr Swanson you know that.
Jack: Oh Heather can you please explain to him. Look she was here once last week already. She was prepped and everything but the heart was flawed. Do you know what that's like?
Hospital Director: Considering the travel time of this organ...
Jack: Yeah...
Hospital Director: ...the window of survivability is shorter.
Jack: So then why are we standing here!
Hospital Director: In this situation, the computer selects the recipient closer to the hospital.
Jack: Closer to... Closer? The only reason we were at home was because you, because the hospital told us to go home to prepare ourselves to say goodbye. Did your computer tell you that?
Hospital Director: Mr Swanson.
Jack: And now you're telling me that if we had just stayed...
Hospital Director: I'm telling you that you should not have been paged to.
Jack: I don't care. This is my daughter, this is my daughter!
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| "Job's not about being a good shot. Job's about saving lives." |
Ed: Let's set command post on site.
Greg: Copy that. Jules you'll be my secondary tech and required.
Jules: Got it.
Ed: Wordy, cover the boss. Spike, com links, explosives if we need them.
Spike: Copy copy. A bomb, make it a bomb. I never get a bomb. Explosive entry at least I would settle for.
Ed: Lou you're less lethal. It's a hospital so no gas.
Lou: Less lethal?!
Ed: Mr Braddock, you may observe from the command post.
Sam: Observe?
Greg: Job's not about being a good shot. Job's about saving lives.
Sam: We already know why the perp's here.
Ed: He's a subject not a perp.
Sam: He's a gun with a gun.
Jules: He's a father in trouble.
Ed: Ask questions Sam. Show him that you're listening.
Spike: Harder to hurt someone you connect to.
Heather: Cos then they're real people too.
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| While I really grow to like Sam Braddock a lot in the later seasons, he really is quite the wise cracking ass in Season 1. But that's great character growth for you I guess. PS: I love how Ed puts Sam in his place here. |
Sam: Why don't you just tase his ass?
Ed: Muscle spasm he'll pull the trigger.
Sam: So we go in hard tactical.
Ed: I was just getting to that. Look, something I need you to do. Alright, see these stairs here it's where we came in right. I need you make a reverse entry. Go across this hallway, these doors here, I need you to go through them. Now be careful because this is a big road. I want you to cross it. I want you to make an entry into this Timmy's order the double double. Jules?
Jules: Cream no sugar.
Ed: Spike?
Spike: No I'm good.
Sam: You serious?
Jules: Went all coffee shop on his ass?
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| Nice shot! It also shows how Greg Parker puts in his all with every subject. |
Jack: You got kids?
Greg: Yeah I do. A boy.
Jules: What's he doing?
Heather: What?
Jules: Negotiating 101. Never lie to the subject.
Ed: He's not lying, he has a kid.
Jules: Really?
Ed: Before your time.
Dr Luria: Sam! Sending up the heart that was you?
Sam: Yeah. It was running out of time. I assumed...
Dr Luria: Never. Never assume Sam. If it looks simple, it's usually not. You tossed in a light match and you left your team to put out the fire.
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Greg: Alright I'm breaking the rules here Jack. But the truth is, they're not going to let Phoebe have that heart.
Jack: No! You said that they were working on it.
Greg: That's what... That's something negotiators do. We stall for time, we pass the buck, we stretch the truth, but I don't want to lie to you Jack.
Wordy: What's he doing?
Ed: He's know we're at the end of the line.
Wordy: Yeah but you just can't give it...
Ed: He knows what he's doing.
Greg: I could keep asking them. I can keep asking them and asking them, thing is that, they are never going to let you have that heart.
Jack: Yes, no, no, yes, they will. They will.
Greg: Jack, one guy walks into a place with a gun and gets what he wants, the next thing you know, a whole bunch of guys are thinking 'Hey maybe I can get the same thing'. It becomes a big problem Jack.
My favourite quote - "We got no where to go. There's civilians everywhere. OR, ICU, our only solution is lethal. We saving Jack or we saving the heart?"
Read about 'The Element Of Surprise', the third episode of Flashpoint.
(1) Enrico Colantoni has acted in films like Stigmata (1999), Galaxy Quest (1999), and Contagion (2011). He has also played Veronica Mars' father Keith Mars in the television series Veronica Mars (2004-2007), and he has also guest starred in television series like Law & Order, NYPD Blue, 3rd Rock From The Sun, Monk, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Numb3rs, Brothers & Sisters, Bones, and Person Of Interest.
(4) Sergio Di Zio has acted in films like National Lampoon's Senior Trip (1995), and Just Buried (2007).
(5) David Paetkau has acted in films like Final Destination 2 (2003), I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (2006), Goon (2011), and Man Of Steel (2013). He has goest starred in television series like Smallville, Stargate SG-1, CSI: Miami, Supernatural, and Dexter.
(6) Henry Czerny has acted in films like Clear And Present Danger (1994), Mission: Impossible (1996), The Ice Storm (1997), The Exorcism Of Emily Rose (2005), The Pink Panther (2006), and The A-Team (2010). He currently plays the role of Conrad Grayson in the television series Revenge (2011-present). He also played the role of Norfolk in the series The Tudors (2007) and has guest starred in shows like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Ghost Whisper, and Monk.
* Poster from the website TVpedia with screen grabs from the show.
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