Flashpoint

The Element of Surprise

Season 1, Episode 3, Aired 7/24/08

Episode Summary

The team helps out some undercover agents who are involved in a major drug bust. However the operation goes haywire when an ex-junkie gets involved.

8.2

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Cast & Crew

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Enrico Colantoni

Sgt. Gregory Parker
Michael Cram

Kevin Wordsworth
Sergio Di Zio

Mike Scarlatti

Fan Episode Reviews (11)

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If you let these SWAT people do their jobs, the suspect comes out OK without a scratch, while the undercover cop lies waiting in pain with a bullet wound, and the innocent bystander, a kid, gets killed.moreless

6.2

"Fair"

By masteroffan, Aug 09, 2010 Report Abuse

This episode wasn't quite as bad compared to the first two episodes. The main problem with this episode is when the undercover cop gets shot and the SWAT team decides to wait to act until the kid is supposedly out of the way. The SWAT leader guy tells the other agency guy that if the SWAT people are allowed to do their jobs that people will come out alive. The last I checked there were only 3 people in the room: a wounded undercover cop, a drug lord, and an innocent bystander. So there is really only one person in the room that they needed to protect. Waiting was a dumb option because the undercover cop loses more blood, the drug lord has more time to booby trap the place, hide drugs, load weapons, etc.

Where were the officers going down the outside of the building like in the last episode? They used them one episode too early!!moreless

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3 3
Unrealistic and terrible writing. Filled with situations that don't make sense. Cop has extra litres of blood in him or something.

3.0

"Bad"

By snoozy_dragon, Aug 09, 2010 Report Abuse

The undercover cop is shot and is bleeding profusely and they are waiting for the bleeding cop to somehow move out of the line of fire. I may not know alot about bullet wounds but I know that getting shot in the stomach probably isn't a good thing and the senior cop begins NEGOTIATING after the cop gets shot. Some reason, he stays alive.

The suspect is busy flushing drugs down the toilet. The kid calls the cops. Why not send two swat guys through the window? BAM BAM. Put two shots into the bathroom. Kids stays alive, cop gets saved right away.

Or, what happened to the snipers from the first two episodes?moreless

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3 5
IMPOTENT

1.2

"Abysmal"

By abcd-tv, Aug 09, 2010 Report Abuse

the SRU gets a call about a major drug bust and there is an undercover cop involved. When one of the informants of the drug dealer lets him know about the police, things start to go south. The drug dealer suspects the ex-junkie and the cop gets shot while trying to pacify things. So the SRU will not go inside and save the ex-junkie cos the drug dealer (DD) is armed. never mind the fact that the DD gives the SRU ample opportunity to rescue the hostages while he is busy flushing the drugs down the toilet. In my opinion this episode could have gotten over in 5 mins. After the cop gets shot,while the DD is in the toilet,send the SRU with some riot shields,break open the door and use the riot shields to protect the cop and ex junkie. Or they could have asked the ex junkie to take cover behind some furniture. Instead they drag it out with some needless drama and tension within the SRU team. And in the end, the ex junkie who has turned his life around gets shot and dies. All because of some BS! Terrible episode.The indecision of the SRU team leader was totally beyond me. A highly trained unit with all the latest weapons and technology is afraid of a DD with a gun!moreless

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5 5
Not as good as the previous two episodes but still and intense episode.

8.0

"Great"

By D-LinkUK, Jul 27, 2008 Report Abuse

In my view we've been treated to two excellent episodes ( the first 2 ) but this episode was though intense was not as exciting and edge of the seat viewing ( only my opinion ), it was good to see the young lad who played Dale in Jericho on screen again and just as sad at the end.

What I do like about this show is how it's not all about going in blasting away killing all in sight, the show has a lot to do with the pressure's put on a SWAT team from planning and tactics to the end product and having to tell a family member/loved one of a dead hostage/innocent.moreless

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1 2
Really good show and tear-jerker!

9.1

"Superb"

By JPPT1974, Jul 27, 2008 Report Abuse

Really good show and it is a tear-jerker in the end. As it seems that drug deal isn't going down smoothly, like it should be. As one of the main characters gets killed in all of that. We also get to see the usual my badge is bigger than your badge with the locals vs the feds. And that they portray the feds as imcompetent and don't know what they are doing. But you have to go to a backup plan if you can't go to the first plan. It was very sad to see the kid die. After he was off of drugs, only to be pulled back in by the drug dealer. Sad, what a sad and horrible death of a young person.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- This episode marks the first time a hostage is killed despite the team's best efforts. Edit
- The toy Jackson takes his niece at the start of the episode is a plush Nemo the clown fish, from the Disney movie Finding Nemo. Edit
Notes
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- We find out what happened to Sams best friend. They were in Afganistan and Sam was cleared to fire. After they went and did the IDs. One was his buddy Max who shouldn't have been there and had been shot by Sam with a 20 caliber. Edit
- Music Hey Rosetta! - Psalm (at the end of the episode) Edit
- This is the first episode to air on a Thursday. Edit
Quotes
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- Sam: We're losing him. Ed: The kid's putting himself on the line here. Sam: No, we got an officer on the line here! Ed: Careful. Edit
- Ed: (to Sam) When you're democratically elected team leader you get to make autocratic decisions. Edit
- Ed: (talking about Sean Keenan) He's working on his third strike today. Steve: Oh, so he has nothing to lose. Ed: Oh man, it's the worst kind. Still, it's days like today that make you feel alive. Edit
Allusions
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