Monday, September 29, 2008

It's Probably Not Official, But Nonetheless...

We were very amused when we saw this t-shirt on eBay and we think every Flashpoint fan who reads this site needs one of those! You could subtly send a message to CBS and CTV with this shirt the next time you're bored out of your mind on a Thursday night because Flashpoint isn't on. There's no point to this post other than to show fans this shirt. Hey, when you're dry for Flashpoint news, anything goes!

Friday, September 26, 2008

BREAKING NEWS: Flashpoint NOT Airing on CTV This Weekend.

We here at Moon Chase have just learned that CTV pulled Flashpoint off of the schedule on Sunday. This is a complete surprise since an earlier media release stated that it was going to air this Sunday. Furthermore there does not appear as of this writing any scheduled dates for the four remaining episodes. We're not sure if this was at the request of CBS or the producers of another TV show. As always, when the show returns to the air in Canada or the United States, we will continue to post our summaries and ratings pieces.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Flashpoint is On Demand in Poland!

In our never-ending quest to tell all our readers about Stephanie Morgenstern's (Sailor Venus #1) Flashpoint, we uncovered another country that some of our readers can catch it in! If you subscribe to nScreen VOD as part of n Satellite Service, Flashpoint is available to you! There's even a cool trailer with some techno music in the background. We are not sure as of this writing if the show has been dubbed in Polish, but we have a feeling it's in English - we don't think there's been enough time to produce a Polish dub. Nonetheless, any of our Polish readers who want to clear this matter up, you are welcome to send us an email at Moonchasers@NOSPAMPLZKTHXWITHACHERRYONTOPgmail.com. We'd even love to hear your opinions on the show and post them at another date on this site. I'm not entirely sure how this service works in Poland, whether customers are charged a flat rate for VOD or if they are charged per purchase. Now we are looking to you Australia, Britain, and the others - please announce premiere dates for the show already!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Flashpoint Ratings September 18th

Flashpoint's season finale on CBS scored a record number of viewers in the United States - 9.66 million to be exact! The show was #1 in it's timeslot and 2.6/7 with viewers 18-49. Mark Berman is certain that the show will return on the network at a later time (and that was written hours before CBS made their announcement). This number was an all-time high for the series, and we couldn't be prouder! Even more surprising was a CTV Press release we found giving us the show's ratings ahead of BBM Canada! The show also hit a high in Canada with 1.46 million viewers, and the show peaked at 10:51 PM (9 minutes before the show ended) with a total of 1.66 million viewers. A total of 2.5 million viewers watched all or part of last night's episode. The show was #1 across all key demographics all across the country. While Anne Marie La Traverse and Bill Mustos seem to be getting all the credit in the media, we're a little dismayed there's little being said about the creators of the show, Stephanie Morgenstern (Sailor Venus #1) and her husband Mark Ellis. Without them creating the show, the producers wouldn't have this show to produce. So, congratulations again to Stephanie and Mark on a hit show, and many more episodes to come!

Flashpoint in a Flash: Season 1 - Episode 9: Planets Aligned:

I did something different this week - I threw in both the American and Canadian commercials in the breaks for those of you wondering what sorts of commercials air in the opposite country! We all loved this episode and we're sad that it's over in the US. Full summary after the jump!


The US finale begins with the SRU swarming around a seemingly peaceful house. A woman recites a passage from Milton over and over again, Greg tries to contact someone in the house, and the SRU makes their way into the basement. A man shows up with a gun in front of the woman, and says “your time is up” REWIND! We’re now 8 years ago, and a girl named Penny is camping out in the backyard with her dad looking at stars with her telescope. The dad goes back inside to get some snacks, as she sings Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and someone appears behind her. She thinks it’s her dad who returned pretty quickly... fast forward to today. Penny has now grown up and awakes from her bed. Her walls are covered with murals of construction paper of the outside world. She tries to look out the window, but her ankle bracelet buzzes. On her desk, she transcribes Milton’s Paradise Lost. Back at SRU headquarters. Greg walks in and signs a female officer’s letter of recommendation for a tactical operations course. He looks at letters to his son that have all been marked return to sender. He remarks it’s just the way it always is. Back at the woman’s house, the phone rings as she is transcribing Milton. She sees it is Gerald, and she answers the phone. He tells her he has a surprise for her, and hangs up. He opens his car’s door and there’s a little girl inside. At a gas station, the attendant is watching the news (CTV News nonetheless!) and learns of a little girl who has been kidnapped 12 hours ago. Gerald walks in with the girl, and asks to use the restroom. She gives them a key. At the SRU, Jules is hesitant to sign up for a Psych evaluation, and Greg just wants everything to be copacetic (in order). Jules says she doesn’t agree with the questions, because there’s no right or wrong answer. Greg says that they are only human, and that they are going to get things wrong. At the gas station , Gerald returns the key and pays for the gas. The attendant notices the kid’s a little too scared, and she offers him a free lollipop. She swirls it in the air to look at the kid’s chin, and there’s a birthmark there that matches the description given on the TV. As she gives back change, she notices a gun under Gerald’s coat. She calls 911, says she has found the missing girl, and runs out to get the license plate. The SRU is on the scene and finds out who the car is registered, and a home address. They suit up! Gerald returns back home, and kisses Penny as if she is his. The girl walks into the kitchen, and Gerald takes off her cap revealing pigtails. He simply says “Honey, this is Lily”. ROLL CREDITS! Commercials! In the US we saw some ads including for some Kohl’s sale and Pizza Hut’s new pastas. And the premiere of NCIS, a show which none of us on staff cares about. Canadians saw commercials for CTV News, Bagelfuls, and Stephen Harper trying to convince Canadians he’s the better choice for Prime Minister (Yeah Right, I’m sorry but I don’t want Bill C-10 or C-61 taking effect). Back to the show! The SRU drives to Scarborough , while in the kitchen, Gerald praises Penny for the spic-and-span job she did cleaning. Penny asks why she is here, if it’s because she did something wrong... someone has a severe case of Stockholm syndrome. In the SUV, Ed and Greg talk about Greg’son. Ed urges Greg to go to Dallas to go see him, as it’s the only way he’ll recognize he still has a father that cares. At the house, Gerald puts an ankle bracelet on Lily, and forces her to thank him. He tells her the rules of the house, that she isn’t supposed to go near a window, or the bracelet will buzz. If she leaves the house, a wire will be tripped and she will be shocked dead. He lies to her and says the police will hurt her bad and it’s better to die. The SRU arrive at the house. Her dad told her over the phone that he has to keep her safe this way and asked him to bring her here. Gerald continues to lie to Lily when she pokes holes in his story. He forces Penny to make her lunch. The SRU gets a profile about Gerald. A contractor built this house especially with all windows frosted. He was in jail for a couple months years ago, and has no weapons registered. Gerald explains to Lily the rules are there to keep her safe. Penny wants to take her around the house rather than Gerald, and they get into an argument. Lily tries to run and is buzzed. She hugs Penny, and Gerald throws Penny in the closet for a time out. This Gerald character sure is twisted...Penny recites a passage from Milton. The SRU sets up snipers outside the house as Gerald shows Lily around. He notices motion detectors going off outside the house and the phone rings... this is where our episode began. Greg talks to him and asks him and the occupants to walk outside the house. Gerald threatens him and says he will kill Lily if anyone enters the house. As the SRU enters the house, he gives Penny a gun, and she knows what to do. Commercials! An awkward commercial about restrictions from T-Mobile, Hot Pockets Paninis, and JC Penney. Canadians saw commercials for Grey's Anatomy, Cinnamon Pecan Special K, and Winners. Back to the show! Greg tries to call Gerald again as Penny and Lily go upstairs to Penny’s room. Gerald hugs and kisses Penny, promising he will be back in 2 minutes. Penny doesn’t want Gerald to leave her alone. The SRU doesn’t know what to do to save the girl, but they eventually decide to roll under the garage door to enter the house. Lily helps Penny tip furniture down in the room. One member uses a special scanner to check the walls for surprises. The make their way through to the kitchen and around the living room. Wordy finds a box for a dog collar. Greg thinks there’s an electric circuit around the house for containment, so some members go to disable it. Ed and Wordy head to the basement, as Jules and Sam wait outside Penny’s room. They use a small camera to see inside the room, and they see Penny and try to identify her. They look around for Duglin and they don’t see him. Ed and Wordy yell in the basement for Gerald to freeze, but to no avail. Jules sees the transcripts of Milton, and Sam remembers his Dad when he sees the book. Lily shoots at Jules, Greg tries to get snipers to surround the room as Ed goes looking for Gerald...and him and Wordy find a tunnel in the basement?! They don’t know where it leads. The officer from the beginning of the episode, Kira, identifies the girl as someone who was abducted 8 years ago, and matches an age enhanced picture. Commercials! Quaker Oats, Macy’s Shop For A Cause, and Aflac Insurance. Desperate Housewives’ Kathryn Joosten appears in a Yoplait commercial and there’s a McCain-Palin ad. Change is Coming? This commercial doesn’t really tell me what they stand for... Canadians saw ads for Zellers, Iron Man on DVD, and Sheryl Crow’s Canadian tour. Back to the show! Police cars arrive at the house, as does an ambulance and an armored truck of sorts. Greg tells Jules to talk to her, because Penny needs to hear a female voice after spending 8 years at the hands of a man. Jules is scared, but Greg helps her out with advice on how to talk to her. Greg calls Spike to help out Jules and Sam. Jules works slowly to try to get Lily, but Penny freaks out and shoots again (but the SRU is safe). Lily asks how the SRU knows her name, and Penny tells Lily to keep quiet. Jules tries to get Lily to put the gun down. Penny panics and asks for Gerald, and Jules agrees to find out. She learns he has escaped through the tunnels. Kira tells Ed and Wordy that they are headed to a deserted brick factory. As they are making their way through underground railroad tracks, a man appears from the other end and shoots. Outside the house, Greg talks to Penny’s parents who seem happy that she is safe after these 8 long years. Lily wants to leave, but Penny has identified completely with her captor. Penny tells Lily a twisted story about Anne Frank, and that they can’t leave for the same reason that she couldn’t live her house. Jules tells Penny that they don’t know where Gerald is, and Penny thinks they are lying. She quotes Milton again, that without him there is no life. Lily tries to get away from Penny saying that Gerald made the story up and that she wants to go home. In the tunnels, Ed and Wordy chase Gerald. Jules promises Lily her parents are flying up from Sault Ste. Marie and that they will not hurt her. Lily runs, but Penny threatens to shoot her. Commercials! The US saw commercials for the Special K Challenge, a trailer for Righteous Kill, Lowe’s, and a Maverick ad for McCain and Palin. Canadians saw commercials for Without a Trace, Michael McCain, an apology from the CEO and President of Maple Leaf Foods about the Listeria outbreak, urging Canadians that their machinery has been sanitized, and Egg Farmers of Canada. And we’re back! Sam wants to shoot Penny to free Lily, and Greg wants Jules to stand down, but Jules tells Sam to wait. She talks to Penny in a language she can understand about choice, to let Lily choose where she wants to be. Lily chooses the SRU, and Spike grabs her and takes her to safety. Penny finally goes to the window, not being buzzed by the wire, and squints at her first glimpse of sunlight in 8 years. She watches as Lily is put onto a gurney. In the warehouse, Ed and Wordy are on the hunt for Gerald. Ed recognizes the gun he is using and counts bullets, wondering where the sixth one is in the hopes that while he reloads, he can have a chance at getting Gerald. At the house, Penny sees her parents through the blinds. They call out to her, but she moves back into the corner. Ed and Wordy encounter Gerald, and tell him to put the gun down and come to them or else in 5 seconds they will go to him. Gerald says that they don’t understand, that this is not the way he wants it to be. Ed asks what he wanted, and Gerald says he just wanted to be happy just like everybody else. Ed says he isn’t like everybody else and asks him to put the gun down. He says without Penny there is no life, before shooting himself in the head. Ed remarks that’s the 6th bullet, and walks over to Gerald. At the house, Jules talks to Penny, but once again finds herself at gunpoint while trying to reason with Penny. Greg says it’s Sam’s call to shoot. Jules makes one last attempt to help Penny , and says she wants to help her remember the girl she used to be. Greg asks her parents for memories when she felt joy and love. Jules hears all of this and tells Penny in a tone that she identifies with. Penny eventually breaks and Jules tells her there is a great big world out there that is much prettier than her room. She drops the gun, and Jules and Sam help her outside. Still slightly deranged and not used to the outside world after 8 years, she walks slowly to her parents. Greg tells Jules that he made her proud, and although she wasn’t perfect, she was human and she did just fine. Jules offers to buy Greg a drink, but Greg says he’s going to go away for the weekend. At the SRU, Kira has a ticket to Dallas ready for Greg. Back in her old room, Penny looks through her telescope, and says “the stars are still there”. The episode ends.

This was a fitting ending to a great run on two networks which far exceeded anyone’s expectations! The series is not over on CTV yet, so we’ll be keeping up our coverage of the last four episodes for all of our readers all over the world, who can’t watch the episodes or who just want a sneak peek. It’s a little odd though that the networks both chose to air commercials for just one candidate on both sides of the border rather than balancing out with the others. We also open up our inboxes to any of our viewers around the world where Flashpoint is premiering - if you read a story or learn about ratings, we would love to hear how the show is doing in your country! Don’t hesitate to send us an email at moonchasers@NOSPAMPLZKTHXWITHACHERRYONTOPgmail.com.

Friday, September 19, 2008

BREAKING NEWS: CBS Finally Renews Flashpoint!

We were ecstatic to come home from our day to finally hear the news we were waiting for! Many media outlets are now reporting that CBS has indeed renewed Flashpoint for 13 episodes next season! We would like to take this time to thank every fan who supported this show from the beginning. We have been reporting everything we possibly could about this show since last Fall, and seeing news like this really makes us jump for joy - we are elated with the success that Stephanie Morgenstern (Sailor Venus #1) and her husband Mark Ellis have achieved with this show, and we couldn't be more proud. We think that of all the North American VA stories that we have reported so far, Stephanie's has been the standout of this year - for a Canadian TV show to hit it big after such a long time on a US network is no small feat! We absolutely loved last night's episode, and although the fate of the last four episodes of the season are unknown as of this writing on CBS, we were so happy to hear it went out on a high note scoring 9.66 million viewers last night! We can tell you that CTV has moved the show to Sundays, and on September 28th the episode "Eagle Two" will air. According to the press release, the summary reads: "the SRU is handling a routine VIP protection shift when a bomb goes off. Realizing the bomb was a distraction tactic so that the VIPs wife could be kidnapped, the SRU attempts to find her. The kidnapping turns to horror when the wife is found alive - with a remote-controlled collar bomb around her neck." We'd like to extend congratulations on behalf of the staff and readers of this site to the cast and crew once again on a job well done and continued success - and we will be here just as much as we were this season next year! We will also continue to be there for all of you with summaries for the last episodes airing on Canadian television.

P.S. Last Night's Summary and Ratings will be up later this weekend.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

BREAKING NEWS: Flashpoint Autographed Script Up For Charity Auction!

We just found out about this and we think that this is the ultimate for any of our readers who are Flashpoint fans (you all are, right :Þ ? ). An autographed copy of the script for the episode Scorpio is up for an auction , and bidding starts at $75. It was also signed by the production staff, including Stephanie Morgenstern, Mark Ellis, Marie La Traverse, and Bill Mustos. The proceeds from the auction go to a good cause, the Minorities in Broadcasting Training Program. This is a special non profit organization formed in 1992 to provide training opportunities to minority college graduates in TV/radio news reporting and news management. This is a collectible worthy of any Flashpoint fan's collection!

Monday, September 15, 2008

To Our New Zealand Readers: Flashpoint is Coming to You This Week!

This entry is just for our New Zealand readers - we just learned of a premiere date for Flashpoint on TVNZ's TV2! Flashpoint will premiere at 8:30 PM on Wednesday September 17th! There is even a teaser trailer with a really cool sparkling purple logo. We've been reading some rather lukewarm articles from TV critics there, and some of the things we have read are really unfair to the show. So to our New Zealand Moon Chasers and their friends - please give the show a chance. There is a lot more to the show behind the banter which TV Critic Tom Shales deems is "bouncy and bonhomie". We'd like to let him know the show worked very hard alongside retired members of the police force this show is based on to get their details right. And there is a lot more substance to "perky" Jules and "Stubble Boy" Braddock. The first episode is not as great compared to the rest that come, but the show will and does get better. It's unlike most cop shows on TV. And it has done really well on CBS in the US with high ratings and lots of viewers. It's one of the top rated TV shows here in Canada too. If ever at all you want to read a spoiler for an episode before you watch it, feel free to check out our detailed summaries on each episode - but you'll get a lot more out of it if you catch the show. By watching the show, you're also supporting Stephanie Morgenstern, who is a favorite among fans for her performance as the first Sailor Venus. You'll even get to see the face behind the voice in the first episode as she plays the hostage! So please, give this show a chance. Normally we don't care for shows like CSI, NCIS, and Law and Order, but we were all pleasantly surprised with this one and we hope you will be too.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Flashpoint Ratings: September 12th

Still reeling from the surprise of Thursday's announcement that next week's episode will be the season finale, we read some very encouraging news from TV Expert Marc Berman, who doesn't think that this is the last we have seen of Flashpoint on CBS. He reports that Flashpoint pulled in 8.5 million viewers and a 2.2/6 rating with viewers 18-49. Watch this space, we will post Canadian ratings as soon as they are available!

EDIT: Flashpoint is the 6th most popular TV show in Canada, and scored 1.289 million viewers!

Flashpoint in a Flash: Season 1 - Episode 8: Never Kissed a Girl

Stephanie Morgenstern and Mark Ellis continue to bring out a better show each week! Full summary after the jump!


We begin with one of the coolest shots this entire season. The camera backs away from a Toronto courthouse. We hear sirens, see people running out the doors, a police car pulling in, and then another, and then the SRU SUV, a judge and a lawyer running in between, policemen, paramedics, and then the caution line, along with the rest of the public. We hear a voice shout “YOU LIED JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE” and Ed Lane in plainclothes has a gun to his head. How did Ed get involved in the line of fire?! Greg is trying to rush the SRU who are walking along ceiling beams to get into the courtroom. There is also a security woman in the room being held hostage with Ed. The gunman says, “Your time is up”... and REWIND! 3 hours earlier: our gunner walks out of the house, and one of the two men on the porch wishes him good luck with his lawyer today. We’re actually 90% sure that this is a house around Dufferin Mall in Toronto. He rips down posters with his face on them on street poles that say “Watch your children this convicted felon is living in our neighborhood”. He looks around in disbelief at the myriads of posters everywhere else. Back at SRU HQ, Ed gets his rifle primed and ready. Greg walks in saying he should only use one shot to the head, before praising him that he is his number one guy. Now the bad news, Ed is being sued by the son of the man who was killed in the first episode. Stephanie Morgenstern briefly appears in a flashback of the moment the gun went off. Ed’s a little shocked. At a lawyer’s office, our gunner (whose name is Michael) receives some bad news about the prosecution playing some dirty tricks in his wrongful conviction 11 years ago. Things go from bad to worse when the missing evidence from the files means that he can’t file an appeal to clear his name. Greg reassures Ed the team is behind himn 100% and his lawyer will get him out of this but Ed is stunned that he is being called to the courthouse today. He can’t understand how someone doubts his job after all that happened that day. Greg tells him that it’s all a part of grieving. Michael’s lawyer tells him he doesn’t have the time to file an appeal, and we learn that he was in jail since he was 15. All Michael wants is to have his name cleared to his family and the public so he can truly be free. Mpho Koaho’s performance is powerful! He leaves the lawyer’s office. Outside the courthouse, Ed’s lawyer walks him through what will happen and that he will get him out. Michael calls under a fake name to the prosecuting lawyer’s office, and finds out he is busy in court all day. So he goes over there to get some answers. He walks inside, is checked by security, and an officer discovers an ankle bracelet. He is called on it, but he turns away to grab a gun from another officer and hollers at everyone to put their hands up and not to move. He fires at the roof before he runs through the halls. ROLL CREDITS! __________. Back to the show! The camera shows us downtown Toronto from overhead, before sailing over the courthouse. Ed is interrogated in a library about what happened the day he pulled the trigger. The security guard is instructed by another one to put the room under lockdown, as there is someone with a gun running loose in the building. Ed asks if there is anything serious going on, while the lawyers argue over when to reschedule this hearing. Ed flashes his badge and asks for the door to be unlocked. He leaves. Ed calls the SRU to find out what is going on, and he looks around for Michael. Michael is now on an upper floor, looking around for the prosecutor. We skitter between Ed trying to take control of the situation, and Michael on his manhunt. He runs into the security woman chatting on her cell phone and holds her at gunpoint. Ed approaches them! He complies with a frustrated Michael, dismembers his gun, and gets on his cell phone to talk to Greg about what is going on. Greg pulls up outside the courthouse, and Ed relays the message that he is looking for a prosecutor. Greg picks up he is being held at gunpoint, and the SRU has to deal with Ed being stuck in this situation. _________. Greg assures the team that even though he doesn’t have his gun, he’s going to be okay. He sends Wordy to find the prosecutor, Jules to ID the gunman, and Spike and Louis to go in the building. Ed talks to Greg for a minute, but has to hang up. Greg looks at some plans and finds out where the prosecutor is, and they decide to confine him in there before taking him. Some members go up to clear out the room, while Ed tries to learn something from Michael about why he is there. The SRU moves up the stairs, as Ed answers the phone to hear about options. They are leaving an ear wig for him on the prosecutors table. Ed says to go to Courtroom 7, and puts himself in further danger by telling Michael to take him instead over the security woman. Wordy arrives to the courtroom and clears out the room, taking the Prosecutor aside. Jules sees that Ed is now handcuffed and they all worry more. Ed stalls until the absolute last second when a senior is lifted away to an exit. And now we are where the episode began. In another library, Wordy tries to ask the Prosecutor what he did, or if he knows anything about the man holding his buddy hostage. Jules learns that Michael was convicted of the murder and rape of another teenager in 1997. Michael gives Ed an ultimatum: 15 minutes to get the Prosecutor to him, or else he dies. Jules gets more information on the victim as Ed asks the security woman to distract him for a minute while he puts the ear wig in. Ed talks to him and learns that Michael was convicted with a supposed confession he never made. He connects to him as he’s trying to defend his own actions. The SRU plans to break in the courtroom through the roof and sets up a sniper across the street. We see a dramatic change in Ed, he is no longer the macho man in control, but one who is broken and questioning his own decision. The girl Michael was accused of killing was his only friend - which meant a lot to him since he was the only “black kid in the class”. We hear of his sad tale and Ed and the security woman sympathize with him. Jules finds holes in the Prosecutor’s story, and the SRU is ready to jump in. Other snipers plan their shots. Ed subtly moves Michael under the balcony. Jules tries to dig up more dirt on the prosecutor, and Ed finds out that someone who spent only minutes with Michael in the cell made up a fake story about how she died. Ed continues to try to get him to put the gun down, begging him. Spike jumps down on the balcony and throws a smoke bomb as they jump down and hold Michael at gunpoint. Ed leaves with the Security Woman, as a electric guitar mix of the theme song plays. Michael is held at gunpoint as we go to commercial while he is still holding the gun. Jules learns that the Prosecutor pulled some shady tricks in the case. Ed confronts the Prosecutor with a cassette recorder, and talks to him about some other cases wherein false confessions were conjured. Ed goes back in the room against Greg’s wishes to talk to Michael to get him to lower that gun. He tells him that there’s enough evidence for an appeal, and he doesn’t want anyone to die today. Michael tells a part of the story that no one knew, and that was that he was not the last person to see her alive. Ed assures him that they will make sure he goes to justice. Michael puts down the gun... the montage begins. Ed asks for his name as he is driven away by police. We also hear another fantastic song , Lost At Sea, from the actor who plays Ed, Hugh Dillon. He wrote this song especially for the show, and I really hope that the full version of this song is released. It’s a sad ode to his character. Michael lights a candle at Katie’s grave, lays a pink lily, and walks away. Next week: Flashpoint’s Season Finale?! The SRU rescues a child held captive for years, but soon has more than it can handle when they find she is not the only child the kidnapper held. We can’t wait!

Friday, September 12, 2008

BREAKING NEWS: What's Happening With Flashpoint?

Hey Moonies - I have watched yesterday's episode but I won't be able to blog it till later tomorrow. At the end though, I noticed something a little peculiar. CBS has announced that next week's episode will be the season finale. 13 episodes were shot this season, and it looks like the last four will not air as of this writing. We don't know what is up with CTV at this moment. We have a feeling this is because of new shows premiering on the network next week, but this leaves us all wondering when the last four will air. It doesn't make sense to us that the network would be rejecting the show in it's entirety, from what we read the show helped CBS win the ratings handsomely last night. And readers, we did not forget about Fox's abyssmal Hole in the Wall. We will be posting our full opinion on that mess later this weekend.

As always, once we find out what will happen with the show we will let you know. We have a feeling that the episodes whether they air or not will be released on iTunes along with the others already there. On the bright side, we learned that one of the creators of Flashpoint, Stephanie Morgenstern (Sailor Venus #1) has been coined a "creatrix" by one blogger, who spotted her at this year's CFC Barbecue! This is a super elite event held by the Canadian Film Centre, and invitees are big players in the industry, from actors, to producers, and everyone in between. We are so proud of all of her achievements since her VA days and in a way we also feel that Sailor Venus has achieved her dream of being an idol and schmoozing with the best people in the industry through Stephanie's work (bizarre how the actor and the character are intertwined!).

Monday, September 8, 2008

Please Support Flashpoint!

Hey everyone - I'm still trying to get my laptop back up to speed (I'm almost there, just a few programs left to go!) but I'm trying to juggle a new semester and now this horrid cold which took my voice away today. Hopefully this weekend I will have energy again! Anyway, Flashpoint is coming back to both networks in it's original timeslot, and I caught a trailer for the episode this morning during the news. This one takes place in a courthouse and there's a hostage situation. A wrongfully convicted man fears his name may never be cleared. There's a couple cases in Canada that deal with almost the same sort of wrongful convictions that came up in my mind and the episode may be partially based on them. One is the sad story of David Milgaard, and the other is of Steven Truscott. It's very important (especially for all of you in the United States) to watch this show from now until the end. If you can't watch the show but are recording it, try to watch it on the same day. Readers of this site need to do their best to keep up the ratings of the show until CBS makes an announcement about the new season. Check your local listings and/or CBS and CTV for more information!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Breaking News: Another Rerun for Flashpoint :(

I (along with many of the rest of you Canadian fans) was looking forward to a new episode of Flashpoint tonight. It seems at the last minute CTV changed their website to show that they were going to play Attention Shopper instead of Never Kissed A Girl. Flashpoint was also not on CBS for the second week in a row, probably due to the Democratic and/or Republican conventions happening now. We here at Moon Chase are slightly dismayed at this, and unfortunately can't bring you a new summary for tonight's episode. We're all gonking along with you :s.

Flashpoint in a Flash: Season 1 - Episode 7: He Knows His Brother

Another hard hitting episode, and we’re sure all you Braddock fans will love this one! Full summary after the jump!


He Knows His Brother

We begin at the family breakfast table. A son begs his dad not to get angry, but the patriarch slams a bowl of cereal shutting him up. The other son pulls a gun, and a maid dials the police. We hear a gunshot go off, and the father has been shot in the arm. The SRU over a bullhorn calls the family to stand still as they break in and the son runs off… REWIND! 2 hours earlier, and the sun hasn’t risen yet in Toronto. The SRU is running maintenance on their equipment, and Braddock minds a couple newbies who are in charge of monthly cleanup. Jules asks why Braddock isn’t upstairs training, and as Braddock reads the paper, he notices something that hits him. He leaves the room in a huff, and Jules sees the headline: 3 troops in Afghanistan are dead. Cut to a glorious mansion, and the son with the gun (who’s name is R.J) is climbing the walls to get in through a window. He makes his way into his brother’s room and wakes him up. Braddock calls one of his army buddies to find out what happened, and we learn that it was one of his army buddies that died. And that he wasn’t killed in the line of duty, but instead committed suicide. Braddock is shocked, and his army buddy tells him he won’t be going to the funeral. R.J tells his brother Simon that he is no longer at military school, and suggests that he runs away with him to escape the family. Simon says he has a future at some prestigious universities and their mother comes to their room and calls them down to breakfast. And here we are where the episode began. The father belittles R.J and is angry – he asks him to pay back every penny. R.J. was a delinquent and the family has tried everything to put him on a straight path. They argue about what Simon’s future is, and Simon tries to stop the argument, and the cereal bowl is slammed. R.J. pulls the gun… and… ROLL CREDS! After the break, we are shown some very beautiful shots of Rosedale Valley. This is one of the nicest areas in Toronto! We are back at the table and R.J. is threatening his father with a gun that’s a family heirloom. The maid calls the police… Jules tries to talk to Braddock and console him as he throws a few punches to a punching bag. Braddock tells Jules that his army buddies had a deal: if they commit suicide, they no longer mean anything to them because they gave up just like that. The alarm goes off, and Braddock asks if Jules is driving. The SRU gets into motion…Simon asks R.J. to give him the gun, and to go back to school, but R.J. says he can’t go back. Sirens go off, and R.J. gets scared. Ed Lane goes to talk to the officer and learns he’s new on the job. He scolds him for sounding his sirens. We learn that R.J.’s Dad, Rolland Strachan is a famous defense attorney and his family was rich from the times of the goldmines. Inside the house, Rolland tells his son that the gun was used by real men and that he can’t do anything with it because he’s a coward. R.J. fires the gun. Simon begs him for the gun again, but as the phone rings with a call from the SRU, R.J. runs away into the ravine behind the house. Braddock manages to catch him running among a flurry of smoke bombs. Braddock chases him for a little before he calls a manhunt. Commercial Break! The SRU is mobilizing in the ravine behind the house, and they learn that there are bystanders in the ravine. Spike reveals an acoustic detector to find anyone moving in the area. They work out their search patterns, and Greg Parker gives him a short profile of R.J. The SRU starts searching quad by quad. Dr. Luria gets on the phone with Greg, and she goes to the military school to investigate. Rolland is moved out of the house on a stretcher, and tells Simon to remember who he is. The SRU is searching in the woods, and Spike is a little scared of the woods. The SRU spots two girls hiding in the woods. Braddock talks to the family. Simon tries to protect his brother. But Braddock points out a big fault in his story based on where the bullet was. Simon says he will tell the truth, but runs to his room to call R.J. to see where he is. R.J. makes him an offer to meet somewhere at noon. The SRU learns that R.J. has a few army tricks up his sleeve with a few stolen gadgets. Simon tries to leave, but he is stopped by Braddock. Greg says that his phone has been tapped, and they know that he’s talking to his brother. Dr. Luria tries to learn more from the military school’s principal, but she learns nothing without the parents’ consent. One of the cadets mopping the floor asks if it’s about R.J. and Luria goes to talk to him. The SRU arrives at a seemingly abandoned trailer and they quietly enter thinking R.J. is in there. Jules fires tear gas into the window, as they enter. Ed discovers that his cell phone is in the trailer, and they find a piece of foil with crystal meth. Commercials! Greg tells Simon and his mother that R.J. was using Crystal Meth and that he is probably very mentally unstable right now. He asks Simon for more information, and the mother who can’t deal with this right now, sips her wine and advises Simon to leave before his father comes back. She says she is sorry she couldn’t do anything about him. Greg starts to leave the room when Simon decides to talk and tell them where R.J. is hiding. He rides with Braddock into the ravine to point out the location. The SRU goes through the thicket , and Greg tells Braddock to walk away from the kid. He gives him an on the fly lesson on how to talk to the kid and what to ask him. Dr. Luria is talking to more cadets at the school, and learns more about R.J. He’s a good kid, but turned to meth when he didn’t want to sleep anymore. He was good at chemistry, and learned how to make it. There was an altercation with the principal, and R.J. went ballistic on him. For standing up for his buddies, he got kicked out of school. Jules patches together a potential misleading footpath that R.J. has planned, and the SRU decides to go backwards to see what they find. Braddock asks Simon about how the father treated them growing up. R.J. is silent. Braddock tells him the story of a guy he knew who managed to turn his life around despite his upbringing. Simon looks at his watch, and Braddock asks if there is somewhere he needs to be. The SRU hears a shot fired and they know they are near R.J. Braddock points out the location and makes an attack plan. The SRU runs through the woods into another person, and they find out she ran into R.J. … R.J. is hiding behind a tree and fires a bomb at an SRU member who is down! Commercials! Spike was the one who was hit, and they learn it was with a homemade bomb, and once again he talks about how Romans don’t do well in the woods. Ed is angry, but Braddock wants to talk to Simon again. He knows brothers won’t turn on brothers, but Braddock thinks he can help. He reasons with Simon telling him that he has the chance to help his brother before more harm is done. Simon finally walks through the woods to find R.J. . He appears out from behind a bush, and Simon says that he shouldn’t have hurt that cop. R.J. is a little deranged and not himself and starts acting fresh. Simon says he is scared of R.J. We learn R.J. took the drugs to stop the nightmares, and that he wanted to just take Simon away from home. Simon remembered the time R.J. saved him from his father’s belt, and that he was never going to let him go. R.J. tries to run, but Simon tries to pin him down. The SRU takes him away, and Simon cries for them to let him go. Simon says he is sorry. Rolland arrives back home from the hospital, and Ed tells him he can’t come back to his house. He asks who he can call when he himself needs a big time lawyer. He leaves the house, and Ed tells Jules that R.J. is getting a psychiatric evaluation instead of going in jail because he doesn’t belong there. Jules says Braddock left for some personal matters. The montage begins, Simon visits R.J. in the hospital, but they can only talk to each other through a window on the door. Braddock drives up to a bridge over a highway and watches as his friend’s body as it passes below him in a motorcade, tears streaming down his face.

This episode showed a side of Braddock we rarely get to see, he is more than the timid guy trying to make his way up the ranks. The next episode, Never Kissed a Girl will air tonight, and looks really good! From CTV: Having served 12 years in prison for the murder of his teenage sweetheart, when he was 15 -- a murder he didn't commit -- Michael Jameson is finally free on parole.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Flashpoint Ratings: August 21st

Flashpoint's success continues in the United States and Canada! On CBS the show scored 7.29 million viewers, and was the #2 program watched that night! For adults between 18-49 that night, it scored a rating of 1.9/5. In Canada, BBM reports 1.177 million viewers and was the fourth most watched program that week behind the Olympics and their closing ceremonies, and CBC's National News.

Flashpoint Acquisitions!

Hey everyone: My laptop is very slowly coming back into being. Today if I get all my productivity software installed and running, I should be able to watch He Knows His Brother and get a summary up. We have more exciting news for all of our overseas readers in Britain and France! Britain's ITV3 just picked up the show and all 13 episodes are slated to air on their fall schedule! Jay Kandola, Director of Acquisitions at ITV3 said "Flashpoint was really this year's surprise summer hit on Network TV in the USA. The series already has made the unusual leap from Canadian TV to CBS in the states and now will find its perfect home in the U.K. when it arrives on ITV3." We encourage all of our British fans to watch this show when it airs! Et pour vous en France - regardez Canal Plus! Flashpoint est une série à guetter prochainement sur Canal plus. I am not sure when it will start but my guess would be in the spring at the earliest since the series would likely need to be dubbed or subtitled for the French market (and that takes at least a few months to do). Congratulations (et Felicitations!) to Stephanie Morgenstern and Mark Ellis on Flashpoint's continued success around the world!