The Long Goodbye: What FLASHPOINT Means to Me

May 2, 2012 | 4 comments

Last night I posted The Long Goodbye: Flashpoint to End After Season Five. I spent the majority of the evening online via Facebook and twitter. I spent the majority of the day coming to terms with the news.

To those who say, “It’s just a television show,” I say this: You’ve obviously never really watched it. Not really. Because if you had, if you had joined us on Facebook or twitter, you would know.

It’s not just a show. It’s not just an online community. It’s a family.

It’s a part of my family. And I’m a part of them.

FLASHPOINT has been so much to me. I’ve never missed an episode. Never. Through the FLASHPOINT Team One Facebook community, I’ve found more of myself than I knew I had. I’ve made friends who have encouraged me to break out of my shell and get over my fear of the unknown.

If you search “Flashpoint” on my blog, there’s a plethora of posts ranging from casual mentions to in-depth articles.

The FPTO community has supported me as I pursue my dreams of writing, commenting on my blog and sharing my posts when it caught their attentions.

I’ll not forget Angelo’s comments last summer when I said I had to write. A few well-meaning commentators suggested I look for a “real” job. Angelo wrote,

“You don’t write because you want recognition. You don’t write because it seems like fun. You don’t write because you want to.
You write because you have to.
If that’s what Molly Jo feels then that’s what Molly Jo should do. In fact, based on her comments, I doubt she could prevent herself.“

Little did he know I’d save this comment and it would (and still does!) continue to inspire me during moments of self-doubt.

I have an autographed poster that now means more than ever. An SRU ornament from Kate. An abundance of saved comments and emails and tweets from so many.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FLASHPOINT is more than a show that takes my breath away. It’s been the promise of success. As a fan, a word from a producer or writer is amazing. As a writer, it’s currency.

Best. Email. Evvver.

Mary, affectionately known as Sarge, has always been my Go-To Gal for, well, just about anything. She really knows how to Keep The Peace when it’s needed (which, thankfully, isn’t that often!).

I want to be a writer. And FLASHPOINT has been with me through my attempts and trials. The show has inspired me. The community has supported me. I know they’re separate issues, but somehow, it doesn’t seem like it. It seems like, as long as there’s FLASHPOINT in the world, everything’s okay.

How many of us at FPTO have had actual dreams of Team One rescuing us from bank robbers or traffic accidents? How many of us have secret code words with each other because of ridiculously silly conversations? How will Kate and I ever think of TOAST the same way again? [Yes, that’s a code word, no I won’t share the meaning, but no, it’s nothing bad. Just inspirational. And yummy.]

I really thought if I tried hard enough, if I proved myself with my writing, I could draft a Spec Script for FLASHPOINT producers to look at, maybe even end up writing an episode or two for them.

I’ve talked about moving to Toronto and I’ve been serious about it! If you don’t know me too well, you don’t know how big a deal that is: I don’t like change! To think of moving to another country just to be a writer for a TV show… well, if they’d had me, I would have. No questions asked.

I get that the community will still be there. I’ll still buy jewelry from Kate’s online store. I’ll still tweet with Angelo, Kelley, and everyone else. I’ll follow the producers and writers however I can online. I’ll watch whatever shows the actors do next.

But it won’t be the same. We won’t all be together again like this, not ever.

And that makes me sad. And it makes me cry.

So you know what? If that makes me silly in your eyes, I don’t care. Because it’s late. Because I’m tired. And because I’ve been dealing with this family break-up for quite a few hours now.

And FPTO’s usually the Team that makes it all better. For all of us. But now Mom and Dad are retiring and moving elsewhere. And us kids gotta grow up and fend for ourselves.

That’s just a little scary.

But we can do it. Because even from a distance… we’re still family.

And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!

[FPTO photo courtesy of Angelo at FPTO on Facebook.]
For other posts on FLASHPOINT, read
Hello/Goodbye: How Flashpoint Keeps Hitting the Mark [August 5, 2011]
Do You Know FPTO? [November 6, 2011]
The Long Goodbye: Flashpoint to End After Season Five [May 1, 2012]

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The Long Goodbye: Flashpoint to End After Season Five

May 1, 2012

This is a post that not only do I not want to write, but it never entered my consciousness that I would ever have to. “Unexpected” doesn’t begin to describe it.


On the heels of 80 various awards nominations and riding high as a trailblazing television series both in Canada and the U.S., the producers of FLASHPOINT have decided to end the beloved series after the upcoming 13 episodes of Season Five.

What began as a summer replacement for U.S. viewers, in part due to a screenwriters’ strike, very quickly evolved into what has often been hailed as “the best cop show on television” by many critics and viewers alike.

While still going strong on CTV in Canada, in the U.S. FLASHPOINT was dropped last summer by CBS, only to be picked up by ION Television as its first “original” series. Previously, ION was known for airing only reruns and infomercials.

The producers posted the announcement on their Facebook page early Tuesday morning.

“To the Flashpoint Family:
Today we announced to our cast and crew that this will be our final season of FLASHPOINT. While still at our creative apex, we’ve decided to conclude the series on a high note. This will allow us to give our fans the satisfaction of a fitting series conclusion with our 75th, and final, episode. Producing FLASHPOINT over the past five seasons has been an exceptional adventure, and we are extremely grateful to all of you for being with us every step of the way. We hope that by announcing this now, you’ll be able to enjoy the fifth season to the utmost, and properly say goodbye to Team 1 along with all of us.”

The producers posted on Facebook and twitter, explaining their decision, and thanking the fans for their support over the past four seasons. In a press release from Bell Media for CTV, producers Anne Marie La Traverse and Bill Bustos said,

“Producing FLASHPOINT over the last five seasons has been an exceptional adventure. We’ve been incredibly lucky to work with committed and supportive broadcast partners who have enabled us to reach many millions of fans across North America. While the series is still at its creative apex, we’ve decided to end the series on a high note, and give those fans the satisfaction of a fitting series conclusion in our 75th episode.”

The news brought with it an abundance of tears, anger, and pleadings from around the globe. In addition to airing in North America, FLASHPOINT is also licensed in more than 100 territories worldwide.

Fans took to social media and posted their reactions on twitter, on Facebook, through fan-fiction and their own blogs.  They argued with each other over the importance of such news, some liking it to the death of a family member. Googling “Flashpoint to end” brought up page after page of different articles and information.

This is a hotly argued discussion that will not quickly go away, but the producers’ minds are made up.

Rarely have television shows gone out in such a blaze of glory instead of filtering to a mediocre demise drawn by lost viewers and weaker storylines. Rather, FLASHPOINT producers opted instead to give viewers a final season just as worthy – and more so – of the adoration it still holds… and always will.

Well done, FPTO. Well done.

And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!

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