Following typical cliffhanger protocol, the episode will revolve around multiple crises to ramp up viewer enthusiasm. Both Cassie’s (Erica Hubbard) boyfriend Charles (Robert Adamson) and Lund’s (Michael Reilly Burke) daughter Sage (Alice Greczyn) sustain major injuries in a severe car crash, while patriarch Eddie (Russell Hornsby) attempts to protect his only son Tay (Mishon Ratliff) after the younger Sutton becomes the target of a gang member from around the way.

Obviously, these are the kinds of suspenseful, traumatizing plotlines that will leave every fan yearning for more. There’s no word yet on whether Lincoln Heights will get a third season, but if you ask me, the network would be just plain dumb not to keep such an engaging show around longer.

Tags: ABC Family, Lincoln Heights, television, tv

The pivotal event in the season premiere occurs on the Sutton children’s first day back at school following summer vacation. Early on, an idiotic tussle takes place in the halls of the high school and then quickly and ridiculously escalates into a full-on riot, complete with silly teenagers running wildly through the streets and looting nearby small businesses as if they were raised in the wilderness by carnivorous animals. That’s unbelievable stuff, to say the least.

Of course, this initial craziness spreads to ultimately impact each of the show’s main characters: father Eddie (Russell Hornsby), who suffers drastic consequences while patrolling the area with his partner Kevin Lund (Michael Reilly Burke); mother Jenn (Nicki Micheaux) at her hospital job; eldest daughter Cassie (Erica Hubbard) and her boyfriend Charles (Robert Adamson), who are at the scene of the original violent incident; and middle sister Lizzie (Rhyon Brown) and youngest child Tay (Mishon Ratliff), who hide in the school computer lab to avoid the fallout.

Lincoln Heights is best when it leaves the confrontations with stupefying criminal acts to Eddie and his realistically dangerous law enforcement job, and saves the thought-provoking and touching interactions among characters for the family members and the various non-felons they encounter. For instance, the “Flashpoint” hospital scenes with Jenn, a highly competent nurse, provide the type of clear-headed respite that makes Lincoln Heights‘ plots more engaging while presenting a commendable portrait of a strong woman capably juggling both a roundly headstrong family and a demanding profession. And, as always, any scene with moody Lizzie or sensitive Tay is genuine and interesting.

I wish I could say the same for Cassie; but, that character and her relationship with Charles has always struck me as fake and forced. I simply don’t see the attraction and definitely don’t care that the two are not the same race, which seems to be a trait that the show wants to drive home for some inexplicable reason. Note to the showrunners: This is 2007—so-called “mixed” couples are everywhere you look nowadays, and they’re really not that big of a deal anymore to most people. Moreover, anyone who thinks they are a big deal likely isn’t watching Lincoln Heights in the first place.

In any case, the sooner audiences get more of the Sutton family just being a family on Lincoln Heights and less of the provocative but overdone violence, the better off the show—and we—will be.

The Verdict for “Flashpoint”: B

Tags: ABC Family, Lincoln Heights, television, tv

Headed by career cop Eddie (Russell Hornsby of Playmakers), the Sutton brood then spent the greater part of the debut season’s thirteen episodes attempting to get a leg up on homeownership—the quintessential American Dream—by riding out the fear, anxiety, and distrust that neglected neighborhoods can cultivate in residents. On the side, there were also issues of middle-class upward mobility and marrying down for the parents, as well as coping with and recovering from firsthand encounters with horrific crime for the children, among other hard-hitting themes.

Following an all-day marathon of nine episodes from the first season (11am–8pm EST), the second season begins at 8pm tonight with the Suttons still residing in the titular Lincoln Heights area and on the verge of encountering a fresh crop of dilemmas to survive. You can get a brief preview of what’s in store in coming weeks with the clip below, or jump to the video if the player isn’t visible.*

Lincoln Heights also stars Nicki Micheaux (The Shield) as Jenn Sutton, Erica Hubbard (The Replacements) as Cassie Sutton, Rhyon Brown (Judging Amy) as Lizzie Sutton, Mishon Ratliff (The Adventures of Tango McNorton: Licensed Hero) as Tay Sutton, Robert Adamson (Cold Case) as Charles, and Michael Reilly Burke (24) as Kevin Lund.

*This video does not include closed captions or subtitles for the deaf, hard of hearing, or non-fluent in English.

Tags: ABC Family, Lincoln Heights, television, tv

That central “fight or flight” conflict underlies most of the week-to-week plots as the Sutton children grapple with their new living situation and their parents’ attempts to provide the appropriate guidance, keep the family unit strong, and protect them from harm. Older daughter Cassie (Erica Hubbard) is, at the start of the series, a moody and artistically inclined sixteen-year-old high school student who soon meets and almost immediately becomes romantically involved with a fellow student named Charles (Robert Adamson). Middle child and youngest daughter Lizzie (Rhyon Brown) is a strong-willed, athletic girl of fifteen, while youngest child and only son Tay (Mishon Ratliff) is a sensitive, intelligent thirteen-year-old who grows increasingly comfortable in his own skin.

Episodes aired thus far have used a parade of talented recurring and guest performers to take on urgent, thought-provoking issues that are not uncommon in real-life urban settings. These have ranged from random gang violence and dirty cops to abandoned babies and the divide between upwardly mobile and lower-class black Americans. The one thing that remains constant throughout the diverse, intriguing, and well-written storylines, however, is the importance of one’s family in helping to maintain hope and stability in uncertain times.

While watching early installments of Lincoln Heights, I thought the very mature and adult-oriented series might have problems attracting an adequate audience on a network defined by youth-oriented programs that tend to revolve around the perpetual angst of teen life and relationships. I was wrong. Apparently, viewers appreciate the show’s hard-hitting focus and its frequent spotlight on the character Eddie and the various predicaments he encounters as a dedicated career police officer. The criminal activity that figures heavily in each episode is definitely not pretty stuff, making the counterbalancing effect of the Sutton family members an essential component of providing perspective and reinforcing the benefits of determination and unity.

ABC Family has obviously recognized the value of Lincoln Heights along with viewers since the basic-cable network recently renewed the series for a second season. During a period when there is not a single prominent ethnic family drama on television, this development is commendable and welcomed.

The Verdict: A

The first-season finale of Lincoln Heights, “The F Word,” airs tonight on ABC Family at 7pm EST

Lincoln Heights photo courtesy of ABC Family

The one-hour urban family drama Lincoln Heights premiered on basic cable’s ABC Family on Monday, January 8, 2007, and currently airs Mondays at 7pm EST for its 13-episode first season. The ABC Family press release elaborates:

Eddie Sutton (Russell Hornsby) is a dedicated police officer, his wife Jenn (Nicki Micheaux), a devoted nurse, but their most important job is as parents to their three teenage children Cassie (Erica Hubbard), Tay (Mishon Ratliff) and Lizzie (Rhyon Brown). Theyre your everyday American family living in the suburbs of Southern California, but the Suttons are thrown for a loop when Eddie decides to move his wife and three kids to the inner-city neighborhood where he grew up. Through a police department program that provides incentive for cops to move into dangerous neighborhoods, Eddie sees the golden opportunity to achieve the American dream of home ownership while bringing about positive change in a struggling community. How he’ll balance his desire to transform his old neighborhood while protecting his family is at the heart of this one-hour drama series, “Lincoln Heights.”

For additional information about the series, as well as online streaming video of previously aired episodes, visit the dedicated ABC Family Web site at abcfamily.go.com/lincolnheights.

Lincoln Heights photos courtesy of ABC Family

Other New Stuff:

• ABC: Wife Swap (8:00); Supernanny (9:00); What About Brian (10:00)
• ABC Family: Wildfire (8:00)
• Bravo: Inside the Actors Studio: Matt Damon (8:00)
• CBS: How I Met Your Mother (8:00); The Class (8:30); Two and a Half Men (9:00); The New Adventures of Old Christine (9:30); CSI: Miami (10:00)
• Court TV: Beach Patrol (8:00/8:30)
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• ESPN: College Basketball (8:00/10:00)
• Food Network: Unwrapped (9:00)
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• HGTV: Buy Me (8:30); Cash in the Attic (9:00); Hidden Potential (9:30); National Open House (10:30)
• History: Engineering an Empire (9:00)
• Lifetime: Gay, Straight or Taken? (8:00/8:30); To Be Fat Like Me (9:00)
• MyNet: Wicked Wicked Games (8:00); Watch Over Me (9:00)
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• VH1: I Love New York (9:00); ego trip’s The (White) Rapper Show (10:30)

*All times are EST/Eastern Standard Time
Lincoln Heights photo courtesy of ABC Family