‘Lincoln Heights’ Second-Season Premiere: Flashpoint
Unnecessary Crime Fixation Hampers an Otherwise Welcomed Return
I have high hopes for the second season of Lincoln Heights, and tonight’s premiere, “Flashpoint,” gives me every reason to believe that those expectations will be rewarded … eventually. At the same time, however, the episode’s focus on senseless violence raises the same issue that prevented me from taking an immediate liking to the series in its first season—namely, concern over why a show with such a well-rounded and talented cast (regular, recurring, and guest) and consistently compelling storylines falls back on the urban violence stereotype so often. In no way does this observation imply that actual inner-city neighborhoods don’t have deplorable crime rates. But, viewers will probably only have the stomach—and the patience—to endure a force-fed diet of such negative fare on television for so long before they tire of it and change the channel.
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
Related News: Lincoln Heights: A Family Drama with Substance | Season Two of ‘Lincoln Heights’ Almost Here
Lincoln Heights currently airs Tuesdays on ABC Family at 8pm EST
Lincoln Heights photo courtesy of ABC Family
