''The Kill Point'' is an American

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

that follows a group of U.S. Marines recently returned from serving in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

as they come together to pull off a major

bank heist Bank robbery is the criminal act of stealing from a bank, specifically while bank employees and customers are subjected to force, violence, or a threat of violence. This refers to robbery of a bank branch or teller, as opposed to other bank- ...

of a Three Rivers Bank branch in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

. The series, produced by

Mandeville Films Mandeville Films is an American film production company headquartered in Burbank, California. Founded in 1995 by film producer David Hoberman, the company re-formed as Mandeville Films and Television in 2002 after a short hiatus for three years, ...

and

Lionsgate Television Lionsgate Television is the television division of Lionsgate, which is a Canadian–American entertainment company. History The company was established in July 1997 as Lions Gate Television, Inc. with the establishment of Lionsgate Films. It ...

, is the first drama for the

Spike TV Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Media Networks. The network's headquarters are located at the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles. The channel was ...

network. The film of the series had the working title ''The Kill Pitt''. Most of the filming takes place in Market Square in

downtown Pittsburgh Downtown Pittsburgh, colloquially referred to as the Golden Triangle, and officially the Central Business District, is the urban downtown center of Pittsburgh. It is located at the confluence of the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River who ...

while most of the sound stage filming takes place in a warehouse in Lawrenceville, a section of Pittsburgh. A

first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the p ...

game based on the show is available online from

Kuma Reality Games Kuma Games is an American video game developer, specializing in developing free episodic and first-person shooters (FPS) since 2004. The company has also created a number of machinima movies for their games, particularly The Dinohunters. Kuma ...

Synopsis

Jake "Mr. Wolf" Mendez, an ex-Sergeant in the Marine Corps and his men, all former members of the "10-13", a military platoon that participated in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, enter a bank and rob it. Outside, on their way to the getaway car, they are shot at by vigilante, law enforcement, and private security personnel. Forced to retreat back into the bank when the

getaway driver A crime scene getaway is the act of fleeing the location where one has broken the law. It is an act that the offender(s) may or may not have planned in detail, resulting in a variety of outcomes. A :crime scene is the "location of a crime; e ...

is wounded and their vehicle disabled, they take the bank customers hostage.

Hostage negotiator Crisis negotiation is a law enforcement technique used to communicate with people who are threatening violenceStrentz, Thomas (2006). ''Psychological aspects of crisis negotiation.'' CRC Press, ( workplace violence, domestic violence, suicide, ...

Captain Horst Cali, attempts to end the stand off while elements of the "10-13" outside the bank and the father of one of the hostages work to help Mr. Wolf and his team escape.

Cast

Main

* Donnie Wahlberg as Captain Horst Cali, an experienced police negotiator *

John Leguizamo John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (; ; born July 22, 196013:04) is an American actor, comedian, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced ...

as Sergeant Jake Mendez / Mr. Wolf, the former leader of a Marine Corps platoon, now leading the platoon members in the robbery *

Michael Hyatt Charlene "Michael" Hyatt is a British-born American actress. Before her work in film and television, she performed on stages throughout the United States, particularly in ''Ragtime'' on Broadway. She has played Brianna Barksdale on ''The Wire'' ...

as Lieutenant Connie Reubens, the commander of the

SWAT In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...

team * Frank Grillo as Albert Roman / Mr. Pig, a flirtatious member of the platoon and Rabbit's brother * Jeremy Davidson as Corporal Henry Roman / Mr. Rabbit, a violent and unstable platoon member and Pig's brother * J.D. Williams as Marshall O'Brien, Jr. / Mr. Cat, the combat medic of the platoon *

Leo Fitzpatrick Leonardo Aurellio Randy Fitzpatrick is an American actor and co-director of the Marlborough Chelsea gallery. He is best known as Telly in '' Kids'' (1995) and Johnny Weeks in ''The Wire'' (2002–2004). Career He was discovered at age 14 by ...

as Michael / Mr. Mouse, a platoon member afflicted with

posttraumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threat ...

, which becomes exacerbated by a gunshot wound he suffers *

Geoffrey Cantor Geoffrey N. Cantor (born 1943) is Emeritus Professor of the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Leeds and Honorary Senior Research Associate at UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies at University College London. He ...

as Abe Sheldon, the manager of Three Rivers Bank *

Christine Evangelista Christine Evangelista (born October 27, 1986) is an American actress. She is best known for her supporting role as Sherry in the AMC zombie apocalypse horror television series '' The Walking Dead'', along with her later reprising her role in the ...

as Ashley Beck, the daughter of business mogul Alan Beck * Adam Cantor as Rocko, an electrician for Three Rivers Bank and former convict * Wayne Kasserman as Tonray, the technician of the police negotiation team * Michael McGlone as Deputy Chief Nolan Abrami, Cali's superior *

Jennifer Ferrin Jennifer Ferrin (born February 25, 1979) is an American actress. Early life and education Ferrin was born in Lawrenceville, Georgia. She attended Brookwood High where she was the lead in many high school plays and was a member of the choir. Up ...

as Chloe, a widowed young woman who develops

Stockholm syndrome Stockholm syndrome is a condition in which hostages develop a psychological bond with their captors. It is supposed to result from a rather specific set of circumstances, namely the power imbalances contained in hostage-taking, kidnapping, and ...

* Steve Cirbus as Corporal Deke Quinlan, the platoon's getaway driver who assists the team from the outside after he escapes by himself * Peter Appel as Teddy Sabian, the widowed father of Robby * Michael Hogan as Hawk, a member of the SWAT team responsible for breaches *

Dana Ashbrook Dana Vernon Ashbrook (born May 24, 1967) is an American actor, best known for playing Bobby Briggs on the television series ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) and its 1992 prequel film '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me''. Early life Ashbrook was ...

as Tony, a bank employee having a sexual affair with Renee

Recurring

* Tobin Bell as Alan Beck, a wealthy real estate mogul and the father of Ashley * Michael K. Williams as Q, the SWAT team's sniper *

Bingo O'Malley Bingo O'Malley (May 10, 1933 - June 2, 2019) was an American actor. He has been called "Pittsburgh’s finest actor." Biography O'Malley never revealed his birth name. He initially aspired to the priesthood but found that "I am not religious." ...

as Bernard, an elderly

homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to pe ...

bank patron * Ethan Rosenfeld as Robby Sabian, Teddy's teenage son and computer expert *

Ryan Sands Ryan Sands is an American actor from Washington, D.C. He is known for his portrayal of Geoffrey Wilder in '' Marvel's Runaways''. Early life and education Sands grew up in Washington D.C. along with several older brothers and sisters. His fathe ...

as Leroy Barnes, a defense attorney * Kate Rogal as Marykim, a friend of Ashley's * Brandi Engel as Cass Conferth, Ashley's friend * Karen Baum as Karen, a bank teller * Stefanie E. Frame as Renee, a bank employee in a sexual relationship with Tony * Brandon Stacy Williams as Augie, a member of the SWAT breach team and friend of Hawk * Jeff Hochendoner as Big Stan, a former member of Wolf's platoon * Joshua Elijah Reese as Derzius, one of the former members of Wolf's platoon * Nick Koesters as Leon, a former member of Wolf's platoon who lost his arm in combat * Patrick Jordan as Johnny, Q's spotter

Guest

* Susan Misner as Lorna Ash, an FBI agent assigned to replace Cali as negotiator * Patrica Cray as Addie, a teller at Three Rivers Bank * Karen Carbone as Kerry Southwell, an FBI agent present at the bank during the robbery * Adam Kroloff as Henry, a bank

security guard A security guard (also known as a security inspector, security officer, or protective agent) is a person employed by a government or private party to protect the employing party's assets (property, people, equipment, money, etc.) from a variety ...

* John Hawkinson as Zing, a SWAT breach team member * Laurel Brooke Johnson as Lucy Cali, Cali's pregnant wife * Patrick Sebes as Luke Mendez, Wolf's

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and bro ...

-addicted son

Episodes

Crew

The series was executive produced by James DeMonaco,

David Hoberman David Elliot Hoberman (born September 19, 1952) is an American film and television producer, best known as the co-creator and executive producer of the USA Network television series '' Monk'', and the founder and co-owner of Mandeville Films. He ...

, Todd Lieberman and Steve Shill. DeMonaco has dealt with hostage situations before in his script for '' The Negotiator''. Directors include cable regular Steve Shill who the network hoped would help to establish their reputation for drama.

Critical response

Critics have characterised the show as familiar but watchable. Comparisons have been drawn to 1970s bank heist movies,

Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensemble ...

, '' The Nine'' and '' 24''. Comparisons to ''The Nine'' have been favourable on the grounds that ''The Kill Point'' always has an ending in sight. Mr. Wolf's speeches to the crowd has been called "an Attica moment" and compared to ''

Dog Day Afternoon ''Dog Day Afternoon'' is a 1975 American biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and produced by Martin Bregman and Martin Elfand. The film stars Al Pacino, John Cazale, James Broderick, and Charles Durning. The screenplay is wr ...

''. The characters have been described as cliché by reviewers. However, the script has drawn praise for its subtlety and entertainment value. One reviewer felt that the running time allowed the clichéd characters to be developed in more interesting directions. The casting of the show has drawn particular praise. Reviewers have noted the cast members who have also worked on ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The Wire'' premiered on June 2 ...

'' including Michael K. Williams, JD Williams, Leo Fitzpatrick and Michael Hyatt. The chemistry of the opposing roles of negotiator and hostage taker also drew praise for John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg as well as a surprising performance by Jeremy Davidson an unknown whose portrayal of a disturbed war veteran was very under-rated. The ''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the Alle ...

'' praised local actor Bingo O'Malley.

Webisodes

Five webisodes featuring Steve Cirbus as Deke and Joshua Elijah Reese as Derzius were made available via Spike TV's website. They cover the activities of Deke and Derzius of 10/13 platoon outside the bank as they work to aid Mendez and company. The webisodes were written and directed by Josh Trank.

Cancellation

Despite healthy ratings and attaining the target demographic of male viewers, Spike decided not to renew the series for a second season.

Home media

The series was released on DVD in the United Kingdom in 2008.

References

External links

Overview of Killpoint: "Everything About The Kill Point Series"Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "Killing time as an extra at 'Kill Point'"
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kill Point 2000s American crime drama television series 2007 American television series debuts 2007 American television series endings Bank robbery in fiction Fictional portrayals of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Hostage taking in fiction Iraq War in television Spike (TV network) original programming Television series by Lionsgate Television Television series created by James DeMonaco Television shows about the United States Marine Corps Television shows adapted into video games Television shows filmed in Pittsburgh Television shows set in Pittsburgh