Hugh Dillon Gears Up for Flashpoint's "Riveting" Finale

Flashpoint's Strategic Response Unit is gearing up for an exhilarating finale where the team will find themselves in a gang standoff (Friday, 9 pm/ET on CBS). TVGuide.com caught up with Hugh Dillon, who plays sniper Ed Lane, to find out what we can expect for the season-closer, what other "dark little show" he's been working on and what it's like to be the lead singer of a hardcore rock band. 

TVGuide.com: What can you tell us about the Season 2 finale?
Hugh Dillon: It's such a riveting finale because it shows so much of the team and gives a glimpse into where they're going to be going next season. There's a shooting — a gang shooting — and this kid needs to make a decision. My character is trying to escort him out of a riot zone. And the young actor is outstanding. I think the show's so powerfully written that it just does nothing but set us up for a killer third season.

TVGuide.com: How do you get in the mindset of your role as a sniper?
Dillon: It's a pretty intense character to play. I've been very lucky because I did a lot of prep when I first did a script for the pilot. I met this police officer and for me it was just a revelation and education for a person of this caliber to have such a great work ethic. And he was able to articulate what it is to be an elite kind of police officer and human being at the same time. He unlocked the character to me and helped me apply what I've learned in my life.

TVGuide.com: Why do you think this show has been so successful?
Dillon: You're talking to him. [Laughs] It's authentic. It's an action show but unique because it has an incredible emotional core and people can relate to it. It's people in real situations. And we have outstanding writing where our writers aren't afraid to tell it like it is. Now, we've put the bar up a little higher in terms of storytelling, so I think the audience will see just how far the writers have come as it continues moving in a more exciting and complex realm.

TVGuide.com: You guys seem pretty natural together. What's it like off-camera?
Dillon: We have that comaraderie that the real guys have. Enrico [Colantoni] is a riot. It's fun, but it's intense. But we spend real time together too. I think that's what comes across on screen.

TVGuide.com: Rumor is you've done some of the music featured in the show.
Dillon: Yeah, Flashpoint used a couple of my songs. I play in a rock and band called the Headstones. We're signed to Universal, made six records and toured for twelve years.

TVGuide.com: You also have a Canadian series, Durham County, that's airing in the U.S. this year on ION Television. What's it about?
Dillon: It's a very dark, nightmarish show about this homicide cop who moves back to his hometown after his partner gets shot and killed. And he discovers his hometown is creepier than when he left. It's a very brutal, nightmarish program — and a very different animal. It's a dark little show.