The premise of the show was set up in the opening scene of the series pilot. In an attempt to connect with the hostage-taker, Matt Flannery (Ron Livingston), a negotiator for the F.B.I., reveals to him and his colleagues who are listening to his conversation, that he has been sleeping with his partner, Emily Lehman (Rosemarie DeWitt). Their supervisor Cheryl Carrera (Gina Torres) is concerned about how their relationship will affect their jobs. Each episode revolves around the main plot of a hostage situation and the subplot of Matt and Emily's relationship. In the hostage situation, the F.B.I. Crisis Negotiation Unit is typically called upon to deal with the hostage-taker.
没有他们应付不了的危机状况...除非他们自己也深陷其中。Matt Flannery和Emily Lehman是FBI危机谈判部门最好的谈判专家。他们接受训练用谈判来解决各种突发状况,他们是了解别人行为的专家,他们还一起同床共枕。Matt和Emily真不应该擦出爱情的火花,他们一起合作时都是国宝级的资源。Standoff这部电视剧的中心告诉我们这样一个前提:关于生活和爱情,"一切都是一场谈判。"