Standoff stars Ron Livingston (as Matt Flannery) and Rosemarie DeWitt (as Emily Lehman). Flannery and Lehman are partners (in more ways than one) and work for the FBI's Crisis Negotiation Unit (CNU). The pair are based in Los Angeles and report to Cheryl Carrera (Gina Torres), the head of the Los Angeles CNU. While trying to deal with their just revealed relationship, Flannery and DeWitt try to continue to work as top-rated negotiators, trying to find a peaceful solution to a crisis. They are backed up by and sometimes rivals with the Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) , lead in Los Angeles by Frank Rogers (Michael Cudlitz). Rogers is always ready to try to end a hostage crisis with some will planned and implemented acts of controlled violence.