Did anyone else watch "The Unit" last night?

CBS TV ^

[far sider]

(From the Website)

From Executive Producers David Mamet and Shawn Ryan, THE UNIT is an action drama that follows a covert team of Special Forces operatives as they risk their lives on undercover missions around the globe, while their families maintain the home front, protecting their husbands' secrets. Jonas Blane (Dennis Haysbert) leads the Unit on missions out in the field and is responsible for taking new recruit Bob Brown (Scott Foley) under his wing. The Unit includes Jonas, Colonel Tom Ryan (Robert Patrick), Mack Gerhardt (Max Martini), Charles Grey (Michael Irby), Hector Williams (Demore Barnes) and Bob Brown, all highly skilled, trustworthy, brave and dependable soldiers whose ability to rely on each other is what creates their brotherhood. Jonas' wife, Molly (Regina Taylor), is the base matriarch who comforts and counsels the other wives as they cope with the fear and uncertainty they experience when their husbands leave home. Molly and Tiffy Gerhardt (Abby Brammell), a wife hiding her own dark secrets, help Bob's pregnant wife, Kim (Audrey Marie Anderson), acclimate to the stress of her new secret life.

[AzSteven]

I watched the program and felt pleased with the lack of PC and the pro-US, pro-Military, anti-Islamofacist stance. However, I made teh mistake of flipping stations later on cable, and found on CNN an interview with the lead actor (dennis Haysbert) who had to take the opportunity to state that he had great respect for the military, but hated what we were doing with it - how it was all based on a 'blatant lie', how he wants accountability for the lies, etc. Usual leftist Hollywood pap. Now I don't know if I will be able to enjoy the show as much, knowing what a phony the lead actor is.

[HitmanLV]

I thought it was awful.

The military stuff is very good, but the wives story really brings it down. I can see why on paper this would all look compelling, and how the wives stories would pace each episode, but an hour is too quick to wrap up a story (maybe future story arcs will have several eps).

Also, from a dramatic point of view, the wives pretty much did everything they can do in the pilot episode. That act is going to get tired after just a few episodes. It's only a matter of time before one of the wives (or more) has an affair with a pretty boy liberal artist type right under the nose of her balls to the walls GI Joe hubby. That in itself is bad mostly because its been done so many times, and also because of the inherent immorality of the dynamic.

I like Shawn Ryan's 'The Shield' a lot. It's my favorite drama and hasn't lost steam in almost five seasons. Impressive. I think 'The Unit' will be a big swing & a miss, but will give it a few more episodes to decide if I'll be aboard.

Contrast this with the pilot episode of 'The Shield,' where at the end viewers were fairly breathless and absolutely had to see the next episode. It broke tv conventions and took things in a new direction. 'The Unit,' so far, is following tv conventions and taking things in a very familiar direction.

[beaureguard]

I watched it. Thought it was ok. Started out slow, but finished pretty good.

I'll watch it for the next few weeks and see how it goes.

Like others have said in previous posts, I liked the fact that the producers weren't afraid to show Muslim terrorists. (is that an oxymoron?)

[stuartcr]

I think the key word here, is actor. That wasn't real-life you were watching earlier.

[subterfuge]

The Colonel was in bed with the wife [blond] of the special ops guy [the one that laser designated that target in Afghanistan] whom, it seems he "frequently" sends out on missions.

The laser system depicted in this show is an actual system built by Northrop Grumman ES. These systems have saved thousands of lives and we once had a colonel come in and describe how he and a dozen other marines held off literally hundreds of taliban by calling in air strikes that were directed by these laser designator/rangefinders. Cool to see them on the boob tube.

[SAJ]

Clancy didn't have script approval on the 5-film package he signed on for, including 'Sum' and 'Patriot Games'. The producers of same butchered all the plots, with the least offensive case being 'Red October'.

He's now insisting on it, so look for either A) very few or B) zero new films made from Clancy novels.

[rrr51]

Huge disappointment. Not in the same league as 24.

[auto power]

We watched it....riveted to the next scene...and it actually had a complementary slant on our special forces/soldiers/wives and how they cope with the strains of military life. We LOVE it and are looking forward to next week...to see if the guy gets arrested by the MPs for shooting the mirror...:)

[DesignerChick]

Holy Cow! I almost posted last night cause that last scene ticked me off.
The Col. is - as it is repeated often throughout the show- sending her husband away for months at a time on dangerous missions...now we know why.
Gross.
Now, I like the 'Terminator' actor alot....but her husband was HOT. Makes me wonder....will her 'husband' turn out gay in episode 7?

[PRND21]

Good show and dems will hate it.

[goldstategop]

I'd hate to see this show turn PC. If it does, it will pass without a ripple like most of the shows that come on TV. I'd like to see something different - I don't expect it to be completely true to life since its Hollywood but I'd like to see the military portrayed as a noble calling. Its about time.

[DesignerChick]

One more thing....could Scott Foleys wife be more irritating?!
"We're not living on Base"
"We're not living on Base"
"We're not living on Base"
"We're not living on Base"

[goldstategop]

They could have dropped it. The younger wife knew what she signed up for. Its not necessary to make it clear to viewers part of their lives are not like those of other people. The audience does get it. DUH

[Restorer]

They really hammered on that, didn't they?

BTW, my understanding is that by the time a guy makes it to Delta Force he's already been in other areas of Special Ops for quite a few years. They made this guy's wife look like she had absolutely no idea what would be involved with a husband in Special Ops.

Maybe they'll have a new colonel soon, as I do believe the military frowns on his extra-curricular activities. Offhand, I can't think of anything that would destroy unit morale quicker.

Overall, I thought it was pretty good. At least we didn't have 1/2 hour of emoting over whether it would be right to kill the terrorists.

[CT-Freeper]

Like others have said in previous posts, I liked the fact that the producers weren't afraid to show Muslim terrorists. (is that an oxymoron?)

It certainly isn't an oxymoron - but it could be called redundant, I suppose!

[Publius6961]

I guarantee, after seeing that first show, that the FBI will definitely be not pleased!

Not that that's necessarily a bad thing...

[Proud Conservative2]

I'll like it better if they'll dump the new guy's wife. All she did was make me mad everytime she opened her mouth.

[Sybeck1]

Posse Comitatus, it was the FBI's call.

[Mike Darancette]

PETA probably had a fit when the top guy shot the mule.

[far sider]

Yeah. I forgot about that. Another reason to like it.