The Unit

[chiprocks1]

Anyone else looking forward to watching President Palmer, I mean David, I mean Dennis Haysbert kicking ass "Jack Bauer" style? This looks like its got the makings of a kick-ass show.

Im just glad that we will have Dennis somewhere on TV if not on 24.

Now all we have to do is start a petition to get all the other "Main" charactes killed off from 24 onto this one.

[Vonner]

I don't know, from the commercials it looks like a cheap rip off of the 24 themes to me. I hope it's not, and I'll give it a try, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

[Reaver]

Not interested. I already have far too many shows I'm devoted to to add another one, especially one that doesn't bring anything new to the table.

[umainebearman]

I don't know if it looks so much like a 24 rip off but a tv combo of Navy Seals and We Were Soldiers. Thats what I got from an article I read.

[Vonner]

I don't think it's a 24 rip off in the style of the show (real time), but in the thematic elements.

[tazer floyd]

It's from David Mamet and Shawn Ryan (creator of The Shield). That's enough reason for me to check it out. And with a strong lead-in from NCIS, this one might actually have a chance of surviving.

[limacharliewhiskey]

Yeah, I just read about Shawn Ryan (I started following the Shield just this season) and David Mamet being co-producers of the show, with Mamet doing the writing of this pilot episode. I wasn't planning on watching it, but after finding this out, I'll definitely check this out tonight.

[chiprocks1]

I for one thought the 1st episode was pretty good. It will be interesting to see where this goes. I hope that its more of a serial, rather than a different Terrorist of the week kind of thing.

Anyone catch the Guy in the Wheelchair? I cant remember his name, but he was the CTU Boss from Season 1 of 24.

[thomashton]

I thought it was great. My viewing has definately shifted from mostly Fox animation to CBS drama (CSI, now The Unit). I will check it out each week. I think that a serial format would be nice or even a kind of X-Files rip off where there is an overaching bad guy they can't get at that pops in once every 5 episodes or so and then the others are the terrorist du jour or whatever. In any case, I will be interested in seeing where it goes. Plus, you know, it's got Doggett in it.

[limacharliewhiskey]

I thought it was a pretty good opener, and it was fun watching Dennis Haysbert do his Jack Bauer impersonation, taking out the terrorist baddies.

I'll continue to watch it since there's nothing else in the timeslot to watch.

[Titleist]

I predict cancellation in 3-4 episodes. That was UBER weak, this show suffered from the same thing that Over There did, all the combat stuff was interesting, all the stuff at home bored me to tears.

[Vonner]

Originally Posted by Titleist

I predict cancellation in 3-4 episodes. That was UBER weak, this show suffered from the same thing that Over There did, all the combat stuff was interesting, all the stuff at home bored me to tears.

I agree. I didn't pay that close attention to it, but I, too, was boared with the non-combat scenes.

[Brikar99]

It was the wife - she came off as a total bitch, complaining right off the bat about absolutely everything and bullying around and dismissing all these people trying to befriend her. She was aggravating as hell.

[Fluxus]

I thought the idea was good but the execution was poor. The show was way too choppy going between the 'mission' and the 'home life'. Neither part felt very fleshed out...both felt rushed.

The 'home life' segments are terrible. I said to my girlfreind that it would ruin the show because it would most likely end up being too much of a soap opera. Sure enough we see one of the wives sleeping with the 'boss' (Robert Patrick) and the end of the episode. Predictable and dumb.

The mission segments felt very under developed. They need to decide who the audience is and why they are watching. Personally, I would love to see a lot more in depth mission coverage spread out over a couple of episodes (2 or 3 maybe) with a tiny bit of of the home life shown as a way to make the characters more real.

Over all this show was a kind of a let down. I'll watch a few more episodes but I don't think it's going to get its feet planet firmly on the gournd before it's given the axe.

[1138]

Ugh!

They were so busy trying to make cool "crap-your-pants" type moments that they forgot to write dialogue, chaacter development, and a decently constructed plot.

That was bad. From the annoying as all hell wives side of the show to the lame dialogue that was all choppy and failing miserable at trying to be hip and cool sounding. The terrorist threat in Idaho just when they were there was too lame for a show that was so poor in other places. I'd go on, but it's not worth it.

[SeanL]

I had originally planned on checking this out, but it sounds like I saved myself some valuable time by forgetting that it was on.

[thomashton]

Well, did anyone have any changes of heart after seeing the second episode? I thought it was better than the pilot and the one for tomorrow sounds pretty good.

I don't find the stuff at home to be as boring as everyone else seems to. Could it be becuase I'm in the military and have been to Iraq and when I watch it with my wife she can give me the "It's like that" side of the story.

In any case, I'll keep watching it. CBS' website has place holders for 12 episodes--no doubt the remaining episodes for this first "mid" season run.

[chiprocks1]

I do understand the reason why people are somewhat turned off/bored with the Wives story. In some cases it does seem a bit forced. In spite of the ho-hum part, I still like the show and will continue to watch to see where its going.

[Titleist]

It's not so much that the show is bad or boring, it's that it's mediocre. It doesn't feel that good to me, it feels like a mashup of Over There and Desperate Housewives, but it doesn't feel unique. It's like talking about when CSI showed up, oh look another crime drama, but it had a very special quality that was instantly different and special. The Unit doesn't, and yeah it feels like mission of the week.

If the missions or the action was particularly cool I'd be interested, but it's not.

[MrMike]

Did anyone stick with this show for the whole first season or atleast most of it? I have watched the first three episodes and have yet to be impressed. Does this show pick up over the remainder of the season?

[ganthc]

The times for the show were on bad nights for me. I was never able to watch it even though a friend recommended it to me. I will probably catch it on dvd like other shows I am not able to watch.

[Titleist]

It does get better, but the main problem is that just like Over There, is that the combat stuff is all awesome, it's the stuff at home that completely kills the momentum of the stories.

Sorry, but housewives are not interesting when you could see shit blowing up.

[chiprocks1]

Im just looking forward to Summer Glau's introduction to the series (Firefly/Serenity)





This should help sex up the show for those that are having problems watching it. I for one have stuck with it and enjoy the show. And now I'm being rewarded with Summer.

[limacharliewhiskey]

I did not know Summer Glau was joining the cast. I did enjoy her recurring guest stint on the 4400 this summer. They already have some attractive ladies on the show, but the more, the merrier.

I have followed the show throughout the entire first season, and the remaining episodes are about on par with the first 3, MrMike. If you don't like the first 3, the rest aren't going to get better.

The scenes with the wives do indeed kill the momentum in some of the shows. Occasionally, there might be one or two interesting storylines with the wives, but most are not that good, like the affair between Colonel T-1000 and the hot blonde chick.

I still watch the show because Dennis Haysbert rocks, and it's cool to see Scott Foley play a tough character instead of a wimpy boyfriend like on that Felicity TV show.

[Titleist]

lol, he's never gonna live down the T1000 role.

But yeah it's not that the women's storyline is bad, in fact some are kind of okay, it's the fact that they break the tension. Either be a combat/special forces show or be another soap opera, stop trying to be both.

Also, and I know it's expensive to produce a show like this, but every country they go to looks like southern california.

Ah well, it could be cool this season, picked up season 1 on dvd for 25 bucks.

I still want to know why they fired Amy Acker from the pilot episode.

[ganthc]

The wives part is obviously to diversify the viewing audience. They hope to strike a happy medium and get as many viewers as possible. So add in the Grey's Anatomy drama and you can get chicks to watch. Without it, it would mainly be men watching, and that might not be enough viewer base.

[Titleist]

What are we like an endangered species now?

[thomashton]

What do you mean T-1000

That man is Special Agent Doggett.

And yes, the homefront stuff does slow things down at times, but I still enjoy it. haven't bought the DVD yet, but followed the entire 1st season.

The premier was pretty good I guess. We kept the hot chick and got to see some cool stuff. If you haven't seen the first season go to the episode where they kill the target after the call off has been ordered and they all have to make their way back to America alone. pretty cool stuff.

[Titleist]

I don't mind the stuff at home, really, I don't. It's interesting, but in regards to a combat show it completely ruins it for me. It makes the stuff at home neither interesting or complete enough, nor does it make for any tension in the combat stuff.

I hate when they build up to tension and I really want to know what's happening next and BAM it's home stuff again. It makes the missions feel either not well developed or almost like an after thought.

Center on one or the other. Or try to reach a better balance.

[Astrakan]

Originally Posted by Titleist

Center on one or the other. Or try to reach a better balance.

Know what would be cool? Making two companion shows.

You'd have "The Unit" and... "The Wives"... or something.

Each episode of "The Unit" focuses on the combat missions, perhaps starting and ending at home (depending on the plot) where we'll see the wives and their interactions with their husbands.

Then each episode of "The Wives" deals with what happened at home while the husbands were away on their mission. Again, each could begin and end with the husbands being home.

Done right, I can easily see myself watching both shows.

KM