The Unit - The Complete First Season

They are The Unit, a covert Special Forces team operating outside the usual military chain of command. Whether stateside or aboard, these heroes are on the frontlines protecting U.S. citizens and foreigners alike, slipping in under the radar and risking their lives to save the day then leaving just as quietly without any well-deserved credit or thanks. Starring Dennis Haysbert and Scott Foley, this riveting, action-packed drama is as realistic and pulse-pounding as it gets.

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Full of action, intrigue, and espionage, The Unit offers a dramatic, fictionalized look inside the military while also giving viewers a peek inside the private lives of the elite squad. Conceived by the critically acclaimed David Mamet (Glengarry Glen Ross, House of Games), The Unit is an elite, covert Special Forces team that operates outside the military chain of command. The first season's 13 episodes offer insight into the characters without revealing too much about the men who make up the operation. Are they extremely patriotic, or are they adrenalin junkies who have to be in danger to feel validated? The answer probably falls somewhere in between, and the viewer gets the feeling that as much as the men love their wives and children, it's their jobs that give them their true reason for living. Led by veteran Jonas Blane (Dennis Haysbert, 24), the Unit deals with terrorism, rescue missions, and assassinations quickly, discreetly, and efficiently. If all goes well, someone else gets the credit. If things go awry, it's their necks on the line. In the first season of The Unit--which aired from March to May 2006 as a mid-season replacement--the action is fast, the plot is succinct, and the acting is well done (when dealing with the deadly missions). It's the secondary storyline involving the wives that's less successful. The newest member of the Unit, Bob Brown (Scott Foley, Felicity), apparently didn't fill his wife Kim (Audrey Marie Anderson) in on what their new life would be like. From the beginning, she resists the hoo rah attitude that the other wives exhibit. But rather than coming across as an independent free thinker, she is presented as a whining drip of a woman who has no clue about the definition of a secret. Of course, when faced with the military's version of The Stepford Wives, who could blame her? As Jonas' supportive wife Molly, Regina Taylor (I'll Fly Away, Courage Under Fire) is less sympathetic than usual. In the early episodes, she comes across as an almost stalkerish busybody who is always there when Kim is trying to cope with a life she never wanted. Throw in an affair between commanding officer Colonel Tom Ryan (Robert Patrick, Terminator 2: Judgment Day) and one of the wives and you've got the makings of a military soap opera. The show is at its best when it concentrates on the men and their missions. We may not understand why they do what they do, but we're grateful that someone is doing the dangerous job for us. --Jae-Ha Kim

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

The Unit is almost perfect, 2008-12-03
The Amazon.com editorial review hit it on the head. I am a woman, and I love this show. It is exciting, interesting, and thought-provoking; but the wives' storyline is just painful.
I believe that it's due to a combination of poor writing for the women's characters and bad acting. Most notably bad is the one having an affair with the colonel (can't think of her name, that's how forgettable she is). The actress playing Molly Blane, who is normally good, is horrible in this role. The best acting performance is for Mrs. Brown, but she needs to have better scripts.
The most interesting parts are those when the men are on their missions. The male performers are all very good actors. If I were the writers, I would get rid of the colonel's mistress and Molly Blane characters; and replace them with better actresses. And give Mrs. Brown better material to work with. If they do this, it can become a 5-star classic.



0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Surprisingly Great!, 2008-11-28
I did not have high hopes for this drama, as most military dramas seem to fall short. However, this season had great plot lines (both with the military men, and their wives at home). There was a ton of military action, but enough personal drama to make it fun for both sexes to watch. The characters are great (and perfect for their roles). I wound up buying this for my father because I liked it so much. Enjoy!


1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

SEASON 1 UNIT, 2008-11-16
It's a great TV series, and the price and quality of this Season 1 set was great.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Another solid series from Mamet and Ryan, 2008-11-10
This show came out of nowhere, and from the first episode to the last have lots of explosive energy. Like The Shield, the series sometimes gets a little bogged down in the day to day drama in the lives of its players (and this is gonna sound sexist, but the lives of the wives just doesnt really mesh with the lives of their husbands). However, when the action is on, ITS ON! The pilot and the season finale both offered some of the best action I've seen on television. Someday, Mamet and Ryan will get signed on with HBO or Showtime and be able to write with no holds barred, but until then, this is some of the most action packed TV out there. Great stuff.


1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Where is the Pilot Episode?, 2008-10-25
I love The Unit. I love this first season on dvd, but I want to know why the Pilot episode is not included? Love the set! Sad there's no pilot, I remember some of that episode from when it first aired and was looking for it when I watched the season.

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