New Special Ops Show -- THE UNIT

[IndianaDean]

He shot the mirror because the stuffed monkey was a repeating talking monkey, and it said a word in Arabic that the terrorists had used when Haysbert had his back turned to the dresser. He was unaware there was a talking, repeater stuffed monkey sitting there. He had just returned from a hijack plane situation and whirled and fired, thinking there was a terrorist in his room. Stress.

Anyway, I like the show. It's becoming my favorite. I don't care if it's not completely realistic. I like military shows. I'm sick of police/hospital shows, and the only lawyer show worth watching is Boston Legal.
I liked the program Over There that was on FX for a short time. So, yeah, I think The Unit is pretty good.

 

[Devonai]

I missed all but the last 15 minutes of the pilot but I caught last night's episode. I also meant to listen to the NPR interview (Shawn Ryan's The Shield is my current favorite show). Here are my thoughts:

1. These guys don't wear covers? ***?

2. The sniper (The red-haired bearded guy from Saving Private Ryan) was obviously simulating recoil with his H&K. One shot had the ejection port clearly in view and nothing came out.

 

[HankB]

Saw last night's (3/14) episode. Things haven't improved - either the script writer is taking stupid pills or wants us to believe our secret special-ops guys are.

1. In desert, guy with 'scope sighted rifle can't hit anything when he's at rest. When being chased, he still can't . . . but in the back of a bouncing Land Rover, being chased by the bad guys, he has no problem holding it still and drawing a bead on the white guy passenger in the pursuing truck. (His 'scope reticle was missing the middle 3/4 of the crosshairs.)

2. In desert firefight, guy with open sighted rifle can't hit anything . . . until he raises his head and looks OVER the sights, then he finally hits one bad guy.

3. Guys need to make a fake "radioactive device" so they break up their watches and compasses . . . comment is made that they needed the "radium" from the dials to make the BGs think the fake device is genuine. Problem is radium hasn't been used in luminous dials for a long, LONG time. The tritium used today to energize phosphors is a beta emitter, and would be unlikely to deceive bad guys with a geiger counter.

4. Guys have two 4x4s and trade one to the bad guys . . . AFTER which they discover the other one has been disabled.

5. Captured bad guy is not restrained - or even watched - on evac plane, so he just gets up, opens the side hatch, and jumps out.

One good line from the program: "Don't shoot the white guy."

 

[AirForceShooter]

it's a cartoon and it sucks

AFS

 

[hso]

The unit commander having an affair with one of his men's wife is stretching it a bit for 'Hollywood' in the kind of unit depicted. After all, this would be a very close-knit community of both the soldiers and their wives. This would really be near-impossible since they all apparently live in the same neighborhood. I grant that human nature will try anything but it just seems a stretch for the sake of 'drama'.

SF buddy of mine kept wondering why he kept getting sent south over and over again and then found out his CO was sleeping with his wife. He caught them together in his house and threw the guy out the bedroom window and his wife after him.

 

[6inch]

I gave it two chances and it bombed both times so that's it as far as I'm concerned.

Two thumbs down!

 

[Dr.Rob]

I wanted to like it.

But that 'he's almost in range'with the PSG-1 at the beginning.. hello why not shoot the DRIVER first?

It's got errors and the writing doesn't seem to be up to The Shield... but my GF likes it and there are explosions... so it's not all bad.

 

[Optical Serenity]

I saw the second episode and it wasn't so bad. Obviously there are some fictional things, but...still, its hollywood trying to be serious! come on folks!

 

[Havegunjoe]

New member's wife...

Was driving me crazy by the end of the show. I wanted to slap her silly. (Not that I am in favor or hitting women, please don't get me wrong, she was just exasperating after awhile.) What did she think her husband was doing? He's in the miltary, he shoots people and blows things up. Get a grip woman.

Other than that is was Hollywood, just what I expected. If any of you have watched the new show Dallas SWAT have you noticed that nobody ever gets shot? That's very true to life, but can be boreing after awhile. Just once I would like to see one of those drug dealing gang bangers get capped by a SWAT member. Well, that happens more in Hollywood than real life.

 

[asiparks]

I could get past the technical mis-steps if it was, well, entertaining...The Shield/24 has me craving more at the end of each episode, (though everytime Jack's bloody daughter pops up in the plotline i gnash my teeth), but The Unit just lacks tension, pacing, compelling or sympathetic characters... Now the new FX series"Thief" with Andre Braugher looks interesting...

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Achingly bad entertainment that will continue to misinform people on firearms long after it has been deservingly canceled.

The show has competent actors, a producer who is both a talented writer and director (Mamet) and technical consultant who obviously knows the subject matter.

It is a shame that with all those resources available they seem to have relied totally on 16yr old boys with vast SOCOM Navy Seals Playstation experience for the writing and direction.

Perhaps if CSM Haney could refrain from sharing his political opinion with us for a few minutes in the promos for the show, we might learn why the show is so far off the mark reality-wise despite his input and it being based on his biography.

 

[IndianaDean]

Now, I lost interest in 24 back in season 1 when his wife lost her memory because of the daughter and car. I thought that was completely ridiculous. I'm seeing this season because they have it on overnight here at work. But I think some of the stuff in 24 is just as stupid as anything The Unit's had so far.

 

[asiparks]

Ah, I'm not saying 24 is sensible, but that it is entertaining and well structured in that cliffhanger Flash Gordon serial kind of way.....

 

[kennyboy]

I'll just say it again. The Unit needs more shooting, explosions, and action. The drama and family crap needs to be lessened greatly or cut completely. Show me action-not a soap opera.

 

[Devonai]

Shawn Ryan TV doesn't come without the soap operatics, unfortunately.