'The Unit - The Complete Second Season
(Dennis Haysbert, Scott Foley, et al / 6-Disc DVD / NR / (2006) 2007 / 20th Century Fox)
Overview: 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.
DVD Verdict: I've always loved David Mamet films because of his brisk realistic dialogue and his preoccupation with the male code and its clash with civilization. That theme is well served in The Unit, even better than films, because he has the long-range TV landscape to develop his characters, Delta Force anti-terrorist unit who, for hardly any pay, risk their lives in international missions while their wives, living in a nondescript military base, pinch pennies and deal with the daily dramas of having husbands who could die in the blink of an eye.
Avoiding sentimentality, piety, and jingoism, The Unit has an appropriately cynical look at power and the use of trickery to succeed against one's enemies and even one's bureacratic bosses. In this sense, The Unit resembles the show 24 but unlike 24, which is often over the top, The Unit employs psychological realism. Perhaps better than any TV show right now, The Unit specializes in riveting plot lines, especially employing the reversal, where the plot goes one way and then turns the tables in a way that never seems forced or arbitrary.
I was a little disappointed with the special features as there was not many of them. There were a few making an episode features and a behind the scenes look at the weaponry in the show. They are somewhat interesting, especially the weaponry one, but are just not that great. There could have been a lot more features but they decided to take the more simplistic route.
Season 2 of The Unit is good but not amazing. The show itself is very well done as a whole. You should definitely watch the first season before even thinking about buying the second one. You cannot simply jump into the middle and expect to know what is going on. The special features are pretty bland but that is made up for with the show itself. If you’re a fan of the show, go for it, but don’t expect anything more than what you see on TV. Indeed, and once again, if you haven't seen The Unit, the DVD first series season is a must. This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:
Optional Commentary on Selected Episodes
Paradise Lost: The Making of the Season 2 Finale Documentary
Mission: The Making of Sub-Conscious Featurette
Dark of the Moon: Working with Weapons Featurette
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