The Unit: Season Three

With politically murky beliefs and some spotted, typically Mamet-esque grammatical wordplay, The Unit makes for an often intriguing, occasionally surprising but mostly standard glance at the war on terror. A balance between in-field battles and typical at-home married life keeps the show flowing on both a visceral and an emotional level while aiding in keeping the viewership door open to more than gun-toting Republican men. The third season is admittedly sudsier than the prior two, dipping into familiar dramatic arcs and more character-based revelations, which will split viewers depending on preference but doesn’t necessarily hinder the show on the whole. In fact, the opening two episodes of the season, as well as a two-part episode part way through, may be some of the best that the show has ever put out. After the disintegration of the unit at the hands of Colonel Ryan’s (Robert Patrick) female companion Charlotte (Rebecca Pidgeon) at the end of season two, Grey (Max Martini) finds himself at the foul end of torture, while Brown (Scott Foley) and Blane (Dennis Haysbert) spend their time on the run, trying to determine who is after them. Meanwhile, on the home front, Tiffy (Abby Brammell) struggles with her impending divorce from Grey, while Kim Brown (Audrey Marie Anderson) tries to keep a secret from her good friend Molly Blane (Regina Taylor). Season three quickly moves past these initial struggles back to familiar territory with common episodic plights. However, halfway through the season, both a main character is lost and others are forced to make some difficult wartime choices that will haunt them for some time to come. Needless to say, the political agenda doesn’t always wave an American flag with a big, stupid grin. Commentaries are available on almost every episode of and are extremely detailed and informative, discussing the necessities of exposition, shortcuts in filming and character motivations. All that is lacking is a sense of humour. Also included is a "Writers’ Roundtable” featurette, which is again, very informative and surprisingly brisk for 30 minutes.