UNIT: SEASON 1 - DVD review

There is yet another prime television show worth watching and it's called "The Unit." Executive produced by Shawn Ryan ("The Shield") and playwright David Mamet, the show is an action-drama that details the daily lives of a special ops team of the United States military. Based on the novel Inside Delta Force by Eric Hanley, the show is a nice balance between the gritty (if not slightly romanticized) world of military shadow warfare and the lives the unit members lead at home.

The show is centered on five highly trained members of the unit, dubbed Alpha Team, and their wives. The dilemma the team faces is that no one outside of their immediate families is aware of what they do for a living. Most outside parties think the unit members work as clerks for the 303rd Logistical Studies division. The secrecy puts pressure on everyone and, over the course of the first season's 13 episodes, it shows. Heading up the team is Dennis Haysbert as Sergeant Major Jonas Blane. Haysbert lends Blane a commanding air that a veteran of his caliber would need. He's charismatic and unrelenting in his attitude to thrive in everything his does, namely his missions. His wife Molly, is wonderfully played Regina Taylor, who is kind of the leader of the wives unit back home. She keeps things running smoothly and when any new wives (or serious girlfriends) enter they fray, she does her best to make sure that the transition is as smooth as possible.

Complicating things for her (and the unit in general) is the arrival of their newest addition Staff Sergeant Bob Brown (Scott Foley) and his wife Kim (Audrey Marie Anderson). Foley's character essentially introduces us into the unit lifestyle guiding us into the first few episodes as he adjusts to this new life. Although he's highly trained, Brown is definitely green when it comes to the business of acting in covert operations, but he's diligent in his need to adapt and learn. Equally, his wife Kim, who is a little too stubborn for her own good, is also adjusting to the new lifestyle, she quickly (though reluctantly) settles in. She's none to happy with the way things start out for her family, she hopes for a home off base but instead is forced to live in the same neighborhood block as the other unit member's and their families.

Kim's reluctance is, at first, sympathetic, but then the realization sets in that it's probably best for her to remain on base, with the support system that comes with it. Over the course of the series she finds herself growing into her role in the unit's family life. Bringing a sensitivity and strength to her performance, Anderson eases into her role as Kim who quickly becomes Molly's right hand man in maintaining the home front. Rounding out the unit's team and family members are the hot-headed Master Sergeant Mack Gerhardt (Max Martini), second in command to Blane, Mack's wife Tiffy (Abby Brammel), who is having an affair with the Unit's overseer Colonel Tom Ryan (Robert Patrick). The other Unit member's include Sergeants Charles Grey (Michael Irby) and Hector Williams (Demore Barnes). Mack, Charles and Hector aren't as significant in their roles in the drama of the series but help maintain a healthy dose of the action that's doled out on weekly basis.

Part of the show's biggest appeal is the writing and the way the writers handle the balance between the home life and the covert ops. Some of this is reminiscent of "Alias" but is done with a grounded realism and is effectively gritty in its approach. These moments are often thrilling and provide a nice counterpoint to the battles the wives must undergo at home. Mamet and company deftly handle the week to week intrigue, complete with a more accessible approach to his recognizable dialogue (but without the profanity, of course). The material is never breezy or artificial, although there is the occasional home front storyline that wanders into fluffier realms.

The set is broken up as follows: Disc One: "First Responders," "Stress," "200th Hour," "True Believers," Disc Two: "Non-Permissive Environment," "Security," "Dedication," "SERE," Disc Three: "Eating the Young," "Unannounced," "Exposure," "Morale, Welfare and Recreation," Disc Four: "The Wall," Extras.

Video
The DVDs are presented in an anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio. The picture is solid; there is some grain in parts but nothing that causes the viewing experience to suffer. The image is sharp and clear through out; colors pop off the screen as they should. There is no ghosting in any of the action scenes as might be expected.

Audio
The audio is presented in an impressive English 5.1 Dolby digital surround mix, especially for a TV show. The dialogue is clean with no distortion anywhere. When the action scenes kick in the sound becomes immersive, making great use of the surround sound. The music and effects are resonant and provide a nice dynamic for the mix.
English, Spanish, and French, and closed captioning are also provided.

Extras
The special features for Season One of "The Unit" are disappointingly sparse. The set features an audio commentary for the episode "SERE" featuring Shawn Ryan, Eric Hanley, and Demore Barnes. The commentary is good, and provides a sense of what went into the making of the episode. Haney, a former Delta Force member, offers some insightful comments on the matter.

There is also a very short feature titled "Inside Delta Force" which features interviews with Hanley, Mamet, and Ryan. It's very brief (8 minutes) and the producers barely scratch the surface about the making of the show.

Film Value
"The Unit: Season One" is a strong series and well worth watching, but my only criticism is in why there are no women on the team. It seems that a realistic and believable take on the subject matter could be afforded given the talent behind the camera. Nevertheless, "The Unit" combines a great cast with wonderful writing to tell an engaging story every week.