CBS fights terrorism, loses
David Mamet meets the Army's Delta Force. Great idea. I would greenlight that in a second.
Sign up Dennis Haysbert as the star of the project, and I would approve a whole season sight unseen. Just think about it. Haysbert uses his perfectly authoritative, fatherly voice to lead the Army's elite covert operations team around the world. The team kills terrorists while spouting that stylized Mamet dialogue and unraveling intricate Mamet cons within cons within cons, where nothing is what it seems. How cool would that be?
Very cool.
Alas, something went wrong between the idea and the execution. The David-Mamet-meets-Delta-Force show that is actually premiering on CBS this week is not that cool. The Unit, whose first episode airs today at 9 p.m. EST, has some decent scenes. But unlike the best shows on television right now (like Lost or House), The Unit is afraid to challenge its audience with intricate plots and lacks a powerful narrative drive.
Problem one, this doesn't feel like a David Mamet story. Although I am not an expert on Mamet, I am a fan. I loved The House of Games, The Spanish Prisoner, and even Heist. (Dragged my family to Heist. They still haven't forgiven me.) Those three films use a stylized, almost abstract dialogue that is a touch pretentious at times but interesting and fun. And the best Mamet creations keep you guessing all the way through.
To the contrary, The Unit's dialogue is boilerplate tough-guy chatter, and the plot is pretty straightforward. (By which I mean, it's a bit dull.) The Unit is based on U.S. Special Operations command's Delta Force, the team of soldiers that officially doesn't exist but that still takes on the toughest counterterrorism missions around the world. The pilot episode begins with a neat scene in Afghanistan. Then, after a cheap shortcut by the screenwriters, the story completely drops Afghanistan and rushes off to a completely unrelated plot strand centering around Haysbert and a rookie team member attempting to rescue hostages from a hijacked plane in Idaho. Unfortunately, there is relatively little tension in The Unit. I spoil nothing by telling you that everything is basically what it seems. Trust me, you will enjoy it more if you lower your expectation that a cool Mamet twist is coming.
Another problem is the acting. Haysbert is good. He is always good. Even in those Allstate ads. Every time he comes on, my wife has to hold me back from running to the phone and switching insurance companies. But after Haysbert, the cast drops off fast. Regina Taylor plays Haysbert's wife. I have been a big fan of Taylor. I'll Fly Away was my second-favorite show of all time, and Taylor was terrific in it. She is subtle and powerful, capable of conveying complex, mixed emotions through a quick look and subtle eyebrow movement. She does quiet and strong very well. But in The Unit, quiet and strong comes off as more than a little creepy.
Taylor's character is the de facto leader of a cultlike pair of military wives. I am not sure if it was intentional, but the home front in The Unit is portrayed as a sort of suburban hell where Taylor's character enforces the rules on where to live, what to say, and (in subsequent episodes) how to worship. Call it Desperate Military Housewives. That might be an interesting plot to develop, but based on what I have seen so far, I think the creepiness is more accidental than intentional. If it is intentional, the message of The Unit is that having controlling, busybody neighbors who organize your life and take over management of your home is a great thing.
The best part of the pilot is the last five minutes. There is a bit of action that makes you jump out of your seat, then a nifty twist that makes you want to tune in for later episodes. CBS did not provide the second episode. The summary of the episode looks cool. While I might watch it, the other episodes CBS did provide are pretty weak. In one, the suburban creepfest with the wives turns into an utterly preposterous tea party with a U.S. senator. Another episode, called "SERE," takes what could be an interesting look into the Army's counterinterrogation training and turns it into a ridiculous Macgyver knockoff.
The good news for The Unit is that American Idol is shrinking back to an hour this week. So watching The Unit would not interfere with your ability to cast your vote for Paris Bennett. (Vote early, vote often, friends.)
The bad news for The Unit is that Hugh Laurie, the cranky and cruel star of House, is back this week. And while I really wanted to like The Unit, it lacks both the sharp interesting characters and the smart narrative of House. No matter how authoritative Dennis Haysbert is, with the simplistic plot and flat dialogue of The Unit he cannot stand up to Laurie, television's Grumpisaurus Rex.