TV Series: The Unit - Episode 9: Eating the Young

Rating:★★★★
Category:Other
This is a TV series currently airing on Channel 5 on Saturday afternoons. It features a "blacker than black" covert US Special Forces team operating under the guises of an army logistics regiment, whose missions span the globe where political sensitivities are the dominant factors in the government's choice in employing their specialties and services.

The story revolves around the Unit's ground commander and his teammates, as well as their immediate families, namely, their spouses, who also serve as their homebound security agents, protecting their identities. Throughout each episode, the plots interweave between the men in the field and their wives at home, with special attention paid to portray the strong camaraderie amongst warriors and homemakers.

Been only following the last two episodes, but I must say that the one that was aired yesterday (the one with the Unit hunting down drug lords dealing with illegal arms - stolen US Stinger missiles, in Brazil) was the most endearing to date. Two reasons - the first, involving the team leader, who had to bribe a local teenage boy (recruited by the drug bandits) into revealing crucial information for the mission, by an apparent heart-felt agreement to the boy's request to be brought to America in exchange for the information, only to be betrayed by the team-leader's heart-wrenching refusal after the mission achieves success (for pure reasons, even though not expressed in the dialogue, that it was beyond his call to authorise the granting of asylum to the boy).

The other endearing scene involved one of the team operative's off-duty encounters with the family of his prospective life partner, with the relationship ending when he finally revealed the true nature of his profession to his girlfriend, when all along in their courtship she had believed that he was a simple clerk, for which she accepted because of the peace of mind that she gained from it.

The two sub-stories within that episode of the show poignantly showcased the social issues that pervade those in the tightly-knit special operations community. And I must say that the show does justice in this respect of not wincing from the harsh reality of the lives of soldiers and their families.

One of the better made programmes of the current generation, I might add.

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