Episode: “Sacrifice” – Season Premiere (Season 4)
Premiere Date: Sunday, September 28th, 2008
Rating: 3 out of 4 Stars
Quick Synopsis: The US and the Unit are under siege.
Long Synopsis: A secret service agent is compromised, leading to attacks on the president, vice-president and president elect. The team just having completed a mission successfully is on their way home, when they are diverted to the scene of the attack on the president elect. He has gotten away into the woods. The team attempts to track him down and get him to safety. But, some section of the Unit may have been compromised as well. Leading to the team’s families needing protection.
Review: The Unit has always been one of the more realistic portrayals, at least in my estimation, of what it may be like for special forces soldiers and their families. Sure, they ratchet things up for entertainment purposes, but it never feels fake.
That is exactly the case in this episode. While multiple coordinated attacks on the president, vice-president and president elect, some of which are successful, may push the boundaries of realism given the ultra tight security around them. Yet, in this day an age, does anything really seem all that far-fetched?
Another thing pushing the boundaries for some is the addition of Nicole Steinwedell (Dawson’s Creek) as a member of the team. But, when you see her in action in the first episode, I don’t think you will care. For me, anytime you can add another beautiful woman to the show and she can also kick some ass, it’s never a bad thing.
The action sequences are always well done and it is no exception in this episode. But, the show is not all about action, it is also about family and this episode is particularly gripping in this aspect as well.
Overall, The Unit is great television, but not in the best of time periods. It has a lot of competition in the third hour of primetime. On the network side, it is up against the also great Brothers & Sisters on ABC and Sunday Night Football on NBC. But, over on the cable side, it has to deal with Mad Men on AMC, Entourage on HBO, Army Wives on Lifetime, and Californication on Showtime. This makes it about the third or fourth best option, but yet will continue to be watched by me for as long as it remains on the air.
The Unit premieres tonight, Sunday, September 28th on CBS after the season premiere of Cold Case.
