It was executive produced playwright/filmmaker David Mamet and “The Shield� creator Shawn Ryan. We’re talking about two of the entertainment industry’s great macho men.
Mamet’s dialogue style – clipped, smart and muscular – is legendary, as is the tough sensibility permeating his body of work. Ryan, while not an icon yet, has created one of the toughest shows of the new century -- a bruising examination of a corruption-filled police department in Los Angeles.
“The Unit� pulses with the styles of both men. Talky, yet action-packed with a cast populated by tough guys. That includes Haysbert, who once again dares you to take your eyes off him.
Simply, Jonas is David Palmer with a license to kill. He’s tough, smart and focused as he shows new Unit member Bob Brown (Scott Foley) the ropes. Yet, in the pilot’s final scenes, there are signs that Jonas is cracking under the pressure of his job. Haysbert gets at both the toughness and the vulnerability of this complicated man with grace.
The show’s pilot splits its focus between the members of the Unit and their wives, who cope with an unusual wife.
That group now includes Bob’s wife, Kim (Audry Marie Anderson), who is completely blindsided by the restrictions of her new life.
I like the way the show balances the action stuff with the more personal drama, but, right now, it’s the action that takes center stage. There’s a particularly amazing rescue scene at the pilot’s end that’s as powerful as anything on “24.�
Though it’s too soon to know if “The Unit� will be successful, it has a lot of promise. And it has Haysbert, who is always worth a look.
"The Unit" debuts Tuesday at 9 p.m. on CBS.