The Green Bag

After four seasons of making the tough presidential seasons as David Palmer on the Fox Television Network's action-packed series 24, Dennis Haysbert is kicking butt and taking names in the new CBS drama, The Unit.

Jonas Blane is an interesting contrast to Keifer Sutherland's Jack Bauer, as Haysbert brings his cool as a cucumber presidential style with him into combat.

The first episode was not without major continuity flaws. The focal event of the show was supposed to have taken place within about an hour's time span, as terrorists who have hijacked an airliner are killing a hostage every hour, and Blane has decided that no more should die. Even so, it is afternoon when the last hostage is killed, the dark of night during the team's assault on the plane, and daybreak when the assault is over and the heroes leave the scene. Aside from that, I thought the action was pretty good.

On the home front, I think the whiny and demanding new wife was a little too naive to be believable, but it seems from next week's preview that she'll settle better into her role, so they've given us some room for growth in her character. Meanwhile, they've set up an interesting David and Bathsheba scenario for the unit's commanding officer (Robert Patrick) and another team members' wife. I wonder if he will eventually have the husband terminated.

All in all, I thought it was an enjoyable show. What's not to like about a show where the guys "get to shoot guns, jump out of airplanes, and come home to your family."

And Haysbert has come a long way from "Jobu needs rum." I really like the roles I've seen him play.