The Unit Book Tie-Ins Review

[00:00:00] This podcast is a production of Unfiltered Studios. If you would like to know more about joining Unfiltered Studios, please visit our website at unfpod.com for more information. I had a great experience doing the Expos. I love that character. Me too.

[00:00:18] Because he was a good guy. I like playing a good guy as well. I'm very grateful in my career that I've been able to play villains and good guys. So it gives me more opportunity to work. Well, I was never hired to replace Mr. Dukovie. I was hired to come in and create a whole new character.

[00:00:45] So that's the approach I took with it. And Chris Carter and Frank Spott has created a really great character for me to play. A guy with a heart of gold that was going to be able to come in and eventually, you know, have Scully's back. And prove himself as a worthy guy to be around and to have her, you know, that she had around him.

[00:01:14] And I had no idea how rabid the fans were. I mean, they were like crazy. And they were not excited about somebody coming in. And I was like, Jesus Christ. I'm just an actor taking a freaking job. You know? I mean, what did I do?

[00:01:39] Welcome all, welcome all.

[00:02:27] Once again, it's your boy, Cam. And I love just tackling just various tie-in material. Whether it's a movie, comic, short film, utter spinoff material to the various entertainment that we've covered on here. Again, we've talked about some of your favorite as well as lesser known, maybe even infamous movies, TV, video games, music, books, the works.

[00:02:54] One thing I like to do is when whatever established medium it is crosses into another medium, your book might have been... No, your favorite book, that is. Might have been adapted into a popular video game. Popular movies love being continued into comics.

[00:03:15] And as we all know, Hollywood's now back in the practice of translating popular video games into movies. So I love doing all of that. It is definitely done on various podcasts, but for the most part, they often stick to comics. And I've lately been looking at various books and video game tie-ins to pre-established movies and TV shows.

[00:03:44] And just seeing how they translate. And lo and behold, I knew my favorite David Mamet and Sean Ryan created CBS military drama, The Unit. You know, it was based on Delta Force operator Eric L. Haney's book, Inside Delta Force. And I'd read part of that. It wasn't easy to get into, but I respected it. And I liked the guy.

[00:04:14] But, and you know, I've re-seen the show plenty of times. But lo and behold, I was just looking at just other movies and shows. I would just randomly type in, hey, did they have a comic book or something? And I was like, whoa, The Unit actually came out during its final year with two books in both 2008 and 2009.

[00:04:35] The author was Patrick Andrews, who's another military veteran who has gone on to do his own fictional Wachita Detectives, it's called. Which is a privatized series as well as original westerns called Cross Runners. And he's been doing it for a while, since the mid-80s. And lo and behold, I think he was a good pick. I had, again, I've read so many Cross-In material.

[00:05:04] Everything from your favorite gangster and cop shows to even ones based on video games. And sometimes they do their best, you know, method at trying to chronicle the characters. But they just goof up the dialogue. You know, it took me a while to get into some of the Star Trek books that were worth reading. But lo and behold, these are winners. They really absolutely are winners.

[00:05:31] Much like the show, author Andrews does a good job of translating the fast-talking dialogue. That's both an expo dump and keeps you in suspense as to how the CIA-employed, you know, U.S. Delta Force operators are going to go in and, you know, often retrieve a target or take out a target and cover it up and get out.

[00:06:01] And much like the show, it's very much in the vein of other material like NCIS or 24 and even Tom Clancy type books and movies. So, the books are very much like a fast Tom Clancy type read. But they're also, you know, despite the heavy political presence, what the show did so well.

[00:06:30] Hell, they employed West Wing writer Paul Redford later on. It was just the quick summary of how everybody is basically always fighting a war, you know. Both these books do not dwell...

[00:06:49] What the show did so well was also show what they were like when they weren't currently enlisted on a mission or hanging out with the army wives. None of that takes place here. But what they do so well in these books, in my opinion, is amp up the political intrigue that the show was overall about.

[00:07:13] And in that the main, you know, leader, Jonas Blaine, you know, played on the show by Dennis Haysburg and the head of the base, you know, Colonel Tom Ryan, played by Robert Patrick. Again, you know these actors respectively from other stuff like, you know, movies like Heat and Terminator 2 and shows like 24 and Reacher.

[00:07:40] But what I loved so well is that they really do sum up... Like, the author totally gets the beats of the characters. I don't know how much of the show he watched, but he did it pretty damn well. There are some occasional typos, but they're very minuscule, hardly worth a critique. You know, whatever. It's gonna happen sometimes. I only care if it's just like needless or disorienting or confusing just to read.

[00:08:09] So, these books were good at just having standalone missions while also, coincidentally enough, they followed each other. They didn't just summarize some events of the show, but they worded it in a way where you didn't really need to know about the complexity of the show itself.

[00:08:29] And they pretty much just show how the U.S. Senate is just going on a witch hunt, trying to find a way, you know, to close down the unit because they're trying to cave into political pressure. Unfortunately, the author decides to insert, you know, an outspoken writer who is clearly not conservative.

[00:08:58] So, lo and behold, they make a liberal stereotype. That was annoying. But I get it. They needed someone to be an opposing force, so that's how it went. But politics aside, I dug the mission.

[00:09:14] So, the first book, Seek and Destroy, involved Sergeant Major Blaine, you know, leading, like, he has Bob, he has Charles, he has, you know, again, all his pre-order operators, as well as some other guys created specifically for this.

[00:09:44] And they basically have to put their ranks to the side. They are basically assisting the Congolese National Army, you know, which is located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They're trying to stop a brutal European syndicate from taking over. Now, unfortunately, in the wrong hands, this would reek of, you know, a white savior type complex. But, fortunately enough, they also show how the army is very much in its own control.

[00:10:15] And they're going to get all the credit for it. So, that's pretty cool. But I love how they just go back and forth, just showcasing the tactics and everything. It's a very easy read, despite, and there's a glossary at the very end to give you some of the slang or keywords used for the various gadgets and military stuff.

[00:10:41] There were some good car chases in this and tactical play. But, ultimately, I dug how they were having to out-thank each other. And there was a lot of running about in the force and everything and outwitting. And they introduced, of course, all the various, you know, senders who are, you know, coming to play in the second book. Which is 2009's Lock and Load.

[00:11:10] So, this wasn't as strong as the first book. The first book was a good standalone one. This one was more... It's not that you had to see the show. It's just, you know, you want to talk hard to date. So, basically, the team, you know, is led into a trap by the CIA. Basically, the CIA overthinks this and then wants to bury them.

[00:11:39] And the Senators also want to bury them because then this, you know... They just want an excuse for the whole team to just get shut down. So, they either want them to be led into a trap, be captured, or be killed. It's very complex. Not needlessly. But, yeah, there were some parts where I had to skim read over it. It was just way too much. But, yeah.

[00:12:04] So, long story short, they have to smuggle a Palestinian defector to Homeland Security through a tough spot in the Middle East. And they go up against a traitor in their own government and wants to destroy the team. But that's just thick a bit. But the whole... It didn't take a side on the Israel or Palestine conflict that's still ongoing to this day. So, it has dated well in that regard. And, again, they kept acknowledging that this is a big foul-up.

[00:12:33] And the CIA wants them to basically... At the end, I love how no one will take credit for the goof-up. So, it just shows you how the team has to really outwit everybody. So, the action in this was a little confusing and took a while to set in. There were some... Again, this is where I saw the typos. It was actually in this second book. But it paid off.

[00:13:02] I loved the epilogue. That was an epic send-off. And it acknowledged the previous books. So, again, it wasn't like James Bond where that mission doesn't impact the others. I loved how Charles Gray, you know, played on the show by Michael Irby. Who you guys might know from other stuff like... Mayans and Fast and Furious and Long-Biting Citizen. They show how what a womanizer he is. And how he's in love with an Israeli fighter gal who's on their team.

[00:13:30] But I dug how, again, this was... It didn't downplay how, again, the so-called tight spot. But I actually found the political intrigue way more interesting here. Versus the military, actually. I know, it's crazy. But I loved how Tom Ryan actually, you know, was in front of a Senate. And he was having to have another bunch of political allies help him with doing a Fifth Amendment.

[00:13:55] And comparing their various battles to other various dictators and military leaders in tough spots. And ultimately, I loved how he had to stand strong and then try to find a way to help out the team. Even though he's unavailable and sitting in a military cell. So, by refusing to play the political game. And, again, the reason they want to close down this team is it's just giving them a lot of political pressure.

[00:14:24] And I loved how the CIA was essentially an opposing force here. Where they assemble this convoluted mission. But then aren't on the same page as all the other intelligence and military operatives. So, they just want to bury the mission as if it never happened. And find a fall guy. So, yeah. The first book was stronger. But the second book here really paid off. Often that it had to be a little more clever by the end of its second act.

[00:14:54] So, both worth a read. Again. If you just... You know, we're never going to get that movie, unfortunately. Unless someone, you know, at Paramount Plus or Hulu just gets creative and says, Hey, look at the numbers. People still love this show. So, but, yeah. If you're like me and you relate to the party, this was great fanfare. I love so many different franchises. I love so many movies and shows.

[00:15:24] And there's a reason. They have stood the test of time. People still love them. And it's a shame that this show... Unfortunately, most people are just going to often bring up, Hey, I love the actors on that. Or, you know, if they weren't the ones who knew how, Hey, this is by the same guy, you know, played right David Mamet. And collaborating with the SHIELD TV show creator Sean Ryan, Who's gone on to do other great shows. Unfortunately, most people often will just look up,

[00:15:54] Hey, this is... This movie... This show is the most looked upon, you know, Show for people looking up military weapons in movies on sites. And it's like, no. And it should be more than just only for ex-veter... You know, military veterans. It should be more than just... It has... It had a decent audience. And unfortunately, it kind of dwindled out after a while. I came into it late, but really dug it. And I have...

[00:16:25] It was one of those where I kind of got slapped over the head. Just listen. Listen to what's being said. You are being read. You know, a speech by just very compelling characters who... They aren't a tough love, but they are a very well-tight-knit community. And it's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.

[00:16:51] And I really do wish there was a way to revisit this show. I mean, considering that the actors are still alive and in good shape, I wouldn't mind if they went on another adventure. And I think the reason people dug it was, again, just showing how sometimes war finds them at home, you know, and sometimes there's other stuff. But the whole...

[00:17:17] It was just appealing in that post-James Bond, Jason Bourne type entertainment that there was some other alternative out there for those who liked a mixture of military and spy and action drama. And, you know, it was definitely one of the best war shows I have ever still seen. And this is a guy who's seen everything from combat to Rome to Strike Back.

[00:17:41] And it would be still in my top 10 war and Western shows because it's snappy dialogue and brilliant characterization was just still just a highlight of a sub-genre of shows. And so, yes, if you love the show and you're still re-watching it, snatch up the books. First one's easy reading. The other one, not as much.

[00:18:05] But it's a slow burn if you can get for some of the convoluted stuff and you'll like the payoff at the end. You really will. That being said, I don't know what I got to do. Petitions aren't much these days, but I would love if someone could make it known that we want more of the unit. So thank you for listening and to all a good night. We'll return after these messages. Hi, folks. How's back here?

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