As something that could flippantly be described as 24 meets Desperate Housewives, The Units attempt
at cross-gender appeal does sound flawed. The execution, however, is actually quite subtle, flowing as it does from the practised pen of David Mamet. Each episode switches deftly between the violent forays of Dennis Haysberts elite Special Forces team and the domestic dramas of their spouses back on the base. The home-front ordeals may seem soapy by comparison, but theyre often as emotionally packed as the action. The counterbalance makes a welcome change from the traditional, even if it can be frustrating to be yanked from a firefight just to hear more about an extramarital affair.