"Special Unit 2" (2001) TV series 2001-2002

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Creator:

Evan Katz

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

11 April 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Action | Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

Monsters are real. Deal with it!

Plot:

Chicago cops hunt monsters.

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Enemy | Supernatural | Chicago Illinois | Friendship

Cast

Michael Landes	...	Detective Nicholas O'Malley (19 episodes, 2001-2002)
Alexondra Lee	...	Detective Kate Benson (19 episodes, 2001-2002)
Richard Gant	...	Captain Richard Page (19 episodes, 2001-2002)
Danny Woodburn	...	Carl the Gnome (19 episodes, 2001-2002)
Jonathan Togo	...	Jonathan / ... (12 episodes, 2001-2002)

Also Known As:

SU2 (USA) (promotional abbreviation)

Runtime:

60 min (19 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Paramount Television

Trivia:

Christina Moore was originally cast as Kate Johnson. She was later replaced by series regular Alexondra Lee.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The Chicago Police Uniforms in the show are perfect except for the Left Shoulder Patches, which 'should' read Chicago Police, but instead are a fictional patch that reads 'Police Department of the City of Chicago'. This is common when any show films in Chicago (even when most of the filming is done in Canada). Chicago has a rule that no representation of their real Police Patch can be shown without express permission from the city. Since most movie productions don't want to hassle having a bureaucrat 'approving' all of their scripts, most depictions of the "Chicago Police Department" have bogus patches versus the real thing. Thus this is an intentional "mistake" but one that sharp eyed viewers will pick up.

Quotes:

[Det. Benson and Det. O'Malley are interrogating the gargoyle and they've just threatened to shrink him until he disappears]
Gargoyle: Well, then you'll have no chance of finding those people.
Benson: Well, see now, that kind of logic would work with a rational person... so if I were you I'd start talking.
Gargoyle: You can both go to hell!
Benson: Wrong answer.

Enjoyable Premier of Sci-Fi Cop Show

Very impressed by first episode. Well-written, playful, and original sci-fi series. Loopy creatures mix freely with humans in what appears to be a normal Earth city of the not too distant future. Headquarters of Special Unit 2 is in the back of a dry-cleaning store, perhaps a tribute to Man From U.N.C.L.E. Hill Street Blues (or maybe Barney Miller) meets Outer Limits. One of the regulars at first appears to be a dwarf, but with the bulbous nose, serrated elfin ears, and traditional costume, you might notice he's a little odd. Turns out he's a genuine "gnome", and an important part of Special Unit 2. In the first episode, we meet the "parasites", creatures who take over people for "joy rides".

Reminds me a bit of the "leaky universes" theme that ran through many of Clifford Simak's sci-fi novels, weird things showing up where they're not expected. Here, though, anything goes, and the police of Special Unit 2 just deal with it, muddling through as best they can, although with a lot of help and guidance from our friendly gnome.

Fans of the original Star Trek who remember how they introduced a new critter or two almost each week, and fans of the original Star Wars bar scene, probably would enjoy something here.

I hope they can keep it up. The first episode is very promising. If they cheap out on the writing, or run out of ideas for new and funny villains, it could go downhill rapidly. Let's hope they don't. This idea for a series has a lot of potential!