By Kofi Outlaw

Last week THE UNIT did its best impersonation of HOUSE, this week it was all about AMERICAN IDOL. Someone tap me when THE UNIT gets back to being THE UNIT.

Jonas, Grey and Mack, were on assignment as M.P.’s (military police) in Iraq, acting as personal guards for a spoiled country pop diva (cutey Mikalah Gordon of AMERICAN IDOL season 4) brought over to “entertain” the troops. Of course Jonas wasn’t one to stomach the antics and tantrums of some teenaged celebutard and planned to straighten the girl out—that is until the diva hopped in a hummer and sped off for the combat zone.

Back home Bob was on assignment as an M.P. of a different sort: escorting a condemned Islamic terrorist to an airport where he would be flown home to face execution. Partnered with him was a more seasoned M.P., whose humane tactics were a little too soft for by-the-book-Bob. The Unit wives club, meanwhile, schemed to set loner Henry up with Tiffy’s friend from work, Annie. Henry and Annie hit it off, despite the Unit wives’ warning to Annie that she would have to be in it for the long haul if she wanted to join their tight circle.


In Iraq the country diva found more combat than she bargained for when her convoy was ambushed. Jonas, Mack and Grey arrived in time to save her, but not before a young soldier died in her arms, giving her the reality check she sorely needed. The diva settled down enough to give a heartfelt performance for the troops, and then headed home for America—with a stolen book of Grey’s poetry and song lyrics in hand.

When the condemned terrorist’s daughter tracked Bob’s team down, allegedly for a last visit with her father, Bob wanted no parts of it. The seasoned M.P., having a daughter of his own, let the meeting take place. In one of the slickest assassinations ever, the daughter used dye from her scarf and a sink to poison her father to death. The old M.P. lost his job, and Bob returned home reaffirmed about his strict code of discipline.

The episode ended with Grey and Jonas watching the pop diva debut one of Grey’s stolen songs on MTV, while nearby, in the local motel, Henry and Annie prepared to get frisky, until Henry stumbled upon Col. Ryan, in the midst of an adulterous rendezvous with Tiffy.


Like I said, I like when THE UNIT is THE UNIT and nothing else. American Idol winks and soap opera subplots should weigh down other, lesser shows. Hard action, great characters and sharp dialogue are what come to THE UNIT for. The rest of the frills I will gladly do without.