The Unit 10/31 "old home week"

[packerfan]

So the guy at the end wrote the letter and it never got sent to his wife? This show would be a lot better if they cut out the part with the wives.

[nKhona]

I took it as the letter was written FOR him (the guy still alive) by the dead guy.

NTTIAWWT

[busyba]

Shhhh. Don't ask, don't tell. ;)

[JETarpon]

Exactly. The letter was written by Jimmy to Midge. But Midge was not the wife Margaret, but the army buddy.

I knew that SOMETHING was going to go wrong with the whole thing, I just didn't know what.

[Unbeliever]

That was a nice twist. When they revealed the buddy, I was thinking "Oh, the buddy wrote it."

Boy was I wrong. :) Nice awkward poses at the end.

--Carlos V.

[Joeg180]

I'm Midge, What as the jaws drop to the floor.

Why did Mac's wife skip the ceremony, just so she could poke holes in the peace activists theories? I'm hoping that he won't become her next love interest.

So there is a slush fund to aid the families that have to disappear for the convenience of the government....

[pendragn]

I might have misunderstood things, but I think the fact that Delta Force makes moonshine and sells it makes me think less of them.

Good episode though.

tk

[Joeg180]

But the liquor was for the purchase of the phone cards.

[Graymalkin]

Were they actually selling the moonshine, or just supplying the Old Home Week celebrations with some homebrew?

I liked seeing how reverently everyone treated the historical artifacts and how they were able to decipher the clues and find the widow and (coughcough) boyfriend. Lots of very smart people in our armed forces.

[bigpuma]

This show would be a lot better if they cut out the part with the wives.

+1 I often find myself fast forwarding to some of the home front stuff. Otherwise I really like the show.

[Idearat]

I called that one.
As soon as the "hidden" photo of the two Army buddies was found my first thought was "uh oh, gay soldier". Then the wife's odd behavior before going on stage I was sure there was another shoe to drop.

Nice job on the restored jeep, but I think I'd have restored everything but the windshield with the single bullet hole in it.

[pmyers]

I really didn't like this episode. Just too many plots going on and I didn't care for any of them.

[Dignan]

Meanwhile, back at the bake sale.....

Not to discredit the stateside support of the families in the military, but I really could go without seeing the wives. As the series has progressed I find not only do I not care about the plots involving the wives, I just don't like any of the wives. I realize Mamet and Ryan are trying something different, good for them, it just isn't working for me. Now that Mamet's real wife is in the cast I get the feeling the wives will just keep bringing the show down.

[Jesda]

This episode had a serious lack of crap blowing up. I am sorely disappointed.

[Amnesia]

Why did Mac's wife skip the ceremony, just so she could poke holes in the peace activists theories? I'm hoping that he won't become her next love interest.I think he will.

I liked the episode. I love when Mamet writes an episode---the characters all speak with a certain cadence. Sure, it's not the way (everyone) speaks in real life, but I like it.

Who played the diamond auctioneer/guide? He seemed familiar...(oh---he was the old boss on Bones...)

[newsposter]

The wives are at least 1/2 this show I think. It is almost a replacement for CIC and i dont mind them so much. Adds an interesting twist. I actually like it.

I wish they wouldnt have ended how they did...would be interesting to see if the crowd heard what he said.

the radio guy is a prick. Geez um forcing an old woman like that?

I thought blondie and the rebel leader would wind up in bed with all their philosophical differences.

[classicX]

just watched this, and I was ROFL when he was like "I'm Midge."

The wife was like :eek:
Mrs. Brown was like :eek:
I was like :eek:

Good episode. For once I was actually interested in what was going on with the wives. Except for Mrs. American Patriot Girl blowing off the party to debate with the ruggedly handsome intellectual.

:up:

[desulliv]

Not buying that Mac's wife goes into the peace-in and gets Peace Guy to start changing his mind.

[Graymalkin]

Not buying that Mac's wife goes into the peace-in and gets Peace Guy to start changing his mind.

Not change his mind so much as to get him to reframe his arguments. Blaming the soldiers for Iraq is stupid. Lay the responsibility squarely where it belongs -- on the Bush administration.

Of course, he's now hot for her. I'm just hoping she doesn't respond in kind. Bad enough she did the colonel, now she'd do this guy? I'm guessing she's got a thing for leader types.

[Amnesia]

Blaming the soldiers for Iraq is stupid. Lay the responsibility squarely where it belongs -- on the Bush administration.In no way was it evident that the protester had these opinions.

This forum is to discuss the episode. If you want to debate politics, take it to a different forum.

[Bierboy]

In no way was it evident that the protester had these opinions.

This forum is to discuss the episode. If you want to debate politics, take it to a different forum.+1

[Graymalkin]

I'm sorry. Are you saying that it's a political opinion that the Bush administration started the war in Iraq? I thought it was a matter of fact.

Note, also, that I said responsibility and not blame. Had I said blame, that would have been a political opinion.

And I'm not the one who brought the subject up in this episode. The writers did that, by having the protestors picket at the base rather than in Washington, D.C. Unless you want to consider that a political opinion, too.

[Amnesia]

Go to another forum to discuss your own personal opinions of where responsibility lies for Iraq.

If you want to discuss the characters' opinions, then fine.

[RoundBoy]

Go to another forum to discuss your own personal opinions of where responsibility lies for Iraq.

If you want to discuss the characters' opinions, then fine.


Oh just stop it everyone.. The point that was supposed to be taken was that the protesters were protesting and finding fault with the soldiers themselves.

"Former mistress to the colonel" didn't even make the Bush argument, she was simply taking the opposite position, ie why we need to fight.

Both sides have flawed arguments and thinking.

[dswallow]

I didn't see the gay soldier story coming at all; caught me completely by surprise and had me just laughing to tears. The way he said it at the end and then everybody's pregnant pause stare. It was beautifully understated biting political commentary. ;)

And based on Margaret's whole attitude in the first place, it would really seem like she was aware to some extent of something with her husband; I might even wonder if perhaps she was a lesbian and had married him for both their convenience. That would likely be just too much to explore as one element of one storyline of the episode.

[Graymalkin]

Oh just stop it everyone.. The point that was supposed to be taken was that the protesters were protesting and finding fault with the soldiers themselves.

"Former mistress to the colonel" didn't even make the Bush argument, she was simply taking the opposite position, ie why we need to fight.

Both sides have flawed arguments and thinking.

Thank you, Roundboy.

In this country, it's not the military that decides to fight wars, it's the politicians. And honestly, that's the way it should be. Living in a military dictatorship is no way to go.

So if you want to protest the war, go march on Washington and protest in front of the White House. Not at the gates of Camp Pendleton.

[busyba]

Just to play devil's advocate and look at it from the protestors' point of view (and I'm speaking strictly abstractly, no paralells to real-world events should be inferred):

Suppose the political leaders want to engage in a war that is arguably illegal or unjust.

If the soldiers refused to fight, refused to be pawns of the politicians, the politicians would be thwarted.

Therefore, by following their (arguably illegal) orders, they are collaborators with those who are doing wrong, the politicians. And so they are valid targets for protest.

It's that whole "what if they threw a war and nobody came" idea. :)

[Graymalkin]

It's not the military's decision. Congress and the Supreme Court are supposed to counterbalance the White House.

[busyba]

Well yeah. I'm not saying I agree with that point of view, I'm just presenting a reason why it might make sense to them to be protesting the troops instead of the leaders.

[Graymalkin]

Well yeah. I'm not saying I agree with that point of view, I'm just presenting a reason why it might make sense to them to be protesting the troops instead of the leaders.

I see your point.

[WeBoat]

I'm a little shocked that there has be no discussion on the stolen diamonds and where the money is going.

I know they said it's for families, but I'm wondering if it's going to come back later as some other ulterior reason.

[RoundBoy]

Jonas quite clearly explained that the old black guy that came to set up the moonshine distillery was also taking the diamonds to sell. He then holds the money until such time a soilder + family needs to dissapear... the funs to do so come from him.

[Idearat]

I'm a little shocked that there has be no discussion on the stolen diamonds and where the money is going.

I know they said it's for families, but I'm wondering if it's going to come back later as some other ulterior reason.

It's a staple of spy novels that the spies put away a little something from the money they have access to in case they have to disappear. We know the members of the unit aren't making the big bucks, but they are in the position to piss off very wealthy individuals or groups.

Unless they let the thread die completely we'll probably find out that some former member who "died in a training exercise" really disappeared with the help of the unit's secret retirement fund.

A combined fund for the members is more above board than all the guys all trying to stash something for themselves. And since the odds are that they won't all need to disappear not as much money is needed than if they all were putting something away.

[Bierboy]

...So if you want to protest the war, go march on Washington and protest in front of the White House.....Yeah, like THAT would make a difference...

[Jesda]

Blah blah blah, Bush this, soldiers that.

Back on topic: Crap episode.

[truemidge]

Believe it or not, my name is Midge and my husband's name is Jim...and he was a corporal in the Army (as was the Jimmy in the episode) for 6 1/2 years. We love watching The Unit together, and both of us enjoy the "back home" portions of the show with the wives. For me, as a wife of a former soldier, that the show reflects both the men and their missions, and the women and their lives on post, is the only televised representation of military life that I can recall. Any other show that springs to mind is all about the soldiers, with the women they leave behind only mentioned every once in awhile. Military wives make great sacrifices in their service to this country, and I think this show is doing a great job in attempting to capture that.

By the way, we thought it was an interesting twist that Midge ended up being the buddy soldier. That Jimmy's last words of love were to this man should say something to the naysayers of homosexuality. Love is love, and it transcends gender, race and hate. Too bad Midge didn't get the letter before he was presented with it in such a public forum. If he had held the same love in his heart for Jimmy, it must have been an impossibly painful and awkward place to be in.