Special Unit 2
 |
Special Unit 2 was a short-lived, American science-fiction/comedy series shown on UPN for one and a half seasons from 2001–2002. It focused upon the exploits of a top-secret Chicago police unit known as Special Unit 2, charged with the task to police the city’s large population of mythological beings (“Links”).
The series starred Michael Landes as Detective Nicholas O’Malley, Alexondra Lee as Detective Kate Benson, Richard Gant as Captain Richard Page, Danny Woodburn as Carl the Gnome, Jonathan Togo as Jonathan, and Sean Whalen as Sean Radmon.
Plot
“Links” are the common monsters from folklore and mythology (except vampires, whose existence is specifically identified as preposterous), and they are described as being the missing link between apes and humans (although other human-like species have evolved, for instance Gargoyles, who are identified as humanoid descendants of dinosaurs). They live in hiding among the human population. On those occasions when a Link is seen by a human, they are usually dismissed as hallucinations or optical illusions, except by those who are especially perceptive.
Detective Nicholas O’Malley and his newly assigned partner Detective Kate Benson are the two central characters. Benson is one of the rare perceptive individuals able to discern Links. Her ability to notice unusual phenomena, previously a liability that cost her her previous position in the police department, leads to her inclusion in Special Unit 2. O’Malley is a maverick veteran in the secret department. He demonstrates an initial lack of enthusiasm at being assigned a new partner, his previous partner having died on the job.
The supporting characters include Captain Richard Page, the intrepid pair’s commanding officer, who sports a fake wooden hand that plays in multiple gags to comedic effect. The unit’s liaison with the Link community is Carl, a verbally expressive Gnome with an antagonistic attitude towards O’Malley, which O’Malley returns in kind. The antics of O’Malley and Carl’s love-hate relationship contribute a significant element of humor within the fantasy universe of the show.
Other members of the unit are Jonathan, the department’s obsessively enthusiastic technician, who analyzes Link evidence and produces a seemingly endless stream of Link-related inventions with positive glee, as well as Sean Radmon, a young rookie whose primary characteristics are hero-worship of O’Malley and eagerness to venture into the field on assignments.
A partial list of Links encountered by the unit in the course of the episodes include a trash-talking Gargoyle, the scheming Pied Piper posing as a children’s television host, the homicidal Sandman, and deadly snake-haired Medusa, all revealed to be criminals in these particular cases.
Most of the monsters are portrayed as behaving rather human-like, forming urban communities. Considering this, it can be noted that SU2 do not always treat suspects respectfully. They are shown to attribute “link” suspects as “scum”, and make use of harassment, unlawful arrest, torture, and willful murder against them on a regular basis.
Episode list
- 1-01 – “The Brothers” (2001-04-11)
Suspended from her normal duty, Officer Kate Benson is recruited by SU2 for a temporary assignment. Mature gargoyles that have been hibernating (on churches in Europe) have awoken and are collecting food (people) to feed to their eggs which have been incubating for 17 years. The victims are being kept alive until the eggs hatch. SU2 has 24 hours to track down the gargoyles and destroy the nest before the mass hatching occurs.
- 1-02 – “The Pack” (2001-04-18)
Det. O'Malley and Benson are having a little problem dealing with the time of the month, and it isn't just because Kate's a woman. Werewolves, scientifically know as lycanthhropes, (thropes) are roaming the city killing innocent people who just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But with these links' superhuman senses and strength, and their ability to blend in with the human population while not in wolf form make the detectives' work quite intense...
- 1-03 – “The Wraps” (2001-04-25)
On the way to an exhibit at the museum, a mummy is revived by an electrical storm. However, this is no ordinary mummy, it was the most feared Japanese Samurai warrior that ever lived. The mummy wants all the things promised to him in the afterlife. To achieve this the mummy must collect everything he was entombed with, including three female concubines. He has the first two women and targets Kate as the third. For Nick, what started out as a standard link investigation now becomes a rescue mission.
- 1-04 – “The Web” (2001-05-02)
Spider man, spider man...only this time it's women. Kate and Nick must track down and terminate an infestation of spider-women who find Chicago's single men a delicacy. It gets even stickier when Nick takes a personal interest in protecting the only witness in the case.
- 1-05 – “The Waste” (2001-05-09)
A link is formed out of fat from liposuction patients from a plastic surgery clinic. The link kills the plastic surgeon when he gets in the way of the link's food supply and then disappears into the Chicago water system. The first detective on the scene is Rich Talridge, who was O'Malley's first partner before Nick was picked for SU2. Rich doesn't take to the news that the case has been handed over to SU2 and tries to solve it himself which gets him in trouble. Kate and Nick and the rest of the SU2 unit are left trying to track and get rid of the "fat link" before it kills again.
- 1-06 – “The Depths” (2001-05-16)
Some water links, nicknamed Mermen, from 2 years ago have reappeared and are victimizing young women. The merman emits a high pitched sound which temporarily paralysises the victim thus making it where the merman can empty the victim of their soul. This leaves the victim in a semi-vegetative state. The catch is that it only works on virgins. A tie in to the story is that Kate's younger sister is visiting and dating a rather mysterious guy. Kate starts to suspect the guy may also be a merman and that her sister may be the next victim.
- 2-01 – “The Grain” (2001-10-03)
Kate falls asleep while on a night stakeout and gets invaded by a Sandman link who takes bodies while they're sleeping. Kate becomes dangerous under the Sandman's attraction and the team must destroy The Sandman before it's too late for Kate.
- 2-02 – “The Skin” (2001-10-10)
Kate and Nick are forced to release the original Chameleon that was imprisoned by the SU2 team so he would help them catch a new Chameleon who is now terrorizing Chicago. Nick is in a bad mood because the original Chameleon that has to help them killed his former lover.
- 2-03 – “The Years” (2001-10-17)
A fabulously wealthy - and beautiful - cosmetics executive is Nick and Kate's key suspect after a 19-year-old male model is found mysteriously dead of old age. Using Nick as bait, the SU2 detectives must prove the glamorous tycoon is a witch who has lived for centuries by literally sucking the youth out of her victims to keep herself young.
- 2-04 – “The Invisible” (2001-10-24)
Nick and Kate must stop the execution of a boy's father who has been wrongfully convicted of a murder committed by an invisible boogeyman.
- 2-05 – “The Eve” (2001-10-31)
A Link so monumentally evil that his name has been lost to history reappears on Halloween, the one night of the year when Links can roam with impunity. The confrontation between the Link and Nick is made all the more personal - and lethal - as it is the villain responsible for the death of Nick's former partner.
The mysterious Link is bringing the corpses of serial killers back to life so they can carry out his plan to assume leadership of all Links.
- 2-06 – “The Rocks” (2001-11-07)
When Kate kills Medusa's sister, Medusa exacts vengeance by striking out at Kate's boyfriend; Nick skirmishes with the Gorgon, and Kate must race to find an antidote before her partner turns to stone.
- 2-07 – “The Drag” (2001-11-14)
The theft of an ancient Native American necklace unleashes a dragon that runs amok throughout Chicago looking for its preferred food source---gnomes. It's up to Carl to do battle with the creature.
- 2-08 – “The Beast” (2001-11-21)
A series of gruesome murders leads Nick and Kate to suspect that Jack the Ripper has returned from the grave---and is stalking victims in Chicago.
- 2-09 – “The Wall” (2001-11-28)
Cajoled by Nick into attending her high school reunion, Kate is forced to relive the humiliation of how she ruined her graduation 10 years earlier by taking over the ceremony and hysterically insisting that Links lived in the walls of the school. Acting as her escort to the reunion, Nick helps Kate redeem her reputation when the Links return and attempt to massacre her classmates.
- 2-10 – “The Straw” (2002-01-16)
The Scarecrow, a particularly noxious Link, is inadvertently unearthed and loves nothing more than the fear and mayhem he creates by reading - and exploiting - the "fear center" in every Chicagoan's subconscious. As the city degenerates into mass hysteria, Nick and Kate learn that to defeat the Scarecrow, they must first deal with all their own fears and phobias.
- 2-11 – “The Love” (2002-01-30)
When Cupid's 'love potion' causes a hangin' judge to start setting high-end criminals free, it's up to Kate and Carl to get an on-the-lam Cupid back to Chicago to reverse his potion's' effect on both the judge and a transformed Nick, whose newfound propensity for seeing the good in everyone begins to wear thin on his colleagues.
- 2-12 – “The Piper” (2002-02-06)
A Link with mind control powers sets off a crime spree using children as the perps. When Nick and Kate's investigation leads them to a really annoying kids show host, they send a bitterly reluctant Carl undercover as the host's sidekick to discover - and destroy - the Link's power.
- 2-13 – “The Wish” (2002-02-13)
The Djinn, a link who makes dreams come true, but at a price, is on the loose in Chicago. If she can grant four wishes to four different masters, she will gain power to enslave the city. Now it's up to Nick, Kate and rest of Special Unit 2 to prevent her from granting her last wish.
Trivia
Although the series takes place in Chicago, the initial series promo takes place in New York, with the same cast. Some of the footage in the promo was used in the pilot, but with small changes to hide it being set in New York.
References
TV.com -episode guide Template:Http://www.tv.com/special-unit-2/show/2158/episode listings.html?season=1&tag=nav bar;1
