Special Unit 2 - Die Monsterjäger

It's all about mixing together a cast of excellent actors, good scripts, nice effects, and, to top it all off, truly witty dialogue. Really, everything written by Jeff from Wisconsin is true. The show and the characters tackle serious crimes, but they do it with style. The cast really does work well together. The characters respect each other, but they don't let that get in the way of constantly barraging each other with barbs and sarcastic comments. You can't help but relate to them--they're the kind of people you'd like to go drinking with--there's something appealing about each one. But the wit is what puts it over the edge. This is wit like The Thin Man, like Bogie, like Jimmy Stewart. Good stuff. Who would have guessed.

Oh, and the music by is by Mark Snow. Enough said.

The reason the show was canceled was due to a copyright infringement. It turns out that the show was based on a role playing game and no one got permission from the creator to pinch his stuff.

He tried to talk to the producers and writers but couldn't find any satisfactory answer to the infringement. The producers decided to cancel the show.

I believe the name of the RPG was "Bureau 13", I was also told that the writers had played the game when they were younger.

They probably forgot where they got the idea for the show (I least I hope it was accidental.)

Dave

Well, I was so disappointed in UPN for cancelling this show only to replace it with 2 half hour teen angst shows just like a dozen others out there. When I first saw this show I didn't think a whole lot of it. It seemed silly. However, in a very short time the characters had started to really come together and take on a life of their own. This is not something you see every day. I think the writing was top notch and the actors were able to take full advantage of it. The show got funnier and better each week.

Just when O'Malley and Carl were starting to become a solid team, UPN pulled the plug. What a mistake.

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!

Special Unit 2 at first seems like it might be a plain old rip-off show with just smart-ass characters and big ass guns and cheesy monsters. That is a huge misconception on what this show is all about and is. Special Unit 2 is actually a refreshing and unique show that UPN should be proud of. The monsters are designed by the mad genius in Patrick Tatopoulos. They are simply beautiful yet wicked looking at the same time. The show has the uncanny ability to show off clever dialogue and strong writing with strong characters. Nick O'Malley may seem like the typical badass good guy, when he is that but so much more. In the first episode he makes it pretty clear he doesn't care about anyone other than himself. He dispels that formulaic theme in no time when he shows he is supporting the family of his deceased partner from 2 years prior. He does care, he just keeps it inside to protect himself from the everyday pain he endures to kill the monsters that killed his partner. So we care about him as much as we cheer on his wicked skills as a monster killer and wicked one-liners. Kate Benson is another character we care about as well, who has the ability to see past things normal don't do. She grew up being looked down upon for her ability to look past the obvious and what lurks beneath the surface and that's how she finds herself in Special Unit 2. She is a true good cop but quickly learns being by the book won't solve cases all the time. She still has her convictions and morals whose driving force is not loss but for what she wants to discover and learn. The cast of this show clearly has the best chemistry I've seen on a show in recent memory. They all play off of each other with such ease it's a sight to behold. The special effects are brilliant and so are the production values and art direction. Special Unit 2 works on many different levels from the acting to the creature effects. There is more to Special Unit 2 than just an elite monster fighting team concept. It has a heart and special magic that makes it work that I haven't seen on many shows in recent memory. Stargate SG-1 and First Wave have that, not many others do. Special Unit 2 is worth a chance to see Alexondra Lee, Michael Landes, Richard Gant, and Danny Woodburn show their talents. This is a kick ass show with a heart that is also very beautiful and haunting at the same time. There are strong artistic values to this show that make it that much better than other shows in this genre. Special Unit 2 is worth a look and some of your videotape!