Special Unit 2
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Special Unit 2 was a short-lived, American science-fiction/comedy series shown on UPN for one and a half seasons from 2000-2001. 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.
[edit] 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 was humanoid descendents 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, having lost his previous partner due to her death.
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 the SU2 heroes do not go to great length to 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.
[edit] 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.
