The Unusuals (2009) – hidden gem
Just finished watching the 10-episode show of the Unusuals which I thoroughly enjoyed.
In brief, it’s about NYC’s 2nd precinct, its quirky cops, and their equally quirky cases. The stories are good and there are some very funny lines and scenes.
The best part is the actors.
Amber Tamblyn, as Casey Shraeger, is trying to become a good cop without the help of her parents and their financial clout. She kind of plays the straight character so she doesn’t get all the bizarre tics the others do. On the other hand, she’s very sweet and likable. Her new partner is Jason Walsh.
On why she wouldn’t be a slut: “not interested in seeing that many penises.”
Jeremy Renner, as Jason Walsh, is the experienced detective whose partner recently died in suspicious circumstances. Walsh is a mysterious character but it is clear he is loyal to his fellow cops. His romantic relationship is the most charming of the bunch.
Commemorating his murdered partner:
This is how it works: We pass the badge down ’til it kills you… and then we hang it on the wall. So let’s raise a glass. Because a cop is dead, and he most certainly will not be forgotten.
Adam Goldberg, as Eric Delahoy, is ill with what we soon discover is a brain tumor. We don’t find out much more about it, as he refuses to go to a doctor. He’s a tragic and sympathetic figure and also gets some funny scenes with his partner Banks.
Harold Perrineau, as Leo Banks, is terrified because he’s 42, and that is the familial age to die. Bottles of hand sanitizer stack his desk. He always wears a bullet proof vest, even to bed. I rooted for the guy to get over his phobia.
Kai Lennox, as Eddie Alveraz, is insufferably arrogant which causes him to be the butt of the pranks and quips that the other characters throw his way. You find out some of what motivates him later in the series.
Monique Gabriela Curnen, as Allison Beaumont, never got enough focus on her character to know her. But she was tough and wryly humorous. Her partner is Henry Cole.
Joshua Close, as Henry Cole, is the pious prude with the nasty secret. I could not like this guy. He was humorless and hypocritical. I think the writers didn’t give Cole enough humanizing touches.
The show is great fun and should not be missed. It makes me want to rent everything these actors have been in because I want more of them.
Excellent recaps here.
Thorne Smith wrote a slew of light fantasy novels in the 1920s and 1930s. Topper with Cary Grant and Constance Bennett as an irreverent ghostly couple is the most famous adaptation of his novels.
