Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to The Unusuals: for my money, the best show that you never watched. I’ve loved a lot of low-rated shows cancelled by ABC (see: Sports Night, Traveler, and Cupid twice) but this quirky cop comedy-drama is the one where I still think, “I really, truly miss this show.”
All of you who just discovered that Jeremy Renner is the coolest thing since sliced bread thanks to his role as Clint Barton/Hawkeye in The Avengers or his two Oscar nominations need to catch up; he’s been very good for a very long time, and dare I say he was never better than when he was playing the tough and complex Detective Jason Walsh. Walsh was one of those characters who just popped from the first scene; by the end of the pilot, I already felt like I’d known the guy for years.
Walsh’s new partner was the very (as in just that day) promoted Casey Shraeger, as portrayed by Amber Tamblyn from Joan of Arcadia and House. Casey had the chance of being a walking bag of cliches: the wide-eyed new girl, partnered with the veteran cop she doesn’t quite mesh with, trying to prove that she belongs on the team. Tamblyn kept her out of every familiar place, and made her someone the viewers could explore this quirky little world along with.
And “quirky” is the right word. It’s one that’s thrown around a lot as every show wants to make its characters stand out amongst the crowd. But the detectives of the 2nd Precinct really were different. They were the most unique cast of characters I’ve seen on television before or since. Detective Leo Banks (a post-Lost Harold Perrineau) was terrified he’d die at the age of 42 and spent half his time trying to avoid that. Banks’ partner, Eric Delahoy (Adam Goldberg), had a brain tumor he refused to get help for.
Partners Allison Beaumont (the underrated Monique Gabriela Curnen, who’d go on to have a recurring role in the final season of Lie To Me) and Henry Cole (Josh Close) both had secrets they were keeping. Eddie Alvarez (Kai Lennox) referred to himself in the third person. It was up to Sergeant Harvey Brown (the always dependable Terry Kinney) to keep them all together.
But what made the ensemble really work was that they weren’t just quirky for the sake of being quirky, or for their differences to be mined for jokes; at no point did I ever stop believing in these people. In fact, I actually wanted to hang out with them.
I’ve watched a lot of cop shows. A lot of cop shows, or shows that somehow involve a character who works in law enforcement, or otherwise end up in that genre. They’re kind of my bread and butter (hey, I had to do something with my Criminology minor!) There’s never been another cop show I’ve loved as much as I loved The Unusuals. I still adore it. And hopefully, by the end of this re-watch, you’ll like it, too.
A warning: as this is a re-watch, there may be spoilers. I’m attempting to keep them to a minimum in order to encourage new viewers to check the show out, but in properly discussing episodes, there’s a chance a few could sneak in. These shouldn’t detract from your enjoyment in any way; whether you know what’s coming or not, this is still one of the best shows to have been on television.
Let’s get started…
Clacked by Brittany Frederick 
on Jun 25, 2012 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
I wholeheartedly agree with what you wrote about “The Unusuals.” I found it on Netflix and have watched the episodes that are posted. I admit I didn’t know this show was on when it originally aired. I guess maybe the title threw me off as I usually watch most crime shows. This is perfectly acted by every member of the cast. I cannot fathom why this was taken off the air and I think we lost a trully great show. I don’t know if they could get the cast back, especially Jeremy Renner since he is so busy these days, but I would love to see it back on the air, maybe even through cable.