'The Special Unit' offers rare heroes

As 'The Special Unit' airs on iFilm, it demands a deeper examination of its production quality and the powerful way it develops its heroes.

'The Special Unit' offers a unique experience in police dramas. It focuses on character development and showcases the role of police in real cases while incorporating elements of mystery and action.

Our typical perception of a police series is centered around classic heroes: diligent, hardworking, powerful men with impactful appearances.

However, 'The Special Unit' offers notable changes in the portrayal and actions of its characters, blending elements from both mystery and action genres to narrate its stories.

 With a blend of humor and drama, 'The Special Unit' stands out as a thoughtful and analyzable entry in police dramas. 

In this context, some critics have shared insights regarding 'The Special Unit', which we will explore further below:

Jabbar Azin, a critic and educator, said about this series, "Whether police dramas are produced domestically or dubbed from other languages, they inevitably catch the audience's attention. This viewer interest has fostered the activation of filmmaking groups and even collaboration with institutions like the police force, boosting the production of police series on television."

He continued, "The experience gained from producing police dramas indicates that the themes addressed can be appealing to all members, and adhering to the standards of a work of art makes it easier to attract viewers and facilitates the transmission of messages."

Azin noted that 'The Special Unit' somewhat embodies these characteristics, stating, "The writer, director, and main actors have strived to deliver an engaging series. However, the inexperience and naivety of the production team have led to insufficient emphasis on social and familial issues, presenting some simple and superficial challenges. The depiction of a trio of police officers concentrated the thematic focus of the series, preventing the scattering of subjects, locations, and characters, but it also limited the introduction of the extensive range of police activities and their various specialties."

This critic of cinema and television added, "A fleeting and superficial look at social issues, along with the director’s experimental approach to crafting incident scenes and handling techniques in filming and editing, has prevented this series from meeting the full standards of a successful television product, keeping it within the average range of TV series."

"Nonetheless, as a police drama, it has valuable insights to offer and has managed to articulate these without hesitation. In my opinion, 'The Special Unit', as a debut police series from a young director, earns a passing grade. However, given the inherent popularity of police genres, if a more experienced team with a richer background had produced this series, we would certainly have seen better results."

Police Through an Artistic Lens

Colonel Hedayatollah Sajjadi, a consultant for the Iranian police force and an actor, commented on the development and content of 'The Special Unit'.

He said, "A recurring question I've heard about the series is whether such police officers exist in our country and how closely this series aligns with reality. The precise answer is we do have police officers with these characteristics, but the drama has necessitated some alterations in their portrayals."

He added, "In reality, police duties are specialized; the crime prevention unit works to avert offenses, while the special unit patrols Tehran, investigating suspicious activities. In 'The Special Unit,' we have allowed these police officers to engage with other sectors, showcasing lesser-seen aspects of the police force's capabilities. Additionally, the portrayal of police procedures and their technical dimensions has been accurately represented in this series, for the equipment, their operational methods, and all details were meticulously examined in the production process."

"If, for instance, a police officer in a scene touches certain items without gloves or performs any actions, it adheres to existing regulations and realities. Ultimately, it cannot be overlooked that 'The Special Unit' is an artistic work and, like any other artistic creation, interacts with the audience's taste. This series undoubtedly has its share of supporters, critics, and even police officers in reality. However, what has happened during its production was an honest effort to create an engaging and visually appealing series," he concluded.