Death is something inevitable for a military series that deals with heroism just like
The Unit. While viewers have already been accustomed to tragedies arising from the perilous missions of the top-secret military squad, many are still astonished with the idea that one of the key players of the team no longer exists. Now, millions of fans are mourning for Sergeant First Class Hector “Hammerhead” Williams, portrayed by
Demore Barnes, as he was fatally shot in the neck by a sniper while the team was trying to escape from Hezbollah during the rescue mission in Beirut in the episode entitled “Five Brothers.”
Williams was an experienced marksman who was a Unit operator assigned to Alpha Team of the 1st Special Actions Group. Aside from frequently serving as a sharpshooter, he also served as the team's medic. He was a favorite among many fans, and judging from the reaction of BuddyTV readers, most of them aren't happy with the producers' decision to take out the character.
After watching Tuesday's episode, many BuddyTV readers aired out their sentiments, expressing their “huge disappointment” with the show and its writers. According to those frustrated fans, Williams was one of the characters of the show with “the most developmental potential” and that his death caused much dissatisfaction to the series.
On the other hand, there are those who consider Williams' death as an astonishing yet clever twist that even more confirms the authenticity of the show's depiction of the real military world.
A BuddyTV reader named Chin said, “It's nice to know that many folks were upset by last night's ending much like me, however you have to admit that you didn't see it coming, and purely from a writing perspective it was an ingenious twist!”
“That ticked me off... But after a bit of reflection, I realized I wasn't frustrated so much because the show had just killed off one of my favorite characters, but more so because that's what happens in real life within our military. The reality I find myself in thickens when I see today's headlines portrayed in color on my TV set,” another anonymous reader commented.
While many are pondering if Colonel Tom Ryan (
Robert Patrick) has to do with Williams' death to cover his affair with Tiffany, others are hoping that the program's writers will eventually come up with an ingenious way to bring him back to life. Perhaps pretend that he was killed for some super undercover mission?
As for Barnes, there is no confirmation yet on what he'll be doing after
The Unit. Nevertheless, he reveals in an interview with
OK! Magazine that he'll be spending his downtime working with Wing Haven, a refuge for battered women and children, but also wants to leap into the big screen.
“I hope I have a career that is raw, and impacting and all-encompassing in the many areas and facets of the industry. I want to do it all. I want to be one of the forces to be reckoned with, one of these days,” the
Unit actor said.
-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
(Image courtesy of CBS)