10-year-old Luke lives with his parents and grandparents in Arkansas during the Korean War. To pick the cotton in their fields, they must hire "hill people" and Mexicans. Hank is a "hill person" who doesn't take kindly to people looking down on him. Luke witnesses a fight that Hank gets into that causes the death of another person. With better times ahead to look forward to, the town gets excited about a new invention, television.

The Unit is a covert Special Forces team that operates outside the military chain of command. They are on the front lines, protecting U.S. citizens and foreigners alike, risking their lives daily in the process.