The title of the show refers to the structure of The Pentagon, which is configured in five concentric rings, from "A" to "E", with E being the outermost ring. Before any military action can be taken anywhere in the world, the mission must be planned and approved by the most important ring of the Pentagon, the E-ring. This is where the more high-profile work is done, all operations must be legally approved and the green light given by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The show starred Benjamin Bratt as Major James Tisnewski, a former Delta Force operator and Dennis Hopper as Colonel Eli McNulty, as officers working in the E-ring of the Pentagon in the Special Operations Division (SOD) – planning and co-ordinating covert US special operations actions around the globe.
The show struggled from the onset because it was up against ABC's Top 20 hit Lost, CBS's Top 30 hit Criminal Minds, FOX's Top 10 hit American Idol and the network's other Top 30 hit Unan1mous. Although NBC gave it an earlier time slot which led to better ratings, the show was pulled from the lineup during the February sweeps and officially canceled at the NBC upfront on May 15.
Cast
Benjamin Bratt – Major James "JT" Tisnewski,[2] a former Army Ranger and a Delta Force operator reassigned to the Joint Staff's Special Operations Division after 14 months in the Middle East. Four years prior to the series, he was an Operational Detachments-A Captain (as seen in "Cemetery Wind"). He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in "The General" and was assigned as the SOD Liaison to Delta Force.
In "Acceptable Losses" (the series finale), after taking down a Mexican drug cartel leader who'd allegedly smuggled Al Qaeda operatives across the border on US soil, LTC Tisnewski was arrested and was last seen in pre-trial confinement at the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Dennis Hopper – Colonel Eli McNulty,[2] the principal staff officer of the Special Operations Division. A Vietnam War veteran and former prisoner of war with two Silver Stars, COL McNulty is still sometimes a little old-fashioned when it comes to dealing with female personnel.
In "Acceptable Losses" (the series finale), COL McNulty tendered his resignation after it was publicly revealed that the US Army used FISA warrants to spy on American citizens who had extremely loose or tangential ties to terrorists.
Aunjanue Ellis – Master Sergeant Jocelyn Pierce, USMC,[3][4] a career Pentagon non-commissioned officer who has worked as COL McNulty's aide for two years. She is a widow; her husband Danny was killed in action.
Kerr Smith – Captain Bobby Wilkerson,[3] JT's former second-in-command who is now a Delta Force team leader. He is married with two kids, but is rarely ever home due to his job.
Robert Picardo - Larry Kincaid, a reporter who has been working at the Pentagon for over 20 years. He was paralyzed during his time as a war correspondent during the Vietnam War. (4 episodes)
Jaime Ray Newman – Nathalie Hughes, the daughter of General Hughes, the Commanding Officer of United States Special Operations Command, who begins a fellowship in Assistant Secretary of Defense Samantha Liston's office and a relationship with LTC Tisnewski. (4 episodes)
Colonel McNulty finds himself at odds with Major James Tisnewski (JT). The major must convince his superiors at the Pentagon and the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the United States should risk war with China to extract a Chinese national spying for the United States.
Story by : David McKenna & Ken Robinson Teleplay by : David McKenna
September 28, 2005 (2005-09-28)
2T6751
McNulty and his staff must act quickly to keep a terrorist ally from slipping away. The high-risk mission requires the best of the special-ops teams, and JT must send his old unit into harm's way. A wounded soldier and a captured terrorist are retrieved with the Fulton surface-to-air recovery system.
McNulty sends JT on a mission to Iraq to investigate unauthorized covert action and accusations the United States is illegally treading on Iranian soil. He winds up wounded and on the run. Sonny and Algazi must assemble a team to rescue JT from Iran.
Two US Marines are accused of raping a young local woman in Suriname. JT immediately jumps to action only to find opposition from senior staff. The United States does not want to jeopardize aluminum interests controlled by the Surinamese government. He must navigate the political maze to discern the truth and try to save the soldiers' lives.
JT challenges his superiors' reasons for unexpectedly placing a known terrorist on the capture/kill list and learns that politics in the Pentagon can be deadly.
Story by : David McKenna & Ken Robinson Teleplay by : David McKenna
November 2, 2005 (2005-11-02)
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JT's girlfriend Angie is put in a dangerous situation, and JT must recall his old Special Ops missions and follow the clue she left for him.
8
"Cemetery Wind (Part 2)"
David Barrett
Story by : David McKenna & Ken Robinson Teleplay by : Kenneth Biller & David McKenna
November 9, 2005 (2005-11-09)
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In Colombia, JT risks exposing an undercover operation against a murderous drug lord to discover who attacked Angie. Now, he has to finish a job they started together years ago.
JT and a Special Ops team are sent to Detroit to address a situation with a radical Christian group that has taken hostages inside a mosque. JT must address legal concerns around the action due to FBI jurisdiction.
McNulty discovers that a captured Navy Seal could be alive in the Philippines. When attempts to save the man faces resistance from the Pentagon brass, he and JT discuss a "backdoor" mission to save the soldier. Some of McNulty's mysterious past is revealed.
On Christmas Eve, JT works on a humanitarian aid mission for an Afghanistan village that helped Delta team several years ago. He finds the village confronting bad weather and an advancing Taliban force. Also, Sonny helps JT's father who needs a favor.
When an interagency strike in Amsterdam turns up an illegal lab producing the Plague, JT and his SOD team rush an anti-terrorism plan into effect, only to realize that the threat is much, much closer to home. Samantha finds herself with an enticing job offer, further complicating her relationship with JT.
JT and his team of Special Ops soldiers put themselves in harm's way to help investigate war criminals in Sarajevo. Things heat up when the attorney they are guarding is suddenly poisoned.
14
"The General"
David Barrett
David McKenna
February 1, 2006 (2006-02-01)
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JT is celebrating his promotion to lieutenant colonel when he and the Special Ops team receive word that a general officer is kidnapped in Spain. He and his team must travel the globe to track down the people responsible and before the terrorists' deadline. (Kerr Smith is promoted to series regular, and this is the last episode to air on NBC)
A foiled Special Ops mission in Pakistan leads JT to believe there is a spy in the E-Ring. When suspicion builds around the man Sgt. Pierce is dating, she must make a difficult decision.
The Venezuelan press claims a crashed plane was not a medical relief mission but rather a cover for a US assassination attempt against their president. JT and his team get caught in a fire fight and McNulty plots their escape from his hospital bed.
A US submarine collides with a North Korean submarine, which begins to sink. JT and his team race to rescue survivors but a few North Korean officers would rather kill their own crew.
During a mission to train an elite Iraqi service unit, JT and Bobby meet a young man who becomes a soldier to defend his country and family. As the unit prepares for high-ranking visitors, including Sonny, the young soldier learns his younger brother has chosen a different path.
Story by : Ken Robinson & Matthew Federman & Stephen Scaia Teleplay by : Matthew Federman & Stephen Scaia
October 26, 2006 (2006-10-26) (TG4)
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During a psychological evaluation, JT experiences flashbacks of a traumatic mission to Lebanon to rescue a man who is being tortured by insurgents. Bobby loses his composure when a known terrorist refuses to co-operate.
21
"Isolation"
David Barrett
Lauren Gussis & Erik Oleson
November 2, 2006 (2006-11-02) (TG4)
2T6770
JT and the team travel to Mexico to apprehend a drug lord who has allied himself with Al Qaeda and is smuggling terrorists into the US.
22
"Acceptable Losses"
Kenneth Biller
Kenneth Biller & Ken Robinson
November 9, 2006 (2006-11-09) (TG4)
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After escaping capture by Mexican authorities during a dangerous covert mission, JT becomes involved in a gunfight with a drug gang and later discovers that one of the men he shot is a federal agent. The series ends on a cliffhanger.
Broadcast
E-Ring aired in the United Kingdom on FX, as of July 28, 2006. They have shown all 22 episodes filmed, and have repeated the series several times since the conclusion of the original run. It is also currently (as of July 2006) shown in Kanal 5 for the Swedish market and in La Sexta for the Spanish market. On September 8, 2006, Hong Kong's ATV began showing it.
In October, E-Ring aired on Premiere (a German pay TV company) starting on October 5 synced in German language as well as the original sound. The show also aired on TVMax in (Panama) and on Rádio e Televisão de Portugal and is airing again on Fox. The show is also currently airing on the Israeli Cable channel XTRA Hot. The show was aired on Philippine cable channel Crime/Suspense. The show is also airing on SubTV (Finland). The show is also due to air on Nine HD (Australia) in April 2008. In Italy the show is due to air on Rai Due since March 21, 2008. In Croatia the show was aired on Croatian television HRT in September 2008, and again on RTL2 in September 2017. In July 2008 show started to air on Avala (Serbia).
The remaining episodes were shown on the Irish network TG4.
