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In the third season of Army Wives, the characters are faced with normal, everyday problems—nothing too tragic, just those little things that can make a day frustrating and irritating. Though I’ve often said that I like to escape when I’m reading or watching television—and I don’t like anything too complicated and tragic—there are those times when it’s good to know that others sweat the small stuff, too.
Claudia Joy Holden (Kim Delaney) is forced to stay behind with her daughter, Emmalin (Katelyn Pippy)—who tried to elope at the end of season two—instead of heading to Brussels, where her husband, Brigadier General Michael Holden (Brian McNamara), is offered a prestigious position. Emmalin begins to act out, going against her parents as much as she can, as she’s still trying to work through the death of her older sister.
Once her husband finds out about her affair with a patient, Denise Sherwood (Catherine Bell) fights to save her marriage. But it’s a difficult battle because she’s committed the ultimate sin against a soldier, and no one (least of all her husband) is willing to forgive her for that mistake—not even her closes friends.
Roxy LeBlanc (Sally Pressman) faces many challenges as she tries to keep her bar in the black, and it doesn’t help when the IRS comes after her for back taxes that her former partner hadn’t paid. Meanwhile, at home, her husband, Corporal Trevor LeBlanc (Drew Fuller), is pressuring her to have a baby.
Pamela Moran (Brigid Brannagh) spends most of her time raising her two children alone, while her husband is on secret missions for the military. She’s a tough ex-cop from Boston, and she can handle almost anything, but knowing something went wrong with one of his missions and not knowing where he is almost brings her to her knees.
Lieutenant Colonel Joan Burton (Wendy Davis) faces army life as a new mother. As she deals with the challenges of balancing home life with her duties as an officer in the military, it becomes harder to leave her daughter each day, especially with pending deployment coming up in three months. Her husband, Roland Burton (Sterling K. Brown), becomes increasingly resentful that he’s playing Mr. Mom while his wife enjoys her career as a soldier.
As their lives move forward, small things accumulate into tragedy for some and happiness for others. But by the end of the season all of their lives are changed drastically in one way or another.
I can’t believe how addicted I’ve become to Army Wives—and it’s all because I can relate to their problems on some level. It’s a story that needs to be told, so others can begin to understand the challenges that military families face on a regular basis. And, in other ways, maybe Army Wives can help actual military families feel not so alone.
With laughter, tears, and a whole lot of strength, Army Wives will keep you enthralled as you wonder what new challenges the characters will face in the next episode. And although some of them make big mistakes, you’ll find yourself being a little more understanding and less judgmental because of their situations, especially when they’re facing the consequences of their mistakes.
Army Wives is one of the best and most sophisticated dramas that television has to offer, simply because it’s not a true soap opera, with all of the backstabbing and cat fights of daytime television. You can love the characters in Army Wives as their lives unfold in each episode because they’re just like you and me.
Even if you dislike or even hate dramas (like I do), give Army Wives a try. I bet you’ll end up loving it (like I do).
