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Army Wives
The Complete Third Season
Studio: ABC Studios
Year: 2009
US Rating: TV PG DLSV
Film Length: 759 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 – Enhanced for Widescreen Televisions
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: Spanish and French
Release Date: February 9, 2010
Review Date: February 15, 2010
“I won't be the first Army spouse to put his professional life on hold to support the soldier he married”
The Show: 3 out of 5
This Lifetime Network show centers on the spouses of men and women serving in the US armed forced; how they live with the stress of their loved ones being in harm’s way in a foreign land, as well as the close-knit relationships that develop on base – along with the complications and melodrama of dealing with friends, family, fighting and fun in those conditions.
This show has found a solid audience who enjoy both its relationship drama and topical and current premise setting and the best of the show can be found in understanding the toil and trauma of living on base as an Army Wife (or husband). The personal relationships that develop under compressed timelines (due to the transient nature of living within the army) create a constant boiling pot of plot ideas.
The show has developed more than just a fan following – it has extended successfully online via fan posts and blogs; fans who relate to the relationship dramas or relate to being married to a soldier – who appreciate simply a show that is set in their world and express dramatically the fears, friendships and fights that army wives (and husbands) experience.
Season three continues with the same tone and gratuitous conflagration of emotion and, one could say, bizarre soap-operatic persuasions that it so comfortably enjoyed in previous seasons. In that vein, it could be argued that the conceit of the show is at risk from stagnation, but these shows are happily enjoyed particularly because they follow familiar paths, plots, and pettiness that define such entertaining distractions. Marriage troubles for Denise and Frank, mental strife for Chase from his capture ordeal, a new position in the army for Trevor, the potential closing of Fort Marshall, the pain of devotion to army animals, issues with recruiting tactics, and a slew of other of Army life’s on base struggles.
Army Wives has a big cast filled with actors who are often given sizable onscreen moments to delve into and make dramatic dishes from the ample screen time. Refreshingly, this is female heavy cast whose stories go beyond the traditional trappings of non-male hour long dramas. The cast includes Kim Delaney as Claudia Joy Holden, the petite Brigid Brannagh as Pamela Moran, Sally Pressman as Roxy LeBlanc, Brian McNamara as Michael Holden, Sterling K. Brown as Roland Burton, Wendy Davis as Joan Burton, Drew Fuller as Trevor LeBlanc, Terry Serpico as Frank Sherwood, and the beautiful Catherine Bell, of J.A.G Fame, as Denise Sherwood.
Army Wives is certainly not the best written or portrayed show on television, but it is a well timed premise, as American Soldiers fight in two wars overseas, and is a canvass for giving a strong female cast meaningful (yet unabashedly melodramatic) onscreen moments.
The Episodes
Disc One
- The Best Laid Plans
- About Face
- Moving Out
- Incoming
Disc Two
- Disengagement
- Family Readiness
- Onward, Christian Soldiers
- Post and Prejudice
Disc Three
- Coming Home
- M.I.A
- Operation: Tango
- First Response
Disc Four
- Duty to Inform
- Need to Know Basis
- As Time Goes By…
- Shrapnel and Alibis
Disc Five
- Fire in the Hole
- Fields of Fire
The Video: 3.5 out of 5
Army Wives: The Complete Third Season is presented on DVD over five discs in a widescreen, 1.78:1 aspect ratio enhanced for 16X9 televisions. The show presents reasonably well on DVD, though softness pervades the series. The show has a warm color palette generally – but not a particularly broad palette. For fans of the show, this presentation won’t disappoint.
The Sound: 3.5 out of 5
The Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound option available doesn’t get flexed in this chat heavy audio – common for this series. Activity in the center channel and fronts carry most of the duty and handle that job pretty well. The show frequently breaks into songs with guitar strums and angst voices to carry the onscreen drama over into the emotional pulling of heartstrings – and it is at those moments that you can find activity in the surrounds.
The Extras: 3 out of 5
Deleted Scenes: 15 deleted scenes with optional commentary available by Executive Producer Jeff Melvoin.
Webisodes: A total of 6 webisodes featuring Joan and Roland Burton and Jeremy Sherwood .
Stationed in the South (21:49): A look at filming on location in Charleston, South Carolina (a beautiful city). We follow Catherine Bell and her onscreen husband Terry Serpico as they enjoy downtime having fun (particularly on the waters), and other actors as they find ways to take time out to enjoy with the area has to offer.
Army Wives Gives Back: Once again,we follow the main cast members ‘giving back’ by helping out real families, giving makeovers and surprising real ‘army wives’ with dinner parties and vacations. Broken in to three chapters, Wendy Davis & Aneana Pearce, Sterling Brown & Jodi Petit, and Wendy Davis & Brooke Atkins. I expect some tears will flow.
Bloopers (8:33): Onsetcuts ups and line flubs.
Final Thoughts
Army Wives is still not my kind of show and remains a faithful friend to melodramatic excursions and flights of soap opera fancy. But the fans of this show are loyal, and for those who can relatedto life on base, even if it is an exaggerated version, this is an important show.
Overall Score: 3 out of 5
Neil Middlemiss
Kernersville, NC
