"It's the perfect show for right now, whatever way you feel about the war," said Catherine Bell, who plays Denise Sherwood, a loving wife and mother to a teenage son who physically abuses her while her husband is away. "Most people are against the idea of our guys dying over there [in Iraq and Afghanistan], and the show shows the stories of the families faced with that fear on a daily basis.
"The friends all harbor secrets that isolate them. Former-cop-turned-surrogate-mother Pamela Moran (Brigid Brannagh) fears the community will learn she's giving birth for money, while scantily clad bartender Roxy LeBlanc (Sally Pressman) struggles to overcome a sordid background. Emmy winner Kim Delaney ("NYPD Blue") anchors the group as Claudia Joy Holden, the assertive wife who commands respect around the post. And Roland Burton (Sterling K. Brown) sticks out as the male counterpart, dealing with his wife's post-traumatic stress disorder.
I live on a military post. I have yet to meet any woman who looks anything like Catherine Bell. I don't know any surrogate mothers or sexy bartenders.
I do know plenty of assertive wives. And I'm sure there are abusive teenage sons, and female soldiers with PTSD.
I also know plenty of truly strong women who struggle with difficult (but not violent) teenagers, especially boys; women who have to work to pay the bills (but they don't tend bar or sell their children); women who try to have a normal family life while the head of the household is gone for over a year. I know women who can't say no and get too involved in volunteer activities, and other women who can't say yes and retreat into their private shell. I know women who struggle with fear for their husbands' lives, and others who reach out to those who have lost their husbands. I know women who support the war, and women who don't; women who push their husband's careers, and women who nag him to get out.
Army Wives premieres on June 3rd at 10 pm. I hope I'm sleeping then. If any of you watch the show, let me know. If you are an Army wife, let me know if you think it's real. If you're not an Army wife, watch it for the entertainment value, but don't expect to get a true glimpse of what being Army Strong is really all about.
5 comments:
I'd be leery of anything on Lifetime. I don't mind a drama on military wives, but I hope it doesn't do any damage. And military kids live with enough stereotyping without being painted in a negative light. I have the utmost respect for military wives, having one Marine brother and former Marine brother and father and fil as former miitary.
Doesn't sound realistic to me. Have you seen The Unit? It was on Tuesday's at 10. Not sure if it still is. It focuses pretty equally on the soldiers and their wives. And I didn't think it was too bad.
So then this is the military-family version of Desperate Housewives? I guess in both cases, the truth just doesn't make for interesting TV....
My boyfriend is a former Marine. We have a difficult time communicating. Whenever our conversation is an emotional subject he closes up. I can't get him to show any emotion. He won't look me in the face. He acts like he doesn't care, maybe even like he doesn't like me. Also, sometimes he doesn't think of me, but when he does one small thing he acts like he went to extraordinary lengths. He doesn't seem to notice that I naturally put his happiness before me daily. Otherwise, he acts like he loves me when times are good. He acts like one emotional conversation is proof that we'll never make it. A couple of people told me that his behavior is because of Marine training. I was married for 12 yrs before. My husband didn't act the same way and neither did any boyfriend I ever had. I'm not sure if he's just being a stubborn 40 yr old man or if this is former Marine behavior. Please advise...
my boyfriend is in the army and I will be the first one to say I know nothing about military life. But when Army Wives first premiered I really got into the show... I think it is because I could relate to one of the actress on not knowing anything about living on base. I just wanted to put in my two-sense and say I really enjoyed watchin it, and am kinda upset its not back on yet...
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