The title of the series tells you exactly what it is about. Army Wives (well, really it should be Army Spouses since there is a man in the group) chronicles the day to day lives of the spouses of army men and women. I'm sure you're wondering what makes their lives any different from any other married couple. Like other married couples, they do suffer some of the same problems, infidelity, money woes, etc., but they also have to suffer losing their spouses overseas, not getting to see their spouse for months or even years, post-traumatic stress disorder, and especially dealing with some really bitchy spouses. Living on base seems to be like living in a big high school where there are cliques to deal with, and some people who just haven't grown up yet.
The first 20 minutes or so of the first episode was slow. But given that there are quite a few people to introduce, that's understandable. By the end of the episode, we were on the edge of our seats to see what was going to happen next. If you've read my reviews of JAG, you might remember Catherine Bell from her role as tough marine Sara MacKenzie. This time, she gets to play a completely opposite character. She is now Denise Sherwood (Catherine Bell), wife of an army major. I was really impressed with her transition. She plays the character so well that I don't feel like I'm watching Mac at all. Also in the group is Pamela Moran (Brigid Brannagh). She used to be a cop, but is now a stay at home mom living life on base. She seems to be the target of most of the really bitchy women. My personal favorite character is Pamela's new best friend Roxy LeBlanc (Sally Pressman). Roxy is new to the army wife life. She just married a man she knew for 4 days and moved her kids on base with him. Her husband Trevor (Drew Fuller) is a wonderful guy. Roxy is just awesome. She works hard, is a wonderful mom, and takes no nonsense from anyone. The more I watched, the better I liked her.
The last two members of the group are Claudia Joy Holden (Kim Delaney) and Roland Burton (Sterling Brown). Claudia has to deal with being married to one of the highest ranking officers on base and the pressures that brings. Roland is the sole male in the group. He is a psychiatrist, so he sees enough problems on the job that he probably doesn't want to deal with them outside of work too. But he is a great guy and helps everyone he can whenever possible.
Also included on the DVD are lots of special features, including bloopers, outtakes, deleted scenes, and even a deleted storyline, all of which I recommend watching too. So if you can't tell by now, I highly recommend you go buy Army Wives, especially if you are a fan of dramas like Desperate Housewives or Grey's Anatomy. Did I mention it has the same executive producer as Grey's Anatomy, Mark Gordon? Seriously, go get Army Wives, it's great.
