For those fans that have anticipated the return of Army Wives, the third season comes to DVD. That said, I am not a fan of this show. I winced through the entire season. Perhaps because I have friends who are actually army wives and they hate the show, or because the drama just seemed unreal to me. I had to keep reminding myself that it is just a TV show, but bad acting and bad writing set my teeth on edge.
The show sees the return of Joan (Wendy Davis), Roxy (Sally Pressman), Denise (Catherine Bell), Pamela (Brigid Brannagh) and my least favorite Claudia Joy (Kim Delaney). Of course all face some sort of crisis (I suppose it wouldn’t be a “drama” if they didn’t). Most of the problems they face are a real yawn, though, and I think I even fell asleep during an episode or two.
What I did see didn’t impress me. Not in the least. The only characters that half-way caught my interest were Joan and her husband. They have some funny moments – such as a romantic evening turning bad due to bad shellfish that leaves them on the bathroom floor all night.
But Joan and her husband plus baby had me wishing I had a baby like that. That child sleeps all the time and never whines or cries - even when it has a death-grip of a fever and ends up in the hospital. Joan has made the decision to go back into combat and leaves her husband and child. She calls from Germany and asks how everything is going. Hubby doesn’t want to tell her their child is feverish and in the army hospital. She has a duty to fulfill, of course. That had me rolling my eyes skyward, since it was entirely her choice she was going overseas.
The other really annoying aspect of the show is Claudia Joy. Kim Delaney cannot act. I don’t know why I didn’t notice her limited skills on NYPD Blue, but I think it was because she was surrounded my people who COULD act. Here she just fails miserably. And the whole diabetic drama drove me nuts. I am diabetic and I have never tripped while walking down the hall and fallen into a diabetic coma.
When I stick myself with the needle, I don’t wince as if I am dying and dramatically groan and sigh as it pierces my flesh. In fact, insulin needles are quite small and you hardly feel them. I really rolled my eyes skyward during her bathroom scene when she has to stick herself. I realize the show needed to make it dramatic, but that was a tad too much.
The other three army wives, Denise, Pamela and Roxy also give their bit of annoying to this show.
Sally Pressman’s voice could send you into a coma and you would be grateful just to get away from it. She continues to struggle as owner of The Hump bar and with the idea of having another baby.
The best thing about Catherine Bell is the shirts she wears, and for that reason guys might want to watch this show. Her character continues to be a bit of a downer on the show as she separates from her husband, and then starts dating him again.
Brannagh has a decent storyline this season (questioning whether she should stay married with her husband), but you start to resent her reasons for leaving. You don’t see the wives of The Unit jumping ship because their husbands aren’t home much.
My least favorite episode was probably the actors-turned-War World II-time period. It was a sappy Fried Green Tomatoes wanna-be that didn’t have any soul. But it did give the costume and prop designers something to do other than Modernism. I have noticed that a lot of shows are somehow incorporating the past into an episode - some of these are done cleverly and allow the actors and audience a different perspective. Army Wives attempts to accomplish this style, but failed to me.
Special features include a blooper reel and deleted scenes. Also some featurettes are included with the cast visiting real army bases and taking time to show their favorite parts of their shooting location - Charleston, South Carolina.
If you are not a fan of this show, now is not the time to become one. Pass it by. The third season featured more trivial moments, weak and limp characters, bad acting and bad writing.
Visit the DVD database for more information.
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