Mending the Line

Main character Colter is a Black man (Sinqua Walls). Of the other four most-seen characters, one is a White man, two are White women who are three-dimensional and have agency, and one is played by Wes Studi, who is Cherokee. Some veterans are played by actors with amputations who talk about their trauma in therapy. Other characters of color can be seen in smaller/background roles.

Brief but horrific scenes of war in Afghanistan include explosions, lots of shooting, and deaths. Character has nightmares reliving the incident in ever more horrific ways. Character attempts death by suicide by carrying a large rock into the lake (goes under water but pops up a moment later). Person blacks out and wakes up with blood trickle on forehead. Colter experiences fits of rage, slapping a chair across the room, storming out of therapy, slamming a keyboard, smashing bottles, punching at parked vehicles, etc. Large scars on legs. Characters panicking, arguing, yelling. Dialogue about someone killed in a car accident.

Two characters begin a tentative romance, with some flirting, etc. Woman breaks out her "special moves," i.e., a sexy dance. Spoken story about a man losing his shorts and being naked. Dialogue about men "whose junk doesn't work."

Strong, somewhat frequent language includes uses of "f--k," "s--t," "bulls--t," "son of a bitch," "bitch," "goddamn," "damn," "freak," "crap," "stupid." Middle-finger gestures. "Jesus" used as an exclamation.

Main character drinks whiskey to self-medicate; he frequently gulps from a plastic bottle and drinks several large shots in a bar. (A character tells him to "lay off the booze ... you reek.") Main character also takes prescription pills. Another character keeps a bottle of whiskey; an empty bottle is in the sink, and viewers learn that he dumped it out. Characters share drinks from a paper bag-wrapped bottle. Characters share beers. Cigar smoking.