Television Reviews -
Army Wives: Navigation

• CSM Reviews <--
• Adult Reviews
• Kid Reviews

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this drama about military spouses has strong sexual innuendo, some upsetting scenes of a teen physically abusing his mother, and lots of drinking (some in response to post traumatic stress), While current events in the Middle East provide a backdrop for the show, at its heart, the series is a fictional drama about life as an Army wife (or husband) -- not the current war.

Families can talk about how the media portrays the military. In general, is it positive or negative? How can you tell? Do you think this show reinforces the general public's ideas about life in the Army or dispels them? Families can also discuss the challenges and benefits of living on a military post or base. Also, how do military families cope with having a loved one serving in a war zone? What can communities do to help these families?

Rate It!

Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Melissa Camacho

ARMY WIVES revolves around a group of Army wives (and one army husband) who become friends while facing the many challenges of living on an active Army post .

The group's key members are strong, well-respected Claudia Joy Holden (Kim Delaney); devoted wife and mother Denise Sherwood (Catherine Bell), saucy, independent newcomer Roxy LeBlanc (Sally Pressman); and former police officer Pamela Moran (Brigid Brannagh). They're joined by Roland Burton (Sterling K. Brown), a psychiatrist who must rebuild his relationship with his wife, Lt. Colonel Joan Burton (Wendy Davis), when she returns from two years of service in Afghanistan.

While life in Fort Marshall, South Carolina, is dictated by military rules, the wives (and husbands) find themselves living according to their own code of behavior. Rumors and gossip are a daily part of life as many wives compete with each other behind the scenes to boost their husbands' stature. Others find themselves secretly coping with more personal challenges, such as living with an abusive son, confronting estranged ex-husbands, or earning extra income through surrogate motherhood.

While the military spouses have their secrets, they all share the same anxieties that come with having a loved one actively serving in the military. They're expected to stay strong, but their fears of losing a spouse in the Middle East are compounded by their inability to express those fears freely. Even those who are finally reunited with their partners must face realities like post traumatic stress disorder and eroded marriages.

As is the case with other Lifetime series, Army Wives focuses primarily on the lives of women. The series isn't designed as a political statement on the war in Iraq. Instead, it tells some entertaining stories that combine fiction with the very real drama associated with marrying into a military life.

Fans may also enjoy classic Lifetime shows like Strong Medicine and The Division, as well as the classic military dramedy M*A*S*H.

Rate It!

Content
		CS	adults	kids
Sexual Content Strong sexual innuendo and occasional simulated sex acts (including oral sex). Some skimpy underwear. Some of the wives discuss the various names for their vagina, talk about virginity, etc. Sex and infidelity are frequent topics of discussion.
Violence Disturbing images of teen son hitting/abusing his mother. News footage of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan is sometimes visible. Children occasionally play with guns, tanks, and other military-type toys. Soldiers are sometimes seen working with or wielding guns. Physical fights between soldiers, some of whom are drunk or traumatized. Some violent incidents, like explosions.
Language On the milder side: "ass," "damn," "hell," etc.
Message
	Social Behavior Highlights many of the difficulties associated with living on an active Army post. While the wives (and husbands) of those serving must live by Army codes of conduct in public, within their own circle they're often secretive, catty, gossipy, and competitive. Issues range from adoption and surrogate motherhood to alcoholism, children abusing parents, and post traumatic stress disorder. The cast is primarily Caucasian, though the Burtons are African American. Roxy is from a lower-class background, while Claudia Joy grew up very privileged.
	Commercialism
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Frequent alcohol consumption. Lt. Colonel Burton is often seen drunk and acting wildly as a result of post traumatic stress. Roxy works at a local bar. Some underage drinking.

Rate It Now

OR