Army Wives, the t.v. series

When Army Wives first hit the airwaves back in 2008, I really wanted to watch it but we were on a “no cable” fly zone. This month, however, I was lucky enough to watch seasons 1 through 4 on Netflix instant stream and all I can say is, “ADDICTING”.

There are so many aspects of the show that I like. It’s got drama, it’s got action, it’s got comedy, and there’s even a little mystery from time to time. But what it has the most of is heart. From the very first episode you feel as though you’ve made friends with the characters and you’re drawn into their lives.

The best part, however, is that while it has a realistic view of what military life is like, it doesn’t try to cram politics down your throat. Instead, it teaches viewers to respect those who choose to live the military lifestyle—regardless of what branch one might serve.

That being said, my husband has been sure to point out that while the overall premise of the show is a realistic view of military life in general, the wives and families of enlisted men and officers do not mingle together.

And yet, the mingling of the different ranks works.

By building a circle of friends with military wives whose spouses serve in various levels of the military, we, the viewers, get to see a more well-rounded view of military life.

The more I watch the series, the more I am convinced that this series should be required viewing material for anyone interested in enlisting, or marrying into the military.

So who are the main characters?

First, there is the General’s wife, Claudia Joy. She is the matriarch of the group. She is the head of the FRG (Family Readiness Program) and works with her husband to make sure that military personnel and their wives are treated fairly. She is smart, knows how to play the political game to get things done, and is very empathetic towards the plight of others; regardless of their rank.

Next in line is the wife to a Major, Denise. Denise was born and raised in the military life and gave up her career as a nurse to raise her son and be the always on-call wife. But when her son reaches the age of maturity, she hits a mid-life crisis that nearly costs her, her marriage and her family.

Then there’s the wife of a Pfc, Roxy. Roxy basically raised herself as a child due to her mother’s alcoholism. She married her military spouse only days after meeting him and together they’re raising her two boys. Not content with being a military housewife, she takes a job as a waitress/bartender at a local bar.

Next is the wife of a member of the Delta Force, Pamela. Pamela gave up her career as a police officer to raise her children, but when her marriage hits rocky grounds, she returns to the force and must decide between being a military wife and raising her children as a single parent.

Finally, there’s the spouse of a Lt. Colonel, Roland. Roland is a license psychologist struggling with his wife’s desire to put military career above his desire to have and raise a family.

The four meet when Pamela goes into early labor and delivers twins on a bar pool table. In that moment, the four realize that while they’ve been perfectly content going about their lives as military spouses who only socialized within the proper ranks, there was something missing and so a new circle of friends was formed and together they fight to make it work.

You can watch Army Wives on Netflix instant stream, rent it, or buy the series on Amazon.com You can watch the trailer on YouTube.