Army Wives: 2.7 ‘Uncharted Territory’ Review
Original Air Date: July 20, 2008
Now that the Hump Bar is about to reopen as Betty’s Bar & Grill on Army Wives, the new spot is causing issues for many people. They include poor Roxy, who’s frazzled beyond belief trying to pass inspections and get everything up to speed before the grand reopening. She and Trevor spend a lot of time arguing, partly as a result of the stress of getting the business back on its feet and also due to Trevor’s continuing eagerness to return to his tour of Iraq with his fellow soldiers.
Trevor receives great news — at least to him — when General Holden confirms he’ll be allowed to go back on tour in a couple of weeks if he’s cleared medically. Roxy is not thrilled since she seems to feel Trevor values military work over their family. I agree with Trevor, though, who points out she knew he was in the Army when she married him, and she should understand how important fighting for his country is to him. The two make up later, however, at the reopening.
On the Holden front, Claudia Joy fully believes she’s prepared to attend the Hump Bar event, despite her husband Michael’s refusal to go. Yet, when she drives by the bar one afternoon to drop off some flowers, thoughts of Amanda on the day of the bombing upset her and force her to leave in a hurry without even going inside. The scene is an excellent reflection of how wanting to do something can be vastly different from actually doing it, and it also shows how difficult everyday life remains for Claudia Joy despite her success putting on a happy, healed face for the world.
When an 18-year-old soldier is killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, Claudia Joy visits the man’s father, who is resistant to interference from F.R.G. members. A comment he makes about wanting to go to Baghdad because that was the last place his son was his son helps Claudia Joy realize the scene of Amanda’s death is very similar and shouldn’t cause pain, which is useless after a certain point, but serve as a way to remember her daughter.
Unfortunately, that’s still not enough to eliminate Claudia Joy’s apprehension over going to the Hump Bar’s reopening, until Emmalin reveals something important to her mother. Although she loves and misses her sister Amanda, Emmalin finds it impossible to live life being sad all the time. Out of the moths of babes… Fittingly, the final scene of the episode features Claudia Joy and Emmalin showing up at the bar after everyone but the gang is gone and feeling Amanda’s presence in the room.
At the hospital, Denise has her own problems with the big event, namely that Dr. Chris “Getti” Ferlinghetti volunteers to attend since it seems important to her. The nurse clearly remains very conflicted about her loneliness and its effect on her feelings for her colleague, despite her refusal to stop hanging out with him just because of idle gossip. Things brighten when Jeremy returns to Fort Marshall for the first time since Amanda’s death, but unlike Emmalin, he’s still holding on to his grief and sorrow.
Oddly enough, one of the first people Jeremy bumps into is Emmalin, who’s happiness is troubling to him because he still hasn’t come to terms with Amanda’s death. Emmalin considers Jeremy a friend, though, and she’s hurt when he admits he can’t socialize with her because it’s too painful going to the same places they used to visit when Amanda was still alive. I wish Jeremy had a more positive attitude about the situation, but he’s honest about his feelings, which is fair enough.
Elsewhere, after Roland and Joan learn they’re having a girl — although their unscientific testing indicates the opposite — Roland first helps Joan get over her fear she won’t have as good a relationship with a daughter since she and her mother didn’t relate well to one another. He then helps his wife see how she can finally get an advantage over her temporary replacement Evan Connors, who tries to undermine her whenever and however possible. Joan’s ultimate strategic move of burying him in paperwork to severely limit his freedom is priceless.
Still, it’s Pamela’s predicament that I find the most intriguing on this episode. When she attends a rare gathering of Delta Force members and their families, she instantly hones in on the lavish lifestyle and possessions of one member and his wife, the host and hostess. Although the man’s wife keeps insisting everything, including her jewelry and furniture, are fake, former cop Pamela instinctively knows better.
Pamela’s mistake is being overly inquisitive about the woman’s financial status, to the extent that the woman’s husband tells Chase to keep Pamela away from his wife. Something hinky is definitely going on with those people, and I can’t wait to find out exactly what. The matter will be addressed again on the next episode, “Loyalties,” when Chase and several of his fellow Delta Force members are arrested. And the plot thickens…
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POSTED IN: Army Wives, Recaps
2 opinions for Army Wives: 2.7 ‘Uncharted Territory’ Review
Victoria
Jul 23, 2008 at 2:24 pm
This was a great review of Army Wives, Chandra -thanks for getting us the “G2″.
;)
~victoria
Chandra
Jul 25, 2008 at 10:38 am
Thank you for your kind words, Victoria. Great TV show make reviewing easier!
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