TV Review: Army Wives 4.04 – “Be All You Can Be”

Episode: Army Wives 4.04 – “Be All You Can Be”
Original Air Date: May 2, 2010

A mostly slow episode with a few poignant moments, “Be All You Can Be” at least answered some questions that have had us on edge all week… I think. Spoilers ahead!

Let’s not beat around the bush: is Pam really thinking of getting a divorce? She met with the counselor, got some hard facts, and seemed pretty shaken by the idea. Most of the episode she seems iffy on the idea, but more proactive than she’s been so far. I mean, she went and met with someone! She’s gathering info. Then at the birthday party, he daughter overhears her talking about how the kids will have to move schools. While Pam was really talking about a post-divorce reality, her little girl assumed that Daddy is getting a new assignment. Pam consoles her, in what seems to be an indication that she’s not getting a divorce. That is what she meant, right? I guess I’m still not so sure. She wraps up the talk with her daughter reminding her that things can change, and while Dad doesn’t have a new assignment as of now, nothing is a certain in this life. Hmm.

I don’t want Pam to get a divorce. And after hearing all of the changes she would endure, I don’t think Pam wants a divorce either. But she truly seems so unhappy with Chase, or rather the lack thereof. He’s never around, and when he is physically home he is hardly a partner. I’m just sad for Pam. I want her to be happy, secure and loved. This whole ordeal is bumming me out.

There wasn’t a whole lot going on this episode with Roxy or Denise, so I’m skimming over them.

Trevor’s recruit Ricardo (“Ricky”) played a significant part this week. He sees Trevor after basic, informs him he’s deploying, and then going AWOL when he’s supposed to be boarding a bus for the Middle East. This is where my lack of Army knowledge hurts. Is it really Trevor’s responsibility at this point? If he’s already been through basic, and assigned to a unit, trained and ready to deploy, isn’t he someone else’s responsibility? Or does the recruiter always sort of have a role in this? Anyone reading, feel free to comment and inform me. It just seemed a little far-fetched that Trevor would need to be so involved. In the long run, it’s good that he was, because Ricky would have been in way more trouble than a stern talking-to in a lot of cases. And as for Trevor pumping him up once he finally shows, I think I’ll withhold comment. I totally understand being scared and worried, but no-showing the day you’re set to deploy is hardly what makes a man, a man in my book.

Claudia Joy takes Emmalin to visit a college campus, meets a fancy, connected, well-educated and successful friend, and gets the lawyer bug again. They reminisce about the glory days, and Emmalin gets filled in on some (kinda lame) tidbits about her mom. I knew C.J. (haha) wouldn’t be able to sit still as an empty-nester, but the law school track surprised me! I’ll say pleasantly, though, it’s nice when Army Wives is unpredictable. I don’t really give a hoot if she goes back to school or not, but I do love how ever-supportive that husband, Michael, of hers is. His whole response was just so sweet. I guess I do love the Holdens, even though they are so perfect sometimes it’s almost fake.

Joan. I said last week I couldn’t possibly love Joan any more, and well, that was a lie. I love her even more this week. If you didn’t tear up when she asked to see Sara Elizabeth on vidchat, then this isn’t the show for you. Wow. Roland is so cute and such a Mr. Mom running around and planning the perfect pink princess birthday party for their little girl. He has some plan with Joan to have her vidchat into the party, and see her little girl all dressed up as Daddy and guests cut the cake. As many of us know all too well, once your significant other is deployed, there really is no such thing as plans. Good on Army Wives for keeping the reality factor in check on this one. When Joan gets radioed about an emergency, I gave that all-knowing sigh, and my heart ached for her. It’s so much hurry up and wait, and then of course something crazy happens during the one moment you were going to get to connect to your family.

Am I taking the show a little too personally? Most likely. But I have a feeling a lot of us do. No matter how fake or cheesy the show can get (it is still a TV show afterall), sometimes they just hit the nail on the head.

So Joan misses the party, and instead of seeing kids and a cake, she has to witness this terrible scene of death and destruction. It’s such a weird feeling to be at home participating in something so safe, innocent, and “normal,” while they’re over there doing something so unnerving, disturbing, and hard. But Joan is strong, and she does the job she has signed up for and earned. At the end of the day, she calls Roland back. As they laugh together about the cake mishap, and Roland fills her in on the details, I was just so flooded of my own memories when the voice on the other end of the sat phone asks you to just “talk about something nice.” I love that Roland gave her something to smile about, and a peaceful image of him to cling to. And as I already mentioned once, when she asked to see her sleeping daughter and Roland brings the camera into the nursery, I couldn’t help but cry a little.

Oh Army Wives, you get me every time!

I’m giving this week 3.5 out of 5 stars. It was a really good episode in some respects, boring in others, and I totally need more clarity about Pam! While the Holdens and the Burtons made me smile and kept it real this week, the whole Trevor and Ricky thing felt a little too Hollywood for me.

Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars