Army Wives - the Complete Second Season: Patriotism & Drama Now on DVD

Army Wives - The Complete Second Season, which released on DVD on June 2, 2009, is one of the best new television series I have seen recently. It's not Mayberry, but thankfully, it's sure not "Sex and the City." Army Wives stars Catherine Bell ("JAG," Bruce Almighty) as Denise Sherwood, Kim Delaney ("NYPD Blue," "CSI: Miami") as Claudia Joy Holden, Brigid Brannagh ("Over There") as Pamela Moran, Wendy Davis as Lieutenant Colonel Joan Burton and Sally Pressman as Roxy LeBlanc.

I had never seen the first season when I received the DVD of Army Wives - The Complete Second Season, so I was flying a little blind at first. The series follows five military families as they deal with family crises, loneliness and the heartbreaking ever-looming deployments. The first season apparently ended with a bang - literally - as Army Wives - The Complete Second Season begins with the aftermath of suicide bombing at a bar on the Army base. The five military families were all affected in one way or another. Unfortunately, the first episode of Army Wives - The Complete Second Season featured way too much narration from the most boring radio program ever, and I almost lost interest in the series during that first hour. Fortunately, I continued viewing.

Army Wives - The Complete Second Season has its flaws. There are politically-correct episodes dropped in to appease special-interest groups, and towards the end of season two, a couple of affairs come into full bloom with some skimpy lingerie scenes. This is unfortunate, because other than that, Army Wives is a top-notch show. The characters are ordinary but interesting flawed men and women, whose depth and heroism comes into play in their loyalty to their country, their families and to each other. Their successes and struggles are played out in the arena of military life - the daily dramas and ever-present danger of loosing a spouse to deployment, serious injury or death. How these fictitious characters cope and help each other makes for some inspiring viewing.

While the program does not have much emphasis on faith, hymns and prayers are present, sprinkled subtly throughout Army Wives - The Complete Second Season, and the series is unapologetically patriotic. Although I didn't count, think every episode showed the American flag being raised or lowered on the base.

Some violence and adult situations would probably give Army Wives - The Complete Second Season a PG-13 rating. The 5-disc set contains all original 19 episodes plus exclusive-to-DVD bonus features including behind the scenes interviews with the cast. After reviewing Army Wives - The Complete Second Season, I now want to see season one and look forward to season three of Army Wives on DVD in a few months!