Army Wives Season 7 Finale Review (Spoiler Alert)
Well, last night was the conclusion to the 7th season of Army Wives on Lifetime network. While the episode itself was beautifully done, the downside is that the show has lost many of it's main characters. The season 7 new additions are Ashanti, Brooke Shields, Jesse McCartney, Torrey DeVitto (Pretty Little Liars) , Elle McLemore, Brant Daugherty (Also from Pretty Little Liars), Burgess Jenkins, Joshua Henry.... as well as the kids that come with them.... The new additions from last season were Kelli Williams, Alyssa Diaz, Joseph Julian Soria, and Robert John Burke. It seems that more of the original cast is set up to be leaving after this season. If they didn't there would be even more of an overpopulation problem than they currently have....
Obviously, it is difficult to juggle storylines for each character without confusing or losing the audience. With so many regulars gone, Army Wives hopes to rejuvenate the show by bringing in new characters and more complex storylines. While it has helped the show a lot to bring in some new people, it is a little too much. Jesse McCartney shines as Tim Truman by bringing out raw emotions with the difficult task of playing someone who is suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Ashanti also delivers a surprising good performance as Latasha Montclair, a mother of three, and a caretaker to her son who was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis.
Last Night's episode was full of suspension, as most season finales usually are. Latasha and her husband Quincy found out if he was going to be medically separated and in result would have to leave the army. He passed. Gloria, played by the ever so charming Alyssa Diaz, had a choice to make between new love interest Pat (Brant Daugherty), and ex-husband Hector (Joseph Julian Soria). She confides in Maggie that she has no idea what she is supposed to do and she hates to be stringing them both along. Maggie tells her to listen to her heart and that the answer will come to her. Then they have a scene of flashbacks between her relationships with both of them, playing Ashanti's new come back ballad "Never Should Have" as she struggles to make up her mind. Joan prepares for her retirement after 23 years of service in the army so she can follow Roland to his permanent position at John Hopkin's. She makes a touching speech. Holly is left reeling from when Tim choked her in her sleep. For some reason on tv, that seems to be a common storyline for portraying PTSD. (Christina and Owen on Grey's Anatomy did it first, and I'm sure someone else did it before that.) She uses various scarfs to hide her neck bruises. Holly runs into Denise Sherwood at the hospital and almosts tells her about what happened. When she gets home, Tim is still different. He is moody and not acting like himself. This is most likely a result of the fact that he lost someone in Iraq and also choked a man to death during his last days in battle. When Tim realizes what he did to Holly, he becomes upset and runs off. Holly is not able to find him, so she is forced to tell Denise and the rest of the tribe. The men in Tim's platoon search for him, find him, and return him home. Michael struggles to deny his chemistry with Colonel Kat Young and is caught kissing her for the first time by Denise. Denise struggles to deal with the fact that Michael has moved on so quickly and doesn't give him approval of the relationship. At the end of the episode, Gloria tells Maggie she has come to a decision. Holly takes Tim to the hospital for evaluation and attends the retirement ceremony. Denise tells Michael she is not ok with his new relationship, but doesn't want her feelings to get in the way of his happiness. And Joan retires gracefully so she can stay with her family. There is a flashback of army wives from all seasons... Except Claudia Joy. I am pretty confidant she was not included in the flashbacks. But, it was nice to be reminded of the humble beginnings of the show. In the last minute, all of the wives squeeze together to take a picture, and capture the memory of the retirement ceremony forever.
If the show is renewed, changes should definitely be made. First and foremost, they should NOT add any new cast members. They already have enough storylines to deal with as it is. While at times, it is nice to see the lives of all of these characters intersect, there should be more emphasis placed on their individual personalities and storylines. Getting to know the characters of a show is essential for the viewers to grow fond of them or hate them. If the writers of the show definitely plan to use all of these characters for whatever seasons come, they should move some to the background, to let a few shine, and then they can swap it out. At times, this show can appear too realistic to keep the viewers attention. It would be in the best interest of the show if they sped up the storylines and added a little more action to bring in the younger part of the 18-49 main audience. More promotion would help. The commercials that advertise the show are hardly played on Lifetime, let alone other networks and stations. Reminding the audience to watch is key in keeping ratings up and growing the audience.
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