(S02E06) One of the really good things about Army Wives is that it presents situations and problems that don't have easy answers. As a viewer, you watch and wonder, "What would I do if I was in his/her shoes?"

That was what I was wondering when Claudia Joy was faced with advising a soldier/mother who's teenage daughter was acting out because she didn't want her mother to leave for another tour of duty. With little recourse that doesn't involve court martial and loss of benefits, Clare Duncan, faces a moral dilemma that most TV shows never address.

I have to admit I didn't even know that issues like dual deployment -- when both a father and mother are serving in combat, leaving kids behind and in need of care -- existed till tonight. It seems unfair for the children of military families, which is the point the program was making.

There were plenty of personal stories going on as well. Trevor's a wreck, uncomfortable with being hailed a hero, and Roxy is unsure how to help him.



The tribe meets at Claudia Joy's, giving her advice, as well as discussing something they all have in common -- kids. Roland dove into learning about parenthood by volunteering with the newborns at the hospital.

It seems to me that the radio show censorship storyline, while provocative, was also arch. Last year, Pamela had a baby as a surrogate mother to make $50,000. This year, she's giving up a big jump to an Atlanta radio station -- complete with an eye-popping salary -- because she objects to the radio big-shot giving her ideas for what to talk about on the air? I don't buy it.

Would someone in the Army try to shut down Have At It as depicted in this episode, yes. I can see that. And I liked that Gen. Holden intervened to dress Evan -- the prig -- down and remind him of the chain of command, that he should have consulted Col. Burton before pulling the plug on Pamela's show.

So, in the end, Pamela is back on the air as an "Army wife" -- completely discounting her own appeal as a personality on the radio. She's not just anybody and I think in the weeks ahead she's going to re-think this decision because I think she was hasty. Not that she can be a puppet for someone else, but she is bigger than Fort Marshall.

Other points of interest

-- Denise shares with Roxy about her friendship with Ghetti. Roxy's line was great, "Gossips are like roaches around here, for every one you see, there are a thousand more you don't see."

-- Roxy also got off a good one when she realized the contractor for the Hump Bar renovation was trying to rip her off. "Balls as big as church bells!"

-- Ghetti laughed off Denise's concerns about their relationship, saying, "Friends don't let friends commit dalliances." Call me crazy, but is it possible that Ghetti is gay?

-- It was predictable that Roxy would become partners with Betty, but I was stunned when Betty announced she was leaving. I loved her dream car, a Mustang convertible with pink trim. I liked it even better when it turned out to be a product placement for a good cause, supporting breast cancer research. Fordcares.com.

-- Trevor can't speak to Roxy about what happened because she's not a soldier and doesn't get why he wants to go back to rejoin his buddies. I don't get it either. I feel like Roxy.

-- I think a lot of people could relate when Betty referred to cancer as the enemy and she wished she could shoot it down.

-- The title of this episode, "Thicker Than Water," really refers to Roxy and Betty. They're like family. Betty's leaving is heartbreaking because she may not survive the cancer.

-- Leave it to Frank to call from Iraq and say just the wrong thing to Denise. "If I can let you be a nurse, I can let you ride a motorcycle." Sure enough, she got back on the bike and met Ghetti for breakfast.

-- Faraday, the radio big shot looked very familiar. It was the award-winning, prolific TV writer/producer Stephen J. Cannell. Stephen J. Cannell as in The A-Team, The Rockford Files, Wiseguy, The Commish and a dozen others.