['Army Wives' - 'On Behalf of a Grateful Nation']

It didn't take the first half-hour for the revelation, but 'Army Wives' held back until the end of the opening. Despite the dramatic drag-out, which I griped about last week, the loss of one of the characters on the battlefield was still heart-wrenching.

'Army Wives' didn't avoid the reality of the situation. We saw that terrible moment when two uniformed soldiers delivered the message that no Army spouse, parent or partner wants to hear. There is no easy way to deal with that kind of loss. As a viewer, it was emotional to learn who'd died and my eyes filled with tears.

It didn't matter that I had correctly predicted last week that Jeremy was the most likely character to die in battle. He was too happy and excited about his future. He was saying how great things were going. The set-up was there.

And yet, I was still moved by the realization that Denise and Frank's son had been killed. It seemed even sadder because Jeremy had been such a screwed-up kid when the series began.

In the first season, Jeremy was an abuser ... and Denise was his victim. It had taken time and joining the Army to straighten him out. Yes, he'd had the post traumatic, near-suicidal reaction to cheating death in Iraq, but Jeremy had righted his ship. And Roland had helped him after Iraq, which we recalled when Dr. Burton cried about his patient who perished in combat.

Jeremy's death touched many characters, but Denise and Frank the most. Seeing them in bed together, looking at photos of their child for the funeral program, was really touching. Terry Serpico, who plays Frank as the ultimate hard-nosed Marine soldier, fought to keep from breaking down and showed how Frank was literally torn apart by his child's death. He kept his chin high, but he was devastated.



Roxy was also deeply affected. Even before she learned that Trevor had been Jeremy's commander on the mission, Roxy felt that death was creeping closer to her family. It could have been Trevor who died, and that frightened her.

I loved the way Lucky was drawn into the story. Before Roxy shared the news about Jeremy with T.J. and Finn, she was alone with the dog. You could see how she was remembering that Lucky had been Jeremy's dog. That he had saved Lucky in Iraq and then allowed the LeBlanc boys adopt him as a pet.

And it was also a good touch to see T.J. stepping up for Roxy. He's been so troubled of late, but his wanting to go to the funeral with her was a sign that he cares.

The only note that failed to ring true for me was Tanya's reaction. She was angry, and she seemed to suggest that Jeremy had deceived her into thinking that everything was going to be all right. Perhaps it was how she needed to react to deal with the pain of losing him. It just seemed inappropriate to me.

On the other end of the spectrum, Emmalin's tribute to Jeremy at the funeral, referring to him as a brother, was beautiful. It wasn't too much or too little. It was spot-on. There was no need for other tributes after hers.

Finally, it looks like Denise's reaction may come in stages. This was stage one: Shock. That would explain why Catherine Bell played her as being so shell-shocked by the news. Yes, she shed tears, but she was also disconnected and confused.

Her inability to get through the meeting with the Army rep about Jeremy's estate was an example of her acting very un-Denise-like. Time will tell where she's going and how (or if) she'll survive this tragedy.

'Army Wives' airs Sundays, 9PM ET on Lifetime.

Watch the full episode here: