Army Wives: Calendar Wives
Roland’s overbearing mother came for a visit to see the baby and how everyone was doing. She immediately took over, telling them how to hold the baby, how to get the baby to stop fussing, how to put her to sleep. Roland was annoyed with that, as well as how she kept talking down to him about not being a doctor anymore and how Joan was the breadwinner. Ironically it was Joan who bonded with her and even understood where she was coming from. Roland’s mom was a single mom who had to work hard to support the family. Joan told Roland to just listen to her mom, maybe he could learn something from her. In the end he listened and did learn some things.
Okay I have to say, first I was annoyed with Joan for siding with the mom and apparently not defending Roland. Second, I was just annoyed with the mom. She was grandma, not mom, and she didn’t seem to get that. Yes I know there are a lot of grandma’s out there like this. However rather than try and help them out with pointers she was like “No you’re doing it wrong, here just let me do it.” I was just annoyed by Roland’s mom period.
Emmalynn was writing to a pen-pal in this episode, someone in the army. It was a program Claudia Joy apparently started and encouraged her to get into. Yes, you can so see were this is going and it’s not going to be good. She’s going to fall for her older army pen-pal.
Trevor began attending his rehab meetings and told Roxy that she should probably seek counseling as well, it was recommended. She felt she could deal with this, she was fine. However when some guys were getting drunk and innapropriate in her bar, she flipped and yelled at them to get out. She realized she did need help and started going to Alanon. She realized she had a pattern of dating addicts, which goes back to her mom. However Trevor wasn’t an addict when she met him, so she felt they’d make it through this. I really hope Trevor and Roxy make it! I think they will, one break-up on the horizon is enough for the show.
Speaking of army marriages breaking up, Michael learned about Denise’s indiscretion with Getty, and he was not happy. He gave Denise the cold shoulder. She found out from Claudia Joy that Michael knew, so she tried to talk with him. He wasn’t too pleased, saying Frank was over there in Iraq and this is not what he needed to be thinking about or dealing with. I believe he also made a comment very similar to Frank’s something about what her duty and obligations were. Grrr!
Now on one hand I can understand where Michael is coming from, he’s thinking about Frank, his safety and well being. He’s thinking about what is best for his soldiers. On the other hand . . . Frank is and has always been a jerk. Crap happens, and we can’t schedule when a relationship or a marriage blows up to suit the schedule of someone else. It’s called life. I felt like all the blame for this was being put on Denise, when Frank was just as guilty for the problems.
Also going on, Denise decided to make a list of things she wanted to do. She opened her own checking account for the first time. She planned to redecorate the house. She also went and got a tattoo.
Finally Evan Conner’s (Joan’s maternity replacement) wife Jennifer showed up, and boy did she make an entrance. Pushy, opinionated and scheming! This is what the show has been missing this season, the bitchy Army Wife.
Claudia Joy and the FRG were looking for fundraising ideas and Jennifer suggested a calendar. She said when SHE was PRESIDENT of her old FRG, they did a pin-up calendar for the men to take with them. Claudia Joy liked the idea, but would rather do “life shots” around the base rather than a sexy calendar. Everyone voted and the majority went that way.
The calender was shot, and later the wives learned Jennifer went and hired the photographer to do her calendar as well! The wives were not happy . . . and the game is on.
I really think bringing in the bitch Army Wife is needed to spice things up. However I’m just a little concerned that this seems a lot like last season’s story with Claudia Joy and the General’s wife. It seems Jennifer is gunning to take Claudia Joy down. I just hope it’s not too similar to last season.
Army Wives has been renewed for a third season and will begin shooting in Jan/Feb. The article is mostly about SC TV/film incentives.
TV drama re-enlists
‘Army Wives’ to return to Charleston for 3rd season’s shooting
By Warren Wise (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Thursday, October 9, 2008
A lighting crew sets up for shooting an ‘Army Wives’ scene at the former Charleston Naval Base. The show’s producers would like for the state to offer film incentives for more than a year at a time.
A lighting crew sets up for shooting an ‘Army Wives’ scene at the former Charleston Naval Base. The show’s producers would like for the state to offer film incentives for more than a year at a time.
In this image released by Lifetime, actors, from left, Catherine Bell, Kim Delaney and Sally Pressman are shown in a scene from “Army Wives.”
Hoping for a stronger incentive deal from the state, the hit cable television series “Army Wives” plans to march into a third season of filming in Charleston early next year.
The Lifetime TV drama about military spouses and their daily trials and tribulations wrapped up its second season of production Wednesday.
“We feel the state is going to support the film industry with hopefully a longer term of incentives,” said Harry Bring, co-executive producer. “That will help us have more South Carolina residents on our crew.”
Palmetto State residents make up about a third of the show’s regular crew of 150, Bring said.
The state provides a one-year incentive package for the ABC/Mark Gordon Co. production. Producers must reapply every year to receive incentives, S.C. Film Commissioner Jeff Monks said.
Incentives are based on production, with one year considered one production, Monks said.
Bring believes extending the financial inducements over several years could attract more film business to South Carolina and put the state on equal footing with other states.
“It’s a growing industry here, and not just for our guys,” Bring said. “Other states have entered into multiple years (for incentives).”
Monks said a state Senate subcommittee is reviewing state film incentives and any possible extensions.
“Army Wives” producers spent about $15 million during their first year of filming in South Carolina, Monks said. The state uses a multiplier of 1.9 for its return, and calculated the economic impact of the series at nearly $30 million, he said.
The producers of “Army Wives” or any production company that films in South Carolina and spends at least $1 million in the state can receive up to a 20 percent cash rebate on wages and 30 percent cash rebate on in-state supplier expenditures, Monks said.
In addition, all productions spending more than $250,000 in the state are exempt from sales and accommodations taxes.
The Lifetime show, starring actresses Catherine Bell and Kim Delaney, pulled in 4.4 million viewers Sept. 21, its strongest night of the season and highest viewer total since the second season kicked off in June. It was the second-highest rated show that night, when it went up against the Emmy Awards and Sunday Night Football, according to the state Film Commission and Chandler Hayes of ABC.
The season finale airs at 10 p.m. Nov. 2 with multiple cliffhangers, Bring said. The setup for the finale airs a week earlier. Filming for the third season will begin in late January or early February, he said.
“Your sophomore season can kill you or it can propel you,” Bring said. “This year was great. We hope we have a few more seasons left in us.”
10.09.2008 at 3:11 pm