Army Wives s07e14 Episode Script

_ Look beside each soldier and you will find the people who fight with them _ The spouses, the sons, the daughters, the families.
_ I married a committed military man, and I've loved this military life.
And I'm proud to call myself an army wife.
All right, sit down, everybody.
How does it feel to be reunited with these people? How are you, papas? Fantastic.
Seeing everyone again was so amazing.
It's just so heartwarming to get those hugs and to catch up.
As we all know, behind every good soldier is their family.
It's so good to see everybody because I recognize them as true friends.
I actually realize, like, this is a family.
It was really, really special.
And we make it to the corner of, like, Queen and Braun, and - Which is a half a block.
- Half a block.
And Wendy said, "Whoo!" It's amazing to be reunited with the group.
It's like a big family reunion.
- No! - Oh, yeah.
You know, we just pick up right where we left off.
I mean, after spending six or seven years with any amount of people, I mean, obviously there's love, there's fighting, there's laughing, there's tears, there's It's everything.
- We make a good team.
- Yeah.
- We knew that already, didn't we? - Well done.
We had such fun.
Behind the scenes, you know, you'd have dinners together, we'd have barbecues together, we'd have movie night.
It would have been a much less pleasurable experience if we didn't have people who we actually cared about and we loved, who we enjoyed spending time with.
I know that Roland, you, and me we're always gonna be together.
As actors, we're blessed often just to be a part of anything.
But there's nothing like a project that clearly has a lot of meaning to a lot of people.
These outstanding troops have served their country honorably.
We're so proud of the show, and we all share that.
I'm an army wife, and I'm proud of it.
Me, too.
To get to see one another again, it's very much like coming home.
There he is! Dad! Oh.
Hey, soldier.
I was just saying to Jeremy that I never thought we would be sitting here again, like, all of us.
- Ever again.
- Yeah.
It's pretty amazing.
I just feel like, for whatever reason, we've never really said goodbye.
When we came back to do this reunion, I was like, "See? 'Army Wives' never goes away.
It never goes away.
" This story has touched so many.
- I'm just glad we get a happy ending.
- Yeah.
Yeah, somebody's gonna have a good night.
Whoa.
Any time in life when you really connect and there's so many things that can you know, stars align, if you will.
That kind of thing.
- Yeah.
- I really think it's just rare.
And even seeing each other today, - it's like we picked up where we left off.
- Totally.
Absolutely.
We all get together, and it's like family.
When you're starting on any new project, you have no idea how long it's gonna last.
- The fact that we all got along so well like immediately - Like right away.
And if that's why the show went as long as it did.
And that's, like It's, like, unheard of now.
This was the first thing I had ever done.
When someone said, "Oh, you're shooting in Charleston," I was like, "Whatever.
" The fun part is that we were - a lot of us were on the plane together.
- Yeah.
- Right.
- That's right.
- And you had a diet because she was in a thong in the pilot.
Oh, my God.
Mrs.
Holden.
Mrs.
Sherwood.
And so, the three of us go to dinner.
And Bridge and I are foodies.
We're drinking wine.
We're having shrimp and grits.
And she's having a little piece of fish.
I think I had, like, a little piece of fish and, like, a grilled tomato.
I was like, "Thank you.
" And you're like, "Did you taste these grits? They're amazing.
" I was like Looks like I got here just in time for the 8:00 show.
The pilot episode was so amazing.
- It was an incredible script.
- Yeah.
Yeah, it was pretty edgy.
- And also, it was based on Tanya's book.
- Yeah.
And reading that book before the pilot and stepping into this, we knew how much meaning it could have.
- Such a good book.
- Yeah.
I took it and read it in a restaurant and just bawling in the restaurant.
I'm an army brat.
My dad served for 30 years in the army.
And as a writer, I always wanted to write a book showing the human side of military life.
Tanya Biank had written a very enterprising piece of journalism about what was happening to soldiers and their families when they were returning from Afghanistan.
But in writing the book, in order to make that understandable to a lay audience, she had to go into what it was like to be married to the military in the first place.
The army wife perspective, their experience was really something that was kind of an untapped and unexplored viewpoints.
And to me, their voice deserved to be heard.
It doesn't matter if your spouse wears sergeant stripes or colonel's eagle because worrying about your soldier at wartime feels exactly the same.
My dream was to simply get my book published.
When it was actually made into a television show, it was pretty amazing.
Did you see this? It's an invitation to an afternoon tea.
I don't wear white gloves, and I don't take tea.
I'm never gonna fit in here, Trevor.
When I saw the pilot, I was immediately struck by how fresh it was.
I had never seen characters like this before.
Here was a show that was illuminating not just the soldiers' lives but their families' life, particularly their families' lives.
And that was striking to me.
Excuse me.
I never liked her.
She always acts like she's better than the rest of us.
Did you know that gossip, because it enhances our understanding of human nature, was once considered a virtue? Enhances our understanding? What are you, a shrink? _ Pamela.
Here's a gal I think you should meet.
This is Roxy Leblanc.
She and her husband have children about the same age as yours.
So, talk it out.
Thank you.
Katherine Fugate was the one who kind of labeled us - the tribe.
- The tribe.
This core group that was so, I thought, brilliantly established on the pilot how all of these people from different walks of life.
'Cause we all didn't know each other in the beginning.
It's kind of like a village.
We came together like a village, helping each other.
Yeah, yeah.
But the pilot was called "A tribe is born".
Whew.
What is it? I think it's the scones.
Okay.
Your water broke, baby.
Yeah, do you think? The privates' wives and generals' wives or colonels' wives at the time wouldn't just come together.
But it was a really cool premises, - like, forced these people - Under the circumstances.
- to communicate and to work together.
- Yeah.
Roland! We need a ride.
I had a nice SUV.
I was able to accommodate everybody.
No, I'm just saying.
Did you keep that SUV? I don't remember it in later episodes.
Oh, the Burton mobile is there through the end.
- Yeah.
- Through the end.
Don't forget.
I remember I screamed and got to say almost a full swear word.
Oh, mother - That was crazy.
- Screaming in pain.
She's about to crown.
We are not gonna make it to St.
Luke's.
- The tribe was born in that car.
- Yes.
I can't have these babies in the back seat of a car.
I am not 15 and working at a dairy queen.
- Everybody out.
- Let's get her out.
Come on.
That pilot was pretty smooth, I mean, given the fact that we have people delivering babies on pool tables and everything else.
- Do you guys remember that pool table? - I do.
- Oh, yeah.
Do you remember those rubber little babies in all the goo? That was good times.
You having a good time? Let's just say childbirth is as disgusting as it is miraculous.
Vodka and a hammer.
Vodka and a hammer.
Vodka and a hammer! I need vodka and a hammer.
Got it.
Got it, got it.
This is why you sign up to be an actress.
You sign up to be able to scream at the top of your lungs.
Childbirth on camera, a pool table, like, with really extreme circumstances that's a given.
We were in debt.
I'm a surrogate.
Please don't tell anyone.
We all have our secrets.
Yes, we do.
I feel like our viewers really loved the tribe despite everything that every character went through, we still came back and had this, like, core tribe group, which, I think, is so nice.
I just knew in my bones that it was gonna be a great experience.
You never know if a show's gonna get picked up.
But we did know we were telling really good stories.
When the show first aired, I thought people were going to watch it for the entertainment value.
And then I started traveling and meeting military spouses, and they told me what the show meant to them.
It was at that point that I realized "Army Wives" was more than just a TV show and it was more than just entertainment.
"Army Wives" really taught me how to be an army wife.
I believe that it reflected our lifestyle very accurately and addressed many of the issues that are facing us.
There's not one episode that I go through, practically, without crying because it hits home in one area or another.
Even though I'm a Marine wife, I love my army sisters, too.
And I was so excited to have this focus on our families.
I must have gone through three episodes when I thought, "You know, I need to have my husband watch this with me so he understands what I'm going through, as well.
" I got to have, like, some sense of comfort knowing that somebody knew what I was going through.
It's not an easy job.
And I'm just glad that it's recognized as a job because I don't just stay home and watch TV and, you know, eat chocolates.
It a lot of work.
I can't begin to imagine, you know, somebody being gone a year, two years, and being a single parent.
How do people do this when one parent is gone? How they deal with being that single parent and all those kids is they're together.
- They truly are a tribe.
- Yeah.
- Mm-hmm.
It's a real fear for soldiers, being forgotten by their children.
Well, then why are they all gung-ho to leave in the first place? It's the military, sweetheart.
Army, unit, family in that order.
My favorite character is Roxy.
We also got married very quickly, and I had to adapt just as she did so quickly to the military life.
I love Roxy because she's opinionated, she's strong, she's sassy she's like me.
Oh! I remember I got the script and I was like, "Wait.
" You want me to read for what part?" I ain't in the mood for a game of grab-ass, cowboy.
It was just, like, so entirely different from me and who I was.
Roxy Leblanc was one of the more original characters that I had seen in a long time.
And it was a wonderful marriage of actress and material.
- She got it.
- I'd like an application.
What's a big hot hooter? Roxy started out as this little spitfire from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Fill it up with pineapple juice.
And she's got two kids from two separate guys.
Don't forget your cherry on top.
She is completely swept off her feet by this wide-eyed dreamer, Trevor.
I know I only met you four days ago, but I've decided I want you to marry me.
And just like that, she is brought into the world of the military.
This is it, baby.
This is our new home.
Whoo! Trevor was convinced from the moment he met her that that was his soulmate.
This was his girl, and he was gonna do everything he possibly could to, like, get her and keep her in his life.
- This is more than we have ever had, okay? - Yeah.
The first obvious challenge was just adapting to army life for her.
I'm the new girl around here, and I was wondering if you could tell me who I have to Who I have to get busy with around here to see a doctor.
That's what Trevor loved about her, too.
She was just kind of loud and spunky and just didn't know protocol, and it didn't really matter to her.
At ease.
Both of you.
I wasn't supposed to do that, was I? No, ma'am.
You want her to win, and you know she's gonna make mistakes, but she's gonna make it, and she's gonna do it with humor and with guts and with her own unique spin.
How did you do all of this? Staple gun.
It was so much fun to play Roxy with those little phrases.
Girl nearly stripped her clutch when she saw me.
I'm so attracted to him, I ovulate like a slot machine.
Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining.
You just make them up as you do, don't you? They're pretty golden.
The dress code, that was a big thing for Roxy.
They're gonna be talking about my outfit for weeks, aren't they? I would just look at the, like, rack of clothes for Roxy and I'd be like, "Oh, my God, this girl!" The patterns and the colors and the midriff showing.
This is, like, clothes for Barbie, like Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Barbie.
Roxy, where'd you get that shirt? My sponsor, Harry's Wholesale Fish.
Ain't it a kick? That's Roxy.
She was never trying to be anything else, and she was always true to herself.
We got married at city hall.
We never had a chance to say our vows.
I don't think Trevor batted an eye when the person he fell in love with had two kids.
It's like, doesn't matter.
"I'll adopt them immediately.
" He really wanted a family, to be a dad, to show these kids tradition and honor and principles.
So, be brave for me, okay? Take care of your mom.
Trevor and Roxy having their own kids together, the build-up was so big.
When this new baby comes, there's gonna be just so much more love in this house.
You mean like when we got lucky? Yeah.
Like when we got lucky.
And then to have the miscarriage, I mean, heartbreaking doesn't even begin to describe it.
Well, these things happen, right? But it never happened to me.
The great resolution of that is that Roxy and Trevor did eventually have kids.
And not only did they have their own child, they had twins.
Don't pick them up, please.
They're being good.
I wasn't gonna pick them up.
Really? You weren't? Okay, maybe I was.
_ I think collectively, we got along really well.
We had a great crew and stuff.
But the weird thing was our married couples had a unique kind of vibe, each of them.
Whereas you guys were like the real couple, we were like the brother/sister.
We would be, like, doing some, like, super-touchy-feely scene and they would yell "Cut," and it would be like, "Ow! Ow! Ow!" We were always fighting.
I think we got very, very lucky at the beginning, too.
- Mm-hmm.
- You know? To just sort of look at each other and go - This works.
- "I can do this.
" Yeah.
This works.
Brian used to always say, "I'm having a great day.
I get to kiss Kim Delaney today.
" Claudia Joy Holden, after 17 years of marriage, my heart still skips a beat every time I look at you.
Michael James Holden, after 17 years of marriage, I can't believe that tired, old line of yours still works.
I think what made Claudia Joy so attractive was that she was a strong leader, at the same time, a devoted wife and mother.
And she showed how she could handle all of those roles.
I know how hard this is getting for all of you.
None of this is easy, but we have to remain strong for our troops.
I think she was a good woman, you know, with her flaws, but a good mother, good wife.
I would never marry a soldier.
Amanda, you don't choose who you love.
It just happens.
Kim brought a sense of competence, of intelligence, of compassion.
- How do you do it? - Do what? Organize everything and still manage to look so damn beautiful? - Michael.
- I mean it.
There's no way I could do my job without you.
Michael and Claudia Joy were so solid with each other.
It was just really wonderful.
I don't think I've ever fooled around with a two-star general.
Really? Have anyone in mind? You'll do.
Claudia Joy is written as an incredibly smart, savvy woman.
She knows how to get things done.
She knows how to influence him in a very good way.
They're saying Peter Belgrad didn't die in the line of duty.
I just met his widow.
She's gonna lose all her benefits all because you, Michael Holden, have decided her husband doesn't deserve a military funeral.
She was toe-to-toe with him, eye-to-eye.
If she didn't like something, she called him on it.
Please, give his family that closure.
I made a decision.
I will not go back on it.
And they withstand those arguments, you know? It always made them better.
You have to let me win this one.
I think it was like a perfect marriage, like people that really love each other, put up with each other, and support each other no matter what.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have loved ones lost or injured in this tragedy.
What we know right now is there are four deaths.
There were army dependents there, as well.
Amanda's gone, isn't she? Oh.
The loss of a child, that's devastating.
I'll tear up now just remembering it.
It was very, very hard.
Why are we trying to be strong? At the end of the day, what does strong get you? I think a lot of families have a heard time surviving the death of a child.
And a lot of that, I think, is because in their grief, they turn inward and away from each other.
And at the beginning of season two, that started.
They said that you had a panic attack.
I didn't have a panic attack, Michael.
- My daughter just died.
- Our daughter.
And I know that because I was standing there.
I stood there by her bed, and I watched our little girl die, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it! Stop it! Stop fighting.
That could break up a marriage, but they found a way through it and they found a way back to each other.
Feels good having people over.
It's not a cure, but it helps.
The challenge with Claudia Joy throughout was when you have a character who's so competent and so grounded is, where do you find the conflict? For example, the diabetes came out of the idea that how would she deal with this when she's so used to being in control of herself, and here's something that she can't control.
When are you gonna tell people? I'm not telling anyone.
I appreciate your concern, but you're not my doctor.
No.
I'm just your best friend, and I'm a registered nurse.
And I'm telling you that this is a mistake.
This is my problem, Denise.
I'll handle it my way.
Claudia Joy had a tough road Diabetes, kidney.
You're in complete kidney failure.
When you get your strength back, we'll go over the transplant process in detail.
They were great, great things for Kim to play, and she played them superbly.
But, boy, she had a lot thrown at her.
I adjusted to diabetes.
I'll adjust to this.
You amaze me.
You know that? Go do your job.
It's always hard for people to understand our lifestyle and the waiting game that we play.
And the show "Army Wives" displays that perfectly.
There's a lot of unspoken rules about being a military wife the protocol, the things that you need to do, the things you're expected to do and expected not to do.
It was the only show I've ever seen that really showed the military life.
They did it right.
_ It is an honor to witness these brave warriors reaffirming their commitment to serve our country.
There was so much focus on portraying the military and the military spouses correctly.
We had a military advisor on set making sure that all of those details were right.
Considering that there was so many details the first year that we struggled with.
- Our jiffy pop popcorn hats.
- Those hats.
We heard about that at Fort Bragg.
I think it's really important to try to get those details right in order to convey to those people who are in the know that we did our homework.
On behalf of all of us, for the small mistakes that we made, I ask the military people who've seen it to forgive us.
But we were trying, you know? And trying to serve the bigger truth.
All the way.
Airborne, sir! I worked with the writers and the producers, and I really saw my role as making sure that the show had an authentic feel to it.
Hut and hoo! I got comments from service personnel all the time about how much they respected that we respected their service and the decorum within the military.
It became the army show in a lot of ways.
The army, as an institution, by the end of the series had embraced the show.
It's pretty amazing.
Excuse me.
Someone called about my wife? Good to see you again.
She's back there.
I played Dr.
Roland Burton.
He's a psychiatrist who specializes in post-traumatic stress.
What I did over there, if you knew, you wouldn't love me.
I don't care what you did.
I know who you are.
Roland was a wonderful original character.
And I think sterling did an amazing job.
From the beginning, he made it plausible that he could have this role with these women and not, in any way, feel his masculinity threatened.
Okay, ladies.
Who wants to go first.
He brought to that group a sense of being perhaps the big brother everybody wanted.
- Thank you very much.
- No problem.
I like the way you drive.
I knew we needed more guys here.
I am so impressed by Roland and his lack of ego.
And his desire to see his wife succeed to be a woman of color in a male-dominated world, I think gives him a tremendous amount of pride.
I particularly would like to thank my husband, Dr.
Roland Burton.
He has sacrificed beyond measure to help me reach this day.
He knew that when he married his wife, that he was going to be making certain sacrifices for the army.
But I don't think anybody ever knows exactly what they're signing up for.
I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes, and I reach for my rifle.
And I'm pissed.
I'm pissed off because my beautiful husband is there in my bed next to me instead of my M4.
I don't know how to change that.
She's come back with very strong post-traumatic stress, and they're not connecting with one another at all.
I don't know what happened to you over there, but it's changed you.
And if you let it control you, it's gonna destroy our marriage.
Do you understand? Do you understand?! She goes to get some help.
And in the midst of her going to get this help, temptation arrives.
He sees a beautiful young woman who takes a great interest in him.
The audience reaction was, they're so heartbroken.
There are women who would accost me on the street and would say, "How did you do that to Joan?!" Let's just call this what it is.
It's not a separation.
It's a divorce.
What I'm most proud of is that they decided collectively to work through their marriage.
So, where are we in all this, Joan? What do you want? I want you.
Their marriage was not an easy marriage.
And I think sometimes she had a tough time transitioning from being Joan the leader, the colonel, to Joan the wife.
This is gonna sound selfish, but, Roland, I'm on the fast track right now, and I don't want to lose that momentum.
You act as if a baby will be detriment to your career.
A baby is just someone else on your team.
Roland loved the idea of being at home with his family his daughter, Sara Elizabeth, and then later, his son, David.
There was nothing that made him happier than to raise these children.
The first little girl who played Sara Elizabeth, her name was Asia.
Beautiful, wonderful little child, and she could not stand the sight of me.
The scene that we were shooting where Joan went to feed the baby, the baby wouldn't take food from Wendy.
The baby would not do anything for Wendy.
It's okay.
It really hurt my feelings.
It was hard to work with her knowing that this kid isn't acting.
She really just hates my guts.
What exactly did Dr.
Lang say? Did she advise you not to get pregnant? She said ultimately the choice was mine.
Ours.
Joan and Roland chose not to have another child because it would possibly endanger her life.
So Roland said, "Let's not risk it.
Let's adopt.
" Here we are.
Home at last.
Want to see your room? Come on.
What I loved about the storyline was that this kid didn't automatically take to the Burtons.
Good night, David.
He really questioned if this was his forever home.
- People always give me back.
- Not anymore.
You're our son, and we love you.
I love you.
I love that we told that story.
You want to play Patty cake? Ready? Patty cake, Patty cake, Baker's man.
I had somebody tell me once how rare it is to see a professional black man with a thriving career who is the primary caretaker of his children and excels in that arena of his life, as well as his professional career.
Can I go to my room now? I don't know.
Can you? May I go to my room now? Yes, you may.
Charleston, South Carolina, heaven on Earth.
I fell in love with Charleston the moment we got there.
The quality of life is wonderful.
The people are very kind.
Charleston was one of several locations that was considered.
It ended up being ideal for a number of reasons.
There was the fact that within you could have a selection of terrain ranging from the waterfront to a rock quarry that served as Afghanistan or parts of Iraq, even.
And then there's just something about Charleston.
The people are great, the town is wonderful, it has an atmosphere that's unique, and I think it made everybody feel at home.
If this show shot in Los Angeles We probably would not have been so close.
You wrap, everyone goes to their life, their wives, their husbands.
Because we were in Charleston, South Carolina - Deployed.
- Yeah, we were deployed.
And we were our support group.
We needed to be that family unit.
We've got plenty of food some pulled pork, chicken, corn on the cob.
Grab a plate, dude.
We'd have dinners together, we'd have barbecues together, we'd have movie night.
So it made everybody closer not just the cast.
The crew, the producers, everybody joined in.
It was a big family.
And then, also, in terms of the foodies, some of the best eating that you can ever do.
I told you.
All the good food comes from Charleston.
You're making a believer out of me.
I'm just gonna admit it on camera.
I was called at the end of season one by Lifetime.
"Brian, we love your work, really, just such good work.
Could you, um, watch what you eat?" - No! - Oh, yeah.
My moms would even say, "Oh, McNamara.
How's he doing?" "He's doing fine, mama.
He's doing great.
" She was like, "He's getting a little big.
" The food is rich.
Oh, I love you.
Love me or the steak? There's room in my heart for you both.
I think an overall storyline that I really loved was that of Frank and Denise.
She became a nurse and a nurse practitioner, and that's what I am.
My husband's a stereotypical military man.
He's a lot like Frank.
He's a man's man.
I mean, as hard as he was willing to fight for his country, he fought for his marriage.
And she, you know, did, too.
Thursday nights and/or Sunday afternoons.
- Really? - Always? It's just when Frank tends to be in the mood.
Don't you just throw him down and take him? No! I don't.
Denise was a wonderful character.
And she had seeds of almost what I would consider a 1950s housewife to begin with.
She was submissive.
She was very happy to be in the background.
I think that's how she and Frank wanted their lives to be.
They had patterned their lives on an outdated kind of paradigm.
All right, now.
You're the man of the house while I'm gone.
Dad, I've been the man of the house since I was 7.
Over the course of the series, we see her evolve tremendously.
All my life, I have been somebody's daughter, somebody's wife, somebody's mother.
And I'm pissed that it's taken me this long to realize that there's a me here, too.
It was absolutely essential that she make some changes in her life that reflected who she felt she was.
Hey, guys.
Are you kidding me? And Frank had to go along for the ride or get left behind.
You still want me to be the girl that you fell in love with, the woman that you married, and God, I wish could be that person for you, but I can't.
I miss her.
Sometimes I do, too.
I guess the transformation first began when she began to transform herself physically.
Harder! Come on! She started to change what she was wearing.
And Frank was, "Well, uh - Yeah, that's nice.
" - You look different.
- Different good? - Yeah.
Going out? I loved that one.
And then she began She went back to work.
She's in cardiac arrest.
Denise was a nurse.
- Clear.
- Clear.
Shocking.
And she need to define herself as that, not just as Frank's wife, but as Denise, the woman in her own right.
She's got a rhythm.
Frank was initially very resistant to her going back to work again, that '50s model.
"I'm the breadwinner.
My wife doesn't need to work.
" Blah, blah, blah.
Almost didn't recognize you.
What are you talking about? You focused, vital.
Made me remember why I fell in love with you.
Frank and Denise most definitely grew over time.
There were, obviously, some very important hurdles that they had to cross together.
Early on, it was the tension with Jeremy as a young teenager who is struggling to establish his own identity.
I'm not going to West Point.
We spent the last two long years getting you in.
- I I thought it's what you wanted.
- It's what dad wanted.
And then he eventually goes and joins the service.
Well, I don't have to tell you to make me proud 'cause you already do.
Thank you, sir.
Why do you still look eight years old? - I know what I'm doing.
- Okay.
In finding herself, Denise makes some mistakes.
She gets involved in some infidelity.
I've never been with anyone but f Denise has violated the most basic tenant of being an army wife, which is that you don't cheat on your husband.
That was really brutal for Frank.
And I know it was for Denise, as well.
All I need to know is it true? It was a mistake, and it's over, and I regret it more than you can know.
In that case, I don't see any reason for you to stay here.
And while he was just about to cut her loose, he realized that he just loved her so much.
And to love is to forgive.
And he had to find that forgiveness in his heart and move forward.
I don't want to let you go.
I love you.
I love you.
I don't know how we're gonna make this work.
That's one of the real seminal moments in this kind of change in Frank where he became much more attuned to his wife and much more attuned to his emotional needs.
And he became more emotionally intelligent.
What's that for? Hand-eye coordination.
And where you planning on putting this? Over the crib.
Frank, I'm pregnant.
What a surprise.
When they told us that that was gonna be happening, I was like, "Really?" Well, when Jeremy was born, it was all just a blur, you know? At least, it was for me.
Well, this time's gonna be different.
And then you get an opportunity to see Frank, this, you know, this hardass with this little girl that just melts his heart.
And down comes daddy in his parachute.
And the wind blows him to the right, and the wind blows him to the left.
Now, Serpico, I can only imagine when you found out that Catherine Bell was gonna be your wife.
You must have though, "Ugh, couldn't I get, like, a good-looking woman?" Exactly.
Catherine and I really had a wonderful dynamic from the get-go, from day one.
All we had to do was to look at each other and go to work.
It was a real pleasure.
I mean, it just such a pleasure being on the show, period.
I think Bridge and Jeremy's couple could have been probably the most realistic.
- Yeah, I feel like that.
- I mean, I'm guessing.
But you guys, it was the constant not knowing, the pain of always leaving at a moment's notice.
Somebody always, at one point or another, is backing up for the other to shine, if you will.
Well, everybody's Every family in the military is always backing up for the military because that is the number-one player in the relationship.
The number-one player in the family is the army comes first.
That should be part of every marriage vow in the army.
What? "For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health," and "I'll make it up to you.
" I just want to let you all know that I made 50 grand carrying those kids.
That's right.
I was a paid surrogate.
So, have at it.
I was really, really stuck on Pamela and "Army Wives" immediately.
Pamela's core always stayed the same, a very down-to-earth, pretty honest person.
Our husbands are out there risking their lives, and I can't have an opinion? This sucks.
Brigid just brings a remarkable quality of brashness, of earthiness.
Why are you talking to the food? She is a redhead, Irish woman.
And she plays that to the hilt.
Every time I open my mouth, I put another dent in the image of the perfect army wife.
A little bit cranky but strong, like a good, a deeply good person.
That never changed.
One of the things I was always really, really concerned with was things being real not having Barbie hair on, you know, a working woman with a bunch of kids.
I wore the same shoes, I think, and the same earrings and same purse for, like, three years.
Where the, uh? Plasma TV? I returned it.
Along with everything else.
And I paid my father back.
And you didn't think to ask me? I thought about it, and I did it anyway.
Pamela and Chase, that relationship depicted a real relationship in life.
Almost literally a fight to stay together.
They knew they had a connectedness, but they also both knew, I think, that "This stuff isn't easy.
I'm not gonna pretend it is.
" You're not always awesome.
You're not always great.
" oh, beautiful for spacious skies We did the Fourth of July episode, and it was the first time we showed Chase leaving Pamela to deploy with Delta Force.
You know, missions come up for Delta soldiers very quickly, and the communication between husband and wife can just be cut off.
So, it was the first time he leaves with no notice, without her having any knowledge of where he's going.
And you can imagine what that does to a relationship.
Just the idea that that could be your life and that you could handle that When we talk to any family in Special Ops, they absolutely said that it was as harsh as you imagine that it is.
Mommy, I wish daddy were here.
There's a certain commitment that soldiers make.
Me, too.
But marrying a woman who is so smart, so driven, doesn't necessarily even need Chase That made it really interesting.
Your turn.
She liked to remind me just about every other episode that she used to be a cop.
Reminds me of my cop days.
I was a cop over a decade ago.
I was a good cop.
I did have a whole life before all of this.
We laughed a lot about that until she finally became a cop again.
Whoa, mom.
Cool.
You look like you're gonna go trick-or-treating.
Great.
Thanks.
It was always sort of in the background that Pamela would have to go back to work, you know, find her own passion again.
And then it became just, you know, two people pulling.
And when two people are pulling, it's gonna break.
I need you around more, Chase.
I want you to quit Delta.
That was always a struggle between them.
I've loved you for as long as I can remember, Pamela.
But I don't know how to fix this.
I don't, either.
Ultimately, we stayed in touch with each other, and we stayed communicating in a healthy way much healthier way when we separated, I think.
Being apart, I'm seeing things different now.
And I know that something's missing in my life.
I think that was a huge part of Chase's maturation as a character.
I choose you.
How would you guys feel if your mom and I got back together? Oh, my gosh! They both had to remember that the reason they were there, the reason they'd been fighting all these years is that the family unit is more important to them than that individual need.
That was a great arch to be able to talk about is that marriage getting back together.
whoa-oh I just remember being up there and seeing her walk down the aisle.
It's a very powerful thing to go through.
Best wedding ever.
My hardest to forget, anyway.
It was great.
It was special.
"Army Wives" was like a friendship almost.
Even though they were characters, I could relate to them, I could find that familiar face wherever I lived.
I think they absolutely got right the camaraderie of the military spouses, the army wives.
There's a sense that you look out for one another.
The way that they took care of each other, loved each other, supported each other, were there on the good days, the bad days, the hard days.
And you can truly see, you know, how they get each other.
If you needed help, you knew that they were the type of family if you called them at 4:00 AM, broke down on the side of the road, they'd be there in a heartbeat.
_ To us.
Thank God we found each other.
Yeah.
Cheers.
I have gotten so much feedback from, like, army wives saying, "Your group is my group of friends.
" And they felt like we were hanging out with them.
I came as soon as I could.
How's it going? Well, we think the top part of this one might work, but we need something less fitted on the bottom.
It didn't matter if you were wealthy.
It didn't matter if you were man, woman, black, white.
The bond of friendship is created from something that is indescribable.
Pamela, take your clothes off.
What? I Moran, we can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way.
Okay.
Each one of us had a very different personality and a very different relationship with being an army wife.
And I think that was important to show, like, a broad spectrum of personalities.
For the first time, Trevor and I did not have sex last night.
What do y'all have to say about that? I'm impressed.
I'm jealous.
I'm speechless.
I'm not here.
Please leave a message.
We all have different relationships, the characters with each other.
- Definitely.
- All friends.
Some were closer, but everybody is still on the same page.
Oh, my God.
It was always Roxy, Pamela, four kids, and a dog.
- It was like - Hanging clothes on the I was just thinking the same thing, hanging the clothes, doing the But we were always very comfortable in it, though.
We just felt like a couple of poor kids, like, in the background.
But we would just be like, "Shut up!" Katie, let go of your brother's neck! Come here! Whereas, like, Claudia Joy and Denise are like, "Um, can you can you quiet that down?" Um, I was thinking pet-it fours.
- Petit.
- Petit? Petit fours.
I read about them in Country Living.
I thought we were talking hot dogs and chips and now we're at petit fours? How did we get there? There's a lot of humor to it, also.
There was a lot of, you know, camaraderie between the girls.
Not how you play this game.
Oh.
It is to reveal something that no one would guess about you.
Like have you named your lady parts? Um China.
China? As in, only the best dine on my fine China.
Did you steal that from somebody? No, I had to teach my niece how to treat herself nicely.
And I said, "That's China" because it's precious and it's fragile.
" It's fine China.
Okay, well, mine used to be A Day At The Beach.
What about you, Roxy? - Uh, she's had so many names.
- Come on.
But now I'm going with Rattlesnake Canyon.
It was sort of like Claudia Joy and Denise, and then you have Pamela and Roxy.
And Roland was just friend to all.
Our husbands are deploying and now the only man in our harem is leaving, too.
Roland was a man who had a lot of really beautiful women for friends.
So, that's pretty unique.
- You want to talk about it? - About what? Whatever it is that's made you dry that same glass since I got here.
These women, he would do anything for because they did the same thing for him.
We're not gonna let this baby have a moment's rest while Joan's away.
She's got four more mamas now.
What I also really love about our friendships is that, like, we all had these, like, really big fights and disagreements.
Like, there was a huge fight - between Claudia Joy and Denise - Yes.
Over Jackie.
- What the hell, Claudia Joy? - What? Do you have to contradict everything I say? I'm sorry.
I thought you wanted my opinion.
I'm beginning to wonder.
We had a huge fight when you thought that Roxy was getting a little bit too close with Whit.
Remember? - Yeah.
- Mm-hmm.
He is just a friend.
Why can't you just leave it alone? Because he was just a friend the last time you slept with him.
Shut up, Pamela.
Just shut up.
That's what friendships are.
We went through, like, big, big things.
- Denise.
- Hey, Roland.
You didn't return my call.
When Roland has his affair, the only person that knew about it was Denise.
Oh, Roland.
It was a one-time thing.
Denise had judged you quite harshly.
It's been all of us and you and And now I'm just another man.
Denise had her problems with it, but ultimately was able to say, "You're my friend.
I love you.
Whatever I can do to support you, I'll do that.
" Hey.
What's going on? What are you guys doing here? We didn't know if you'd heard, but there's a really stupid rumor going around.
And then we all came to find out that Denise had her affair, as well.
It's true.
What? I said it's true.
I'm late.
I can't talk right now.
And she was sort of walking around posed with the Scarlet A on her chest.
I didn't know where else to go.
I can't talk right now.
It's over.
There's nothing left for me here.
I mean, I'd probably act the same way.
No, you wouldn't.
You'd be there for them the same way you were there for me.
And then he later told the tribe I had an affair.
Denise never stopped being my friend.
She never abandoned me.
That's what he was trying to say.
Like, we've meant too much to each other to let that love go without fighting for it.
We love you, Denise.
We didn't do a very good job showing it.
Yeah, we're pretty much idiots.
No.
I'm the one who owes the apology.
We can't just start fracturing off from one another - because somebody does something that you don't like.
- No, you stick by.
You fight and you make up and you don't hold grudges and you just, you know, keep loving each other.
Claudia Joy, we're a match.
- Yes, we are.
- No.
No, what I mean is that we are a medical match.
That was a really close friendship.
When you were diagnosed, I got tested to see if I could give you one of my kidneys.
I can.
Denise.
Please just say yes.
Our husbands were really close.
We had been together for years.
They'd go, you know, to the gates of hell for each other.
Absolutely.
What about the group hugs, guys? I mean, it started in the pilot.
We're like this.
We're ending the scene, "Really? Okay.
" - Another hug.
- I'm coming in.
Always drinking and always hugging.
- But Sterling liked it.
- I don't mind.
Somebody had to do it.
I'm so blessed to have you all in my life.
These are my people.
That's what we do we hug.
Yeah, these are our people.
I'm very proud to be a Marine wife.
I'm proud of my husband for fighting for our country.
I'm proud of my children for their sacrifice, and we all just pull together.
They fight for their brothers, they fight for their sisters, they fight for us.
Not everyone's made out for the military and, you know, I just really respect my husband and value what he does.
And I let him know it every day.
It just makes me proud to be able to stand beside him and say that that's my husband, that's my soldier, and that's my hero.
_ I want to thank you, families and friends, for your support.
Your presence here today reminds us of what we fight for.
Soldiers of the 23rd, fall out.
I think when the show first started that they might very well have seen the husbands or the soldiers as kind of ancillary to the story.
While it is a show called "Army Wives," we are the context that their heroism shines in.
Whenever the army enlists a soldier, it signs up a family, as well.
And because of you, we are the strongest fighting force in the world.
My oldest brother, Christopher, is a retired Navy captain.
And this was me imitating my brother Chris.
Nobody comes back from a combat zone the same person they were before.
I don't have to tell you that.
- But some soldiers need more guidance than others.
- Understood, sir.
Your father was a soldier, and you had a little more of a connection with Frank.
Having grown up in the military and having grown up the son of a soldier, I personally felt a huge responsibility.
From the moment I got the audition, I'm looking at this and I'm like, "Really? God, I got this.
" Sorry I let you down, sir.
No, you didn't let me down.
You let yourself down.
I just knew immediately that I know this guy inside and out.
It wasn't just a uniform.
It wasn't just a job.
This was the epitome of once a soldier, always a soldier.
You got a minute, sir? Yeah.
What's on your mind? General Holden and Colonel Sherwood were good friends on a personal level.
And I would still call you sir.
Well, our intel is that you're not much of a cook.
It's your wife's words, sir.
Not mine.
I call my dad.
It's like, "Would I ever just call him Michael?" "Mike or something?" It's like, "Uh, no.
He still outranks you so it's still sir.
" Roger that, sir.
_ Three, two.
Contact east.
Small arms developing the situation.
The first few seasons, most of the action, the plot took place at Fort Marshall.
What you saw in later seasons, you saw more action from places like Afghanistan.
Let's go.
We're moving.
The filmmaking of those scenes is a kind of guerilla filmmaking.
They say "Go," and you have to charge up that hill and things are going off, exploding all around you.
Let's move! Move, move, move! Pretending to be a soldier just feels like the artifice is just too much, you know? And those aren't real bullets, and those aren't real explosions, you know? - Yeah.
- And that's Right.
But at the end of the day, that's how we honor them because the more real we make it, the more their heroism is in context.
Incoming! It was an important element to add because what those soldiers experienced in a war zone, they bring that back with them.
You know, I'm also really glad that our show dealt with a lot of the challenges that soldiers deal with when they come home, you know, with the post-traumatic stress disorder, TBI, addiction.
Trevor.
Did you take these? - Leave me alone.
- How many did you take? There was a time when Trevor is going through a drug addiction.
He was addicted to pain-killers because he really wanted to rehab his shoulder as quick as possible to get back to his men.
I feel ashamed.
Ashamed for getting wounded, ashamed for not being with my unit, ashamed for getting hooked on the pills.
It's hard.
It's a very real topic that so many people are struggling with on a daily basis.
Can I ask you something? How long before everything feels normal again? It never does.
I was excited to have the opportunity to really bring post-traumatic stress disorder to the public.
Also, we dealt with TBI.
Traumatic Brain Injury Can you see me, baby? Yes.
I can see you.
Which is also a big challenge for a lot of soldiers returning from war.
The treatment for TBI is rehabilitation, re-training your brain, essentially.
Joan dealt with these two conditions and was able to sort of overcome them fairly quickly.
But in real life, they can be a lifelong struggle.
This is a magazine, something that you read.
There were certainly times where we felt like we were selling something short because we had to shorten it.
I think that's good for the audience to know.
You know, hopefully the issues were dealt with in an honest way.
Four weeks off post-head shrinking after your last tour in Afghanistan? You gonna go there? Everybody knows if General Holden wasn't our guardian angel, you'd have been drummed out of the army by now.
And you had some challenges.
- Yeah.
- A woman in a man's world.
Even on our set, it was sort of a man's world.
- Absolutely.
- Attention! As you were.
I'm looking for Prospect Kanessa Jones.
I felt a great deal of responsibility to do my absolutely best to represent women in the military and, more specifically, women of color.
People always stand up for you like that? Oh, yeah.
I'm a lieutenant colonel.
I'm in charge of 1,400 soldiers.
At ease.
I think men and women struggle with deployments, but being a mother leaving her children Thank you.
We'll be ready, sir.
That was very, very difficult and something that she couldn't share.
There's an amazing deployment scene when Joan leaves her entire family.
And she has a special conversation with her son, David, that really sort of epitomizes what Joan is dealing with.
Don't worry about me.
Mom will be safe.
I want to give you something.
Don't forget me.
Of course not.
Although Joan often chose the army, it was at a very high cost emotionally.
Any career soldier is gonna have that same experience, that they have chosen the army over their family - on numerous occasions.
- Right.
And that's the contract that they sign not just physically, but that's the emotional contract - that they sign with honor.
- Absolutely.
It's very interesting, then, on flip side, you have the Chase character.
He had to lose his family In order to understand that that's exactly what to value them, in a way.
What is this? That is my request to transfer out of Delta.
Do you think Chase missed it? I certainly do.
I do think Chase missed it.
But everybody has to figure those things out for their own family.
Right now I feel like the luckiest guy on the face of the Earth.
People who don't know what military families go through, we told that story.
Welcome home.
Thank you, ma'am.
Thank you for your service.
I'm pretty proud that we told it certainly as best as we could, out of respect.
The funerals, especially when Jeremy passed away You saw it all in slow motion and, to be honest with you, I think that's how any of us would feel, like time would just stop.
Unfortunately, I've had to attend memorial services for fallen Marines, sailors, soldiers.
So that always really hits close to home.
It was very emotional for me as a fan.
Oh, my gosh.
That was, like, the most horrible thing.
But it was real, and that's what I loved about the show.
Not everybody always survives.
We all know that.
- Is Molly asleep? - Finally.
- Great.
- And you get some cake? I will, yeah.
Ooh.
I wonder what that's gonna be like.
- What? - Well, Tanya.
She's gonna be an army wife and a soldier.
- If you ask me, it's hard enough to just be one.
- Yeah.
She's a smart girl.
She's find her way.
Hmm.
Claudia Joy.
Gentlemen.
Sorry to disturb, Mrs.
Holden.
We were informed that a Mrs.
Denise Sherwood is in attendance.
Is she present? I'm Denise Sherwood.
- Mrs.
Sherwood, why don't we step - Please tell me.
- Ma'am, I really think we should - Just tell me.
Say it.
Ma'am, the Secretary of the army has asked me to express his deep regret.
The loss of Jeremy I still can't help but feel that personally.
The Secretary sends his deepest sympathy to you and your family in this tragic loss.
The casualty assistance officer will contact you within 24 hours.
I think that episode in particular, we all pretty much universally recognize as being sort of the pinnacle of, like, what the show was.
We had to do it.
If we didn't lose one of the soldiers on the show, we'd be denying a big part of their existence, their reality as military families.
Molly never even met him.
She'll never know her big brother.
I kept that script from people until the very last minute 'cause I wanted them to react freshly to it, and they did.
I was staying with Drew at the time.
And he said, "Have you read the script?" I said, "No, not yet.
" He said, "You should check it out.
" I read the script and was just bawling.
And I came out, and he's like, "Yeah, man.
Yeah, I know.
" He put fives boxes of tissues in front of my spot at the table read - Yeah.
- when we read that script.
Has that been confirmed? Over.
Roger that.
Airborne One, out.
Just the way General Holden walked up to Frank, and he didn't have to say anything.
- There was no dialogue was needed.
- Whew.
Well, just heard the Bravo Company kicked some serious ass today, sir.
Yep.
Bravo took it to them.
But there were casualties, Frank.
Yeah, yeah.
I'm sorry.
It was an interesting dichotomy to see how you needed to be alone with it and Denise, on the other side of the world, needed a group hug and everyone to be there.
He's dead, Roland.
I know.
My little boy is dead.
That moment was just such a sinking feeling.
Even to not have that in my life, but to think upon anybody's life in the military and think of that moment.
Them coming up was just so deeply upsetting.
There's this weird thing when you're holding hands that's like, "I really hope that this is not for me.
" - "But if it's you, I want to be there for you.
" - You're there for them.
- Do you know what I mean? - Mm-hmm.
And it kind of felt like whatever this is, - like, we're in it together.
- Yeah.
It was really powerful.
- Private Burnett.
- Here, Sergeant.
- Private Lazarcheck.
- Here, sergeant.
Specialist Sherwood.
Specialist Jeremy Sherwood.
Specialist Jeremy T Sherwood.
We've done that ritual a number of times on the series of calling roll after a soldier has passed.
And you call it three times, just saying their last name first and then their rank and name and then their rank and full name.
Sergeant, Specialist Jeremy T Sherwood was killed at Kandahar province, Afghanistan.
Taking the moment and not just one moment, but another moment and another moment to recognize his sacrifice and know that he was the guy on your right or your left and he fought for you, it's pretty great.
The funeral, the military service, this was something the show had to get right.
Lord, hold us in our loss and hear our prayers for Jeremy Sherwood.
It was excellent, the way they paid tribute to this fallen soldier.
It was very, very well done.
In fact, I'm getting chills just remembering that.
It was really well done.
They nailed it.
I think one of the enduring themes of the show is how the living have to help people get past the loss of loved ones.
To see how a family and a family of friends draws together in a time of great loss and crisis.
bright morning stars are rising If we were not to have lost Jeremy, it would have been disrespectful to the sacrifices that the armed forces, both the soldiers and their families, make.
day is a-breaking in my soul These families have to shoulder this burden, and we had to show that on this show.
I love you.
oh, where are our dear mothers? It's just a tremendous source of pride for me.
up to heaven a-shouting day is a-breaking in my soul Homecoming, I try to make it as special as possible.
And it's months of preparation.
This homecoming was huge because this is our longest deployment was nine months.
So I ordered the dress, and I added the gems to it.
And I just really wanted him to know how much he meant to me and that I spent a lot of time.
The look on his face, it spoke volumes to me.
Homecoming is when you really want to show them how much you appreciate them and just them know that they're coming back to a loving home and a happy spouse.
All right, babe.
This is what we've been working on.
You ready? Let's have it.
When it was time to have fun and lighten things up We did that together, too, because you need that.
_ Smile.
The '40s episode was great.
It was so much fun.
We had a bunch of dance lessons, all of us.
I'm ready to slay on the dance floor.
Brian and I practiced a lot.
Brian just reminded me it was a challenge until I stopped leading.
So, that was a fun episode.
- Anybody want some more jasmine tea, sandwiches, scones? - Yes.
I loved hanging out with the tribe because Joan never got to do that.
We would do these formal military events, and Joan would be in her dress blues.
The girls would have on these gowns, and I'd have a bun on, and it would just drive me crazy.
- Yeah? - Oh, yeah.
And episode that I wish I had more to do with was the golf episode.
- This is gonna be so much fun.
- Mm-hmm.
- That joint was so funny.
- That was my favorite.
Come on.
How bad can it be? Oh, oh! Roxy, Roxy! Oh, no! I got'em! - Sorry! - I was crying.
Wow, that sandbox is really hard to get out of.
Well, Claudia Joy's supposed to be this expert golfer.
Oh, no.
And I remember So, now all you have to do is read the line adjust.
I'm trying to, like, hit the ball.
Hey.
Shh! And I'm taking three shots.
And Sally's supporting me.
She goes I'm like, "It's okay, Kim.
You got it.
" Yes, CJ! Whoo! I said, "This is worse than doing a love scene.
" "I swear to God, this is worse than doing a nude love scene.
" What of my more fun moments was singing the baby to sleep - Oh, God.
Yeah.
- with the army song.
proud of all we have done fighting till the battle's won and the army goes drumming on When you deal with a show that has such heavy themes or whatnot, I think we did everything that we could to make it as easy-going as possible.
I'm gonna try something different on this line reading.
Make a plan, break it down.
I was always amazed at how you could bring levity to the set and be a real clown and an idiot.
I really appreciate that.
I have a gift, and I'm not gonna hide it under a bunch of pretenses.
McNamara's pretty much the class clown.
Well, I'm doing my best, sir.
Why don't you learn your lines? He does things to get on the gag reel, whereas more professional people organically allow it to transpire.
This good for you, John? Yeah, that's good.
I had so many scenes with Brian.
And many of these scenes were very serious.
I just farted.
I like to sort of stay in the moment and stay sort of serious, especially if it's a serious scene, and he would make that very difficult.
Joan I've always wanted to kiss you.
We had a lot of really wonderful, fun times.
Yeah, okay.
Let's go.
I'm gonna miss those times.
It's really you.
Every guest star that came was just fantastic.
Yeah.
And all of them, I think, left Charleston going, "It's kind of my favorite show I've ever been on.
" - Hi, mom.
- Oh, I should have told you I was coming.
Marsha Mason played my mom.
And Margaret, she was wonderful.
It's so wonderful to see you, Michael! - Ooh! - Barbara Eden.
I still got it.
Jill Biden came down.
One of the things I value most about my role as Second Lady is the opportunity to visit with military families.
She was amazed how many takes we had to do.
She's like, all ready with all of her Secret Service around her.
Are you enjoying yourselves? - We are, yes.
- Good.
General Casey and his wife.
- When the White House calls - You answer.
Exactly.
- Harry Hamlin.
- More champagne.
He was fun.
Noted and appreciated.
Thanks again to our special guest, Tanya Biank.
Over the seasons, I had some cameo appearances.
And then, in this last season, I actually got to play myself.
Women with courage, confidence, and character.
It was surreal because I was doing something that I would normally do in my real life.
Brooke Shields, who played hot-shot Air Force pilot Kat Young, I asked her how did she like wearing a flight suit.
And she said that she loved it.
It was her favorite outfit, which was funny 'cause it's a uniform.
And the Air Force does not wear flight suits that tight.
I got your attention, didn't I? _ Look at this crowd.
Whoo! This joint is jumping! Yep.
The Hump Bar.
You must be from Tennessee 'cause you the only 10 I see.
Sweet.
You can count.
Just don't breed.
With the peanut shells on the ground and bar fights.
I'm not good enough for you, but he is? Why can't it ever happen in the parking lot? The Hump Bar was this melting pot.
I am loving it that you guys were here at The Hump, especially a colonel's wife.
Even Denise and Claudia Joy would, like, end up being there.
It is rather conduct unbecoming of me, I know.
That was Roxy's hood.
The Hump Bar, I praise you, I love you, I miss you, and you will be in my heart forever.
To The Hump.
- Can't keep a good bar down.
- Yeah.
There's a saying in the military that we leave no man behind, but the truth of the matter is, is that our service members do leave people behind in order to follow the call of duty.
And "Army Wives" told that story.
It's awesome because it's such an experience to go different places and not know your road map and to meet so many different people and to develop great friendships and stuff like that.
But it also is it's really It's tough.
You try not to get close to people because they're gonna be gone.
But it's hard to do that because you need them to get through what you're going through.
So, it's, you know, you're constantly fighting with yourself because I'm not really good at goodbyes.
And it's been a lot of goodbyes.
_ I've been thinking.
We've all been lucky for a really long time.
What do you mean? Well, this is the army.
You know, sooner or later, everybody's gonna have to go somewhere else.
Yeah, I try not to think about it.
Me, too.
I feel like we were always saying goodbyes.
Come on, you guys.
What is this, a wake? - Exactly.
- Roxy.
- You promised not to be depressing.
- I lied.
It was always very difficult to understand that motto of the army that I feel like Claudia Joy always said.
Well, we don't say goodbye in the army, Pamela.
We say "See you again.
" See you again.
Pamela leaving was the first.
A Delta buddy of Chase's runs a high-tech security firm in San Jose.
- I said no at first, but now - California? It was extremely hard, personally, to say goodbye.
Don't say anything.
I love you.
Okay.
I got to go.
As Pamela, as Brigid, whatever train wreck.
I was a train wreck.
What I loved was that through that whole season, we had, like, phone calls.
The idea was that no matter where we were, the characters and the friends continue.
- Yes.
- You know? To be continued.
To be continued always.
We'll all stay in touch.
It won't be the same.
By the time Roxy leaves the series, she has gone through a remarkable transformation.
She began as a fish out of water, knowing nothing about the army.
She became a fish out of water again as an officer's wife.
What does my hemline have to do with being an FRG leader? A lot, actually.
Things change when your husband becomes an officer, Roxy.
I am so proud of where Roxy went.
She never shied away from being honest and true to herself.
My name is Roxy Leblanc, and I am your new FRG leader.
What I loved was she just helped lead people.
I think we saw that most through Gloria.
Listen.
The former owner of this bar took a chance on me once.
Now I'm gonna do the same for you.
Really? You think I can do it? I know you can do it.
My orders came in.
I've been assigned Second Ranger Battalion at Fort Lewis.
We report to Tacoma in 30 days.
We can do that.
She's in a really terrific place.
I think people can feel that she's going off to a really bright and happy future.
Four boys, one dog, Yeah, but can we take the long way out? Absolutely.
Michael? Claudia Joy she's gone.
Losing somebody as important to the show as Claudia Joy was a huge challenge for us.
There was still so much she wanted to do.
She never had any regrets.
Don't even doubt that.
I still can't believe she's gone.
Boy, was she the ground that he stood on.
And the loss of her, you know, rocked him.
It's so strange to be here without mom.
She's never gonna be here again.
You are the people who meant the most to Claudia Joy.
She wrote this the night before her kidney surgery, just in case.
The memorial service for Claudia Joy, the emotion that was there "I'm not gonna say don't be sad.
Just don't feel sad too long.
" And that's a testament to what terrific actors we had and how well they knew their characters and how Claudia Joy's death impacted each one of them.
It was one of the more magical experiences of my acting career.
Goodbye, mom.
_ Losing a character like Claudia Joy was a huge challenge, but it gave us the opportunity to work more with General Holden, with Brian's character, to see how you deal with the loss of somebody who was your life's partner and how do you pick up the pieces after that, which then led to the introduction of Brooke Shields.
How are you settling in? Charleston's been extremely welcoming, sir.
In a way like Claudia Joy, every bit his equal.
And that's what Michael needs and looks for and admires.
Maybe next time, you could let me know before you jump a plane to hell and gone.
Is that a professional request, sir? No, Colonel.
It isn't.
I thought the writers handled it tastefully and took as much time as was allowed.
Neither of us was looking for this.
And now that it's here, we're gonna see where it might lead.
With full respect to Claudia Joy.
I like to think Brooke's character and Michael developed another really beautiful relationship.
After the death of Claudia Joy, Denise inherits the mantle of Claudia Joy's leadership.
You tell me, Denise.
What would Claudia Joy do in your shoes? Claudia Joy would push the envelope when necessary.
So, you see a woman really grow in terms of her sense of who she is, where she stands in the world, what she's capable of doing.
And by the end of the series, she really is now the new leader of the tribe.
And you see the younger women that have come in to the show looking up to her in the same way, going back seven years, that those young women looked up to Claudia Joy.
What's the matter? I hate tea.
So why'd you take it? When the Brigade Commander's wife offers you tea, you take the tea.
For a show to continue on the air, you have to introduce new faces.
In my father's army, the ranks never mixed, and that's how I always looked at things.
But you bailed me out without giving it a second thought.
All we saw was an army wife in trouble.
That's right.
So, we had begun to introduce characters Jackie, Kelli Williams' character, and her husband, and also Gloria.
Hey, honey.
Where's our beers? Are you talking to me? 'Cause I could tell you what you can do with your beers if you don't take that meat hook off me, honey.
We're very excited about the choices that we made and the new cast that came in.
But I think it's a testament to how wonderful the original cast was that people were very reluctant to see them go, including me.
It's just us now, Roland.
Thank God we have each other, right? - Roland? - I'm moving.
- What? - Now, it's only temporary.
I've been asked to participate in a clinical study at Johns Hopkins.
My paper I wrote's been getting a lot of attention.
That's fantastic.
I like to think now that Joan has reached the level in her career that she has, and Roland has this wonderful opportunity, I think they're in a great space.
There are so many people I need to thank today.
The series ends on Joan's retirement, which, you know, is really interesting because Joan's entire life was all about making it to General.
It is my fondest hope as I leave this my that love so much that other women will take up the standard I leave behind today and carry it to even greater heights.
There's a great deal of wishfulness and sadness about saying goodbye to some of these characters.
But I know, for me, the characters live on.
I am the biggest, biggest "Army Wives" fan ever.
I'm a super fan.
I always will be a fan.
I own all the seasons.
My husband got them for me for Christmas.
No matter where I lived, where I was stationed, I could look forward to sitting down on the sofa on Sunday night, turning it on, and seeing those familiar faces and those storylines that I could relate to.
I was very, very sad to see it end, but I'm very grateful for what I think it did for the military families and the spotlight that it gave us.
I'm gonna miss the show.
I don't know what I would do if it wasn't around.
I'm so sad it's going away.
_ Any time a show runs for as long as ours did, you're always gonna have this sense of mourning when it comes to an end because week in and week out for seven years, you were experiencing their stories in your home.
- Yeah.
- Sure.
- I think it left a void in a lot of our viewers, and they took it so personally.
- Yeah.
- You know? And we take it personally, too.
I think it's just one of those things that you move on.
Life goes on.
It's like we stole a couple years together as a tribe, as a family.
I still can't believe he's going.
I thought I'd be used to it by now.
Well, we never get used to it.
We just get through it.
You will, too.
Right.
I know it's left kind of a hole in our audience's heart, and I am so appreciative of that, that they feel that strongly about the show.
I just hope that everybody knows, it really it means as much to us as it does to them.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
I think the series has served as a cultural ambassador for the US military because it has shown the human side of our soldiers.
And that's a side that you don't always get to see on the nightly news.
I don't think that can be understated, the debt that we as a country, I think, owe to our armed forces.
We ask them to do this for us.
And I think "Army Wives" was a way of saying, "We appreciate it, thank you.
" The bedrock of the show was love of family, love of friends, love of country.
And I think really that's what resonated so much with our audience.
It all went by so fast.
It was not something that happens often, that you have something that really means something to a lot of people, that they can attach their hearts to and feel like they're a part of.
Thanks for being part of the journey.
Feels like we've been through so many lifetimes together, doesn't it? Yes, it does.
It's amazing, huh? Moving around the world, seeing fascinating places.
God, all the adventures.
Making wonderful friends.
I love being an army wife.
this is the hardest part Don't know if I can do this.
after we've come so far I don't think any of us wanted it to end, but things change, you know? On army posts, you know, you get moved to another one.
I won't let this go How are we gonna get through tomorrow? Same way we always do Together.
I feel like it was such an important show, that it meant so much to so many people.
Thank you.
I'm very proud of that.
could be the start of something Even though the show's off the air, the enduring message that I think the show conveyed could stay with people, and that is that friendship and love can overcome virtually any difficulty and it's important to hang on to your hopes.
That's the great thing about stories is that, you know, you can continue to take them with you.
I'll never say goodbye Thank you all for sharing your lives with me.
For being a light in the dark.
For taking me as I am.
For having my back.
For making this place a home.
We are very grateful for your support and your love and your encouragement of what we did.
Come back to me.
Always.
I won't let this go This has been such an amazing experience, and I'm so grateful to have had it, and I wouldn't have changed anything for the world.
it might feel like it's over - What's on your mind, soldier? - Same as everyone else.
Just wondering what the future holds.
I suppose we can all imagine in our own way what these characters are doing now those words don't feel right - it might feel like it's over - and hope they're happy - and hope they're safe.
- but this is not the end I'll see you down range, Colonel Burton.
Sir.
this is not the end To us.
- To us.
- To us.
- To us.
- To us.
this is not the end _