Official Synopsis:
From Grey's Anatomy Executive Producer Mark Gordon comes the emotional series that the Miami Herald calls "100% engaging". Meet the Army Wives - four women and one man - who share the common bond of loving someone enlisted in the U.S. Army. Authentic, passionate drama and candid interviews offer an extraordinary glimpse into the lives of everyday Americans as they struggle to understand honor, friendship and loyalty to their country. Experience every inspiring episode of Army Wives: The Complete First Season, featuring an all-star cast led by Kim Delaney, Catherine Bell and Sally Pressman. "Have at it" with bonus features that takes you deep into the world of Army Wives and explore the real people and stories behind the series. This three-disc set raises the bar on one of television's most engaging dramas.

Disc 1:
- A Tribe Is Born
- After Birth
- The Art Of Separation
- One Of Our Own

Disc 2:
- Independence Day
- Who We Are
- Hail And Farewell
- Only The Lonely
- Nobody's Perfect

Disc 3:
- Dirty Laundry
- Truth And Consequences
- Rules Of Engagement
- Goodbye Stranger

  
Our Take:
For at least half of the first episode of Army Wives, I kept thinking, “This is nothing we haven’t seen before. It’s Desperate Housewives on an Army base.” And by the time I’d finished watching the show, I thought, “This is nothing we haven’t seen before. It’s Desperate Housewives on an Army base. But it’s really good.”

The fact of the matter is that Army Wives has taken the familiar ensemble-cast-and-dramatic-storylines-with-a-dash-of-humor formula that has been a staple of the television landscape for years and simply added a little spin to it. You’ve got four wives and a husband who all bond over the shared experience of being married to someone in the armed forces. For the most part, the show eschews any kind of action scenes and instead revolves around the personal drama of life in the army when you’re not actually in the army.

What helps the show succeed is the terrific cast, anchored by Kim Delaney, Catherine Bell (playing against type as a demure, proper wife), and Brigid Brannagh, who I’ve been a fan of for a long time. The real standout, though is Sally Pressman as Roxy, the low-rent-but-high-character wife trying to make good. Pressman brings an energy, vivacity and humor to the show that really cements the ensemble as a whole.

Army Wives: The Complete First Season comes as a three-disc set with a nice array of bonus materials:

* Have At It with the Army Wives - A Q&A session with the cast of the show, featuring questions submitted by fans.
* Wives On The Homefront - An inside look at real army wives as they stare their fascinating stories and experiences.
* Deleted Story Line - A deleted story line from the show, available with producer commentary. This is the kind of thing I like to see on my DVD sets.
* Bloopers.

* Audio Commentaries.
* Deleted Scenes.

Because Army Wives airs on Lifetime, it’s audience is going to be made up almost exclusively of women. However, any guys that can watch Desperate Housewives or Grey’s Anatomy (such as myself) will also really enjoy this show. Unlike some other recent network offerings that have been female-centric that are so blatantly pro-feminist that it’s insulting to men and women (I’m looking at you, Lipstick Jungle) Army Wives simply offers up good characters and good storylines. Who wouldn’t enjoy that?

Overall Picture:
Show: A-
DVD: B+

- Mike Spring

Editor