Posted by Dustin on 06.16.2008 at 3:14 pm

In this episode, Claudia Joy was released from the hospital, but was having trouble dealing with Amanda’s death. She ended up losing it at the PX when they didn’t have any thank you cards, and then when Evelyn strayed from her sight.

Denise talked with Claudia Joy and told her how she’s really good of taking care of everyone else, but not so great about letting others take care of her. Pamela also talked with her, telling her about how when she was 15 years old her 7 year old brother was killed during a hold up at a gas station. She said death is always hard, but when it happens out of the normal order it’s even worse.

Claudia Joy went into Amanda’s room, where Michael found her. He didn’t think this was a good idea, he heard about her panic attack today. She got angry, thinking he was ashamed of her and how this wasn’t how the generals wife should act. He told her he was the one who stood there and watched their daughter die, he knew how hard this was. Emmalynn found them fighting and told them off, saying their fighting was making this worse.

Claudia Joy apologized to her daughter. Emmalynn decided she wanted to stay with Denise for a few days so her parents could work things out. She went to stay with Denise, and confided in her that she knows she reminds her mom of Amanda, and her mom loved Amanda more. Denise told her that was absolutely not true.

Roland decided to turn down Northwestern to stay and be with Joan. Joan however still doesn’t know if she wants to keep the baby, feeling her career is on the fast track and she doesn’t want to derail it.

Later Roxy ran into Roland and Joan and mentioned the baby. Joan was furious that Roland told his friends. She said her position had been compromised and she has to tell her C.O. about her pregnancy and she hadn’t yet.

Joan finally told Michael she was pregnant. He was happy for her and thought it was great. However she told him she didn’t know if she was keeping it, she doesn’t think she is. He was shocked to say the least.

Roland later came home to find Joan having morning sickness. She apologized for getting angry with him, but he said he was wrong telling his friends. Roland told her he didn’t want her to feel forced into having this baby. She asked if he’d leave if she doesn’t keep it. He had thought a lot about that, but these past few weeks have been so good between them. He said as much as he wanted a baby, he didn’t want to lose her either, so no.

Joan went in for the abortion, alone. Later we saw her sitting on the coach. Roland came home and she said she went for the abortion, but she couldn’t do it. She showed him a video of the ultrasound on TV and they bonded.

Chase returned home from his latest mission, and Pamela was angry with him. They had a talk, Chase says he has to leave as it’s his job, but he always comes back. She said they were a family whether he’s here or not, and lately she’s had to get used to being a family and doing things without him. She said he has no idea what she goes through when he’s gone. He told her that this last trip, he got the idea. He is used to her not being able to call him or him her, but when he heard about the bombing and didn’t know if she was alive or not, he was terrified. Later Pamela came home from work and found Chase had cooked the family dinner.

Roxy was waiting on word from Trevor, who had made it to Iraq. She went to see Betty at the hospital. We found out that Betty has stage one breast cancer, she’s not as close to death as she made out at the end of last season. She’s also being shipped off to the county hospital as she’s now stable enough and not army. Roxy wouldn’t have this at all.

Roxy went to see the hospital administrator about Betty. He couldn’t help her, she wasn’t army. Roxy pointed out this woman had her home, her business and her life destroyed by one of the Army, so they had to make it right. Roxy got her one more week in the Army hospital, then she’d be well enough to go home. Roxy planned to take Betty home with her, saying she needed the help with the expenses since she’s out of a job, and she could be there for Betty and Betty for her. Roxy wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Trevor meanwhile saw his first casualties. He was able to write home to Roxy, and sent her and the boys sand from Iraq so they could start a sand of the world collection.

By the end of the show, Emmalynn went home to her mom, saying she wanted to come home, and they had a good cry. Claudia Joy and Michael then had all their friends over for dinner. Michael told her that having people around made it easier, and everyone had a nice dinner.

In the Coming Weeks

• Denise meets a new patient who flirts with her.
• Chase is leaving again, and he worries how this is effecting the kids and him and Pamela.
• Michael tells Claudia Joy that he not only misses Amanda, but his wife too.
• Roxy gets a call and goes crying to Pamela that this is what she’s been so scared of.

My Thoughts
Joan continued to tick me off throughout this episode. First she railed at Roland for telling his friends because she hadn’t told her CO, now she could be in trouble. She still didn’t know if she would keep the baby because it would knock her off her career path. I just kept hearing “me me me” from Joan instead of “we we we.” This is what landed their marriage in trouble in the first place! What made me even more upset is that Roland told her he wouldn’t leave her if she didn’t have the baby, that while he wanted the baby, he didn’t want to lose her. I felt Roland was backing down from standing his ground earlier with her.

I was also shocked that she actually had the nerve to tell Michael, who just lost his daughter, that she wasn’t sure if she would keep the baby. Ouch! I mean I guess she had to be honest, but the situation and the timing sucked and just made her look even colder.

Joan went for the abortion alone, and that was probably the one time I felt for her in the whole episode. When the doctor asked if her husband was coming and she said no, I did feel sorry for her. However in the end she chose to keep the baby, which I felt was the reason for why they didn’t have Roland go with her. I expected her to tell him when he came home she kept the baby, and I’m glad she did. Roland said he would have stayed with her, but I think it would have changed their relationship even more than the affair did.

Roxy got her spunk back this week and used it to help out Betty. I loved when she went to see the hospital administrator and told him point blank it was someone in the Army who did this to Betty, so they had to step up and take care of her. Damn right! Loved Roxy for doing that and for taking in Betty.

Also at the end of last season they made it seem like Betty was doomed because of her cancer, but Roxy said she had stage 1 breast cancer, not stage 4. I can’t help but wonder if there was some changes made in order to keep Betty around? I was convinced by the end of last season she was a goner, either from the cancer or because of the bombing.

We got to see a bit more of the dynamics between Pamela and Chase, as she finally let him know his job was beginning to bother her. I’m foreseeing Chase getting out of Delta Force and maybe into another position in the army at some point in this season so he’s around a little more.

Finally the show did an amazing job with Claudia Joy’s grief, having her pushing away everyone close to her, yet in the end accepting the help and support from her friends. The previews however seem to make it out that there will be problems between Claudia Joy and Michael this season. I just hope they don’t take the predictable route and make her an alcoholic or something.

Photos captured by Dustin