Ep 8. Loyalties

The television drama series Army Wives focuses on the lives of several women, who are the wives of soldiers based at Fort Marshall. In season 2 episode 8 titled "Loyalties," the series delves into the complex ties between the women as they confront difficult situations, both individually and together.

One of the central storylines centers around Denise Sherwood (Catherine Bell), whose marriage to Frank is on rocky ground. As Frank deploys to Iraq, Denise finds that she must take on the responsibility of managing their household while also dealing with her growing sense of isolation. In the midst of this, she is approached by a woman named Claudia Joy Holden (Kim Delaney), who invites her to join a group of Army wives meeting for drinks. Denise, who has always felt somewhat on the outside of her social circle, is hesitant, but eventually accepts.

Meanwhile, Claudia Joy herself is busy dealing with her own issues. Her husband Michael Holden (Brian McNamara) has returned from his deployment in Afghanistan with a severe case of PTSD, and Claudia Joy is struggling to help him. When she discovers that fellow Army wife Pamela Moran (Brigid Brannagh) has formed a support group for PTSD sufferers, she jumps at the chance to bring Michael. But when Michael proves resistant to the idea, Claudia Joy is forced to confront the fact that her husband's trauma may be deeper than she imagined.

Another story thread involves Pamela, who is pregnant with her third child and struggling with her husband's infidelity. While attending an art show with her friend Roxy LeBlanc (Sally Pressman), she runs into her husband Chase (Jeremy Davidson) with another woman. Heartbroken, she confides in Roxy, who offers her a sympathetic ear and a shoulder to cry on. But when Pamela's husband returns home, she must decide whether to forgive him and keep their family together, or to walk away.

Finally, Roxy herself is grappling with a major decision: whether or not to remarry her ex-husband Trevor LeBlanc (Drew Fuller), who has just returned to Fort Marshall after serving a tour in Iraq. Flattered by Trevor's attention, Roxy is consumed by doubts about whether they can make it work this time around. When Trevor proposes marriage, Roxy is torn between her love for him and her fear of being hurt again.

As these four women navigate the challenges of military life and their own personal struggles, they find themselves drawn together by a common bond. "Loyalties" is a poignant and emotionally resonant episode that explores the complicated relationships between these Army wives, as they learn to lean on each other in times of need.