Army Wives had a good subplot last night involving religion. Some of the other subplots were pretty good too, including Denise and her husband (perhaps no longer), which has been a complex story throughout. The Roxy/Viola stuff was a bit tedious -- Roxy is independent and doesn't want someone else (especially unilaterally!) making decisions about her bar. No duh. Never really connected to Chase (after a bad start, Pamela has become interesting), but the sudden problems Chase had after coming home was also an interesting tack to take.
Joan is about to go over for a tour of duty in Iraq and feels a need to have her baby christened, even though she herself is not very religious (or even baptized). Her husband does go to church. She is uncomfortable when the priest starts asking about her own religious beliefs. Joan was looking for a ceremony more like their wedding, not so formal and about her. Even if it does make sense that if she is going to get her baby baptized, her own faith would be a concern. She is about to forget about the idea until her husband gets her to try another church.
They find a less formal one, which sounds something like a Unitarian one for its acceptance of diverse faiths, and it fits into what Joan wants. What she basically wants is a way for their child to be part of something bigger than them, especially since there is a chance she might not come back, to show her that she fits in a wider community, one that loves her. The event clearly would still have religious overtones, surely be of a sacred favor, even if Joan is not a big God person. This underlines my belief that "religion" should not be seen narrowly, but that it has broader connotations that go beyond the stereotypes.
I often don't like all the subplots on the show, but it continues to have something of interest, particularly those involving Denise. I do wonder about suddenly bringing CJ's husband back, which seemed like a deus ex machina move. [Did preview audiences get as turned off by the new company commander as much as me?] Will Denise stick around in the end too? And, did the actress playing Roxy get plastic surgery or start wearing a lot of makeup or something? I don't like her glossy new look.
Anyway, am looking forward to the body changing series they keep on previewing ... better not be lame!