I was 10 years old when this episode originally aired. Our society is filled with people (men/women/children) who are suffering because of the pain of divorce. This episode delves into what happens when a particularly young couple get married, she (at 19) gets pregnant 2 months into the union and he re-ups for a second tour to go back to the front lines in Vietnam.
One reviewer believes this soldier is highly unstable. I completely disagree with that assessment. The soldier really acts as if he loves his son (and his ex-wife) and is sincere about making a go of a new life with the three of them together. The problem: the adopted parents are a mature, loving and seemingly well balanced couple who have provided a beautiful, modest, peaceful and loving home for the little boy - since they adopted him only a few days old (he's now 5).
Usually in episodes dealing with this subject matter there is a "bad guy - or 2" so the viewer can easily choose a side to sympathize with and rally behind. In this episode, though, I didn't see or feel like any of the main characters had the unsympathetic role. As you watch search your heart and see if I'm not accurate in my assessment.
Things To Notice and Anticipate............
*Nancy Pelosi's in-law campaign sign in the background (when Keller and birth mom get in a car to start a chase @ 38:15) in an attempt to win a senate seat (he lost).
*In the opening sequence of the first attempted kidnapping- adopted dad goes right out the window head first and tackles birth dad to "get" the guy who had just tried to kidnap his boy. Right away, adopted dad had me rooting for him.
*Stone does an excellent job in the last few minutes (with no service weapon in sight) of reasoning with birth dad. Something if Stone had thought birth dad was unbalanced he most assuredly wouldn't have done.
*Props to the writers of this episode. Modern/contemporary shows are not writing scripts/dialogue/concepts with the quality of these basic network shows from the 1970's. I'm not comprehending why either. Maybe audiences today are easily satisfied and so quality and excellence is sacrificed?
One reviewer believes this soldier is highly unstable. I completely disagree with that assessment. The soldier really acts as if he loves his son (and his ex-wife) and is sincere about making a go of a new life with the three of them together. The problem: the adopted parents are a mature, loving and seemingly well balanced couple who have provided a beautiful, modest, peaceful and loving home for the little boy - since they adopted him only a few days old (he's now 5).
Usually in episodes dealing with this subject matter there is a "bad guy - or 2" so the viewer can easily choose a side to sympathize with and rally behind. In this episode, though, I didn't see or feel like any of the main characters had the unsympathetic role. As you watch search your heart and see if I'm not accurate in my assessment.
Things To Notice and Anticipate............
*Nancy Pelosi's in-law campaign sign in the background (when Keller and birth mom get in a car to start a chase @ 38:15) in an attempt to win a senate seat (he lost).
*In the opening sequence of the first attempted kidnapping- adopted dad goes right out the window head first and tackles birth dad to "get" the guy who had just tried to kidnap his boy. Right away, adopted dad had me rooting for him.
*Stone does an excellent job in the last few minutes (with no service weapon in sight) of reasoning with birth dad. Something if Stone had thought birth dad was unbalanced he most assuredly wouldn't have done.
*Props to the writers of this episode. Modern/contemporary shows are not writing scripts/dialogue/concepts with the quality of these basic network shows from the 1970's. I'm not comprehending why either. Maybe audiences today are easily satisfied and so quality and excellence is sacrificed?
