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Four Fictional Veterans on TV

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As I was trying to come up with this list of fictional veterans on TV, I was struck at how differently veterans are portrayed on television today even compared to a few years ago. Crotchety veterans have been a staple of sitcoms (think Red Foreman from That ’70s Show, Marty Crane on Frasier, Dr. Kelso on Scrubs) and even dramas tended to portray veterans with a light touch (Magnum P.I., Airwolf) with occasional forays into drama. China Beach delved into the complexities of serving in the Armed Forces, but it seems to be a fairly recent conceit to include veterans in shows not set in war zones and explore what it means to have been a soldier. In honor of Veterans Day, here are four modern veterans currently on TV.

Martin Freeman as Dr. John WatsonMartin Freeman as Dr. John Watson (Sherlock) – Recently returned from Afghanistan after suffering a bullet wound, this Dr. Watson is not the jovial, grandfatherly figure of Sherlocks past. We first meet him living in solitude, no job, going to therapy to deal with the things he saw on the war front. It’s not until he meets Sherlock that he’s jolted from his melancholy and begins rejoining civilian life; well, as much as accompanying Sherlock Holmes on solving cases can be termed “civilian life.” An interesting twist in this British veteran’s story is the admission that while he is haunted by what he’s seen at war, he misses the excitement of serving in Afghanistan. This is not an aspect of soldiers we see depicted in the media very often, and certainly not in someone we’re supposed to find likable, but it does explain his interest in Sherlock’s work as a consulting detective.

David Boreanaz as Seeley BoothDavid Boreanaz as Special Agent Seeley Booth (Bones) – This former Army sniper brought his skills to the FBI, then formed a team with Dr. Brennan and her Squints at the Jeffersonian to bring criminals to justice. Although his past in the Army isn’t discussed in detail, we know that he is considered one of the best in his field but that taking a life is not something he does without some regret. Recently reactivated to train troops in Afghanistan, we saw Booth in action during the Bones season 6 premiere. We’ll find out more about this veteran’s past and skills when a sniper becomes part of the storyline for several episodes in January.

Adam Baldwin as Col John CaseyAdam Baldwin as Colonel John Casey (Chuck) – Gruff, grunting, and infinitely capable, Casey is the man you want on your side in battle. This Marine veteran usually plays the straight man in this often comedic show, although a well-placed grunt or raised eyebrow can elicit laughs. After four years, we still don’t know a lot about Colonel Casey, but we’ve now seen the difficult choices he had to make as a soldier and met some of the people he encountered during that time. He is clearly a patriot who is dedicated to serving his country and saddened when it fails him. We also know that beneath the stoic exterior is a man who is fiercely loyal to those he cares about, and, in that same vein, is learning to care about more people.

Todd Lowe as Terry BellefleurTodd Lowe as Terry Bellefleur (True Blood) – From the beginning we’ve known that Terry was a broken man. An Iraqi war veteran, he suffers from PTSD which, early in the series, rendered him nearly childlike in his inability to handle additional stress. As events have transpired in Bon Temps, Terry’s military training has been put to good use and his gentle heart has been reawakened both by love and by friendship, to the point that he can even joke about this unwelcome consequence of his service.

It seems to me that in these four characters we’re given a more realistic view of the baggage associated with being a veteran, as well as the courage, intelligence and skill that makes an effective soldier. The transition from battlefield to civilian life isn’t smooth, and as a viewer I find it refreshing to have that acknowledged, even as I am entertained by the shows and stories these characters exist within.

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