Episode Report Card Shack: D+ | 14 USERS: B- YOU GRADE IT The Known Soldier
By Shack | Season 6 | Episode 20 | Aired on 05.05.2002
We get another look at Theresa and Alex in the audience, along with Dwight's younger brother Chip, who is eighteen and wants to join the Marines. He's one of the reasons for the disclaimer at the beginning of the recap, because he could totally kick my ass. He's a big boy. Eric continues on with a list of names of people who were important to Dwight, none of whom we know and which gives us no real insight into who he was. Alex looks bored. Theresa looks bored. I honestly can't imagine what it must be like to sit through an imaginary memorial for a loved one, run by an actor pretending to be a minister, giving a speech written by a bad television hack. And I'm also wondering how long they had to sit here and how many times they had to listen to Stephen Collins give this vague, awful eulogy. Eric goes on to say how much Morgan loved being a Marine and serving his country, and that he died with honor -- because what else can he say? -- and picks up the theme mallet to hammer into us all that Staff. Sgt. Dwight J. Morgan is now "The Known Soldier" in his house and the community. He challenges the crowd to go out and do something the next day that would make Morgan proud of them, to honor him.
He ends his eulogy, and CeCe Winans takes the microphone from him to lead the crowd in a rendition of "God Bless America." They sing us into the commercials. I'm just grateful that Lee Greenwood doesn't appear or sing anywhere in this episode.
When we return from commercials, it's the following day, and Annie is getting the twins together for some sort of trip. Simon wanders in and asks what's going on. Annie and the twins are spending the day with Mrs. Bink. Simon assumes that this is some sort of punishment, but Annie explains that she's teaching the twins how to take care of older people; they're going over there to cook her lunch. Simon responds, "Staff Sgt. Dwight J. Morgan would be very proud." How the hell would you know? But yes, Annie says she's doing this in his honor, because normally she ignores the helpless elderly or something. She asks what Simon is doing today. Simon says he's doing something, but doesn't want to tell her what it is, because he thinks that if somebody tells him he's doing a good deed, it doesn't count because he feels like he's being rewarded. Well, I don't think worrying about how people perceive your good deeds is much better. Stop trying to spin them in a way that makes you look more humble and just do them. Annie tells him that she thinks that's cute, and reminds him to be home in time of dinner. She's cooking enchiladas in honor of Staff Sgt. Dwight J. Morgan. No, really.