HOMEFRONT
In Brief
The Families
At the beginning it is right after WWII. There is the Metcalf family, consisting of mother Anne, Hank the oldest who was in the war, Linda in the middle who worked in a factory during the war, and Jeff the youngest who plays baseball. Then there is the Sloans. They are one of the rich families in the small town of River Run. There’s Michael senior, Ruth, and their son Michael jr., who also fought in the war. There is the Davis family, Gloria and Abe who work as the cook and driver for the Sloans. They have a son Robert who also was in the war. Then there is Linda Metcalf’s friend Ginger, and Hank and Mike jr.’s friend Charlie. Then there was Sarah, Hank’s girlfriend.
The Relationships
Before the war Linda Metcalf and Mike Sloan jr. were dating. Sometime during the war they broke up, mostly because Mike met Gina, an Italian girl. They got married. Charlie and Ginger were together as well, but sometime during the war, Charlie met Caroline in England. They married, but Charlie didn’t tell Ginger till the war was over. Hank Metcalf was dating Sarah, however while he was fighting Sarah started to see his brother Jeff Metcalf. When the war was over Jeff and Sarah couldn’t bring themselves to tell Hank, and Sarah and Hank wind up marrying. Jeff feels dejected as does Ginger, so not to far into the first season they start dating. Jeff and Ginger are on again off again through the whole series. When they are not together Jeff has brief relationships with Caroline, who by that time has separated from Charlie, and Judy Owen, a bartender he meets while he’s playing baseball out of town. Charlie winds up dating and being engaged to Gina, Mike Sloan jr.’s widow. Hank becomes quite the suicidal alcoholic after Sarah is shot and killed in a random drive by. He leaves the show after the first season, very much due to the fact of a new character, Al Kahn. Hank blames Al somewhat for Sarah’s death because it was suspected that the shooters didn’t like the Union that was forming at the Sloan’s plant, and Al was the head of the Union. Well Al started to date Anne Metcalf, Hank’s Linda’s and Jeff’s mother. Well they did a lot more than date cause she winds up pregnant toward the end of the first season. So Hank and Jeff are quite pissed. Linda was friends with him before so she wasn’t as pissed. One of the biggest problems was that Al was Jewish but the Metcalfs were Catholic, this was a big problem in a small town in the 40s. Anne and Al get married anyway. The Sloans stay together, as do the Davises. There son Robert reveals a big secret in the second season, he has a french wife. He brings her to the states, but due to prejudices they by the end they move out of River Run.
Random Plots and Stuff I Remember
Anne tells her kids she’s pregnant the day after Sarah’s funeral. Another reason why Hank doesn’t like Al. Hank also confronts Jeff about his relationship with Sarah, after her death. Hank and Jeff treat Al really badly through the whole series. He was not that bad really. Linda almost never has a boyfriend and I could never figure out why. The Sloans are just obnoxious rich people that I got really irritated with. I always felt bad for Hank, his wife dated his brother behind his back, and then she’s killed. After Anne has the baby she gets polio, she lives but then not long after Al is accused of being a communist. He loses his job and in the series finale they move to New Jersey. Jeff and Ginger wind up getting married and Jeff plays major league baseball for the Indians. One of the few full plots I remember was in late Oct. 92, (I’m not sure about the episode date or title). Anne has her baby while she and Al are at a lake. There are lots of cabins there and another couple that is staying there is the Sloans. Al is the Union president and Mike Sloan is the plant president, so they don’t get along. Well a doctor can’t get out there fast enough so Mrs. Sloan delivers the baby, while Mike keeps Al company. I remember it was a very interesting episode but, little else, good character development. Anyway they wind up naming the baby Michael. Oh I almost forgot Gina, Mike jr.’s widow has his baby, a girl named Emma.
For pics, and more go to:
http://pages.prodigy.com/cyberfool/hfpage.htm
Other Stuff (Homefront connections to other shows I watched)
The woman who played Judy Owen played Dixie Cousins on "The Adventures of Brisco County jr."
The woman who played Ginger was in the movie "The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark" as a child, Ricky Schroder was also in this movie, and is now on NYPD Blue, which I also watch.
The guy who played Al Kahn played Will’s brother on "Will & Grace" in an episode last season.