“Mending the Line” opens in Afghanistan, as a gaggle of Marines, celebrating their remaining day of deployment, are despatched out for one final patrol by their chief, Colter (Partitions). Issues go haywire. Most of the males below his command, together with good associates, are killed, and Colter is severely injured. Again dwelling, haunted by guilt and self-medicating with alcohol, he lands in a veteran rehab facility in Montana. It looks as if a great facility, with remedies tailor-made to the precise particular person’s points. Dr. Burke (Patricia Heaton) acknowledges Colter’s impatience to be healed, instantly, so he can get deployed once more, however tries to get him to handle his expectations. He does not take effectively to the group remedy, lashing out on the counselor, who by no means served. Colter is a large number.
Ike (Cox), then again, is many years previous his personal struggle however nonetheless makes periodic visits to the ability, particularly after he blacks out whereas fly fishing by himself. Ike is a crotchety remoted man, a former Marine, whose sole respite from his psychological bother is when he is out on the river. Dr. Burke units up Ike and Colter: Ike will educate Colter the ins and outs of fly fishing. They spend a number of time on the native bait & deal with store, run by Ike’s outdated pal Harrison (Wes Studi). Ike and Harrison know one another very effectively, and their dynamic is prickly, humorous, and acquainted. Colter’s coaching has its bumps, however finally, he is out within the river, attempting it for himself. (There is a humorous second the place Ike upbraids Colter for calling the fishing rod a “pole,” echoing a sentiment in A River Runs By means of It: “All the time it was to be known as a rod. If somebody known as it a pole, my father checked out him as a sergeant in the USA Marines would have a look at a recruit who had simply known as a rifle a gun.”)
The third central character is Lucy (Perry Mattfeld), a librarian who volunteers on the rehab facility, studying to the veterans. Lucy is a troubled lady, anxious and distracted. Her again story is not revealed till later, however she clearly is haunted by one thing. She’s caught, similar to Ike and Colter. When Ike sends Colter to the library to get some books about fly fishing, Lucy offers him The Solar Additionally Rises (forgetting that one of many essential characters has been rendered impotent from a struggle harm). There could also be just a little spark of romantic curiosity between Lucy and Colter, but it surely’s on the slowest burns.
