This story is about a young man's rebellion over joining the military which is his family's tradition. Danny's rebellion hits a new level when his friend, Leif is 'murdered'. Danny's father, Col. Daniel Morgan Benedict II, sends Leif on a lone scouting trip where he is killed. At Leif's funeral, Danny stomps a U.S. flag into the mud and spits on it. Danny is a violinist and Leif was a guitarist, but both are in the military.
One myth perpetuated by another review is that U.S. flag desecration is new. It is not, it has existed since the U.S. flag was created, but it waxes and wains. Flag desecration reached a high just after the end of the civil war and in the next few decades many states enacted flag desecration regulations. Federal Flag Code came out in 1942 as general guidelines with no punitive measures for disobedience. In 1968, a Flag Desecration law was enacted with penalties in response to another high of flag desecration due to the Vietnam War.
This is a good episode because both the father and the son need attitude adjustments in order to resolve their issues. It also helps that Major Adams served under Danny's father and can help explain some things to Danny.
Mild Spoiler: Danny's apology near the end seems appropriate, but I would have liked to see a different resolution, one of acceptance and love for who the father and son really are.