Spoiler>>>
Perhaps hokey wasn't the right word, contrived maybe. I just don't see why he kept it secret after they disobeyed orders, confronted him at gunpoint, knocked him out and then murdered 50 people. Why would he cover for them, he started to try to get them arrested at the start of it??? I mean he shot one of his men to keep him from murdering civies. Then he goes and covers for everyone else, never to mention it again? They were about to kill him, I'd be damned if I protected them, they basically started a mutiny or whatever the Army term for it is...
And, I had a problem with him being found guilty of murder. It didn't feel right for that verdict for an officer who kills one under his command directly disobeying orders and in the process of killing civilians in a time of war... Sure they basically acquitted him due to the sentence but still... I don't know, maybe that was all how it would have gone down, just didn't sit right. I felt like he would have to be crazy to have covered for them under this situation.
But you're right, it was better than 99% of TV movies, just bothered me in the end...