Hidden Gem on USA
Entertainment Writer, a storyteller, A Big Giant Sap
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AUG
30
2008
In Plain Sight —
I don't turn on cable TV nearly enough. I tend to go with the big four networks all the time and just look for what's on regular primetime TV. But once I venture away from that comfort zone of mine, I can find the most wonderful things. One recent find is In Plain Sight. If you haven't heard of it, it seems to be because it isn't on nearly enough.Mary McCormack plays Mary Shannon, a Federal Marshal in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She brings some great qualities to the role with a very dry, deadpan humor. It's certainly a necessary tool for her to deal with her mother and sister. Leslie Ann Warren plays Mary's mother, Jinx, an alcoholic maneater who seems to yearn for her better days. After being displaced, she now lives with Mary, and doesn't seem very inclined to get a job and move out any time soon. Mary's sister, Brandi (Nichole Hiltz), has also moved in while dealing with her on-again off-again relationship with her drug-dealing boyfriend. Mary seems to feel like the only responsible one in the bunch, other than her minor league baseball-playing boyfriend (Cristian de la Fuente, last seen with a shoulder injury on Dancing With the Stars).
At work, Mary seems to deal with more irresponsibility, in charge of various people in the witness protection program. Rarely do any of them stick to the rules of the program, and she's forced to chase them down, forcing them to adhere, along with fellow marshal, the ironically named Marshall Mann (Fred Weller), the one person that seems to have an even dryer sense of humor than Mary. Sometimes they have great guest stars in the role of the protected witnesses, such as Dave Foley.
What makes this cop show great is that it's more than a cop show, something in the lines of what we used to have with an N.Y.P.D. Blue, minus the diverse ensemble cast. While the marshal action on here is exciting to watch, what's even better is the family drama, as it's like an unexpected bonus. While sometimes Mary's feelings about her mother and sister come off very light-hearted, they occasionally all get down and dirty with each other, leading to some really heavy drama. Mary's father left the family when she and her sister were really young, and it seems to have had a lasting effect on all of them and how they relate to each other.
In Plain Sight has recently wrapped up its second season and is looking forward to its second ... but it won't be airing until next summer. However, repeats are still being shown on USA at various times, and episodes are available to see in their entirety at http://www.usanetwork.com/series/inplainsight/ That's my only downside to this hidden gem, that once you find it, you can't get enough of it.
In Plain Sight is recommended by LauraBelle
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