Prior to this last episode of In Plain Sight, I’ll admit that I hadn’t given much thought to the fact that the one-and-done witnesses were little more than a distraction on the otherwise character-driven show. Instead, I spent my time complaining about various problems I’ve been having with the show’s second season, without offering up any useful solutions.
Well, no more. I’ve solved the dilemma; we need more witness focus, and less Mary’s private life focus!
That’s right, all you Brandi and Jinx lovers: the time has come for the special guest-stars to get a little of the limelight. Sure, not all of the actors have strong resumes, but that’s not the point. The point is, the central theme of each episode has been found lacking, at least by me.
This week’s episode, entitled, “One Night Stan”, gave us a serious dose of guest David Walton, as a stand-up comedian who witnesses a brutal mob murder. As the tale unfolds, and the body of said witness is found buried in the desert, we get a taste of Stan (Paul Ben-Victor), as a young Marshall, taking on his first federal witness, and one hell of a messy love-triangle. Sure, Stan was the wrong way to go, but the idea was on point.
I loved getting the opportunity to learn a lot more about a witness whose life and safety rests in the hands of our Marshalls. It’s about time we learned more about them than the crime they witnessed, their new identities, and the latest scrape they’ve managed to get themselves into. Why not see the anguish they experienced upon entering the program? Or the difficulty they have in giving up all that they know in exchange for security? Granted, we’ve gotten a smattering of that here and there, but for the most part, the action between Mary and Marshall scenes are confined to the whining annoyance of Mary’s love life and family. Enough!
Give us more character development, more unique people. Take a page out of the Law & Order franchise; there’s a lot more back-story on each one of those episodes than In Plain Sight gave us all of last season. Why is that? Is Mary supposedly so interesting? Maybe she is, but her life is her work. Why can’t we get more insight into that? Remember in the pilot, when she drops by a witness’ apartment to give her a bag of porno magazines, research for her breast augmentation? It was a quick joke, but we still learned more in that moment about the woman than we ever did about the family who got poisoned by the cursed gold coins. “One Night Stan” was a great start to a new trend on the show. As long as they drop Stan as the central character in those stories, I’m sold. Now that’s great TV.
Nevertheless, I do have to harp on an issue that already came up last week, due to the fact that Joshua Malina is still around. Namely, what in the world does he see in Mary’s sister, Brandi? I have no interest in maligning the actress, just the character, who I must say needs to seriously consider taking the next bus the hell out of town. Malina is being totally wasted on that shallow airhead; like I’ve said before, either give him another go with McCormack, or let him go on his merry way. Saddling a solid actor with such a crappy arc is just embarrassing for all involved.
The same can be said, albeit to a lesser extent, about Todd Williams‘ Detective Robert Dershowitz. Just get him and Mary together already, or end the will-they-or-won’t-they crap!
Anyway, realizing that this plea is coming too late to matter: there are a ton of guests still to come this season (Clarke Peters next week!), so please, In Plain Sight writers, I beg of you: use them! Otherwise, what’s the point?
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Jun 03, 2009 @ 14:00 EST5EDT
There are Brandi and Jinx lovers? I thought these two characters and their dead weight on this show were reviled by everyone. If I see them, and Mary isn’t in the scene, I fast-forward.
*POST AUTHOR*
I’m not that anti them, but yes; if you look back at the comments to my In Plain Sight posts, I think that most people who expressed opinions about Brandi and/or Jinx were fans. I was surprised, too.
Well, at least one. I’ve always liked Jinx, and Brandi has really grown on me. I like how she isn’t just “turning her life around instantly”, but having to make mistakes.
Hmm, Aryeh, I like that you (and the rest of the CC staff :) review shows I enjoy, however, I fear I must disagree with you regarding a few matters. Beware: long post :)
I think the show has improved regarding Mary’s family. I like that they’re keeping Brandi in small doses, but incredibly realistic. Plus, last season, it went out of its way to portray Mary as this superwoman. While she’s still direct, she’s more human now. I wouldn’t mind learning more about her or Marshal. But, I wouldn’t want to learn more about people that won’t return the next week, since that’s what happened last year. The strength of USA shows is their ability to show the family life of its characters. I’m wondering if the gender of Mary’s family might have anything to do with it. I’ve noticed a trend amongst reviewers to dismiss shows with female leads focusing on the woman’s life, in ways they wouldn’t with male leads. I think the writers/producers finally have the formula down for balancing Mary’s life, the guest stars (Bobby D), and her co-workers. Last year, they tried really hard to give all the supporting cast equal time, and this time they’ve realized it’s Mary’s show.
Regarding Brandi’s relationship, I was all for the Brandi-Malina hookup last week. But, this week, considering she utterly blew him off then got drunk in front of him, I, too, wondered why a multi-millionaire would chase her so exceedingly. Also, I think his extreme hot and cold personality is a bit troubling alongside his desire to serve as her anchor. That sounds too much like a co-dependent relationship to me . . .
I like how they re-tooled Stan, which incorporates the actor’s ability to play badass characters, by making Stan sterner. But, it’s interesting that his first case personality was similar to last season’s Stan. Also, considering Stan’s interest in a witness, his psuedo-crush on Mary last year, and his relationship with the assistant, it seems as if Stan dedicates too much time to the job which restricts his female interaction –
*POST AUTHOR*
Were you one of the three people who watched The Tudors, too? :-)
Interesting; I actually feel as if Brandi’s story is very unrealistic. What happened to the fallout from last season? The drugs, the murders, the stolen baby? And I mean between her and Mary, as well as her and the FBI/police. For her to be moving on is just incomprehensible to me.
I think it’s the “human” Mary, as you put it, that I have a problem with. It’s not that she’s evolved; that’s not her! Instead of making small tweaks to the show, the writers did a serious overhaul of the star’s personality, so that instead of her seemingly growing, she comes across as fake and insincere. I don’t know; I don’t dislike the new Mary per say, I just think the change was done poorly.
I think I’ve had this discussion before with other people, so there definitely is strong agreement for your family argument. I suppose my opinion is rooted in the fact that I didn’t think that’s where In Plain Sight was going, nor do I think it should go there. As I’ve said before, Mary’s all about work; how could her life be so much about family?
I won’t speak for anyone else, but there are definitely shows that are female centric that I enjoy. Weeds, for one. Plus, I dismiss plenty of shows that center around men :-)
While it is Mary’s show, she doesn’t reside in a bubble. There are people who will, and should, play major roles in her life. That includes Marshall, and witnesses. Normally, that would include her family too, but that’s NOT the character that USA introduced to us last year. It just isn’t.
I wonder if Joshua Malina’s character doesn’t have some super-secret back-story, beyond the money. Did you notice how awful he looked in the restaurant scene?
I think Stan has become a little too cookie-cutter for me. I liked how he was a more spineless and subservient last season. It fit in with his being an administrator at this point in his life. And, yes, I’d agree that his job seems to be getting in the way of his life, but isn’t that used to happen to Mary, too? Plus, if Stan’s had Gwen stashed for 20 years, maybe it hasn’t been getting in the way…
I was caught off guard at the end with Stan and Eleanor, and it got me thinking that Eleanor is Gwen (the comedian’s girlfriend). It makes sense because Eleanor was very vested in proving Stan’s innocence, since she already knew he was innocent and needed Mary to help prove his innocence. And Stan threw away her phone number because he already knew where she was. I hope there are more supporting character stories, especially Marshall Marshall. I am liking the direction this season is going. And it is still Mary’s show.
Since Eleanor has a history and lots of contacts from her days in the FBI office, it is unlikely that she is Gwen. Also Stan never knew why Gwen disappeared until his old boss told him in this episode. Eleanor called in markers to prove Stan’s innocence because she liked him. Stan threw away Gwen’s phone number because he liked Eleanor and because after twenty years there was no point in opening up old wounds by calling Gwen.
Aryeh, to save space, simply assume I have the opposite opinion of everything you wrote above, especially with regard to Jinx, Brandi, Peter and Bobby D. Your posts on this show seem to be obsessed with what you want it to be rather than what it is and continues to be, garnished with incessant West Wing remembrances. And do you really want In Plain Sight to be more like the Law & Orders and other procedurals I don’t watch?
*POST AUTHOR*
Ryan – I don’t know that Eleanor’s history with the FBI would discount her from being Gwen. Nor would Stan’s claiming not to know what happened to Gwen that night. If you’ve been going with a cover story for 20 years, how hard would it be to keep up the façade?
JT – I will admit that I hadn’t put that together at all. I may have been sitting too far from the TV, but I hadn’t even realized that was Eleanor at the end; I thought it was Gwen. I also figured, as Stan was throwing away her number, that he simply didn’t need it because he knew where Gwen was.
To you both – I’m not suggesting the show take a new trajectory, or forgetting that it’s Mary’s vehicle. Rather, what’s happened for me this season is that In Plain Sight has lost everything that made me enjoy last year, and I’m trying to figure out why. Misuse of guests and poor story focus (or wrong story focus) are what I’ve come up with at this point. I mean, for example, what’s up with Marshall becoming just some background noise, after last year’s great job?
Ryan – I’d say, more accurately, that I just want the show to be better. After huge hits with Monk, Psych, and Burn Notice, USA started sending some weaker horses out. As a result, things like Starter Wife were a miss, and, without having seen it yet, I’m a little nervous about Royal Pains. I think the network’s running before it can walk. So, the way I see it, they’re tinkering with what was a solid show last year, which is fine; they just haven’t made good decisions so far, for me. In terms of West Wing recalls: how is it possible to not mention a show where two (or three) of the actors shared considerable screen-time? I think it would glaringly absent if I didn’t. And, no, I didn’t say I wanted In Plain Sight to be more like Law & Order, I said the show needs to learn from its example. Hopefully no one’s too big to learn from past success.
It does bring up the amusing question of whether WITSEC rules trump the FBI background checks, but Eleanor being Gwen would make no sense dramatically or realistically. Stan’s boss sent her to another city in the program; there was no need for her to suddenly have plastic surgery done to change her face to Gwen. Since she didn’t commit the two murders, there was no reason for her to have a cover story to hide herself if she came back to Albuquerque other than to protect Stan’s job, and he was perfectly willing to leave the service for her before. And Stan’s anguish at learning Gwen had spent the last 20 years thinking he was married and had kids was a bit too slick for me to buy as being faked by this character that always seems to wear his heart on his sleeve.
Basically, I just don’t see how you got there from here. If Eleanor had given the slightest clue to being someone else in this or previous episodes, other than the frankly flimsy ones we’ve discussed, things would be different. To me, the attraction between Stan and Eleanor has been obvious since her introduction, which is sufficient motivation for her actions above.
As to your view of the show, I simply had a different one, both what it was in the beginning and where I thought it was going. I actually like the show better as a result of the network’s tinkering. I loved the first season, but Mary was a bit too self-absorbed, Jinx too shrill, Brandi too spoiled and Stan had no authority at all. The three women I can see changing based on living together and the events of the finale. Stan is the only character reboot as far as I’m concerned.
Yes, but it’s possible to mention the old show (which not every one has seen, by the way) once when each character is introduced and leave it at that. You don’t have to mention it every time the two characters have a new scene together, because it adds nothing to the discussion of this show, and not to bring anything away from your NCIS coverage, but it seems to me like you’re bringing old expectations to a new table. The same actors, sure, but from what little I understand totally different showrunners and writing styles.
(First time I saw, and was impressed by, Josh Malina: a one-shot appearance on the Sarah Connor series finale. True story.)
I understood what you were saying, but we must also have completely different appreciations of Law & Order. I don’t want In Plain Sight taking any examples from that franchise.
*POST AUTHOR*
I don’t think that Eleanor and Gwen are one and the same, but I wouldn’t come to that assumption based on Stan’s reactions. I still think he would do whatever he needed to in order to hide her identity. Plus, his old boss could have known about it and been merely helping support the story. Its not so farfetched.
Again, not to support the idea, but I actually hadn’t really seen an attraction between Eleanor and Stan. Maybe I just totally overlooked it. I don’t know.
The problem with the “growth” in the female characters is that none of it was natural. The finale last season was meant to show exactly what you’re saying, an understanding born out of bonding, but that was one night, when they were all broken by Mary’s father writing only to her, the death of Brandi’s boyfriend and her legal troubles, and Mary’s kidnapping. It was all way too forced to be believable this season; nothing was organic or natural.
I do understand your point about The West Wing, but, for me, there are actors who transcend individual roles, and others who will, for me, always be those people. You’re unlikely to find me referencing Mary-Louis Parker’s time on The West Wing in posts about Weeds, but I don’t see Edie Falco as anything other than Carmela Soprano, and never will. She’s just not talented enough. Joshua Malina is, but he’s yet to show me anything on In Plain Sight to make me not see him as Will Bailey. The same for Mary McCormack. And, to have them both on the same show, after dating during their prior TV experience together, and not being connected now, is just too weird not to irk me. It’s not expectations; it’s a lack of ability to make me believe they’re anything other than Will and Kate.
Fair enough re Law & Order … that, I can say, will not pop up again. I don’t think. ;-)
And then Stan and his old boss play-acted that scene in front of everyone without any flubs? I’m sorry, there’s no way Stan as he’s been depicted thus far on the show is that good at deception. There’s interpreting what we see on the show to fit your theory, and then there’s manufacturing a conspiracy/alternative storyline that has to be spackled into the cracks between scenes to make any sense. As I said, there’s no reason for such a convoluted Gwen to Eleanor transformation and extra-WITSEC cover unless she was the killer, and she wasn’t.
There was a little something there between Eleanor and Stan in the season premiere, but the biggest scene came in a later episode at Stan’s desk. They’re reading a file and sharing personal space very closely until someone (Mary?) interrupts, and they break apart. For me, it’s been all over Stan’s face in earlier scenes they’ve shared.
For me, the three women changed from that night, especially from the revelation of Mary’s letters from her father. My opinion is that it was natural and unforced in the dramatic confines of this show.
I understand your experience with these actors and difficulty letting go of their signature roles, as long as you keep in mind that not all of your audience will have the same hangups that you do. I feel sad though, if you can not separate Mary Shannon from whomever McCormack played on TWW, as it must limit your enjoyment of IPS.
*POST AUTHOR*
Okay, I definitely don’t want to belabor the point. All I’ll say again is I wouldn’t take Eleanor’s history with the FBI, Stan’s boss’ story, or Stan’s reaction, to definitely rule something out, on a show where WITSEC participants need to be fully reborn for their own safety. All I’m saying: not how plausible it is, just that JT (above) had an interesting take that made me think. Remember, though, that Gwen would still be in WITSEC for the original reason she entered the program, not for any subsequent events, so her not being the killer (as far as Stan’s boss claims, just to throw that in there and get you riled up), wouldn’t matter.
Okay; enough.
I didn’t remember the whole thing with Stan and Eleanor earlier. I think what happens to me during a lot of lighter shows (actually, that includes Burn Notice and Psych, too), is that I’ll be doing something else, like cooking dinner, the dishes, etc., while we watch TV. My living room is “loft style” so the living space is a massive, open area, of living room, kitchen, and dining room, plus a large entryway, so I can watch TV while I’m in the kitchen. As a result, sometimes I watch by hearing, and miss the visual. Thanks for the recap.
I think that, your opinion being that the evolution of the three women did happen that night, means the show succeeded in their intent. I saw it as forced, but if other viewers saw something organic, than the writers got what they wanted. I just didn’t see it.
Look, past experiences are going to color what I see today. I have no problem discussing it with you or anyone else; my hope, however, is that it doesn’t detract from your ability to read, and process, what I have to say. If that’s not an issue, than, it is what it is. But I appreciate the fact that you said something in a constructive way.