I feel like a broken record. All of the shows that I watch that are in their second or third seasons are getting the same complaints from me: Where’s the progression? Where are the stories that make sense? The ones that fit?
Well, In Plain Sight was, and is, firmly in that category. What’s happening in Albuquerque?
If you caught the last episode, and have been reading my reviews of season two of the show, you know that a lot of the questions that I’ve previously posed have finally been addressed. In one episode. Where everything is put on fast forward, and ties up in a neat little bow by the end credits. Huh?
We’re talking about major plot-points here! Series-long arcs that need time, thought, and lots of story to conclude. Instead, we get forty or so minutes? Why so lazy?
First of all, the parade of characters on and off the show continue. Last week, Rafe (Cristian de la Fuente) popped up, after going MIA for weeks, with Mary’s laundry. And this week, he’s sleeping over, going with the family down to the federal courthouse, and generally acting like a member of the family. Since when? Since episode two when Mary got in the shower with him, because she realized that Rafe was the one who swapped out the drugs for Brandi? Oh yeah, real natural progression there.
Of course, with Rafe around, Peter (Joshua Malina) needed to be away. Because, he’s been around these past few weeks? Even with a short story-line, a guest character needs to be present to be a part of the episode. Otherwise, his work should be done, and we should be provided with the tidy means for his removal. But, no, of course not. Why bother with something as crucial as that?
So, the big story this week was Brandi, finally getting what was coming to her via the FBI. But wait, could it really make that much sense? Could Brandi’s role in a drug deal that ended in multiple deaths, and Mary’s kidnapping, really result in her being punished? Of course not!
It had to be that O’Conner (Will McCormack, Mary‘s brother), the FBI agent with a beef to settle with Mary, was really hiding the fact that he switched shifts with his partner so that he could sleep with said partner’s wife, which resulted in said partner’s murder, which resulted in O’Conner’s coming after Mary and Brandi with a vengeance. And, of course, that means that whatever evidence the FBI was using in their case against Brandi was really fabricated by O’Conner, and therefore Brandi is innocent, and free to go.
Um, hello! We know Brandi is guilty as sin. Maybe not for murder or kidnapping, but certainly as a co-conspirator in the entire operation. Where the hell is her prison sentence, or suspended sentence, or fine? Nope, that would make too much sense. It’s dangerous to tread in sensical waters.
Also completely without progression was Mary’s hostile problem with Eleanor (Holly Maples). Yes, Mary was never her biggest fan, but frustration and stress over Brandi’s legal troubles doesn’t explain how she treated the office manager. I don’t care what anyone says about how reasonable it was; it wasn’t.
The entire situation was too over-dramatized, and likely is setting us up for some great big story of Eleanor’s, but that still doesn’t excuse the complete lack of effort on the part of the writers. It’s not enough to have a clear picture of your destination … you must give us a very easily-navigated road on which to get there. There’s no excuse for skipping steps “B” through “Y”.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Mary’s family does a lot more harm than good on In Plain Sight. Jinx has turned into some sniveling, annoying puppy, who dreams in rainbows and butterflies. Brandi’s nothing more than a whining infant (“Where’s Mary? Oh, she’s trying to get me released from prison? But she should be here to hand me a tissue while I cry! Because, that’s more important in the long run!”)
And, Daddy? Worst idea ever. Not only do I not care about what happened to Mary’s father, I also think it does nothing for her character to find out. In fact, I wholly disagree with everyone who says that Mary’s family makes her a better character. There’s nothing organic about her tears, her fears, or her on-again, more often off-again, tenderness with her sister. It’s completely fabricated, and detracts a little bit of Mary’s realism each and every time its employed. If the show’s heading into the search for Mary’s father, (and my money’s on the really dumb idea of his being in WITSEC, because the Marshall’s background check on Mary would have NEVER put that together!) it’s going to get much worse, really fast.
By the way: terrible use of guest stars in week’s past: Clarke Peters as Norman Baker was a total waste of an extreme talent. And, as much as I think that Laura Prepon belongs in fast food a whole lot more than she does in Hollywood, her turn last week, and then no-show this week, was just about one of the worst uses of a “star” that I’ve ever seen.
Shape up, In Plain Sight, or you’ll quickly go from third of three on USA for me (I don’t watch Monk, so it doesn’t count), to fourth of four (loving Royal Pains!).
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Jun 23, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
Wow… We have slightly differing opinions :) I think IPS has become one of the best shows on TV this summer (In fact, in my eyes it might be the best (of what I watch) until July 15th).
Ok, yes we saw some quick movement on ongoing plot arcs. But not resolution, on anything other than the case.
Jinx is now a sober version of the same character she was before. She was always a sniveling, annoying puppy, just was just an intoxicated. I think Brandi’s reaction was completely within her character. While I have never been jailed for drug trafficking and murder, I would imagine I would not necessarily be the most rational thinker. As much as these two are frustrated with Mary, they both depend on her more so than they’d ever admit.
The animosity Mary feels for Eleanor was accelerated in an unusual way this week, but again I point to an irrational reaction to a major stressor. And the timeline works: Mary jumping to the conclusion she did followed a certain logic, Eleanor, while right minded (and helpful) has been just as much a part of the pissing contest between the two of them since she got here.
You know me well enough to know that one of the most important things to me for drama to be good is great characters, and I think this show has got them in spades. Marshall is really breaking though… His monologue over the final scenes of ‘Duplicate Bridge’ was outstanding. I’m liking Peter, has a calm, centered character is a nice contrast to the craziness of the rest of the cast.
*POST AUTHOR*
Hey, I gave you the opening to put your two cents in about the show these past two weeks. :-)
I’m glad that people are getting something out of it, because it means that the writers aren’t just completely lost at sea. I just can’t help but look back longingly to last season, when I feel that, what you all see as the characters’ infancy, was the true them. Marshall had a much bigger role; Mary was a different, more authentic, person. This season may have been where they were heading all along, but part of me feels as if we’re having personalities thrown at us, because someone thought that the show needed more emotion and drama. I don’t think that it did; that wasn’t what the show was about.
I think there was (attempted) finality on things beyond the case. Remember that Mary and Brandi would have always had that between them until it was resolved. Now their relationship is patched up. We had no idea where Mary and Rafe had settled, because he’s been mainly absent, but now we see that he’s a sleepover buddy. Mary’s father having actually been arrested and then set free was like a speed-up, jerk to a halt, and then fin with the little snapping of the bug. It isn’t concluded, but there’s closure to the idea that he ran from his family … why shouldn’t that have been handled as drawn out as everything else about him? I don’t know.
I actually much preferred Jinx as a drunk, because then at least she had some personality. I still wanted her off the show, but at least she wasn’t a shell. I see your point with Brandi’s reaction, but because it was so in keeping with her whiny, little sister complex, it still was worth ridiculing.
You’ve never been jailed for drug trafficking and murder? What, are you living under a rock? ;)
Again, you’re right about Mary and Eleanor, but here’s the kicker: while the effects of the major stressor were natural for New Mary, they were unnatural for Real Mary, i.e. the one that we were introduced to last year. Real Mary would not have fallen apart because her always screwing up sister was in jail, even if it was for being a terrorist and she was imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay. I’ve said it before, and will say it again: this is NOT Mary Shannon.
You say that Marshall is breaking through; he was already here last year! The writers relegated him to scenery for much of this season, but Marshall was already fully formed in season one. The only thing they’ve done is sent him to the minors so they could refashion him. I don’t find him disagreeable now, but what was wrong with him then?
I like Peter a lot too. I just think he makes no sense with Brandi. The only sin there is wasting a great actor. Which isn’t insignificant.
Kill Mary’s family! Kill them now! No, kill them three weeks ago! The sister and mother are both horrible people and horrible characters. Die! Die! Die!
Ahem.
*POST AUTHOR*
I’d say just send them packing, but I applaud your passion, sir!
I totally agree with Ivey. IPS has gotten more intense, more dramatic. Maybe Mary’s mother and sister don’t make her a better person, at least not toward them, but their family dynamic has certainly made Mary the person she is. For some reason, it seems that some older sisters do not always like their younger sisters, judge them harshly by their own standards, and don’t understand the choices they make. Sometimes they want their younger sisters to be just like them or at least to do what they say, not what they do; but even that doesn’t seem to satisfy them.
This show is really not about WITSEC. That’s just the cover story. It’s about people hiding — from their family, their friends, themselves. It’s about Mary Shannon, how she negotiates through the landmines, self-imposed or otherwise, in her life, and finding herself again when she reaches the other side. Mary has been strong because she feels that’s what’s expected of her. The fact that she isn’t always strong, that she occasionally allows the tears to fall, doesn’t make her weak but illustrates her humanity. The fact that she doesn’t fully trust the people in her life — whether it’s Rafe, Marshall, Eleanor, her boss, her family — is because she won’t let herself trust her own judgment where they are concerned. She is convinced that the only person in her life on whom she can depend is herself, that to get something done right, she has to do it herself. In fact, she’s harder on herself than she is on anyone else.
In cutting the wire on the electronic listening device, Mary is euphemistically cutting the link between her and her father. She’s figured out her father has left her behind, whether he went into witness protection or simply was allowed to run to ground. Will finding the sister who is so much like her, who is her other self, who is the symbol of her father’s betrayal, now become her goal?
*POST AUTHOR*
While I understand the concept behind Mary’s family, and what they bring to the table, where’s the fluidity to their relationship? Last year she couldn’t wait to ship them the hell away. And now she’s protector and savior? Part of what shaped Mary was absolutely her family: the fact that she had left them behind and was an island unto herself. Maybe their reintroduction would naturally change her personality, but why would she give them the chance in the first place?
See, the show was about WITSEC. Now it’s not, because of all the other crap that’s been thrown into the mix, but that wasn’t what USA Network presented us with last year. I know I sound like a broken record with this, and that shows are allowed to grow, but to completely change?
In Plain Sight in its current state would find a much more natural home on TNT today than it does on USA.
Is it just my imagination or are they running this season of IPS out of order? I saw that because it really stuck out at me last week that Jinx was coming back from rehab and Brandi made the cookies, yet Jinx had the battle and found the booze under the sink earlier.
There have been several times this year it’s felt like they ran episodes out of order, and in an arc-based serialized series, that would explain why things keep feeling disjointed.
*POST AUTHOR*
I felt the same with Jinx’s storyline, but my wife remembers that she was home before on a visit only, and had returned to rehab. I don’t recall that, but it would work.
Beyond that, what seemed out of order chronologically to you?