OK, because I’m lazy and I’m about to drive to the beach, I’m going to give you the bullet point treatment. Also, since the writing has improved, I really have nothing to complain about. Now, I just watch the show and enjoy it. That’s almost death to a TV reviewer. So, scroll/click/type/arrow-key on down the road and let me know what you think.
Witness of the Week
- When I first saw the preview I totally expected another utterly cliched Good Will Hunting-like homeless man with a heart of gold. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised.
- So Mary’s witness is uber-attractive. How do I prove it? Via quotations (and, um, pictures). Mary viewed him as “boy band” worthy (compared to his original Grizzly Adams-like appearance) while Marshall (who is “secure enough”) viewed him as “quite handsome.”
- I love that they called out the resemblance between Mary’s life and her witnesses:
Marshall: “Ah, a parallel how could I have missed it?”
- I thought Walter would become “a half-ass stereotype of a 1960s hippie,” and he was (partially), but I like that Mary called him on it & the writers called themselves on it.
The Writing of the Week
Family Moment of the Week
- Why does Scott keep asking for Brandi for money? She’s homeless and without a job. Maybe as Kara suggested, Scott truly is a grifter.
- I liked Walter because he’s clearly a combination of Mary (by speaking directly to her familial problems and her solitude) and Marshall (through his analytical capabilities). However, while Mary appears to want to overcome them, the witness embraces them. Mary’s father’s absence clearly gouged a hole in the Shannon family. While Mary slowly realizes she should not allow it to define her, Walter thinks she should: “You’re supposed to. That’s what family does.”
Random Thoughts
- Why are all of the bureaucrats that WitSec deals with total asshats (my first thoughts upon meeting this week’s lawyer)?
- I’m glad they’re featuring Stan more, but it seems like he lost his season two personality. In season three I feel he’s more of a paper pusher.
- I’m still not warming up to the kid. Is it just me or does anyone else feel they replaced last year’s supporting characters (Dershowitz and Eleanor) who were full of warmth and personality with what feel like cardboard cut-outs?
Quotations of the Week
- Mary: “Bourbon’s not a food group?”
- Witness: “I’ve had this beard for a long time, it’ll be like cutting off an arm.”
Mary: “A long, scraggly good-for-nothing arm.”
- Mary: “Happy now? Carol Brady’s a slut.”
- Witness: “Checking up on me like the obedient establishment operatives that you are?”
- Marshall: “Quell your enthusiasm.”
- Mary: “I don’t want to try.”
Marshall: “I’m sorry those words coming out of your mouth — they’re disorienting.”
- Witness (paraphrased): “That’s the beauty of being alone the only person you have to explain yourself to is you.”
Does anyone else feel the show has improved? Or do you think it’s still treading water? How do you think the Scott event is going to go down? It’s obvious, but even so.
Photo Credit: USA
Some posts that may be related to this:
I really liked this episode of In Plain Sight. The actor that played the husband of the witness’s mother, was on Remington Steel. I am glad at the ending to this show. Don’t want to say what happens so not to spoil it for others.
I do think that their brother Scott, is going to be trouble later on.
I wish they had left Eleanor and Dershowitz on the show. Have not warmed up to the new ppl in their office.
*POST AUTHOR*
Great memory, L. James Read was on RS back in the day during the first 1-2 years (& even Charmed for a bit), which I totally forgot. May I just say, he’s still working it.
That’s right. He was on Charmed … He was their Dad I think.
Any chance anyone knows the name of the actor playing the homeless guy? I’ve seen him before, but can’t place him and couldn’t find out online. Thanks!
*POST AUTHOR*
Well, Ryan beat me to the punch but it is Matt Winston who has his own site https://www.mattwinston.com. But, it’s odd, usually that information is released right before/after the show airs, but it wasn’t this time. Fun IMDB fact: Both Read and Winston were on Star Trek. Read on the older ST:VOY and Winston on the most recent younger series ST:Enterprise.
TV.com lists him as Esteban Powell.
He has been on on house before and his name is esteban powell
I really liked this one because it is the first one in a long time that felt light and kinda fun.
I liked that the witness had a completely different problem, and wasn’t yet another witness who got into trouble by breaking the rules and/or landing in danger. We’ve had so many rule-breakers lately I was beginning to wonder why they weren’t booting those people from the program.
I really like Charlie. And while they’ve forgotten to give Stan a life outside of the office, I like seeing him play mentor.
*POST AUTHOR*
Hey Kara,
You’re right. Between Marshal’s witness who assisted in clinic ‘break-ins’ and his other witness who invited his boyfriend up, the con man who contacts his old friend, and the mob witness who ran out at night to break into and sell houses, I’m surprised half of these people are still alive.
I liked most of the episodes since the middle of the season, but I can definitely see what you’re saying :) Thanks for commenting!
My favorite line was Mary’s about once having gone six days without speaking to another human being, but not by design. It’s the sort of character detail I prefer in a scene much more than in voiceover.
I liked Charlie before, but loved him as low man on the totem pole in this episode. Plus, Matt Winston! But, as I’ve agreed with you previously, there’s no substitute for Dershowitz and Eleanor.
*POST AUTHOR*
Hey Ry,
Thanks for the info. I refused to watch ST: Enterprise past the pilot, and didn’t recognize Winston without the moustache. Interestingly, he was also on Charmed. Maybe he will follow Read’s path of serving as an amazing guest star on multiple shows. Thx for posting, dude -
Actually, I was referring to Matt Winston in Charlie’s storyline, as he played the witness who was an habitual tipster and received the check for $15,000 from the FBI. I didn’t catch the actor who played the itinerant intellectual, Walter. Sorry!
Walter was played by Esteban Powell. He was in ‘The Cleaner’ on A&E, with Benjamin Bratt.
I remember James Read from the North and South mini-series in 1985. He was George Hazard, the northern side of the war to Partrick Swayze as the southern Orry Main.
Patrick Swayze made it big, but I have only seen Read in small parts the last 25 years. Maybe he has done theatre or maybe I just don’t watch the right TV shows.
As an interesting side note Read met his wife while filming North and South. She played his wife in the series. They are still together today.
Also Genie Francis, the good Main sister, married Jonathan Frakes, the older Hazard brother well before his Star Trek days. They too are still together.
*POST AUTHOR*
Read is definitely a malleable actor. Sure, he hasn’t hit the big leagues since the Remington Steele days (from which I vaguely remember him) and his North and South days (as you point out). But, I do remember him from his guest spots as the father/lawyer/handsome male type in Charmed, Legally Blonde, and ST:VOY. I always enjoyed his character whenever I caught his guest spots and it’s clear he has a lot of fans on this board. Thx for posting and thx for the info!
The actor who played Walter’s father (James Read) looked entirely different in the last scene. Did they substitute another actor? I was watching it with a friend who thought the same thing. Anyway, love the show always!
*POST AUTHOR*
Do you mean the final scene just before credits? I believe that was his new agent in which Mary did a hand-off at a neutral, potentially safe/isolated location -
Thank you, An Nicholson, for clearing that up. What you said makes the most sense. My friend and I thought we were just getting senile (which we are). Thank you for taking the time to reply. Hope you enjoy the show as much as we do! D. Smith
thank you for clarifying, I thought no one noticed but me, they sure screwed up the writing to let you think that is supposed to be his Dad, but it was a great episode anyway…….that definitely was NOT his Dad, James Read. I remember him well from the North and South and other things………thanks.