In Plain Sight

I watched USA's new drama In Plain Sight when it premiered on Sunday mainly because it's summer and there's very little else to choose from. I never hopped on the USA character-driven bandwagon before, finding fare like Monk, Burn Notice and Psych less than engaging (although I've heard Psych is actually quite good) and given that they all appear on USA, I just never had the motivation to keep up.

But, I saw promos for In Plain Sight and was vaguely intrigued enough to give it a shot. I watched it at the same time that I was watching Stonehenge Decoded (which was completely fascinating, by the way--it's on again tonight if you're interested) on the National Geographic channel, so admittedly, my attention to detail may be lacking...

In Plain Sight follows Mary, a US Marshall, as she sassily roughs up bad guys and corageously protects people who are in the witness protection agency. (I can just see the brainstorming in the writers' room: "Uh, let's see, cops, doctors, lifeguards, lawyers, crime scene investigators, drug enforcement agents, FBI, CIA, and everything else has been done.... Witness Protection Agency it is!" "Brillant!") While her character is formulaic, actress Mary Macormack actually comes across pretty well and at least does fair justice to the formula. In the vein of so many other main characters, Mary is sarcastic, snarky, and has no respect for authority, doing her job better than anyone else with the kind of reckless abandon that would get others fired. Like I said, it's formulaic. But, all that being said, it's a formula that works pretty well a lot of the time. Whatever would the world do without the cantankerous Dr. House?

Anyway, the basis for the show has some definite potential, but falters a bit in its execution. The acting is fairly solid for the most part, but uneven in places. Mary's kick-ass, tough girl act felt forced in certain areas (the bar scene in particular), but by the end of the episode, I found myself buying into her persona a bit more. Overall, her character has the potential to be well-rounded, exciting, and fun. I've heard from reliable sources that it takes through about episode 4 before one can really feel invested in the show, but that's what I would expect from any new series. I generally give a show at least 4 or 5 episodes before I kick it to the curb or devote my entire existence to it, so that's a commitment I'm comfortable making. I'm certainly not sold on the show yet, but I'm happy to give it a few more chances to really engage me. And, what with it being summer and all, it's not like I have anything better to do.

In summation, Mary is truly the center of the show and has to carry the weight of the premise squarely on her shoulders. The supporting cast is likable and her sidekick Marshall makes for a nice foil. Her mother and sister also contribute to the show in interesting ways, and her sister's apparent drug problem may lead to interesting entanglements in the future.

While it was no Stonehenge Decoded, it was interesting enough to watch to the end and I'll certainly give it a couple more episodes before I decide to throw in the towel or not.

Pilot episode grade: somewhere around a B-, I'd say. Stonehenge Decoded: Solid A-. It was really quite fascinating. So, if it comes down to one or the other, I'd take Stonehenge, but then again, it's considerably less sassy than In Plain Sight, so it all boils down to priorities, I suppose.