In Plain Sight

Never the Bride

Season 1, Episode 3, Aired 6/15/08

Episode Summary

Mary's assignment this week is Treena Morris a con-artist who is married to a diamond smuggler. After she is arrested by the feds, she decides to tell all on her husband and his friends. While Mary is trying to keep her safe, Treena gets engaged and her photo is all over the papers.moreless

9.0

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Cast & Crew

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Mary McCormack

Mary Shannon
Frederick Weller

Marshall Mann
Nichole Hiltz

Brandi Shannon

Fan Episode Reviews (10)

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What we hope for and what we get are sometimes two very different things. Unfortunately, it applies to not only the story in this week's episode, but this week's episode as well. It was GOOD, but it could have been GREAT!moreless

7.9

"Good"

By YourMomma59, Apr 25, 2010 Report Abuse

USA Network and I have had a very stable relationship for many years. Summer comes and like a summer lover, USA has always been there for me. It provides shows I want to turn the TV on for. Summer may be for the beach and recreation, but at the end of the day for at least a couple of hours a week I have come to expect to be pleasured by USA Network. My network lover has never let me down...until now. I'm feeling a little bit like Raphael, expecting this wonderful, magical night of sex and winding up with a half-eaten cupcake.

In 1987, The Desert Rose Band released an album with the song "One Step Forward." I couldn't help remember this song as I watched this week's episode of "In Plain Sight."

"One step forward and two steps back,
Nobody gets too far like that.
One step forward and two steps back,
This kind of dance can never last."

I want to love this show, but once again Paul Ben-Victor proves himself the bright spot of the hour. He's got this innate happiness inside him that makes every humorous scene he's in twice as good. As for the rest of the cast this week...where do I begin?

We start out with Mary being disgusted because the felon of the week is a con artist. I have to agree with her - I'm not that big a fan of people who make a living stealing other people's life savings. Her "I'm so sick of this" demeanor is a little over the top for me this week.

The next scene that truly disturbed me was Mary at Raphael's house. The entire exchange between the two feels like a post-writer's strike script - something dashed off in a hurry to fill in the four weeks of May sweeps.

Mary thinks she's getting sex. Raphael clearly has something else on his mind. The scene makes no sense. Raphael's lines feel underwritten and Mary's lines seem overwritten, including her "I could barely bring myself to go over there, but what the hey I could stand some good sex before he goes" tantrum when Raphael proposes. I'm going to blame this on a combination of bad writing, bad acting and yes, I'm even going to blame the sound man.

While I could have tolerated the scene, at the end of it the volume on the slur of Spanish that comes out of Raphael's mouth makes it seem like the boom guy was standing right in front of him. Was it edited poorly? Was is so loud because he had to go back in later and re-record that part in a studio and they couldn't match the volume to the rest of the scene?

I get that Mary has commitment issues. Really, I do. The Mary we've been given so far, however, has the depth of a sheet of notebook paper. You can write someone with depth and still allow them their commitment issues. It's what makes us attach to them. It's what makes us HAVE to be in front of our TV sets on the night the show airs instead of letting the DVR catch it.

I felt the story concept regarding the witness they were protecting this week was great! Parts of the rest of the story cleverly pointed out some things that better defined who the characters were. The cast, however, still feels like a floundering mish-mash of attempts to get it right. The most consistent performance of those with the most screen time this week came from guest star Missi Pyle.

Although I hate to say it, Mary McCormack and Frederick Weller were all over the place. Mary went between disinterested to overly-angry to somewhat compassionate to being just a plain jerk. It would be fine if there were a solid foundation of a personality to work with. McCormack (or is it the writing?) seems to leave this behind too often. It feels like she focuses too much on one emotional aspect without remembering it's only a part of the whole.

Frederick Weller on the other hand often feels as though he is not up to the task of matching McCormack's screen presence, rather getting lost in the unsettled family of characters that makes up "In Plain Sight." I felt he was much better last week. Even though he had great opportunities to show us all some boy/girl chemistry with McCormack (staring at her while sitting in the car outside the witness' house, kissing her in the horse stall), his foray into that zone was way too comic relief for me.

When Mary asks him about the kiss, he says it's something guys do in that situation. Great answer, but a REAL guy would have been much more the bronc rider and held Mary in a way that would not allow this kiss he started to be interrupted (small of the back, not the face - he should know by now the face would be way too intimate for her). It would have given his character much more street cred. It didn't have to be a long, passionate kiss - just one definitive in nature. Maybe that's coming, I don't know. I only know the longer he's made to be the buffoon, the harder it will be for me to accept him as anything else.

Maybe this is the problem with the cast gelling as I would hope to see. Mary's character is written like a woman on steroids and Marshall's character is written like a mousy housewife. This is not an endearing dynamic. Marshall needs some cojones and fast. Sure, he can pine over Mary incessantly, but knowing he'd be capable of going for the full 8 second ride would make his character much more likable.

In the end, Mary makes a last-ditch effort to catch Raphael before he takes off on an airplane to Marlin training camp, but her run down car falters on a railroad track leaving her to push it out of danger. As rude and hurtful as she was to Raphael, I wouldn't have returned her calls either. Much like Marshall's character, I felt no chemistry at all between Mary and Raphael this week, even though she did make jokes about whether he wanted to be on top or use a cupcake in sex play. Knowing from the cast videos that Raphael will wind up having a fling with her sister, I already don't feel any compassion for Mary Shannon. Karma is, after all, a *itch.

I've said a lot of negative things in this review, but the show isn't as bad as this week's episode sounds. Perhaps I'm spoiled by the strength of other shows I've committed to. I just want to feel like my lover is at the very least TRYING to give me pleasure. Even though it was a good story, this week, "In Plain Sight" made me feel like I had to endure parts of it. I'm still along for the ride, but here's hoping next week the characters step it up a notch.moreless

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Mary and Marshall must protect a con-artist who keeps marrying men and taking their money. After stealing millions in diamonds the smugglers are out to find her. The witness goes and gets herself engaged complete with a picture in the paper. Trouble!!!moreless

9.5

"Superb"

By jyarter, Apr 05, 2009 Report Abuse

Mary's work gets between her and her personal life as her steady Raphael who she definitely creates some heat with asks her to marry him. She walks out and things are left unspoken as he leaves the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes and is off to the major leagues with the Marlins.

The main story is great. Missi Pyle guest starring as this weeks witness Treena does a great job of driving everyone crazy with her outlandish con-artist ways. She falls in love with a new man and gets engaged and has it announced complete with picture in the newspaper. She tells everyone that Mary is a US Marshall therefore jeopardizing her cover among a number of other violations of being in the program. Mary being the brides maid is a hoot by the way complete with the funny dress.

There is great interaction between Mary and Marshall. There is some chemistry here. Mary tries to smear lipstick on Marshall and he just goes ahead and kisses her proving there is a little more to the relationship than just friends. Good dialogue throughout the scenes.

In the end they save the witness but when Mary's car dies on the railroad tracks on the way to the airport and she pushes it out of the way just in time Raphael leaves without Mary getting to speak with him. Another episode definitely worth seeing. Great story and dialogue. Entertaining, dramatic, and funny!

Thanks for reading...moreless

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1 0
Another god episode

8.0

"Great"

By vicky24c, Nov 23, 2008 Report Abuse

Mary has serious problems with one of her girls in W.P. Marys boyfriend asks her to marry him and she flips out. In order to keep her safe Mary has to pose as her best friend. Not my favourite storyline but still quite a good one.
True to form Mary saves the day. In the end the couple get married and Mary is there as the maid of honour. She finally gets a phone call from her boyfriend. She races to the airport to see him before he leaves. The bride ops out of the program. As Mary drives over the tracks to go to the airport her car brake down yet again on the tracks. She gets her dress caught in the car and can't move it. She luckily is strong enough to move the car before she gets killed. We then see the plane taking off.moreless

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Humorous, Delightful, Madcap

9.5

"Superb"

By SweetPeaSurry, Sep 28, 2008 Report Abuse

This episode is my favorite so far. It was so fun to watch Mary and Marshall utilize their aliases in order to keep the groom's family out of the loop of Treena's past miscreant ways. It was equally humorous watching Treena's character try to shed her con-artist image as well. Again the writers did a fantastic job of bringing us an interesting and varied storyline. The entire episode was a series of madcap mishaps. I thought it was truly a gem and I was completely delighted with the entire episode. They definately need to keep these coming. I'm enjoying the show more and more as time goes on.moreless

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A woman jeopardizes her cover when the annoucement of her wedding is published

8.5

"Great"

By sylviasd, Jul 03, 2008 Report Abuse

I really think the show it getting better and better. Every episode is a nice mixture of fun, well written dialogues, investigation, etc.

Even though, I have to say the resolution of the investigation doesn't matter as much as the way Mary handles it. I was laughing out loud looking at her while she was running after a suspect in her bridesmaid dress.
Even the lady who conned all the men in the past appears to be fun and nice and all you want to do is forgive her.

It's amazing the bond Mary is able to create with her witsecs. Of course, the last scene with Mary pushing the car over the railways is over the top but it doesn't matter. While everyhting is done to make people not particularly like the characters - after all they all try not to be nice, they are all pissed at everything and everyone... - I can't help appreciating them because they're just human with their qualities and their flaws - especially their flaws. Finally you have no choice but to forgive them for who they are because we are all a bit like them...moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- Witsec Id: Teri Ranzino aka Trudy Wainright aka Tenley Bishop aka Toni Denard aka Tress Stevenson now Treena Morris Control: WC-6143-A Status: Active Location: ABQ Case(s) Pending: United States v. Ngwama Mubutu (fugitive) Edit
- Raphael mentions to Mary that he was called up by the Marlins. This indicates he plays for the Albuquerque Isotopes which is the Marlins Triple A affiliate. Edit
- Mary refers to herself as Mary Sheppard when she learns that Treena is in the newspaper, though her real name is Mary Shannon. This marks the first time we hear Mary use her alias in the show. Edit
Notes
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- International Episode Titles: Czech Republic: Nevěsta na útěku (Bride on the Run) Edit
- Original International Air Dates: - Denmark: July 22, 2008 on Kanal 5 - Australia: December 23, 2008 on Channel 10 - Finland: January 25, 2009 on MTV3 - Czech Republic: January 11, 2010 on Prima Edit
Quotes
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- Marshall: Hey, these are my mambo pants. Edit
- Det. Dershowitz: So am I to infer that New Mexico's most eligible bachelor is betrothed to one of your newly minted citizens? Edit
- Mary: Man, I'd like 5 minutes alone with the idiot that invented crinoline. Marshall: Actually crinoline wasn't an invention so much as it was a discovery. Mary: Sweet Jesus, shut your hole. Edit
Allusions
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- Brandi: You leave everything to me, grasshopper. Reference to the '70s tv show Kung Fu. Grasshopper is Master Po's nickname for his young student, Kwai Chang Caine. Edit
- The episode's title is a reference to the phrase, "Always a bridesmaid, never the bride." In addition to its literal meaning, the phrase is used metaphorically to describe someone who's always helping, assisting, waiting-in-the-wings, etc., but never has the spotlight on themselves. Edit