Cinemusings

IN PLAIN SIGHT

Ah yes, it's another show on cable about a super woman who is really just a regular person when she's with her family, or in her personal life. She mothers everyone, talks back to her superiors, and even has a "Moonlighting" relationship with her hunky partner. And on the outside, she's a professional risking her life as a Witness Protection Officer relocating witnesses who, well, witness something corroborating, and must be relocated.

She's a not so nice person though, and prefers to act on her gut instead of follow procedure (you know how the song goes!), and this gets her into trouble. But I wasn't too down on "In Plain Sight," because while it's better suited for Lifetime, Mary McCormack finally gets a good vehicle that allows us to see what her supporting performances over the years, haven't.

McCormack approaches this role just as we can expect with a sense of vulnerability that meshes well with her absolutely firey sexiness. McCormack is the Milf of all Milf's as heroine Mary, and really does manage to perfectly keep the series afloat. She's delightfully fast talking and entertaining in her wit, while also fascinating characteristically.

Lovers of the familiar will enjoy where this series is going, as the writers tackle the arc on a case by case basis with every character and plot self contained only with the tiniest of plot threads holding true. Mary and her partner have powerful sexual chemistry. What's new? She babies him and talks to him like a child but he's still in love with her. What a guy. Her boss is a prick. Get out of town! Her sister is messed up. Say what?! Her mom is obnoxious. Amazing.

And coincidentally, Mary is always personally involved with the cases, connecting with the victims and providing pep talks every so often, to which we see she's not only a bad ass. But she's a bad ass with heart. She interrogates everyone like she's at Guantanamo Bay, has the clever foresight to point out her own quirks for other people, and yes, she narrates with corkers that include a bad impression of Columbo, her on the nose explanation of what we already know, and brutally original lines like: "Plus Frankie Jr. got killed on my watch. That pisses me off." You go, girl!

"In Plain Sight" is an entertaining enough series with potential for fans of "The Closer," "Saving Grace," and whatever other show involving tough forty something family women who kick men's patootey's and stick it to the man. I don't feel like watching another series of women babying every one including the grown men they supposedly like, I don't want to see more familiar villains, and I may not care enough to see Leslie Anne Warren play that obnoxious mom archetype we've come to know and love time and time again. I probably won't stick around for the fourth episode, because while Mary McCormack is very hot, I just don't care to see her courage personified by the act of walking into a men's bathroom while they look on in shock. That's just a old hat cliche, daddio.

Besides, I liked this show better when it was called "Veronica Mars."

- Felix Vasquez Jr.
5/20/08

Premiering on USA Network, June 1st.

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