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TV Review: In Plain Sight

In Plain Sight is the newest member of the family of the USA “Characters Welcome” family. It is a very welcome addition, and is an intriguing and fun show to watch!

The show centers on Mary Shannon (Mary McCormick), a US Marshall working with the Federal Witness Protection Program (WITSEC). She is a feisty, independent agent who wants to handle her cases in her own way – and lets nothing or no one stand in her way. She is extremely dedicated to her job and the people she protects, almost to the exclusion of everything else in her life.

The supporting characters include those people who are close to Mary (or try to be). Mary’s flaky unemployed mom, Jinx (Lesley Ann Warren) lives with her. Her slacker sister Brandi (Nichole Hiltz) has just arrived for a seemingly endless visit (bringing with her secrets of her own). Mary is the “adult” in the household and takes care of her mother and sister as if they were her witnesses. Raphael (Cristian de la Fuente) is her boyfriend who Mary rarely sees and seems to use only for sex and to do her errands (mostly involving her sister). Her WITSEC partner is Marshall (Frederick Weller), who tends to “get” her more than most of the other people in her life. Stan (Paul Ben-Victor) is her boss at WITSEC and just may be nursing a little crush on Mary.

The show is set up in a “case-of-the-week” style with Mary being assigned a new witness or a problem arising with a previously placed witness in each episode. In the pilot, Mary is called in to investigate the murder of the son of a mob informant that was previously placed in witness protection. She had previously placed this family, and she feels responsible for the safety of the family – and to find the killer. In the second episode, Mary is the only protection for a little boy placed in her care after witnessing his mother’s murder by his own father and his drug king-pin bosses. In another episode, Mary and Marshall work together to place a girl and her family in witness protection after she witnesses a murder by a notorious gang member. The girl’s father is extremely reluctant to leave his posh lifestyle and acclaimed career and begin a new anonymous lifestyle regardless of the danger to his family, and it is up to Mary and Marshall to make him understand why their protection is necessary.

I would definitely recommend In Plain Sight to anyone who is a fan of the current line of USA drama series or the crime and investigation genre.

In Plain Sight premieres Sunday, June 1 at 10pm/9c on USA Network.