In Plain Sight: Who Shot Jay Arnstein
It was the best of In Plain Sight, it was the less than best of In Plain Sight. For starters, the only carry-over from the previous episode was Marshall’s arm in a sling. Hey, what about his nearly dying and Mary’s emotional breakdown in the waiting room? The lack of follow-through was stunning.
Granted, this show isn’t a serial, but I did expect at least a moment between Mary and Marshall that would connect back beyond her quip in the art gallery. It was too glib. Would it have killed them to have a moment? I can imagine a fight in the writer’s room over this point and keeping it light and unemotional won.
I liked the case this week, although once again, is Witness Protection really this amenable? When art dealers with shady dealings Jay and Marcie are put into the program, Jay arranges for his mistress to also be WITSEC’ed. Are you kidding me?
Maybe this really happens all the time, but if so, why are my tax dollars paying for three people when only two are really in danger? It was funny, though, when Jay asked Mary to break up with Kay for him, taking his mistress out of the system so he could commit to his wife!
This is the first episode since the pilot to involve a mystery — the title of the show, Who Shot Jay Arnstein? — and it was great to see Mary investigating rather than just babysitting. I like her interaction with Bobby D. and the scene where they get caught in the gallery when it’s torched was excellent. The snappy dialog, the danger element, it all worked. I loved that Mary couldn’t unlock the fire door and after telling Bobby not to shoot out the lock, she does it anyway and it works.
Sherry Stringfield as Marcie was a plus. She’s a familiar face — ER, NYPD Blue — and you automatically feel for her as the wronged wife. Also, she could have been the shooter because, after all, she’s the guest star. But the thing about Sherry is she can play it soft and vulnerable, they let off a wicked line. When she realizes that Mary, whom she trusted as her handler and the person who helped her with Jay was in on the deception, she cuts Mary with a single word, “Liar.”
The key to the plot was wood — poplar versus cottonwood — and it was cool that Marshall pointed it out. Like Monk or Columbo, Marshall is sneaky smart. The suspects, naturally, were fairly obvious, especially the artist. Why was he even at the gallery in the first place if he was banging Marcie and didn’t want Jay to know? Then, on top of that, why did he make a scene by smoking and call attention to himself?
So once Mary puts two and two together, she trapped the killer. You didn’t really think that was Jay in the hospital bed, did you? And don’t you wonder about the killer coming up with a syringe filled with poison on short notice? How did she do that? Is there an all-night pharmacy that sells that item?
Maybe I’m over-critical, but the ending of the case felt rushed and too neat. Mary’s voiceover was used to tie together all the loose ends more than to comment on the action. It should be more of the latter and less of the former. Still in all, I enjoyed the show.
One thing I will say for sure, In Plain Sight has earned a second season.
Other Points of Interest
— Raph, or Chico as Brandi likes to call him, is back. His career with the Florida Marlins has hit a major roadblock now that he has a torn ACL. Mary sets him up in her living room until he can take care of himself. Mary’s to busy to help, but in an ironic twist, Brandi becomes his caretaker. You mean she’s not useless?
— Marshall’s prescription for Mary when she’s pissed off — pie. He then answers the phone, “House of Pie.” Too bad they didn’t say, “The Pie Hole,” referring to Pushing Daisies.
— Great voiceover line when Mary has to accept putting the mistress into the program, “Funny how mortgage payments and the desire not to eat cat food can get between a person and their principals.”
— “You’re the glue that held us together,” Marcie tells Mary. Mary’s response, “Just call me Elmer.”
— Mary admits to Marcie that she felt bad about lying to her. Marcie’s answer was choice: “Geez, I am so sorry. It never occurred to me that helping my husband cheat on me would make you feel bad. Wow, I must be a really selfish bitch!” Door slammed in Mary’s face. Ouch.
— Brandi finds the engagement ring in Raph’s suitcase. Later, she wisely tells Mary that if she doesn’t watch it, someone as great as Raph won’t hang around. Was she showing an interest in him herself?
— Mary looked really great in the little black dress. Bobby D tells her, “It’s a good thing you’re hot.” Mary acts surprised like she doesn’t know — come on.
— If Marcie and Jay were in the art business in New York and had to go into WITSEC because international art baddies are after them, why would WITSEC let them open another art gallery in New Mexico? Would that be a big flag?
— It’s about time a witness had the hots for Marshall. Kay was definitely intrigued with Marshall. He went all enigmatic on her, then explained entropy to her. Good Marshall stuff.
— No Jinx this week. I didn’t miss her. At least Brandi showed some humanity this week, but Mary’s family is still the show’s weak link.
— Another weak link is Stan. This character is just a plot device. He just moves the story forward, that’s it.
— Liked the art class with the nude model, “What does he make an hour? Or does he charge by the foot?”
Tom Brokaw Named Temporary Press Replacement
A familiar face will be sitting in the seat on Meet the Press left tragically vacant by Tim Russert’s death.
Former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw has been chosen to temporarily take over moderator duties on the Sunday morning news program, the network announced Sunday. The veteran reporter will lead the politically driven discussions through the November election.
“To have someone of Tom’s stature step up and dedicate himself to ensuring its ongoing success is not only a testament to his loyalty to Tim, but his enduring commitment to NBC News and our viewers,” said NBC News president Steve Capus in a statement.
Brokaw, 68, stepped down as anchor of the NBC Nightly News in 2004 after 21 years. Current NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams filled in on today’s broadcast of Meet the Press.
Russert died of a heart attack on June 13 at the age of 58.
Kristen Bell Heroes Scoop, Grey's Gossip and a New Nip/Tucker
Hello, tuberinos. It’s Monday, and you know what that means…chat time! Let’s get this fiesta going…
Lee in Tremonton, Utah: Any more news on the possibility of Shane West returning to ER this coming season? Would hate to see the whole Ray/Neela storyline dropped!
I was just on set, and Parminder Nagra (Neela) told me she doesn’t yet know of any plans for him to return, but she’s hopeful he will. Still, there is another familiar face to look forward to! Maura Tierney confirmed to me that Goran Visnjic will be returning for four episodes this season. Good news, no?
Thomas in Dallas: Any word on Lost? I can’t wait to see new episodes!
We still don’t get new eps until February (a little fact that makes me sob uncontrollably every time I hear it). However! The coolest cast around just went back to work last week in Oahu, and I’m hearing very good things about the new season! Michael is back, the Losties we love are front and center and the storylines are tighter than, well, I’d say Josh Holloway’s backside but, sheesh, I’m a married woman.
Ginny in Ipswich, Massachusetts: Will there be any cast changes this season on Lost?
Aside from the newbies we announced last week (much thanks to Korbi for that scoop!), Entertainment Weekly is now reporting that Grindhouse’s Jeff Fahey will join the island crew this year. I can also tell you that although I'd heard a while back we’d be seeing a little less of Matthew Fox this season, so far there are no signs of any “Jack-off” days on the production schedule (sorry, I couldn’t resist, I’m 12). So, we’ll see.
Mary in Hickory Hills, Illinois: Did you hear Friday Night Lights is offering a money-back guarantee on the season-one DVD if you aren't fully satisfied?!
I did. And they’re so confident you’ll love the show, they’re practically giving it away for free as well! As for season two, I'm hearing there may be another new coach on the scene this year. Producers are currently looking for a tough—but funny—lady to play Roberta Roberts, the girls soccer coach.
Hilda from Idaho: Dish on Gizzie on Grey's please! And Meredith and Derek and all the couples…we need scoop!
Read on to the spoiler section…I've got dish!
Nancy from Toronto: Since Laura Vandervoort has been cast on Smallville, does that mean she will not be on season four of Instant Star?
Don’t worry, Laura will be doing double duty this year, going back and forth filming Smallville and the N’s Instant Star. Both shows film in Canada, so it's easy peasy.
Mick in Worcester, Massachusetts: What’s the deal with that vampire show with Jason Dohring? You guys haven’t said a word about it.
Moonlight is quite a mystery to us at this point, since we have yet to see the first episode. But there’s good reason for that, since we’re hearing production is still underway on the pilot reshoot! Bad news for the show? Not necessarily. They got a late start, changing show runners three times and recasting the entire thing. But an inside source says things are moving along, and it’s actually looking pretty good.
Bethany in Alexandria, Virginia: Heroes!
YouTube has your back if you want to watch the first and/or second full-length spots for season two (or, for that matter, the surreptitiously filmed Comic-Con teaser trailer).
Owen in Oswego, New York: When is It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia coming back?
Thursday, Sept. 13 at 10 p.m. But if you’re feeling antsy, you might wanna hit the road, ‘cause you just might run into the guys and their RV. This past weekend, they kicked off the Sunny Road Trip Experience, traveling to Berkeley, California, to meet up with fans. They’re continuing the trek this week in L.A., then hitting Chicago, D.C., New York, Boston and, of course, Philly in September. I’d highly recommend you meet up with ‘em, ‘cause that Glenn Howerton’s certainly worth the effort.
Laurie in Las Vegas: I heard that in real life, Charlie Day from It’s Always Sunny is actually married to the waitress on the show—you know, the one who despises him and loves Dennis? Will she be back?
Yes, 'tis true! Mary Elizabeth Ellis is the actress’ name, and as we reported last year, she and Charlie Day are indeed hitched by law! Such a great couple. We ran into her recently and she told us she’d be appearing in three episodes this coming season. Sooo not enough! But I’m hearing that Charlie (the character) will land a girlfriend this year. Perhaps he finally won the waitress over?!
Kate in Calabasas, California: I keep seeing these crazy ads for that new show Dirty Sexy Money. I always think they are actual news items, and then I realize there’s no such thing as the Darling family! Tell me, should I be excited for this show?
Yes. It’s pretty campy, but with a great cast that makes it work. Speaking of the fake news items and ads, it seems as though a fan has already caught on and created a MySpace profile for Patrick Darling!
Irene in Providence, Rhode Island: What's coming up on my beloved Burn Notice?
Richard Schiff (aka The West Wing's Toby Ziegler) will be doing a guest stint as Philip Cowan, the intelligence agency operative who burned Michael Weston. Yes, that was his voice on the phone in ep seven, but we won't see him until the two-hour finale airing Sept. 20, which is called "Loose Ends."
Dee in Reston, Virginia: Mad Men is sooo good—thank you for recommending it! Dish?
You're sooo welcome. For the rest of you, if you haven't caught on to Mad Men's greatness yet, you can catch up on Sunday, Sept. 2. AMC is running a nonstop marathon of the first seven episodes, starting at 10 a.m. ET.
SPOILER SECTION
Francis in Washington D.C.: Heroes! Give us the scoop! Didn’t Kristen Bell come to your wedding? Then you have to know her power, right!?
All I know is that at the wedding, Kristen and I had a giddy-good time dancing to some silly overplayed wedding song that was some kind of “slide” or something…What kind of slide was it again? Oh yeah, it was “Electric!” If you do it with me now, I might tell you more…Line up, please!
Noah in Miami: I’m confused about the death scoop you gave on Heroes. Who is dying?
Well, let me come right out and tell you that and then call my loved ones and tell them I love them before Tim Kring sics Sylar on my ass. What I’m saying is…I can’t name names. However, here are the facts I can spill:
- There is a series regular from last season who is no longer a part of the cast and as far as I know is not coming back.
- There is a series regular from last season who is presumed dead, but is not.
- There are two popular and important recurring characters who appear to be totally and completely doomed, and at least one of them will die within the first two episodes.
Helena in Eugene, Oregon: What is Kristen Bell’s power in Heroes?
If you did the "Electric Slide" with me and still don’t get it, I will tell you that Kristen’s power is electricity. I’m also hearing that Kristen might be doing some kind of scene with Masi/Hiro in the past, but honestly, that makes no sense whatsoever to me based on everything else I’ve heard.
Jackson in Wyoming: Okay, girl, dish it! You said you’d spill in the chat about the line at the end of the first episode of Grey’s that shocked you…You'd better not forget!
Like I would! It is burned into my brain! That line is “I love you, too.” And although a year ago, the thought of this storyline may have made me squee, I personally am not really happy about who says it and to whom—as a recently married woman and all. (Wow, that was weird! My italics button just clicked itself on as though that last line was a big giveaway or something…Nutty!)
April from Sonoma, California: Any information on James Van Der Beek's appearance on Ugly Betty?
Yes, I did some Dawson digging and was told that James Van Der Beek is playing the owner of Atlantic Attire. Apparently, he's scheduled to do business with Mode, but he has problems with Alexis being a transsexual.
Maria88 in Mission Hills, Kansas: I need Nip/Tuck scoop!
I'm hearing rumors of a new recurring character this year, by the name of Rachel Ben Natan. She's a young Israeli woman whose beautiful face was destroyed by a suicide-bomb attack. Word is, she appears around midseason and sticks around for quite some time. Who wants to bet one of the boys fixes her mug, then hops into bed with her? Or vice versa?
Tim from Seattle: Any Brothers & Sisters scoop?
A custody battle takes place early on in the season between Sarah and her ex-husband, Joe, when he requests full custody of their children. Other B&S scoop: Senator McCallister is part of the Republican primary debate, in which the other candidates attack him because of Kitty's more liberal views.
Lisa from Chicago: What's coming up for Tommy on Brothers & Sisters?
Balthazar tells me: "This year, [Tommy] is trying to be his father and re-create this male figure in the family who runs the business, has the wife and kids and is a success in all areas. You find out it's not that easy. He is going to realize he is making a lot of the mistakes his dad made." Uh-oh.
JaneSP in Cape Coral, Florida: Friday Night Lights is my favorite show. Do you have any information on the next season? I'm dying to hear what will come next.
Word is, Tami's cute younger sister flies into Dillon this year, and we get to know her quite well. She's in her early 30s, works as a teacher and sometimes moonlights as a counselor for battered women. Apparently, she's very cool and could spice things up for Mrs. Taylor, though she'll probably skip town before getting too comfortable. Also, producers are bringing two new gals to Dillon High, both of whom date a Panther boy somewhat seriously this season.
Neil in Northfield, New Jersey: None of my friends watch Big Love, and they are so missing out. Last night when I saw Ana and Bill go at it in the pantry, I was like, Oh my God! I really want Ana to be fourth wife, 'cause I love the chemistry among her, Bill and Margene.
You're not the only one! Though it might drive Barb right out the door, it would certainly make for lots of season-three excitement. Let me put it this way: We haven't seen the last of Ms. Ana. Unless Branka Katic, the actress who plays her, disappears from the face of the earth, she'd better be on that Big Love set come production time!
Matt in Hollywood: Whatever happened to Alby's gay storyline? Last season we found out he was into dudes, but this season, nary a word about it!
Don't worry your pretty little head. Expect Alby to play a big part in season three. The writers have not forgotten his secret, and it is definitely dealt with.
Rebecca in Chicago: I'm getting really excited about Private Practice. Any news yet? Kate Walsh is my hero.
In episode four of the Grey's spinoff, Private Practice, Tim Daly's character, Dr. Pete Finch, shows up Addison (Kate Walsh) when he magically cures a patient of hers who was unable to have sex due to a medical condition—and chances are Dr. Feelgood has a cure for what ails Addy's sex life as well. Look for a chemistry spike between those two characters right about then…
Frankie in Hollywood, Florida: I haven't heard much about Jericho lately. It's still coming back, right?
Yep. They're in production as we speak, and are looking to add a new recurring character to the cast. Rumor has it a guy by the name of Barsotti will work for Goetz at the Ravenwood organization as a trained soldier. He's a potentially dangerous kind of guy who gets things done.
Keri in Parkline, Idaho: Any scoop on October Road? I know they're shooting right now.
Yes, I'm hearing we haven't seen the last of Hannah and that creep Ray Cataldo! Apparently, their relationship continues this season, much to the chagrin of Ray's ex-wife, Christine. She's a snazzy surgeon who lives in Boston but returns to Knights Ridge and freaks out when she sees how close Hannah has become to her kids and their father. Word is there will be fireworks.
Louise in Lincoln, Nebraska: What's coming up on Mad Men?
Don's boss, Roger Sterling, cannot hold his liquor—but apparently he can handle Betty. Manhandle her, that is. Don invites Roger over to the house for dinner with him and Betty, but when Don's out of the room, Roger gets frisky with Betty. Don't cry for Don and Betty, though. Roger gets his just deserts when a nine-martini lunch plus 20 flights of stairs results in humiliation in front of a client. Let's just say lunch is on him. Ha-ha!
Drusilla from cubicle 3.375: Psych scoop! Please give us more deets about the funniest show on TV!
In a few weeks, Gus' parents are going to be arrested for murder! Gus and Shawn have to prove that Mrs. and Mrs. Guster are innocent, but they aren't exactly helpful, seeing as they blame Shawn for every bad thing that ever happened to good-guy Gus. And who plays these parents? Ernie Hudson and Phylicia Rashad! How cool is that?
Greg in Denver: Any news on ER? It's still must-see TV for me!
New interns for everybody! First on Grey's, then on Scrubs, and now on ER. ER is looking for a young (like late teens) actor to play Neela's new intern, Harold Zelinsky. He's a Doogie Howser-style genius, but he's about as sensitive as Barney Stinson. He wants Neela to explain how sex works, so he steals an anatomically correct model of girlie parts from the lab and follows her around with it, asking her to point out the relevant structures. Smooth he is not. Also, Gates may be making eyes at the hospital chaplain. Sacrilegious is the new sexy.
Okay, kiddies, that's it for us this week! Thanks for playing!
—Additional reporting by Korbi Ghosh, Jennifer Godwin, Michael Berner and Marisa Roffman
Smallville: Apocalypse
(S07E17) Most sci-fi or fantasy television series have used a “parallel universe” or “what if” storyline in which we see what life would be like if a different set of circumstances existed in the characters’ universe. As of tonight’s episode, Smallville is no exception to this rule. In fact, it’s kind of surprising the creators haven’t done it before now since they seem to rely on television clichés.
Somebody saaaaaavvvveeee meeeee….
Clark is shown through a simulation by his dead father what life would have been like on Earth if his rocket was never sent there. Lana is happily married with kids. Chloe is engaged. Luthor is President of the United States and about to launch a global thermonuclear war with Brainiac and Kara by his side. Naturally, Clark is in the middle of this parallel world determined to stop the worst from happening.
The first question on my mind was: if Kryptonians have time-travel technology, why did Krypton explode in the first place? That was answered near the end of the episode by Clark himself. But if they had this capability, why use a ship for Clark to escape in? Why not just teleport him out? Yes, I know. It’s Smallville. That’s the answer.
Not much information was given about the “alternate” Clark Kent. He was presumably adopted and younger than our familiar Clark since he was still wearing a high school jacket. I guess they didn’t have enough time in the episode to go through his back story.
I had heard there would be an old, familiar face in the episode and was hoping it was going to be John Schneider, back from the dead and being Pa Kent. It ended up being Sheriff Adams, who was really unnecessary as a cameo. It made me wonder if they tried to get back Bo Duke and couldn’t. It was still nice to see Jonathan and Martha again, even if it was just a photo.
This was really an episode for references to other versions of Superman. From the 1950’s series, Jimmy was wearing a bow-tie. There was a mention of the Reeves Dam, which is likely a tribute to George Reeves, the actor who played Superman in that series. From the comics, there was the Ace of Clubs and Supergirl’s comic book alter ego of Linda Danvers. From the Superman: the Animated Series, there was Lois’ address of Clark as “Smallville” (more on that later).
It’s somewhat ironic that Lois develops Clark’s famous nerdy reporter look. I admit I got a slight thrill when I saw him in the suit and glasses. Now he just needs the tights and cape to hide underneath and they can end the series on a high note.
Lex is kind of young to be President, isn’t he? It’s a requirement of the position to be 35 years old and Lex is at most 28 at this stage. I guess Brainiac had to use his special powers to make that happen. Or Lex just lied about his age.
This episode could easily have been a two-parter, with the first part dealing with the alternate timeline and the second part being Clark’s attempt to stop Brainiac from changing history on Krypton. What story logic could they have used for Jor-El and Lara not being at the launch of Kal-El’s ship? Did Brainiac kill them already?
It’s nice to see the origin on the other side. A few episodes ago, we saw the events that led the Lex to Smallville. Now we’ve seen the events that took Clark there. There’s symmetry in that.
Clark had a hell of a choice at the end of the episode. Either save Lana or reveal his secrets to Luthor. Given what he’d seen in the alternate timeline as well as his knowledge of Lex, he chose the lesser of two evils. And what was happening to Kara at the end? Was Brainiac’s programming to kill Clark (mentioned in the parallel world) kicking in?
Finally, there is the foreshadowing of affection being shown between Clark and Lois. If Lana is saved, given the fact that she’s only a part-timer for next season, it’s likely the Clark/Lana relationship will be done and the Clark/Lois relationship will start. They’ve even given themselves an “out” by having Lois refer to Clark as “Smallville”. In doing so, the series becomes about Clark rather than the town he grew up in. If the creators wanted, they could move him to Metropolis next season and still keep the name.
While it was predictable, this was a good episode. It showed a lot of progression and the pacing felt correct for the most part. That is one of the benefits of parallel world stories. They can make the characters move forward without anything actually happening.