In Plain Sight "Who Shot Jay Arnstein" (2008)

This week saw a new twist in the witness protection program. Beth Arnstein (Sherry Stringfield) gets her husband arrested for art smuggling hoping to seek a fresh start in witness protection away from his mistress who has damaged their marriage. Unknowingly, Jay (John Ales) modifies his agreement with the feds to bring his mistress along into witness protection. As the basic premise for the entire episode I find it a little unrealistic. Why would the federal government agree to such a condition? They are bringing a woman into the program who can offer no substantive testimony on her own and can only jeopardize the pending case that their witness will be a part of. There's a brief remark about this witness "has some juice" but that's just a method of writing off a plot necessity. Maybe the real witness protection does do this but I find it hard to believe that they will take anyone into witness protection. Usually only immediate family (spouses, kids) are permitted to go with the witness but this guy gets to bring his mistress who he may break up with two weeks after being placed in the program? The fact that this woman is also willing to uproot her entire life for a man who obviously is staying with his wife is also a bit unbelievable. People do crazy things but to walk away from everything and everyone in your past life for a man you're having an affair with? I can't see someone making a decision like that.

Once you get past these issues regarding the episode it was rather enjoyable. I actually thought they could do more with the loss of trust between an assigned Marshall and her witness and the ramifications of such an action but most of the episode was devoted to the attempted murder investigation of Jay once his wife sees his mistress at an art gallery expedition. It would have been perfect to show more of Sherry Stringfield, who I've always liked since her first stint on ER, at odds with Mary regarding her role in allowing the mistress to enter the program. You would have two first-rate TV actresses dealing with some really dramatic issues but unfortunately the opportunity was wasted aside from a very brief scene where Beth ends up slamming the door in Mary's face.

On the home front Raphael is back in Albuquerque sporting a knee injury and shacking up at the Shannon household. He and Brandi come to a mutual understanding of one another and Brandi is surprised to learn that Raphael proposed before he left for the major leagues. Mary deals with the giant elephant in the room (his proposal) the best way she knows how by ignoring the situation and throwing herself into her job. It's a surprise considering her mad dash for the airport two episodes ago where she appeared to reconsider his proposal and how they left things between them. However, all hope is not lost as at the end of the episode she is seen cradling Raph's head in her lap and stroking his hair. It's obvious she doesn't consider them to simply be friends with benefits and there is something deeper there. Only time will tell if she'll let herself be close and honest with him about her feelings. Hopefully we also get to find out what the root of Mary's anti-intimacy issues is.

One quick note about Marshall: he is rapidly turning into a walking encyclopedia. He informative recitations regarding such topics as pre-revolutionary art and psychology are delivered in such a manner it's as if to say "What? You mean you didn't know that?" Being a U.S. Marshall and Mary's full-time keeper probably do leave little time for a social life, so it stands to reason he could spend his time reading and learning new things. He reminds of Detective Goren on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, in both the vastness of his expertise and his succinct, informative dissertations to his colleagues.

Favorite moment: Mary and Dershowitz's mad escape from the blazing art gallery. She tries desperately to unlock the door with one of the hundred or so keys she has for the gallery while Dershowitz wants to shoot off the lock. Mary's claim that it only works in the movies is believable and when it does work for her she is presently surprised. I'm not sure if it would work in just the movies or not but I love the self-referential humor and the fact the show has no problem in pointing out its fictional nature shows that it's a series that doesn't take itself too seriously and maybe for that reason we can forgive it for some of the leaps it takes in order to tell the story.