What2Watch: In Plain Sight Caps An Excellent First Season

Will our heroine pay for the sins of her family?
Mary McCormack is Mary Shannon in USA's 'In Plain Sight'
Mary McCormack is Mary Shannon in USA's 'In Plain Sight' - USA
Charlie Toft

The top new cable series this summer, both in the ratings and in overall quality, has been USA's In Plain Sight, which covers the complicated work life and home life of a U.S. marshal with the witness protection program. The Albuquerque setting is attractive, the plots combine quirkiness with real emotion in decent proportions (the heroine's family is typically kept on the back burner, which is a good thing), and Mary McCormack is a great lead as Mary Shannon. It is programs like this that have transformed summer from television's dead zone into a time where good things can be found almost every night of the week.

But as summer winds down, so do the top summer series, and In Plain Sight airs its first season finale on Sunday (USA, 10 PM). Mary is recovering from her kidnapping on last week's episode and is understandably concerned about her future as a marshal, given that everyone else in her family is a crook on some level. Brandi continues to be the gift that keeps on giving, as Mary is caught while unknowingly carrying her sister's drug supply in her car. It all looks like a nice cliffhanger for the off-season -- and yes, In Plain Sight is indeed coming back.

Olympics Highlights: Tonight (NBC, 8 PM) features the beginning of track and field, with Americans considered to have major medal chances in the men's shot put. Michael Phelps races his final individual event, the 100M butterfly. Phelps's run for eight gold medals, and all swimming, will end on Saturday (NBC, 8 PM); the prime-time telecast also features the men's 100M dash and the women's marathon. Sunday (NBC, 7 PM) features the first night of apparatus finals in both men's and women's gymnastics, the women's 100M in track, women's springboard diving, and the women's triathlon.

Gone Country (CMT, tonight 8 PM): A second season where stars -- well OK, "celebrities" -- attempt to come across as Nashville old-timers. Either you're intrigued because of the cast or you're not. Participants this season include Skid Row howler Sebastian Bach, lunatic actress Sean Young, tone deaf ex-American Idol contestant Mikalah Gordon, and near father-in-law of a Bachelor contestant Lorenzo Lamas.

Outsider's Inn (CMT, tonight 9 PM): In the grand tradition of The Surreal Life spinning off into Strange Love and eventually Flavor of Love, this series teams up Maureen McCormick, Carnie Wilson, and Bobby Brown from the first season of Gone Country, as they run a bed-and-breakfast in the hills of Tennessee. I don't know about you, but if I ever saw Bobby Brown in my hotel room, I'd never stop screaming.

Psych (USA, 10 PM): Henry is stunned when the perp in the most famous case of his career is released on a technicality 30 years later, forcing Gus and Shawn to look into the past. It wouldn't be a '70s-themed show without an appearance from Ted Lange.

Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA, Sunday 9 PM): Logan, who longtime L&O fans know has had his issues with the church, is asked by a priest to look into a 16-year-old murder case, and butts up against powerful opposition in the process. It's the last episode for Chris Noth as Logan, unless he gets resurrected for Law & Order: Fashion Victims Unit along with Sarah Jessica Parker.

Generation Kill (HBO, Sunday 9 PM): The battalion is given the job of escorting civilians fleeing Baghdad, but Godfather wants his men to get back into doing "real" Marine work. Last week's episode was another new high for this miniseries, whose end next week I am dreading.

I Love Money (VH1, Sunday 9 PM): It's another week of shifting alliances on this show, with the "Stallionaires" (great alliance name, I have to admit) now looking vulnerable. The challenge finds the teams racing around the town square while having to eat.

Brooke Knows Best (VH1, Sunday 10 PM): Glenn asks Brooke if he can have a friend crash with them for just a little while. Brooke is only 20 and thus can be forgiven for not knowing that this never, ever works, something she finally realizes when she finds the guy sleeping naked on her couch.

Mad Men (AMC, Sunday 10 PM): Peggy's family entertains a new parish priest; Ken and the apparently alcoholic Freddy take a client to lunch; Don takes Betty away for the weekend. I had to watch a second time last week to make sure Don was doing to that woman what I thought he was doing. Way to go, basic cable!

The Comedy Central Roast: Bob Saget (Comedy Central, Sunday 10 PM): Those of you who saw The Aristocrats know that Saget is one sick puppy, and I'm sure this roast was about 600 times dirtier than what they will be able to show on Comedy Central. John Stamos is the emcee, so I'm sure tasteless jokes about the Olson twins will be part of the agenda.

The Two Coreys (A&E, Sunday 10 PM): A season finale for the train-wreckiest reality show of them all. A final therapy session is planned to get Haim to deal with his issues, but he bails. After getting a film role, Haim attempts to contact Feldman to gain closure. Can Feldman forgive Haim? And can we?


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