Reviews & Ratings for
"In Plain Sight" In My Humboldt Opinion (2009)

2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
In Plain Sight 'In My Humboldt Opinion' Review, 10 May 2009

Author: Elizabeth from Chicago

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Consistency,

this is exactly the type of material I appreciate in a series and it is most often rarely seen.

In Plain Sight manages to pull off a consistent 'Wow' of a Season 2! Giving us as viewers two consecutive installments, In My Humboldt Opinion, included.

Mary is now finding her way around her old job and she has 'The Newbie' Eleanor to deal with. As Mary tried to adapt to her surroundings and deal with her past struggles, Eleanor's new furniture arrangement wasn't cutting it. Good Mary was gone and Bi**** Mary was back, giving Eleanor competition for the 'bossy' title she wanted to claim. I smiled when Eleanor confronted Mary about her bossiness, saying that Mary cannot intimidate her, which is funny because by her saying that, Mary probably does intimidate her... as she did everyone. Everyone loves Mary, despite her ways and Eleanor had to earn her stripes, being the 'Newbie' and all!

In this week's case, Mary had to deal with a typical hypochondriac (Jerry); an owner of a marijuana plant testifying against his buyers. I found it surprising that he had a family; a wife and two children. I didn't really understand how his family put up with his drug-use; taking marijuana to stay sane, especially around the children. Was he always high on marijuana when he met his wife, how far did his condition date back? Was it his personality on or off marijuana she fell in love with?

None-the-less, Jerry is afraid to speak on the witness stand... off the marijuana , and decides to take his life to prevent himself from testifying. So how much did he love his family if he was willing to take his own life and fake Amnesia?

Mary, Mary, Mary, she sure brought out the real Jerry. Giving him petty threats and then babying him in the end; attaching what appeared to be a smiley face on his microphone in court. At least she got him in court.

While he was on the stand, Jerry took a little while to give his name on introduction, he also looked like a child. On a real note, given "Boston Legal" Knowledge of a typical case in court, wouldn't the opposing party be aware of his marijuana usage. Prosecution could prosecute Jerry, someone with his mental state would say anything anyone told him to say... like Mary perhaps. "Psst Jerry make sure and point out the guys that look the most guilty *wink*"

Anyway, we didn't really get to see the prosecuting side and it was cool watching a frailly Jerry in court. I give credit to the scene where Mary placed the smiley sticker on his microphone and the point where he didn't need the smiley anymore.

The scenes with Mary and her analyst were well played; another intrusion into Mary's lifestyle which Mary took on surprisingly better than Eleanor. It was fun watching her analyst always writing in her note pad.

Mary - "What could you possibly be writing"

They actually formed a brief friendship-I guess; in the end. Then again if you look at the other side of the coin, Mary had to be nice to her, she held Mary's continuation at work in the palm of her hands, which encouraged Mary to behave a bit better to everyone. I loved how Mary fancied up her words when she was talking to Jerry.

Mary - "Just giving you something to write" :D

As for Mary's family, Jinx was back to her old crazy self- well alcoholic that is and Brandi was well changing her life, trying to go to school again, trying to become more civilized like Mary - a bit.

Eleanor sort of earned her stripes as well, breaking up the argument in the office, McQueen actually acted like a boss and who saw that Eleanor and McQueen thing coming?

Finally we get to see Ralph and their relationship has picked up heat again. Hmm, asking Mary to pass him a towel!

Lexa

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Four and a Half out of Five Stars

Grade A

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0 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Ridiculous and offensive depiction of mental illness, 13 November 2010

Author: squad-896-439468 from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Do they have no advisers who went to college? This episode features a witness who has a serious anxiety disorder that causes him to be fearful of testifying in public court. The expert called in by the team fails to accurately inform the Marshals of the nature of this very real illness. It seems to have been written and performed by people who have not even basic education about mental illness.

The witness uses marijuana to control his anxiety. Pot is a medically approved for controlling anxiety in some State's that have medical marijuana programs.

Spoiler alert:

Because pot is illegal in the State in which the episode is supposed to take place, the Marshal is faced with the "dilemma" of not being able to allow the witness to testify while under the influence of an illegal medication. The Psychologist fails to prescribe or even suggest one of dozens and dozens of prescription medications that could help the witness manage the testimony. This is absurd. There are so many medications that could have been used to solve the problem, but that would have made unnecessary the contrived "drama" of the "hero", Marshal Mary, saving the situation .

The stupid resolution is that Mary brow beats and lectures the witness over and over until he "gives in" and is "brave enough" to testify without the pot. She gives him repeated talks, harassing him until she prevails! The mentality of people who imagine that this could work is ridiculous. This is deeply insulting to informed people who know that anxiety disorders and other mental illnesses do not respond to nasty threats or appeals to conscience. Bulling someone with an anxiety disorder will produce the exact opposite of the desired result! I pity the family members of people who wrote and approved this script!

The Marshal's relentless, mean spirited and ignorant arguments would exacerbate an anxiety problem. This does a terrible disservice to all viewers who might gather from this kind of propaganda that mental illness is a character issue and that sufferers can just "try harder" and "get over" an illness by force of will. This episode perpetuates ignorance about mental health and stigmatizes mental illness. This is not "smart" TV. This program is intellectually bereft.

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