USA Network’s hit series In Plain Sight moved to Wednesdays at 10p for season three that continues to follow Mary Shannon (Mary McCormack) and her partner Marshall Mann (Frederick Weller), U.S. Marshals in New Mexico assigned to watch over and protect federal witnesses — innocent or guilty — until and after their pending trials.
The first episode was originally the sophomore finale, but the powers at USA wanted the mood of In Plain Sight to be more upbeat and less downbeat centering on Mary’s professional life with her complicated, personal life on the backburner. This decision led John McNamara to succeed creator David Maples as the showrunner, while the latter and Paul Stupin remain as consulting producers.
This season introduced the early stages of Mary and Marshall’s partnership, as Mary’s relationship with fiance Raph (Cristian de la Funte) is about to come an end, yet she finds a possible new love interest with a FBI agent (Steven Weber), while Marshall tries to prove his worth on the job with a legendary U.S. Marshal: his own father.
Due to McNamara taking a leave of absence for medical reasons, only 13 out of 16 were produced and aired, ending the season on a surprising happy note for Mary. Despite the changes, In Plain Sight maintained respectable ratings enough to be renewed for two more seasons. The show returns to its regular Sunday 10p slot, right after Law & Order: Criminal Intent (CI)’s return for its tenth and final season on May 1.
Get lost … In Plain Sight for season three currently available on DVD.
