IPS is the THE best show I have ever seen. That has to be made clear or I will look like a troll when I say that Mary getting engaged is a HUGE mistake. What are the writer's thinking?

This show is about Mary, a strong, independent woman, who carries her heart hidden behind her badge. The banter between she and Marshall is without equal. Raph is a good character, but he cannot be the husband of a US Marshall? What does this do to Marshall Mann?

No matter how you slice it, their relationship will have to essentially end. They may still be partners, but the bond will be broken, and it will never be the same. The underlying comments would be inappropriate and hardly as cutting, if she is married, or even engaged.

Why couldn't they just leave it alone, and continue to let everyone wonder what Mary will do with her heart one day? This is bad, really bad. Even the plots that are kind of thin, are a wonder to watch because of the chemistry between her, and Marshall, and even her and Raph. Its too early in the show's history to get her tied down to one guy. I would not even want to see she and Marshall get engaged or married.

Big mistake. Really big mistake. Unless they find a way for Raph to die, or to the Domincan to play ball and never come back, they have killed the best thing on TV.

I was totally enamored with Terminator-The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and they bungled that so badly I almost cried when it got canceled. I won't cry when IPS goes under, but I sure won't have a reason to keep my TV, or even my CATV subscription.

Thankfully, I have them all recorded, and can watch them when I want to. I will miss IPS very much, and even if they keep it hanging on, I don't hold out much hope if the two of them don't break up really, really quick.

Just because I don't post, doesn't make me a troll :-) I didn't post to make a flame, I posted because it really makes me sad to see it go in this direction. Yes, I will watch and see if they can make it work, but my money is on it being replaced by yet another CSI type, or some dimwitted, scripted, reality show. Maybe there is still room for another american idol ripoff. The networks seem totally enamored with those because of the low overhead.

I don't want to lose Raph, but he HAS to go, one way or the other or its game, set, and match.

P.S. Is a US marshal allowed to tell their spouse what they do? Is it fair for Mary to marry Raph, when the poor guy doesn't even know what she does for a living and how her life is always in danger? Doesn't it put him in danger being married to a US Marshal in WITSEC? Kind of like Lois being married to Superman, everyone will be out to get him, to get to her?

Bummer, all the way around..

John

John, John, John. So much gloom and doom. No doubt TPTB are aware of all your arguments (and all the other arguments for-and-against that have been floating around in cyber space since the show premiered). Let’s not underestimate the writing team. I really have to believe that with the “Raph and Mary engagement”, the writers are NOT going to take us down that same “tired, clichéd yellow-brick-road” of storylines you see on other shows. Since it would have been so much easier to let things remain as they were; and since they chose to do otherwise, then I’m taking it to mean that they are able to deal…. In other words, I believe this storyline is heading somewhere, and not to the dead end that some folks envision. Have a little faith in these wonderful writers--they've been good to us so far.

(Only because I notice such things: Raph plays baseball—game? set? match?)

I'm with JaredD, John -- don't give up on the show yet, and have a little faith!

I don't think the engagement to Raph is the best development either. I really like Raph, he's a really nice guy and he has been super-patient with Mary, but I do think they are a bad match and I have a hard time picturing a married Mary in general.

But this show has yet to let me down in terms of where they take their main characters. While how the engagement happened didn't quite sit well with me (it did feel like a heat of the moment decision to me), I trust that the writers are going somewhere with this. I'm gonna sit back and see where they take us.

I hope you stick around with us. In the end it may not be as bad as you think!

Everyone knows she's a US Marshal. What they don't know is that she's in WITSEC. And no, she can't ever tell him what she does. If I understand it correctly, not even other marshals know what they do. Keeping it secret is what not only protects the witnesses, but the families of the marshals as well. The CIA could learn a few things from WITSEC about guarding secrets!

What I've always wondered is how did she explained to Raph why she was coming to the aid of Maureen and the kids in "Stand Up Triple". Just good friend of the family?? I'd love to have seen that conversation!

As for the rest of your post, have a little faith in the writers. I'm one of those who doesn't think this relationship is headed for the alter, but I'm curious about the growth and development of the characters in resolving it. And as usual, Marshall will be there to pick up the pieces.

It will be interesting to see how this engagement plays out! I'm a big fan of this show, and this episode last Sunday really came as a surprise.

Whaaaa? You can't seriously be suggesting that just because there is snarky banter and close friendship and even love, of the platonic variety, between two partners in law enforcement that there has to be an underlying romance, are you? Seriously? There may be some sexual tension, but I think that's as far as it goes between Mary and Marshall.

As for Mary's relationship with Raph, I don't think their marriage will have much effect on the series, other than to give the writers another plot line to enhance and develop. And Raph already knows that Mary is a US Marshal, he just doesn't know that she works WITSEC. US Marshals do a lot more than just witness protection and most of their duties entail the same long, crazy hours, so I don't see that coming into play unless the writers want to bring it in as a plot element.

"In Plain Sight" is the best show on television, in my book, and that's because of the writers and series creator David Maples, as well as the main cast of super actors/actresses, particularly Mary McCormack. So, I'm delighted to be along for the ride as they move ahead with their vision of the show's multi-layered arc of character development and multiple storylines. I hope there are many more seasons ahead.

To me, the series is unique in so many ways. It's not a procedural but a faux procedural. WITSEC is a key ingredient, a great setting -- but it's just the platform for exploring an individual woman's story -- a complicated, difficult woman who may not always be easy to like but who is worth having in one's life. She's funny, quick-witted, imperfect, politically incorrect, judgmental, sharp-tongued, and haunted by what we've learned was a harrowing and traumatic family life. Yet, those same life's lessons have made her wise in ways that make her invaluable to her witnesses, and probably led her to this career in the first place. Most of the witnesses and their stories are interesting and well-portrayed, but the evolution and education of "Mary Shannon" is the reason I tune in every week, not to learn what will happen to this or that witness. Each episode, each witness's story unfolds to reveal something about Mary, and that's what I find riveting.

And so far, to me, the writers have laid the groundwork to make the dramatic key events work and seem right -- particularly the engagement. After all, so much over two seasons had built to that moment, with the emotions of recognition of Raphael's loyalty, honesty, patience, and commitment washing over Mary's face -- with the knowledge that it was the moment to choose "the possibility of something greater". What comes next may be rocky, but she's willing to take the risk and she takes commitment seriously. Maybe it's a mismatch, but that will make for some interesting storylines. Wow, as you can see, I'm a great fan of the writing in this series.

So bravo to the writers and creator for keeping the series fresh by being unconventional, for being "real" -- no guardian angels, no clairvoyance, no transplanted accents ... no hidden wealth or magical superpowers. Just a bumpy ride through life, doing the best you can at the moment.

While I see the engagement a little differently than you (a lot of it just felt off to me), I agree with you 100% that this is Mary's journey we're watching. As she grows and evolves, she's gonna make good decisions and she's gonna make some mistakes. Time will tell which category this will fall into. And when writing about Mary and the rest of the main characters, the writers really have not let me down at all. I think they've got a really good handle on them.

I agree the writers are slowly developing the rest of the cast in a way that does not take away from Mary's story. To that end, I trust their judgment with the show but would be surprised if they put Mary and Marshall together in any way other than an honest friendship. I think it's refreshing that men and women can be friends.

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PLEASE DO NOT PUT MARY AND MARSHALL INTO A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP!!! There is NO romantic chemistry between them...in fact, one gets the notion that Marshall doesn't even like Mary very much. And Mary is far too good looking for Marshall. He looks like a gangly nerdy high school kid. They simply will not make it as a couple.

As far as Mary and Raph goes...develop Raph's character a bit more. Theycan be engaged forever...I have friends who have been engaged for more than 20 years! Good plot possibilities. But PLEASE keep Marshall as a platonic friend...in fact, he could have someone different as a romantic interest. BTW, we know nothing about his character, do we?

I apologize and I do so profusely. I had no idea that the series' writers were going to go down the road they did in "Let's Get It Ahn". Just because I and my patrol partners and team members never went there....

*sigh* I just wish that the series' writers hadn't gone there, either. Not all people who depend on each other and are thrown into life and death situations develop a romantic attachment! Yeesh, if that was the case, every person sharing a foxhole/patrol vehicle and on a fire team would be going at it. Seriously, writers, you're not doing any favors for the law enforcement personnel, firefighters and military personnel of this world. ::sigh::

I don't know where all of you got the idea that I ever said Mary and Marshall should become romantically involved. I don't think any of you even read and thought about what I wrote.

The best part of the show is the innuendo, and the tension that exists between M and M. Did no one see Lola? Did everyone miss Marshall, in "A Frond in Need" talking about how he understands what its like to want something, and have it run away from you, so his advice as to run the other way, and let it follow you. The look on his face speaks volumes. He is referring to Mary.

Either way, Raph becomes Mary's best friend, and Marshall is out in right field, and too classy a guy to make any more comments. This is not about partners in just crime fighting or whatever. When you have a friend, and then you get married, that friend takes a back seat at all times to your new partner. The whole balance of the show will tilt away from M and M and become Donna Reed. Perhaps that will still be a hit but its only been one and one half seasons, and already, they appear to be blowing up the best part of the show.

Hey, I will still watch, but I think IPS's best days are behind it. They should have used the scenarios in place until it got worn out. Marshall, hanging with Mary's shrink made a good episode the second time (she is really his wife) but they killed it dead at the end, and showed us the two friends, sharing the pain of being alone. Anyone her relate to that? Who will Marshall sit with and drink, once Mary and Raph are married?

Nah, it may not reflect true life in such situations, but that is not why we watch. We watch to be entertained, to learn about the characters and develop a relationship with them, and enjoy their 'day' so that for one hour a week, actually 43 minutes <g> we can forget about our world, and get lost in someone else's.

Just quit saying I wanted M and M to get together. Never said it. It would be a bad idea.

John

I think this is all true, and a married Mary would throw off the dynamic of the show.

However, I REALLY don't think that Mary will make it down the aisle. She's been way too conflicted about this engagement right from the start. And the way that she's freaking out about Raph moving in and wanting to combine their finances like normal engaged people do shows that at the very least, she really isn't ready for this and most likely her heart isn't in it. I think Mary believes that she should go through with it and that is what is driving her right now, but I don't think that is enough to carry her all the way through.

I don't think think anyone should write the show off yet because I really think Mary is going to pull the plug on this before it become legal. I think this show's writers know that domesticating Mary won't work for her character or the show, so they won't actually do it.