PBS (Thursday, Jan. 10, 9 p.m. ET)
The mystery is, at first, too mysterious. Praying Mantis makes it tough to figure out what you're supposed to figure out. But by the second of this short series' three episodes, the situation becomes clear. Cherie (Master of the Game) Lunghi comes across a plot to kill half of a romantic quadrangle that includes herself, her husband, her lover and her lover's wife (who is also Lunghi's husband's lover). That may not sound too clear, but it is. The plot takes a few too many quick steps in the beginning. The dialogue is sometimes stilted ("I've got a very acute sense of smell," Lunghi says). And the ending is a disappointment. But in the middle you get a lovely tale of sweet 'n' sour revenge.
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