So, I hear that NBC’s My Own Worst Enemy has been canceled. Frankly, that’s just fine with me, considering I just gave up on it and took it off the record list.

In case you don’t know the plot (and, judging by the fact it’s canceled, you don’t), Christian Slater plays a spy who has a second life that he never sees – due to a special implant in his brain that makes him a completely different, fictional person in civilian life. This is apparently to make living outside the agency the perfect cover. Of course, something goes wrong with his implant, and Edward the Spy keeps waking up in Henry the homeowner’s life and vice versa. This makes a trip to the mall rather annoying, and an assassination in Bolivia downright dangerous.

The biggest problem is the plot device itself. After 6 or so episodes, I know that Edward won’t finish his mission, homeowner Henry will have to do it. And of course his spy buddy Raymond (Mike O’Malley) will have to bail him out. Further, why go through all the trouble? Why plant a chip at all? If they don’t want these guys to be noticed in the real world, let them stay in dorms or something. The Janus building, the front for the operation, seems big enough – put in some underground tennis courts and a movie theater and call it a day.

Of course, except for Henry, Raymond and their boss – there seems to be no other spies in the building. I guess it’s due to the downward trend in the economy. I would think if Henry was broken, you would either fix him, or trade him in on a new model. Let him go home and play schizo man with his family – or just bump him off and replace him. For a building supposedly full of heartless spies, keeping one around that could possibly screw up every mission just because he used to be the best is kind of like keeping Cujo in your home because he used to be a good puppy – misty feelings aside, he keeps eating the children.

If there was just something actually happening with the plot device, then I could put aside the inconsistencies. So far, however, it’s been all about dealing with two lives and the complication of someone else sleeping with your wife – even though it’s still you – somehow. Sort of. If we found out that the nice fictional Henry the homeowner was, in fact the REAL person, and Edward the spy was actually the fictional creation, then we’d have something – false identities, stolen lives, lots of cool company lies to cover things up – but all we get is a cold heartless spy who turns into NBC’s Chuck when the plot calls for it.

Well, they already have a Chuck, so I guess we won’t miss My Own Worst Enemy all that much. It’s times like this that I really miss I Spy. Robert Culp and Bill Cosby knew how to have a good time, stop the bad guy and get the girl – all without the help of a silly plot device. Like Nike says, Just Do It…