Pan Am 1.14: "1964"

Pan Am ended its turbulent (sorry, I couldn't resist the flight-related pun!) first-season run a couple of weeks ago. And while renewal looks like a long-shot, I've got to applaud the showrunners for going big when it came to their final episode this year. "1964" is in my estimation one of the show's strongest episodes, and ratings challenges be hanged, this show didn't care about staying safe or offering resolution, throwing major plot twists and developments for all of the leads on the table in a pretty spectacular fashion. I suppose I'll tackle this final review couple by couple...

First of all I'm going to get Maggie's (Christina Ricci) story out of the way, because she's consistently been the weakest link this season as far as the stewardess storylines have gone in my opinion, and rather unfortunately she's no exception when it comes to this season finale. *sigh* Apparently somewhere between the crew's trip to Moscow and now she did a 180-degree turn and decided to become a smuggler. Seriously, Maggie, what makes you think this is going to end well? She's become Captain Broyles (Darren Pettie) partner in crime. They spar constantly and sparks fly, so of course they jump into bed together after Maggie successfully sells a case full of jewelry to some Portuguese thugs. *eyesroll* The only positive thing to come out of this development -- and that's a stretch -- is that Maggie convinces Broyles to use his stature within the Pan Am corporate heirarchy to positively influence the outcome of Dean's competency hearing (regarding the Haiti/dead passenger drama earlier in the season).

Ted's (Michael Mosley) still trying to come to terms with Amanda's (Ashley Greene) little bombshell that she wants an open marriage. Thankfully as far as my faith in Ted's character goes this concept gives him serious pause, especially after he visits Laura (Margot Robbie) to give her a replacement camera for the one she has confiscated by Russian authorities. I really love Ted and Laura together and I wish, oh how I wish their storyline hadn't been muddied with the Amanda mess this season. Laura's made her own questionable decisions this season but she really does bring out the best in Ted -- good grief Mosley's eyes just shine whenever they share scenes together. I loved the satisfaction of seeing Ted break his engagement and stand up to his overbearing father (Jay O. Sanders) and finally, FINALLY declare his love for Laura. GAH!! That scene was priceless.

OF COURSE it would be too much to expect Ted and Laura's road to happiness to be that easy. I'd love to hear what others think about Amanda's pregnancy bombshell -- personally I think she's lying. The fact that she is so desperate, so determined to marry Ted to give her a "normal" life that she actually thinks she can "buy" Laura as Ted's mistress is just mind-boggling. With her best shot at a husband slipping through her fingers, I don't think it is a stretch to imagine a fake pregnancy ploy to ensnare Ted permanently. So, if this show is in fact not renewed, Ted and Laura live happily ever after in my imagination. Just wanted to get that settled, 'k? *wink*

Kate (Kelli Garner) makes great strides in her spy life this episode. I've got to say once she committed to her work with the CIA she made some really impressive strides, hmm? :) When her New York contact Richard (Jeremy Davidson) shows up wounded from an unknown assailant's attack Kate faces her biggest challenge yet. Richard tasks her with delivering a critical microfilm to headquarters, cautioning her that if anyone asks after his whereabouts they're a double agent. OF COURSE the double agent turns out to be her trusted MI-6 contact Anderson (David Harbour). Kate is the bait in an elaborate sting operation at a train station, and the satisfaction of seeing her own that moment was just priceless -- the girl's got guts! *wink* After the op, while visiting Richard in the hospital on New Year's Eve, he tells her that the CIA wants her to become a real agent -- this would've been huge for a woman in the '60s, which makes Kate's concern about staying with Pan Am seem a little weird, but whatever. :P Anyways -- how sweet was the Richard/Kate moment in the hospital? I am TELLING you in my version of "the rest of the story" Kate and Richard OF COURSE finally admit they have feelings for each other AND they become a swingin' sixties spying power couple. WIN! :)













Colette's (Karine Vanasse) final storyline runs a close second with Kate's for favorite in this episode. Her romance with Omar (Piter Marek), the incognito prince, is progressing at a rapid pace -- much to Dean's (Mike Vogel) chagrin. It seems he's finally seeing the consequences of his inability to say no to women (here's looking at you, Bridget) and is resigned to losing Colette to the prince -- at least he's ceding the field with some grace. *sigh* Colette is on the verge of taking a six-month leave of absence from her beloved job for an official courtship, but all that comes to a screeching halt when the royal investigators uncover some shocking facts about her past. Everything she's known about her family, presumed lost in the war, was a lie -- in order to protect her the orphanage that granted her refuge changed her Jewish surname to a French one, and, best of all, she has a younger brother out there somewhere who was adopted!

This whole storyline just reinforces my belief that Colette is, hands-down, the best, most well-drawn character on this show. I loved the glimpses of her backstory revealed during the crew's earlier trip to Berlin, and this revelation is just the icing on the cake. While I wish more time could've been devoted to her romance with the prince (really he was to die for -- well, up until the break-up over hidden Jewish heritage thing, but at least he didn't cruelly drag it out -- and Colette, thankfully, wasn't overly invested in the relationship, so the news that she has a brother far outshines any might-have-been's with the prince), we all knew that was ultimately doomed because of Dean, right? Let me just add that Dean's offer to spend his six-month grounding period helping Colette find her missing brother was one of my favorite moments of the hour. He's committed to winning her back and frankly I loved seeing that.

The episode ends with the dawn of a new year -- 1964 -- and the beginning of a new era for every member of the Pan Am crew. In the wake of Kennedy's assassination and the developments of this hour, every principle is on the cusp of great change. I've had an admittedly roller-coaster relationship with this show, and while it faltered a bit after a promising first few episodes (most troubling concerning the crazy lack of morals) I loved the show's style and the introduction to promising talent like Vanasse and Garner. Pan Am was something wildy, refreshingly different for network television, and once I came to terms with the show's often over-the-top soap opera tendencies I enjoyed many of the episodes and/or storylines.

Personally here's how I see it playing out -- Maggie is going to crash and burn in a spectacular fashion since out of all of the four female leads she's the one most committed to a terminal case of recurring stupidity. After an extremely rocky period when Laura learns that Ted might be a father, the two reconcile when its proven that Amanda was fabricating fake children. Laura and Ted FINALLY marry and live happily ever after -- he eventually gets a captaincy and Laura becomes a famous photographer. As mentioned earlier Richard and Kate become a CIA power couple, saving freedom and the western way of life one case of microfilm at a time. And Dean and Colette? Well they find her brother of course, and eventually marry and live impossibly idyllic lives. THE END. Thoughts? :)

Pan Am 1.10: "Secrets and Lies"

Well once again I find myself weeks and weeks behind in television reviews...oh well, it is what it is, hmm? :) As the year has progressed, I've found that Pan Am has not quite lived up to the promise of its first two or three episodes -- but once I came to terms with the fact that the show was DETERMINED to give me whiplash when it comes to all of the characters and their relationships, well I've still enjoyed it for the most part. :) "Secrets and Lies" marked Pan Am's return after its killer winter cliffhanger episode which saw Kate (Kelli Garner) taking firing on a spy to protect her British intelligence contact Anderson (David Harbour). I found it fascinating to see how the show dealt with the aftermath of the shooting -- Kate seemed to handle it remarkably well, all things considered, until Richard (Jeremy Davidson) informs her that if she has any hope of putting this episode behind her she'll have to pass a lie detector test. It turns out that Anderson lied about the incident, claiming responsibility for the shooting -- and in order for the investigation to be closed and for BOTH of them to move on with their lives, Kate will have to confirm his story. Leading up to the lie detector test, I thought Garner handled Kate's near-breakdown really rather well. Loved the push-and-pull between her and Anderson, and the way she ultimately embraced a spy's life since she's started to reveal something of an aptitude for it.

Meanwhile things have been going just swimmingly for Dean (Mike Vogel) and Colette's (Karine Vanasse) budding romance, but of course in the world of this show you're lucky if a relationship is solid for twenty minutes of screentime. :P Bridget (Annabelle Wallis), who BROKE DEAN'S HEART with her disappearing act, is back (thanks to Kate stopping that list of agent names from getting sold) and thinks she can just pick right back up where she left off with Dean. Craziness! Unfortunately, Colette is ridiculously nice and instead of making a case for her place in Dean's life she practically pushes him in Bridget's arms so the two can "work out their issues." Whatevs. This whole Dean/Colette thing is a bit of a mess, because if Colette is too nice to tell Bridget to take a flying leap (which she is), then Dean is too wishy-washy to know what (or WHO) he really wants. Dean, I really do like you, I think you are a nice person and you bear a striking resemblance to a KEN DOLL, but for goodness' sake learn how to control yourself! Just because an ex-girlfriend throws herself at you doesn't mean you *have* to sleep with her. YEESH!

Maggie (Christina Ricci) is very, VERY conflicted about her continuing relationship with the senator (Chris Beetem) she hooked up with in the last episode. She positively HATES his politics, but OHMYGOSH HE'S SO HOT, right?! What's a girl to do? *rolls eyes* Unfortunately for our most impetuous stewardess, she put pen to paper and turned in a rather inflammatory article to her "friend-with-benefits" Mike the reporter (Colin Donnell) at the Village Voice newspaper. When the paper needs an extra column Mike spiffs up Maggie's article and runs with it -- and poor Maggie can't seem to bring herself to admit to her paramour that she's the source of the bad press. Maggie, Maggie, Maggie, the longer you try to keep this secret the worse it's gonna get when the truth comes out! (Can I just tell you, though, that I am really impressed with the level of secondary character continuity this show delivers -- sure the scripts have their hiccups, but bringing back Mike for multiple episodes really does help build the world of the show.)

Ted (Michael Mosley) has fallen head-over-heels for his former childhood nemesis Amanda (Ashley Greene) -- his only issue is that she's saving herself for marriage, and Ted, well he's just not that patient. :P The moment where he goes to Laura (Margot Robbie) for advice was actually really rather humorous, and unexpectedly thought-provoking. If Amanda saying she's saving herself for marriage gets Ted serious enough to want to go engagement ring shopping, what does that make Laura feel about her own admitted premarital tryst? Now I'm not suggesting this show is trying to be moral (its track record proves otherwise), I just thought the contrast in Laura's past dealings with Ted and his new relationship with Amanda, and how he views it, was...interesting. I also think it is interesting contrasting Dean vs. Ted -- in a weird way I've come to respect the less likely of the two (Ted, based on his introduction in the show) as the season has progressed. At least Ted can OWN that he's a mess, know what I mean?  Also...Robbie rather broke my heart with her unspoken heartbreak over seeing the possibility of a relationship with Ted slip through her fingers. Oh those crazy kids! :P

Posts on episodes 11 and 12 are forthcoming, so I've tried to keep my thoughts specific to the events in this episode alone. :) Thoughts on the episode?

Pan Am 1.9: "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang"

I finally got around to watching the fall finale of Pan Am, and oh my word was it awesome. The twists and turns were INSANE but for the most part I loved every second. Values-wise this show still has its frustrations, but I like these characters so much, and this episode was (for my money) a great example of what the show is capable of when at its best -- wildly fabulous, soap opera-ish storylines and compelling, likable, very human characters. And as a mid-season finale this episode worked WILDLY well, because oh my word I cannot WAIT to find out what happens next! :)

First of all I want to discuss Dean (Mike Vogel) and Colette (Karine Vanasse). Dean is lucky he's not dead or hospitalized after pulling the whole "Surprise! I'm taking you to meet my parents!" stunt. *wink* He has seemed so polished this season I forget that compared to Ted, Dean has very working class roots, coming from a farming family. I LOVED him in denim, I just have to say. He has such an adorable all-American look to him, doesn't he? :) Anyways, apparently since Colette kissed Dean after the whole Haiti debacle, they have been a couple -- probably the poorest-kept secret amongst their coworkers. *snicker* I couldn't BELIEVE that Dean's father was so ticked that Colette wasn't Bridget -- I don't care HOW bad or nonexistant your relationship with any given family member may be, you do NOT horrify a guest in your home like that! I wanted to smack him! As cliched and cheesy as Dean's apology may have been ("you're REAL, Bridget isn't"), as far as the "world" this show is establishing goes it fit the characters and the moment. Dean really is capable of being an wonderful, stand-up guy, but there's some maturity issues there, issues that I think Colette could help him with. I only wish they didn't have the baggage of previous hook-ups, but such is the nature of network TV I suppose. *sigh* (Seriously though, making love in the parents' BARN, a building they could walk into at ANY MOMENT, that's a bit much. Just sayin'!)

We are introduced to Maggie's (Christina Ricci) friend Sam (Danny Deferrari), a political activist briefly seen in the first episode, hinting at Maggie's bohemian lifestyle and political leanings. Sam cons Maggie into smuggling him onto her London-bound flight, where he plans to protest nuclear arms talks. En route he confronts a traveling senator (Chris Beetem), embarrassing Maggie on the job, and later calling her out on the fact that while she may talk a good game about wanting to change the world, when it comes down to it she just isn't brave enough. Maggie being Maggie rises to the challenge, and what starts out as a lively discussion between her and the handsome senator turns into a hookup, which leads to of all things a fire. There's no way around it, Maggie is a MESS, but I do like her spunk. I just wish the show didn't play so fast and loose with her morally-speaking. Thus far there have been relatively little consequences to her poor decisions on the job or romance-wise -- and addressing fallout could really add some depth to her character.

Regarding Laura (Margot Robbie) and Ted (Michael Mosley) in this episode, can I just tell you people how much I love them? If this show isn't renewed for a second season (and let's face it, that may be an uphill battle), I will be so upset if Laura and Ted aren't in a relationship! As immature and just plain stupid as Laura can be, she can also be extraordinarily kind and I love how she's seemed to make Ted a better (nicer) person just by knowing him (and saying no!). I loved how this episode played with the idea that Laura may have lost out on her chance with Ted, when Ted enlists her help to scare off an a girl he had a crush on as a kid that he turns out to like, and like A LOT. Amanda (Ashley Greene) is slated to appear in at least one other episode this season, so hopefully Laura will kick her to the curb (HA!).

But let me backtrack for a second -- since Dean plays hooky from work on the London flight, the Clipper Majestic has a replacement captain -- a sexist, stuck on himself PIG (John Bedford Lloyd), Captain Dennis. Dennis makes several unwelcome advances to Laura, a stark reminder of the fact that while sexism and harrassment in the workplace still exists, at least now there is more recognition of its inappropriateness and more recourse for victims of such behavior to seek, etc. I LOVED it when Laura "accidentally" spills hot coffee all over Dennis, who threatens to write her up -- but later reveals that Ted talked him out of it by telling the louse that Laura was the best thing that ever happened to him. (I DIE.) Ted has come a LONG way since this show began, and Laura's growing realization that he might be worth taking a chance on, and that she might be too late -- oh it was very well-played.

Speaking of consequences, Kate (Kelli Garner) is learning about those in spades as she's reaping the "reward" of her push to become a CIA spy. Not surprisingly it is a lot easier to join the agency than it is to leave it. Richard (Jeremy Davidson) insists that she complete one more mission in London -- delivering a fake list of spies to her contact Anderson (David Harbour), who will replace the real list a Russian is slated to acquire. I like to think that Richard is VERY UPSET that Kate wants to leave the spying game. *wink* Kate has grown up quite a bit over the course of the series, and though her pouting reaction to the harsh realities and consequences of spying can be grating, I have to admit she's got some skills and moxie as this episode reveals. I love that Anderson basically blackmails Kate into seeing the mission through by revealing that the lives of her old coworker Bridget and her ONE TRUE LOVE Niko are at stake. Nicely done, show, nicely done. Play with fire and you will get burned! If the cliffhanger from the end of this episode plays out the way I suspect, there's no way Kate is exiting the spy game anytime soon. :) I am definitely looking forward to the show's return January 8th!

Pan Am 1.5: "One Coin in a Fountain"

I finally caught up with this week's Pan Am episode, which took the crew to glamorous Monte Carlo where romantic complications positively exploded for many members of the Clipper Majestic crew. The crew's first stop is London, and on the flight a vivacious woman named Ginny (Erin Cummings) makes herself at home in the cockpit, chatting to the pilots and catching Dean's (Mike Vogel) eye, to the surprise of everyone. My first thought here was my oh my, how times have changed -- convenient plot devices aside, it's hard to wrap my head around the fact that anyone could simply waltz into a plane's cockpit!

Dean seems more than willing to put the disappearing Bridget behind him and pursues Ginny with an abandon that borders on uncharacteristic. Colette (Karine Vanasse) has gotten a bit of a short shrift for the last two episodes, but the wordless looks she'd cast Dean's way when he would talk to Ginny where just heartbreaking. I do hope this means that the show will continue to explore the idea of a relationship between the two of them. The crew's jaunt to Paris proved that Dean and Colette have a lot of chemistry, and I love how she seems able to read him with just a look.

There's another intriguing passenger on this slate of European flights -- Niko Lonza (Goran Visnjic), a United Nations attache from Yugoslavia. (Completely superficial moment -- was Visnjic not TO DIE FOR in those suits??) In London Kate (Kelli Garner) meets her British handler Roger (David Harbour), who informs her that Niko was the target of her next assignment. The only problem is, the handsome passenger has caught Maggie's (Christina Ricci) eye. Kate shows a lot of improvement in the spying and confidence departments in this episode (more on the latter in a minute), nicely reflected in how Roger, and later his US counterpart Richard (Jeremy Davidson) treat her. Kate's got moxie when she wants to exhibit it, and that is a must when taking on Maggie -- their romantic rivalry over Niko is HILARIOUS.



Wasn't the dress Kate wears in this episode absolutely FABULOUS?? Oh goodness it was amazing. Garner had some nice chemistry with Visnjic -- but then again, wouldn't you have to be a block of wood not to feel something around him? Just sayin'! *wink* However, I have really mixed feelings about how Kate's mission played out. After leveraging Niko's interest in her into a date, which allowed her to obtain a Russian spy's fingerprints at the casino they visit, the two sleep together (things don't get too explicit). Hooking up with Niko wasn't strictly necessary for the mission, and sleeping with him seemed a bit out of character for Kate -- agree or disagree? Prior to this she's been such a driven straight arrow -- it sort of felt to me that much like her sister, she was testing boundaries. I'm curious to see how this relationship plays out -- by the end of the episode it is abundantly clear that Kate is emotionally invested. But once Niko finds out she was assigned to gain his interest, I predict things will blow up in a spectacular fashion.

Once again Ted (Michael Mosley) proves that he can be a real charmer when he's motivated -- and he's increasingly eager to gain Laura's (Margot Robbie) good opinion. Laura is stressed because she wants to officially end things with her former fiance Greg, and can't do that until she tracks down the engagement ring she pawned -- which was then subsequently sold. A chance encounter with Ted at Pan Am headquarters leads to the two of them tag-teaming through the New York subway system in search of the missing ring. The constant ribbing banter between the two of them cracked me up (they're clearly perfect for each other, no? *wink*). And when Ted FINALLY admits that he traded his prized Rolex for Laura's ring, I could've swooned. The man does have a heart. :)

It seems like Monte Carlo brought out the reckless side of Kate and Dean. Dean's shenanigans with Ginny could in particular have severe repercussions, since Ginny just happens to be the "companion" of Everett Henson (Scott Cohen). Henson is a Pan Am vice president with the power to make or break Dean's career -- and surprisingly, Dean doesn't seem to care. He should be warned, though -- my read on Ginny's character is that she's not principled enough to sacrifice her future and security for an amorous rendezvous.

Looking forward to this weekend's episode!

Pan Am 1.3: "Ich Bin Ein Berliner"

I know I'm a couple of weeks behind on my Pan Am reviews, but that doesn't mean my interest in and appreciation for the show has changed -- life's just been a little crazy. *wink* This episode marked a distinct uptick in story quality in my opinion, and made the smart decision of nixing flashback scenes to focus on the characters wholly in the present. For our third flight, the crew of the Clipper Majestic flies to Berlin, coinciding with President Kennedy's famous Berlin Wall speech. Throwing the characters in the middle of such an iconic event is a smart move, and given the politics of the 1960s one hopes the show will continue to take advantage of real history instead of relying solely on spy adventures, etc.

Kate (Kelli Garner) is tasked with purchasing a book in Berlin by her handler Richard (Jeremy Davidson). I simple shopping trip should be her easiest mission yet -- but when her contact's cover is blown, Kate has a burned spy on her hands and no way of getting her safely out of Germany. Honestly, the spy storyline was the weakest aspect of this episode, and the weakest incorporation of the spy angle thus far in the show. While on the one hand I applaud Kate's "leave no contact behind" attitude -- she does a decent job standing up to her cranky British contact Roger (David Harbour) -- her whole handling of her burned contact's future just felt a little sloppy to me, and the mission gone sideways lacked a real sense of peril.

If Kate's storyline was relatively weak, this episode delivered extraordinarily fine moments for Collette (Karine Vanasse) and Maggie (Christina Ricci). This trip marks Collette's first to Germany -- with good reason. Her coworkers don't seem to be all that interested in delving into her palpable tension at the prospect of setting foot on German soil. It's not until their arrival that Dean (Mike Vogel), in a nice follow-up to the sweet flirtation he and Collette shared in Paris, pulls Collette aside and asks for the full story -- and it is revealed that Collette was three when the Nazis took Paris, and she lost her parents to the war. The show handled her flashbacks extraordinarily well. Lost in the crush of people jockeying for position to hear Kennedy's speech, Collette nearly has a panic attack remembering the sounds associated with the horror of her childhood. This was a fantastic, heart-wrenching way to give real depth to Collette's character, and Vanasse handles the material with extraordinary sensitivity -- very well done. The moment at the end of the episode, where Collette tells Kate that she went to Berlin to forgive, but can't, because the wounds of the past hurt too much -- oh that brought tears to my eyes. This show could've kept things at a "fluffy" level, but moments of emotional resonance like this elevate the storytelling to an extra special level.

The show has never really given us the free-spirited Maggie's background, but this episode drops big clues into what makes her tick and why she's so passionate about blazing her own path in the world. It's revealed that Maggie worked as a precinct captain during Kennedy's election campaign, believes passionately in his message, and missed an opportunity to meet him and say thanks -- until Pan Am takes her to Berlin, coinciding with his visit. Maggie's unflagging enthusiasm to experience Kennedy's speech and her determination to meet him serve as a wonderful window into the "magic" of the Kennedy Camelot era. And while the scene where she practically walks up to Air Force One on the Berlin airstrip (security has really changed, hasn't it?), I really liked how although she wasn't able to actually "meet" him, they made contact -- it felt authentic, and magically possible somehow.

Co-pilot Ted (Michael Mosley) finally starts to act a bit less like a cocky jerk in this episode -- he's still nauseatingly full of himself (HA!), but I love how the show is handling his interest in Laura (Margot Robbie). When he tries to make a pass at Laura in the Berlin crowd and is rebuffed -- but not exactly discouraged -- well you can tell that Laura is the first girl in quite a while to prove immune to his "charms." (She's moral and classy! What a novelty!) I like how he doesn't push things -- there's hope for you yet, Ted. :)

If you've kept up with Pan Am, I'd love to hear your thoughts! "Ich Bin Ein Berliner" was a standout in this show's thus-far short run, thanks to a politically (and personally) charged stopover in Berlin. I'm completely addicted to the look and feel of this show -- the sets, costumes, and MUSIC are just fantastic, every scene dripping with period flavor. And I really feel like the actors have an excellent feel for the mores and attitudes of the 1960s -- I really appreciate not being thrust out of the world of the show by a 21st-century anachronism or attitude. My goal is to have posts covering episodes four and five up sometime this week.

Pan Am 1.1 - "Pilot"

ABC's new show Pan Am took flight this past Sunday night (airline-related pun completely intentional), and I finally got around to watching the debut today. It's clearly yet another attempt to capitalize on the wild success of cable's Mad Men. I've never been a regular Mad Men viewer -- the few times I've seen it, I've been turned off by the show's penchant for pushing the envelope, if you will (well-written and thought-provoking it may be, but it's not for me). Whereas Mad Men is a gritty exploration of 1960s mores and attitudes, if the pilot episode is any indication, Pan Am is a glossy, soapy, and above all FUN glimpse into one of the most glamorous and adventurous careers a woman could have in 1963 -- that of a Pan Am stewardess.

This show has a look like nothing I've seen on network television, not in recent memory at any rate -- slick and glossy, the colors positively pop off the screen. Every frame of film is packed with fabulous detail, from the sets, clothing, and props to the fantastic hairstyles (the perfectly-coiffed children seen staring in reverential awe at the handsome captains and gorgeous stewardesses are adorable!). Is this an idealized presentation of 1960s air travel? Sure, probably -- but the fact remains that air travel used to be a lot more glamorous than it is now. *wink* What I wouldn't give to travel back in time for a day to fly on a Pan Am Clipper Jet in the airline's heyday. And I had no idea that a requirement for stewardesses was that they be college-educated, unmarried, and under the age of thirty-two -- and the four stewardesses at the center of this show are all bi- or tri-lingual. Color me impressed.

The series begins with the recently promoted (and quintessentially all-American, perfectly gelled hair to boot) Dean (Mike Vogel) eager to take on his first assignment -- flying the brand-new Clipper Majestic on its inaugural New York to London flight. His co-pilot is the devilishly cocky Ted (Michael Mosley). The flight crew is made up of three stewardesses and a lead purser. The stewardesses are the warm-hearted French Collette (Karine Vanasse) and the eager to prove herself Kate (Kelli Garner), who is followed by her younger sister Laura (Margot Robbie), the latter fleeing a broken engagement and testing her wings in the wide world for the first time. Maggie (Christina Ricci) is a last-minute replacement for the MIA purser Bridget (Annabelle Wallis), Dean's on-again, off-again (and uber-mysterious) love interest who stands to break his heart (READ THE SIGNALS DEAN!).

We quickly get a series of flashbacks that introduce us to the pasts of several of the main players. Colette thought she'd found love with a regular passenger she had a romantic rendezvous with in Rome, until he shows up with his friggin' family. Colette is crushed (good for her!), and has to endure a humiliating smackdown by the man's wife when the plane arrives in London. Laura, the gorgeous Cameron sister, fled her wedding with the aide of the more adventurous Kate (the latter the bane of her mother's existence for her willingness to flout convention. With her sister following her career footsteps, Kate has the pressure of living in Laura's shadow at the workplace, as well as some Cold War drama as a recently recruited spy by a U.S. intelligence agent (Jeremy Davidson). Her first assignment is swapping passports for a Russian passenger (David Harbour), a task that isn't as straightforward as it first appears.

Ted and Maggie receive the short shrift in this episode, but I'm hopeful that will be rectifed quickly in subsequent episodes. Ted strikes me as the kind of guy whose bravado masks a world of hurt and uncertainty. And Maggie -- she's the very definition of sassy. In her off-time she's as bohemian and unconventional as they come, the complete opposite of the straight-laced regulations that define her work. But she's driven to see the world and so she makes it work -- and I look forward to more insight into what drives her character.

Pan Am's pilot episode is a glorious hour of fast-paced, glossy, escapist entertainment. I loved every second of it. The entire look of the production, right down to the lushly cinematic score (courtesy of Blake Neely) gave the show's maiden voyage the feel of an event. And the songs -- the songs used in this episode were brilliant choices -- I especially approve of the two or three Bobby Darin selections (and if that WASN'T Darin, I'll be shocked!). Could this show be characterized as melodramatic? Yes, sure -- but the moments of soapiness and melodrama are balanced by genuine emotion and eager, nicely nuanced performances. Pan Am looks to be a glossy, nostalgic, escapist fantasy -- I look forward to the show's next flight! :) If you caught the premiere I'd love to hear your thoughts!