A Man. And His Blog.

Very interesting episode. I would have never thought that the writers can also bring those kind of episodes. Thrilling, dramatic, emotional, with a few character pieces, a nice little political message, and all of it in a historical background. I have to say it’s the best PAN AM episode so far. Maybe even better than the pilot, though the premiere works on a different level. And it didn’t have the pompous score during the first ten minutes.

A couple of times already I was mentioning that the writers were forgetting all about including past storylines in current episodes. Like Colette’s past in France for example. Then the “Previously on” part came and I was reminded of it again, letting me hope to have a continuation here. So, Colette’s (Karine Vanasse) past didn’t get a continuation here, but I got the kiss I was waiting for in last episode’s review. Who is Bridget again?

The emergency landing was an interesting story. It could have made a feature film, with all the passengers raving about the decisions of the stewardesses and pilots, and it could have been more of a thriller because of that. But I liked that the episode didn’t lose the previous established tone of the series, and made it all about the emotions of the characters: Kate (Kelli Garner) not caring about the current situation, and instead caring for Henry (Harris Yulin), which was a very interesting relationship; Colette not caring about the situation, but caring for the 17-year-old orphan (Fedna Jacquet), who became the stowaway, an exile, and later an immigrant with a Green Card; Dean (Mike Vogel) caring about anything, but not knowing how to get off Haiti. A few interesting storylines here, and finally an episode which isn’t character centric, which doesn’t even have flashbacks. Hell yeah, look at that. Looks like the episodes are also working without them. And are actually better.

But then again the episode was too short to accompany all the characters within the story. Ted (Michael Mosley) and Colette’s trip to the doctor should have been much longer to depict the troubles of an exploding country more (and I was believing for a short time that the gunfire sounds were sounds from the hurricane), and the fact that Colette makes herself strong for an exile comes a bit from nowhere. Yeah, she has her background in Nazi-French history, but that still doesn’t explain why she doesn’t even hesitate to take the girl with her and risk her job, the jobs of her friends, and eventually Dean’s. Did she think about what she was doing from the beginning, or was she believing all the time that Dean would find a way? Sorry, but here time was missing to give more explanations, to make it more believable, and to make it more interesting for the longer run. Because when the girl was seen for the first time, everything happened so fast. And I have a problem with fast and unfocused storytelling (see my pilot review for SWITCHED AT BIRTH). This episode had the advantage though that it wasn’t unfocused. The writers knew what they were doing, they just didn’t have all the time they needed.

But then again, this episode had thrill. The trip with the jeep, the question if Henry is going to survive, the first reactions of some of the passengers, and finally the two trucks and Dean’s race against the time to get the plane up and flying. Nice scenes, and my eyes were glued to the screen. Hopefully this happens again soon in PAN AM. Before ABC ultimately cancels the show.

Other than that, I hope there will be consequences. I really hope the final scene in Miami was all of what’s possible. Dean and Colette should continue to get in trouble for what they did here – it would serve as a nice background story going on for a couple of episodes. After all, even Maggie was in the Pan American offices more than once because of her behavior. 8/10

Problems for the pilot

Last rite for Henry

Oh my god, a tragic love story in PAN AM. I was expecting for it to happen sometime in the show, but so early on? And especially with a couple I actually liked? What a shame that Niko (Goran Visnjic) is history already. Even though the political aspect of the story wasn’t working for me, it was still a nice love story. Without a happy ending, yet with a happy ending.

The other love story was mad romantic too. Of course the writers must insist to bring the background of African-Americans into the story, and make Joe (Gaius Charles) bleed for his skin color in one scene. A totally clichéd scene, but luckily it was part of the story, and Laura (Margot Robbie) had to fight against those clichés as well. I just didn’t get why she couldn’t decide to either lock or unlock the door. Was 1963 still a time, where even nice guys like Joe were considered dangerous to girls like Laura? Somehow that moment came off more stereotypical than the scene at the station with those random guys. But what the hell, as long as it took Laura almost the whole episode to get Joe, and to get to the fact that African Americans are just humans too, I’ll take those clichés. At least they weren’t the main part of the story, and they made space for the romance of it all.

Kate’s (Kelli Garner) story was good. Seems like her spy story is developing, now that she had to fight for something, which was also her former target. It was interesting to watch her, how she tries to make things good, even though she is seen as the enemy by Niko for a couple of moments. I just would have hoped for a bit more involvement from Richard (Jeremy Davidson). He just stands there, says something to Kate, and makes it look like his job. He is not much of a character for the show (and I was thinking he would be a possible love interest), and he doesn’t have anything to do, since Kate is literally doing his job. In addition, I was expecting more from the goodbye scene at the airport. I wanted to feel the emotions between the two, but after the last scene in the interrogation room I couldn’t. Somewhat was missing between those two scenes, to make Niko’s feelings for Kate after his “Who are you” until his flight to London more explainable.

And the third story in the mix was Colette’s (Karine Vanasse) day of flying. Nice that her story with Dean (Mike Vogel) gets developed. I’m still waiting for the first kiss between the two, now that Dean has forgotten all about Bridget, and I’m waiting for Colette and something to do for her. After the Berlin episode, she was put in the background again, with nothing to do and/or to say, as well as the forgetting of her past in France. In this case, PAN AM still has major problems: They pack out the characters’ past for their individual episodes, but completely neglect the given information in the later episodes. Instead the writers focus on both Kate and Laura a bit too much for my taste. Though I love Kelli and starting to love Margot. 7.5/10

Niko: "Why u do me mad?"

Smash and Laura do sex in just a second

Another solid episode, considering how the writers are trying to find a tone for their show. Or how they fail to find a tone, because the stories don’t really change. PAN AM is set in a time with political tension, and yet it doesn’t create such storylines and instead has to fall back on their plot for Kate (Kelli Garner) to make it look like they use political storylines. Basically, this episode was like Maggie (Christina Ricci): fake in its appearance, lying when it comes to the language of the story.

But hey, at least Maggie got a storyline for once. And I liked it. I liked that she defines herself through her lies, and got through the better parts of it, just because she didn’t have the balls to be normal. That makes an interesting character and for some interesting stories, but there’s a problem here: It’s the first I’ve seen Maggie like this, and the ending of the episode looks like Maggie is going to change. With the exception of the backstabbing she did against Dean (Mike Vogel) at the end, was this episode for nothing? First we learn that Maggie is doing anything (except being herself) to get what she wants, and then the episode teases that she is going to change? It would have been better off to wait for that storyline, show a bit more of the Maggie we were introduced here, and roll on her lying, cheating, untrustworthy, backstabbing character types.

Nice that Laura (Margot Robbie) gets more into focus of the show. I feel like she’s the main actress, showing what Pan American is really about, and affecting the characters in the long haul. She’s kind of affecting Maggie already, and Kate doesn’t hate her as much as she used to in the pilot (they don’t even have great talks anymore – I miss them), so it’s nice that she’s interacting with somebody. Only the story with the photojournalist wasn’t really mine. The show didn’t need that story, and it only reminded why and how Laura got into the job and to the series in the first place. And I wonder why the writers would create such a storyline, when it doesn’t bring anything. Not even Maggie was able to make more out of the story, because at the end she asked Mr. Henson (Scott Cohen) for the favor, and not the photojournalist. So, that was a waste of time.

Kind of a similar waste of time was the conflict between Dean and Ginny (Erin Cummings). All of a sudden he is against her, because of … Because of what exactly? There was no reason to stop flinging with her, except his ego, and his ego got the better of him. Okay, now Dean has some troubles with Henson, and he is the target of affection for a secretary, who is also a mistress, but the story got carried away over the episode and was just waiting for the final punchline. It made the previous minutes unimportant though.

I liked Kate’s story though. But only because I see more of a romance in it than a spy mission. As long as Niko (Goran Visnjic) is affecting her in some way, I’ll take this story, but I have to pick a bone with Richard (Jeremy Davidson): He is already thinking that Kate is ready for the big leagues of the spy business? Turning a target to an ally? I have to say, it sounds like a promising storyline, but for PAN AM? And for Kate’s love story? I really don’t know what to think of it, or if I should take it seriously in the next episode(s). 6/10

Waitressing is not a fun job

Portuguese is a fun language

It was a good episode. Maybe weak with its storylines, because none were interesting, but I still have fun watching the characters and experience the settings. And it’s always good to see how the producers and set designers try to make the show look like the 60s and make it feel “international” while shooting on a tight budget. Now that PAN AM won’t live to see a second season, I at least hope that broadcast networks don’t lose their mojo for creating more of those kinds of shows. Preferably set in the 50s or 70s. I think Woodstock needs a TV show. I wouldn’t watch it though, because I care a rat’s ass about Woodstock.

Kate’s (Kelli Garner) spy story of the week was likable this time. I know the writers are not ready to make PAN AM a thriller yet, but they are managing to bring a bit of fun into it. I loved the competition between Maggie (Christina Ricci) and Kate, and how latter had to get former away from Niko (Goran Visnjic), so that she can do her job, and I quite liked the chemistry between Kate and Niko. Only the fact that Maggie was “finished” with Niko easily annoyed me. It could have been a nice ongoing plot for two, three episodes, when Maggie’s men were stolen by one of her stewardess colleagues. Again, the writers missed the chance to position Maggie in the series, eventually giving her a story. And I’m still surprised that Christina hasn’t gotten a proper storyline yet. I’m just waiting for that episode. Maybe the next?

So, Kate has a romance. Unfortunately it didn’t color Laura’s (Margot Robbie) life, who seriously needs a love life right now, and whose flirting moments with Ted (Michael Mosley) are getting a bit annoying. It’s the typical “Will they, won’t they?” and I rather want them to get together, so that the back and forth is over and done with. The trip to Harlem was a nice story, but for the characters it was useless, because it is repeating the same information over and over: Laura wants to finish up with her past, and Ted has a crush on Laura. Okay, now we know he would sell his Rolex for her, but what else did the story gave me?

Dean’s (Mike Vogel) story with Ginny was okay. Just another romance. First I was believing that Ginny was a bad girl, eventually stealing money or something from the people she meets and makes love to, but at the end she was just a secretary with a bit of a fling for a pilot. And I’ll take anything with Erin Cummings (except DETROIT 1-8-7, but the five episodes I saw only had like five seconds of Erin), and I hope she is going to return. Not just for the sake that Mr. Henson (Scott Cohen) is returning, so that he gives Dean a couple more stories,

Yeah, the episode didn’t deliver much. But the show is good-hearted, romantic, open for a new world, and has a great cast. Seriously, having Kelli Garner in that green dress: excellent. That’s why I love her, and that’s why I hope she gets another show, when PAN AM is (officially) done early next year. 6/10

Fun in the cockpit. 40 years later, they will be scared by terrorists

Kate in that green dress ..... roar

The episode was alright. Unfortunately it was, because it really is the weakest episode so far. I didn’t have much interest in the stories, and the drama was not really great this time. But I like the characters, and I can see some chemistry between the actors, which lets me hope that the writers find their groove really fast, and PAN AM officially becomes my favorite drama of the current season. What a shame it won’t be for much longer.

Now I understand the problems people have with Kate’s (Kelli Garner) spy story. Somehow it doesn’t make sense anymore. In the middle of a third world party town, she has to do her second job, and no one asks about her or wonders what she is up to. I was expecting that Laura (liking her more and more: Margot Robbie) would take the camera from Kate’s bag, expecting for Laura to ask some questions, but nothing happened. Instead, Kate literally did her next mistake, and Richard (Jeremy Davidson) still doesn’t take her off the secret job. That’s some inconsistency here, and I don’t believe that Richard keeps her in the job, just because Bridget saw something in her.

Which brings me to the next question: Is Bridget still a topic for Dean (Mike Vogel)? He said he had almost forgotten all about her, but considering that she was an important person in his life, she wasn’t a topic much during this and the last episode. Another inconsistency here, as if really everybody has forgotten Bridget. And I don’t really believe her story is over.

The conflict between Dean and Ted (Michael Mosley) was interesting though. I just have a problem with the flashbacks now. Even though they develop the characters, and give information about their past, they feel like thrown into the mix to either fill the hour, or give the characters some depth. I haven’t noticed that Ted was so ho for the Captain’s chair before, and that he had a problem with Dean sitting on “his” chair. Even more, his dreams of becoming an astronaut also came from nowhere. The writers never mentioned it before, they didn’t even pick up on Ted’s past until this episode, and now he’s all of a sudden a dreamer, who lost is future because of his father (well…). I just hope that future episodes with their flashbacks are not similar. It wouldn’t hurt to at least mention something about the characters, before the writers dive right into them.

Laura and Maggie (Christina Ricci) were great here. I loved that Maggie is still the free spirit, does what she wants to do, and doesn’t stop with her bad habits, without losing the fun of her life. I wished to see more of her and Laura in Jakarta, partying like today’s young women, loosen up and forget the world for a minute. And it totally stands in Laura’s motto to see the world and have adventures. But like I mentioned: Maggie should get a few edges right about now, before her flashback episode is a literal information dump. I barely don’t know anything about Maggie so far. Which makes her an uninteresting character so far. But since it’s Christina Ricci and I love her free spirit mode, I’m not saying anything against it at this moment.

So, now some decisions have to be made: Are the viewers turning off, because the show is boring for them, leading to PAN AM not getting a back-9, which also means I have to say goodbye to this little gem of a show early next year? Or is somebody able to create a hype surrounding this show, making it more of a highlight in US network television, and giving this show a back-9, and for me a year-long reason to watch and rewatch this show? I really like it, despite the bunch of flaws. I really don’t want to miss it… 6/10

Ted is taking an involuntary swim

Maggie is having fun

Wow, excellent episode. Well, almost, but I pretty much liked it. How the story arc of the show was connected to the Cold War, hope and freedom, as well as politics and spy thriller was excellent. Again, I still don’t know which way the writers want to go eventually, but somehow I dig this genre mix. If the writers work on their thriller arcs, PAN AM could be a murder show. Before it gets ultimately cancelled by ABC, because no one can live with those crashing ratings.

One scene is gonna get the whoops in German television though: When Colette (Karine Vanasse) was singing the first verse of the German national anthem, I was pretty much … shocked. About the fact that the producers were so ballsy to do that, even though they should know it’s gonna cause some problems in Germany – though it probably just means this scene is gonna be cut in the German airing. Okay, maybe nothing is happening at all, but that’s the reason why I found this episode to be excellent. Or just great. Or supergood. Anyway, Colette’s story was good. Maybe a bit over the top, because I can’t imagine that she has troubles liking the Germans because of the Nazis, when there was nothing of it during the first two episodes. A bit more characteristics would have helped maybe, to understand Colette more in this situation, to make her singing sting in the mission more explainable. Because here it looked like it was included in the script to be ballsy, to be political, to be courageous in form of storytelling on a major American broadcasting network. Well, the latter worked well, and the scene still works for me, but at the end I was thinking out of the box a bit too long…

The rest of the episode was good though, with the exception of Kate’s (Kelli Garner) spy story. I really don’t know whether to feel to be thrilled by it, or to see it as a simple drama storyline. Anke (Auden Thornton) felt like she was thrown into the episode to make a story for Kate. And somehow it felt too much during their first scene. And I was especially laughing, when they left Anke’s car in the middle of the back road with doors open. No wonder the “secret intelligence” stops to check out what’s up with the car. So yeah, that was kinda ridiculous. But I very much liked how Kate tried to help Anke, lied while doing so, and used her Pan Am powers to eventually help her.

Maggie’s (Christina Ricci) storyline was … umm, I don’t know. Did she have the hots for Kennedy that she wanted to meet him? Is it so easy for her to ditch the flight and her job to run after the President and just stand there in front of the Air Force One? Somehow that’s too illogical for me, and way too easy for Maggie to give the Cubans to her favorite man. In addition, Maggie needs some drama; she shouldn’t be the comic relief of the show. So, I hope Christina gets some real stuff to deal with in the next couple of episodes. As long as PAN AM might still live on ABC.

Which will hopefully be a long time, because I like this show. And even though I manage to trashwrite this episode just now, I still loved the episode. 8/10

While Ted and Laura have their moment of a fling

Before Colette sang about her hurtful past

Another good episode. Now I seem to be in love with this show. I like the setting, I still like the premise, though it needs diversity, I completely like the characters, and the cast is wonderful. If PAN AM proves to be a quality success during the next couple of episodes, everybody should bet on some awards for the cast. They are in for the long run, and you can notice that. Except ABC cancels the show, and everybody forgets it over the holidays.

Only the intelligence story of Kate’s (Kelli Garner) wasn’t mine. It’s good that the writers have delivered everything about Bridget (Annabelle Wallis), and that the mystery is over now, explaining Kate’s involvement and Bridget’s past in one scene (and this after two episodes – record!), but I don’t really like how easily this story is being handled, even though it should be a real spy plot, like… a real fucking spy plot, and not that half-hearted shit. The scene with Kate and Richard (Jeremy Davidson) on the payphone looked ridiculous, because everybody would notice that there is no normal behavior between the two. Especially not secret spy behavior. Same goes with Laura (Margot Robbie) and Judith (Kate Jennings Grant), who were talking about the cheese for daddy in Paris – is somebody noticing soon that there was no cheese, and that Kate lied? Is there a story coming, where Kate is being questioned about her behavior and her lies so early on in the show? Yeah, it’s a kinda interesting story, but I didn’t like it here very much, despite the answers.

Maggie’s (Christina Ricci) story with the aggressive passenger was alright. Here you could see that women are still not worth much, even when they are being shown as the graces of freedom in the 60s. But as soon as you rape them, you can actually get away with it. That was the good part of it, but not how Ted (Michael Mosley) was handling the situation. First it looked like that Maggie is given a romantic/whatever plot with Ted (even though she should still have her hippie boyfriend in New York), which I don’t like, because it looked like a pathetic way to bring a guy and a gal together, and second I wonder if the almost-rape would be a bigger part of the series, when it wouldn’t be all about Maggie and Ted. Is this going to have some repercussions for Maggie (considering her scene with Miss Havemeyer [Veanne Cox]), or was this it?

Kate and Laura’s mom problems were good though, but mostly because of the strong acting of the two ladies. I like Laura being lost in the world, not really knowing if she should go all the way from her mother, or go to her, and I love how Kate is involved in it, being sometimes annoyed with her sister, but sincerely loving her for the decision she made six months ago. There is an interesting relationship lying in that story, and I wish to see more of that.

And Colette (Karine Vanasse) and Dean (Mike Vogel)? Well, a typical romance, since Bridget is gone from Dean’s life, and it looks good when Colette is happy. I quite loved her French way of flirting with Dean, without actually flirting. And she looks totally cute with that haircut and her smile. I’m falling in love right now. The dance at the end was a cliché though. But what are you doing, when you’re standing in Paris in the middle of the night and are half-drunk and a woman is giving you comfort? Of course you’re going all the way to take that comfort… 7.5/10

Awkward situations for stewardesses

This is not a visit to the church

Well, here we have another 60s drama show on television, which wants to try to hop the train of 60s drama television shows. Sometimes I expected much from this show, and sometimes I was expecting for it to not live a very long life in TV. The 60s are no topic for the younger generation, who gets their material off the internet. So, see where PAN AM is going here: totally against today’s viewing habits and standards, and yet it tries everything to gt the audience with a mainstream appeal, and with romance, with the cast, with thrill and drama, and probably even with the score.

I loved the first act of the pilot: great introduction to the setting, the characters, the story for the episode, and all with a great look, a great feel for the 60s and a great score. I felt for a short while I was watching a movie here, so good was it. In the long row of high-profile TV pilots, PAN AM did everything right here, and didn’t pursue the introduction to the series with high and octane speed. Instead, it took almost ten minutes for the Clipper Majestic to take off, while every one of the characters was introduced, with all their separate and individual storylines. Storytelling-wise, this was near-perfect. As you can see, both Jack Orman (from ER fame) and Thomas Schlamme (From THE WEST WING) have learned a lot from their previous TV shows and their mentors. I sincerely hope that the rest of the series will be as thought-though as the pilot, and I also hope that PAN AM doesn’t become the MAD MEN with wings, or the unmarried and not-so-crazed DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES time travelled back to the 60s and in the air, or even a stewardess copy of GREY’S ANATOMY or something. I have the feeling that ABC wants to have a show like this, show it can be a successful successor to both of those shows, but I really wish for PAN AM to go a complete different way,

And the pilot succeeded in that way: It delivered a couple of different genres, as well as different storylines, which are mixed together in a series, which wants to be anything: thriller, drama, soap, period piece. We are missing a serial killer during a red-eye flight, and we have horror and suspense as well. And we are missing a real couple on the flight having sex somewhere in the Clipper 22, so that we have the erotic as well. Other than that, PAN AM really wants to be everything else – which can be seen as positive or negative. Positive because PAN AM should never be boring like this, should always be exciting, surprising and unexpected. Negative because I don’t have the feeling that the writers know where to go with the show after the pilot. Is it going to be a thriller/drama set on a plane in the 1960s, and wants to take the background of the Cold War as a pool for storylines, or is PAN AM continuing to be so “lighthearted” during its first season? That’s why I think that PAN AM could be unexpectedly good, since I believe both ideas could be great. Using the Cold War angle for espionage storylines and bring some real danger for the characters, and have them live a happy life, which mirrors the dream world of stewardesses in the 1960s. Same goes with the pilots here. There really are lots of ideas here, and it lies in the hands of the writers to choose a path real soon, or PAN AM is staying that uneven for the rest of the season – which worked well in the pilot, but definitely won’t work for 13, 14 episodes in a row.

More praise goes to the setting in general: Though the CG effects look too smoothed to look good, it was kinda fitting for the overall tone of the show: Most of the time it was a happy dance for the stewardesses, who always had to behave and smile, to make Pan American look good. So, I didn’t have any problems with the CGI. Same goes with the score. It was goddamn pompous. I was feeling like in a movie, and then I realized that Thomas Schlamme was completely in his element, because the first ten minutes somewhat resembled the first ten minutes of his THE WEST WING pilot. No wonder why the PAN AM pilot is stellar at the same level.

So, what about the episode story-wise? Maggie (Christina Ricci) came a bit too short, especially after Ricci is probably the biggest name in the cast. Dean (Mike Vogel) came a bit too short for me as well, but only because I didn’t like his relationship with Bridget (Annabelle Wallis) very much, and because this was the only story for him in the premiere. Somehow the writers wanted to make this the big story in the pilot already, but I don’t feel that their failed relationship (if ever) was necessary for the story. In my opinion, the episode didn’t need the Cuba flashback, and Bridget at the end walking from the bar. Maybe it would have been better to make Bridget a mystery throughout the first couple of episodes, let the audience ask, if Bridget is alive or dead. Which also could have brought more attention to Kate (Kelli Garner) and her spy story. After all, with Bridget still alive, we already know that the spy activities on board the plane are not really that dangerous. But could have been, if Bridget was dead. Or still a mystery. Laura’s (Margot Robbie) story was good, because I recognized some strong acting in here, and it’s always great to have a somewhat “tragic” character arc in the series, which Laura currently has (and her relationship with Kate seems interesting). Only Colette’s (Karine Vanasse) little secret Rome relationship with John (Will Chase) seemed to be a cliché. I liked how John’s wife was facing Colette at the end (that was kick-ass without being kick-ass), but the rest of her story was not much of a highlight for me

The rest of the episode, which I haven’t mentioned here, was good. PAN AM was definitely a surprise for me, and I hope it continues to be a surprise and doesn’t become a soap. Otherwise, PAN AM will be sharing the fate of THE PLAYBOY CLUB, and on top of it loses steam in its storytelling. But I don’t think that will happen with Jack Orman in the writing team and Thomas Schlamme as an exec producer.8/10

Happy moment

Not such a happy moment