Tuesday, January 17, 2012

TV: Pan Am (episode 11)

This week was the airing of the eleventh episode of ABC's Pan Am. Last week I was bemoaning about all the soap opera elements and wanted to see more of some of the earlier elements (the plane, travel, foreign countries).

This week's episode is entitled "Diplomatic Relations". The crew is chosen for a trip to Moscow, to help with diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union. Ah, can't have the 60's without those Cold War elements. Needless to say, it got a little unbelievable.

Let's take a look at the details...


So, Dean is not so happy the morning after in London with Bridgette. Seems the romp is bed was a mistake for him, and he wants to move on to Colette. Bridgette says she's fine with it, but we soon learn she's far from that.

As noted, the crew is being sent to Moscow. Captain Broyles is brought in, a noted "Sky God" who the airline loves and lets fly wherever/whenever. Convenient he speaks Russian too. Yes, he's a huge plot device. And, of course, Richard sends Kate on a mission since she'll be there anyway - to check on whether a woman named Anastasia is still at an address. Plot device number two. Both come into play later.

Since Bridgette is back on the crew, one less stewardess is needed. So Maggie gets to stay in New York and go to a cocktail party with Congressman Rawlings. He wants to show her off. Maggie is trying to keep low though as Mike from the Village Voice published the article but did not name her as the source. Mike, it also turns out, used to sleep with Maggie. Awkward. And since Broyles is on the flight, Ted gets bumped too but that's okay as he wants to propose to Amanda.

Convenient that Ted and Maggie end up at the same party. In a discussion, the spitfire stewardess voices her opinion, tipping of Rawlings that she might be the inside source. She admits to it, they fight, she cries. Ted meanwhile proposes and gets a yes from Amanda. Amanda then sees Maggie crying, consoles her and out of the blue kisses her. Yes, Amanda it would appear is a closeted lesbian. Awkward again. This so plays into next week, based on the previews.

But enough of them, let's go back to the USSR. While the crew is to be shown around and go to dinners, they are under tight watch. Kate tries to slip out of the hotel only to get caught. Broyles saves her tail, and she learns that he brought lots of American contraband to sell to the Soviet blackmarket.

While out on a tour, Kate sees Anastasia's window, and Laura and Bridgette get taken in for questioning just because Laura took some pictures of Soviet buildings. The Russians decide the two blondes might be spies. Sorry, Ivan, wrong sister.

Dean has Colette and Kate pack the bags, in part to make sure the Soviets don't plant anything in Laura and Bridgette's stuff. That's when Colette finds Dean's missing cufflink in B's bag. Uh oh.

Kate slips out again, goes to Anastasia and insists she help to get her sister and friend set free. Turns out Anastasia has high connections in the KGB. She gives Kate a name. Kate then turns to Broyles to use the cash he's gotten to free the girls, threatening to expose him otherwise. See, plot devices at work.

Dean defies the Soviets at gunpoint about taking off without his two missing crew members. Luckily they are brought in time, and the Pan Am crew is happy to be leaving Soviet airspace. Well, not everyone is happy. Colette shows Dean the cufflink, forcing him to explain. From her face, she is done with him. And Bridgette wins out.

Curtain.

I'm kind of getting tired of the contrived plots here. The real, honest moments are few and far between. The shocker kiss between Amanda and Maggie screams "ratings grab". I'm just feeling the charm the show had from the pilot is slowly getting lost each week. According to sources, the first season has only been given 14 episodes so I will likely stick around at this point for the final three.

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