TV: Pan Am (episode 6)

This week was the airing of the sixth episode of ABC's Pan Am. The ratings have stayed consistent now for three weeks now, clocking in at 5.46 million viewers. Is it enough to keep it from getting cancelled? We shall see.

Episode six is entitled "The Genuine Article" and we see that plotlines are continuing nicely from previous weeks. Let's take a look at the details.


Dean is still messing around with Ginny, even if it could mean problems for
him with the administration. After Rio, though, he then decides that they shouldn't push it for fear of airline vice-president Mr. Henson discovering them. But will she take no for an answer? I somehow doubt it.

Kate gets pulled from the Rio de Janeiro flight by her CIA liason; he wants her to gather more information on Niko Lonza, the Yugoslovian who she hooked up with in the last episode. However, she is falling for the man so she has to balance her personal feelings with her professional obligations. Sadly, her story lines seem to bore me the most.

Maggie, meanwhile, is very close for losing her job because of all of her infractions and smart mouth. A photographer from Life Magazine is following up on its story with Laura, so Maggie decides she can take advantage of the situation and improve her own PR at the same time.

I am glad that we finally get some spotlight on Christina Ricci's character. Her troubles today give us a chance at some flashbacks to Maggie's past. Turns out she was a diner waitress who took a chance at something better. She then gets a job at the University of California Berkeley where she meets a Pan Am stewardess who is also a student. She takes the woman's place in the class she was dropping, taking courses for free. Clearly Maggie is full of ambition and very resourceful. Getting into hot water, which she apparently has done often, makes her more creative and desperate.

By adding conflict between Maggie and those around her, we see that the writers are really trying to get the viewers vested into the show. I like the tension; it adds much needed dimension to the characters. And I like that final scene; Maggie will do whatever it takes to save the job she loves.

Still hoping to hear the news of a full season commitment for the show. We should be hearing something soon one way or the other.