The girls of the Clipper Majestic got a mini vacation this week after their flight was diverted from Iceland to Burma. The tropical diversion also allowed us some much needed character development in the cockpit. Pan Am continues to leak fuel unfortunately despite increasingly solid episodes, no doubt injured it’s rapidly spiraling lead-in Desperate Housewives.
The diversion to Burma was a welcome one for the girls who planted their toned bodies at the pool the first chance they got. It wasn’t long before some hunky Navy men showed up to flirt, something Maggie (Christina Ricci) is an old pro at. While the gals sunbathe Kate (Kelli Garner) gets her next CIA assignment; delivering a camera to Jakarta. This is her first assignment since the German debacle and she is desperate to prove she is worthy. Babysitting her sister Laura (Margot Robbie) may derail her final chance to impress her CIA handler.
I’ve never been to Burma nor was I alive in the 1960s but apparently it was common to find random reptiles in your hotel room back then, something the delicate princess Laura is not a fan of and trashes the hotel room trying to escape the wayward creatures. Maggie comes to her rescue and with Kate gone the two sassy stewardesses set out into town for a day of table dancing and cock fighting.
Speaking of cock fighting Dean (Mike Vogel) and Ted (Michael Mosley) get into a bit of a tussle in the cockpit over Ted’s assumption that Dean bought his way into the Captain’s chair. That is interesting coming from Ted who we learned also had some help getting a seat in the front of the plane by way of his father who was no doubt feeling a little guilt over ending his son’s dreams of entering the space program. Daddy was the only one who knew Ted was telling the truth about the faulty equipment in the test plane he crashed but kept the knowledge to himself in favor of more government contracts thus killing any chance Ted had of being an astronaut. Ted is still a bit of a douche but at least now we know why.
Kate misses out on all this fun because she is stuck in a telegram office waiting for a reply from her handler with the address of the drop. The info finally does come but Laura innocently took the camera making Kate very angry and very late. She does make the drop though so her career as a sexy international woman of mystery is secure for at least one more trip. She goes off on Laura though who she still sees as a helpless little girl who needs to grow up. Her pride bruised Laura packs a bag and moves in with carefree bohemian goddess Maggie and will no doubt have tons more fun now.
As if the cock fighting and lizard drama wasn’t enough the crew faces a harrowing approach to the Tokyo airport that has the Clipper Majestic coming in almost sideways due to severe crosswinds. Ted doesn’t think they can make it and argues with Dean over aborting the landing. Dean is trying to concentrate and puts Ted in his place by nailing the landing and reminding him that in the air he is the boss. Dean also throws in a jab about Ted’s Daddy that gets him punched.
Pan Am is building momentum creatively and I think there is the promise of great things to come this year if it makes it past the current ratings troubles. I did miss Colette a little this week but sightseeing with Maggie made up for it nicely. I worried that Kate’s weekly bit of espionage might get old but so far they’ve done a good job keeping it realistic and not overly melodramatic. I suspect we’ll find Laura’s life in danger before too long though.
Pan Am returns next Sunday with “One Coin in a Fountain” as the girls head to Monte Carlo!
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