Why Can’t I Give Up On Pan Am? 

Do you remember what it was like to fly the friendly skies? Neither can I. But I remember flying Pan Am and I think part of the allure of this show is nostalgia. It’s nice to think of a time when flying was an adventure instead of a hassle; a time when you were happy to put up with the minor irritations of travel because you were excited to go somewhere. And that’s probably what appealed to me most when I first heard about this show. I’m a pretty big fan of well-done period pieces and this seemed to have so much potential.

I love travel and that an elite group of educated, cultured women chose this as their profession as a way to get ahead and experience the world intrigued me. They had to put up with so much (weigh-ins, sexism, restrictive clothing, etc.), but they were also free in so many ways during that time. And like the politics of any office job, I was excited about seeing how the men on the flight deck and the women in the cabin would interact. Of course there would be intrigue and romance and conflict. That’s what I was looking for. But with every passing week I realize this show isn’t what I expected. And there’s nothing inherently wrong with that except I keep making myself watch every week thinking something will change and I’ll start loving it. So I can’t really blame the show; I need to blame myself.

But I think I wouldn’t be as disappointed if the writers/producers weren’t making some desperate attempts to retain and/or attract new viewers. Some of the characters have done truly despicable things that have been hard to forgive. No one’s perfect, but some of the actions of these characters have made me question if I know them at all. I hated it when Dean had an affair with Ginny Sadler. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy to step out with another guy’s girl especially after what he went through with Bridget. I really disliked Maggie after she told Everett Henson about Ginny and Dean. It was the only way she could save her job and she chose to sell out a friend. Of course, there were no consequences for Dean – I’m assuming that kind of behavior was tolerated from men during that time. And there were no repercussions for Maggie either. She forgave herself far too quickly and I haven’t seen her do anything to try and redeem herself. It’s possible that that particular story is on the backburner for now, but to me it seems like it was abruptly dropped. More than anything I don’t get the spy storyline and I know I’m not alone. Every single person I talk to doesn’t like it. And just when Kate got herself out, she decides to willingly go back in? All because Roger Anderson said she was good at it? What about Niko Lonza? Did she forget about what she had to do to him?

I was so excited for Dean and Colette but they ruined that for me too. I thought bringing Bridget back was a great idea – and I guess I should wait to see what happens – but I’m already disappointed. I know things aren’t looking good for a renewal on this show and perhaps that’s for the best. I could just stop watching but I know I’ll stick it out until the bitter end. I’m not sure why, especially after I watched the preview for next week’s episode. I’ll reserve judgement until I watch it but I do not have high hopes.

Pan Am airs Sundays at 10/9c.