Credit: ABC
Pan Am is coming back to ABC to finish out its first season. It’s still up in the air as to whether it will be back for a second season, but wishful thinking says that it may all depend on how these final episodes play out.
If that is the case, then I have a list of demands as far as the show and its characters are portrayed. I’ll try to make this as brief as possible, since a lot of what will be written here has been said in almost every recap/analysis I’ve written. I’ll try not to be a broken record with this.
The Show:
More of everything: The show can go one of two ways–it can either be a hyper-realistic version of the ’60s, or it can be a gritty-realistic version of the ’60s. However, it can not be both, otherwise, the show has no distinctive voice. If it’s going to be hyper-realistic, then make everything in Technicolor. Film it in Technicolor if you have to go that far. Make the hairstyles super-sharp and crisp with not a hair out of place. Make the makeup really focus on sky-blue eyeshadow and red lips. Bring in more 1960s references, songs, dance crazes. Have campy, but really fun characters (e.g. Maggie, who would flourish in a campy environment). just do it up. For it to be a hyper-realistic 1960s show on ABC, it would have to stop just short of musical numbers. If it’s going to be a gritty-realistic take on the ’60s, then have it like Mad Men, but just a skosh over-the-top in order to keep the soap-opera elements alive. The cabin will have to be filled with the smoke of cigarettes. Some serious takes on elements of the ’60s will have to be thought out within an inch of their lives–you can’t do a “Haitian landing that kinda spotlights the strife in Haiti but not enough” ala “Unscheduled Departure.” There would certainly have to be some slow-burn storylines that would be drawn out over several episodes, if not the entire season or more.
Better hair: I’ve written a post on this already, so click on it to read my issues with the hair in full detail, but seriously, the hair in this show hasn’t been the same since the pilot episode, and even then the hair was too long for Pan Am regulations. Someone in the hair department needs to get 1960s accurate with the hairstyles.
The hair on Pan Am needs some work. L-R: Laura (Margot Robbie), Colette (Karine Vanasse), Kate (Kelli Garner). Credit: ABC
Better CG or no CG at all: I haven’t talked a lot about the CG in this show, particularly because most of the time, it’s done fairly well, and it’s almost too mean to talk about when the CG is bad because it is a television show, not a movie. But sometimes the CG is painfully obvious. Since we are watching a show about the 1960s, when CG didn’t exist, then we can possibly do without the CG except in the opening title. Anyway, this is a minor complaint, so you can take it or leave it.
The Characters
Dean:
Dean (Mike Vogel ) tries to look cool, but is failing.
At first, this guy was characterized as a “The Times They Are A-Changin’” kind of guy. It seems someone forgot that aspect of him and just made him into a jerk that doesn’t put two and two together when it comes to understanding the emotions of a woman that he “loves”. I think his outburst with Colette in “Unscheduled Departure” was really rude, considering her past and how it affects her thinking, and it’s a bit on the writers because he out of all of the characters should know Colette’s past. And “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” just made things worse, since in that episode, he was close to giving her red marks on her wrists. If Dean is supposed to be likable, he needs to get a serious upgrade. Make Dean really revel in his “This is the ’60s!” point of view. Make him be a fighter for change. Make him at odds with Ted, even though they are good friends. By having him fight with Ted will give them a complex friendship and make for great characterization. And if he is supposed to be with Colette, give him the information he needs, like the fact that HER PARENTS DIED IN THE HOLOCAUST. I think that would be good information to know.
Ted:
Ted (Michael Mosely), the rich-boy-wannabe-racist guy. Screencap: Me
I’ve said time and again that Ted is written to be a racist but the writing is so politically-correct that it pussyfoots around him being a racist, or, at the very least, discriminatory. He just becomes obnoxious because of it. The simplest ways of getting Ted to be who is is to make him Archie Bunker-esque and to erase the TedxLaura angle. Or, if you want to keep it a little, you can have Ted have a crush on Laura and try to court her, but because Laura’s dating Joe (something the writers seem to have forgotten about), Laura will automatically have a problem with him, since Ted will be a person who is in staunch opposition to interracial dating. We would learn more about Laura and Ted during interactions such as these.
Laura:
Laura with Joe. Credit: ABC
Laura is supposed to be the naive girl of the group, but she’s also supposed to be the one that will actually take great risks due to her big heart. She showed that when she decided to start seeing Joe, even though the time period is less than hospitable to interracial dating. She can keep this dichotomy in her personality since it actually gives her character, but she needs to be written to show more of her risky side instead of the writers just using her naive side for comic relief. For instance, when she did the naked photos in “Truth or Dare,” we should’ve had a flashback to her actually doing it. And in future episodes, we should see her stand up for her developing social ideas, such as fighting for equal rights for all races, exploring her femininity and the developing Feminist Movement, etc.
Kate:
Kate caring for the dying plane passenger. Credit: ABC
Kate is supposed to be a spy, but sometimes, the spying gets a little juvenile. I have to admit that the stakes are higher now that she’s killed a man, but my biggest fear is that the writers won’t address any higher stakes anymore after the first episode of the rest of the season. I hope that doesn’t happen.As far as her actual characterization goes, she’s okay. I think what could spice her up some is if we get a true bead on how far her jealousy toward her sister extends. That part of her personality has been left by the wayside as the show has progressed, and there’s never really been any real resolution for it. We need to have Kate and Laura have a real heart-to-heart about this.
Colette:
Even when Colette is just standing, you can see the full character behind her eyes. Credit: ABC
Colette is pretty much pitch-perfect. I’m not going to say she’s got anything to change, since I’ve been consistently impressed with her character. The only thing I would say is that the writers need to learn how to manage more than two characters, because whenever there are a lot of characters involved in something, Colette is always written as the character with the least to say. Sometimes, she has nothing to say, which is a writing crime. Also, if she’s going to be with Dean, she’s got to act like the strong woman she is, not a withering flower. She should be standing up to Dean a lot more–she’s supposed to be his rock, right? She’s got to act like the type of woman who will support her man and take him to task when needed, because that’s who she is. The writing is doing her a disservice by writing her as a giggly girl when she’s around Dean. Of course, I’m not saying she can’t be flirty or anything, because that’s in her character too–she was originally written as a free-spirit, flirty type in the pilot. And yes, it’s normal for people to act tongue-tied around their crushes. She can do that to a degree, but she’s got to act like herself a lot more.
Maggie:
Maggie (Christina Ricci), who should’ve been nicknamed Maggie-the-Cat. Credit: ABC
Maggie’s character is the girl that puts on airs. She acts like she’s much smarter, more cultured, and more refined than anyone, but in reality, she’s all a bunch of show. I think her character should be a cross between Wilhelmina from Ugly Betty and Blanche Devereaux from The Golden Girls. Or better yet, her character should be Alexis Carrington from Dynasty or Crystal from The Opposite Sex or any other character Joan Collins has played. I guess what I’m saying is that Maggie should be Joan Collins. She should be campy, over-the-top, theatrical and just a lot of fun in general. We should love hating her. We also should want to be her.
Sanjeev:
Sanjeev (Kal Parekh), the character that should be mined for characterization. Credit: ABC;kalparekh.com
Sanjeev has a lot of potential, since he’s 1) a character of color, therefore has a lot of views on race relations, I’m sure, 2) sees a lot, but says little about it (which could be marketed as the “strong but silent” type) and 3) looks like he’s got a lot to say about what goes on around him. Sanjeev reacting to Ted’s stupid opinions about racial/social politics he knows nothing about would be stellar. Or, Sanjeev calling Dean out on being a jerk to Colette when he was dating Ginny. Or, my wish, for Sanjeev to steal Colette away from Dean and be the real man of her dreams, because in my mind, he is. (Speaking of The ‘Jeev, check out this interview I did with Kal Parekh!)
Okay, that’s it! Let’s see none of this if any of this comes true this Sunday!
