Let Me Play Among The Stars

[redbrunja]

Okay, so I kind of need my entire flist (possibly the entire internet) to watch Pan Am so I can talk about it with people and there can be fic. What do I need to do to make that happen? I am legit willing to bride people to watch. Especially given that this show is going to be canceled. Ironically, I have ended up having discussions about loved shows getting canceled with several different people recently and my position was always that I would rather have a show canceled while it was still good than have to quit it when after it started sucking and retroactively tainting earlier episodes. But. But but but I am NOT OKAY with not getting a full season or a season two of Pan Am. Like, TSCC-levels of Not Okay.

I also need a music video of the ladies of Pan Am being fierce and having agency (especially sexual agency) to Lady Marmalade.

So, I just want to state for the record that Collette is my favorite of the ladies. She didn't really register in the pilot for me but then the third episode happened and BAM. The heartbreaking crying during Kennedy's speech was the start of it, totally cemented by her epically classy f-you to the germans by singing their national anthem. And after that, I pretty much find everything she does delightful. Getting Dean to let her fly, going to find a doctor with Ted, breathing, you name it. Regarding Dean... as romantic as sweeping her off to learn to fly (and meet his parents) was.... I could not take their sex scene seriously. Like, screwing in that hay can't have been comfortable. NOT TO MENTION HIS PARENTS ARE IN THE HOUSE. WHILE THEIR SON SPENDS HOURS WITH A FRENCHWOMAN IN THE BARN. OBVIOUSLY NOT LEARNING TO FLY. PLUS, THERE WERE HORSES IN THAT BARN WHO PROBABLY NEEDED TO BE FED. AND CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW AWKWARD THE PARENTAL GOODBYES WOULD BE? DEAN, DON'T DRAG COLLETTE AND HER CLASS INTO AN AWKWARD SCENE WITH YOUR PARENTS; IT'S NOT NICE.

On the subject of characters I love - oh my god, Ted. Apparently in Pan Am's miniscule fandom it's cool to hate Ted? DOES NOT COMPUTE. I admit, I was predisposed to like him from his time on Justified, but really, the reason I love him so much is that he's funny and MAKES THE BEST FACES. Like this and this and this. Originally, I was hoping that something would happen with him and Maggie but Ted and Laura really won me over. I'm not entirely sure when that happened - I enjoyed all their scenes together and then in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang I was brutally disappointed – not that Ted hit it off with another girl right when Laura was reconsidering her position on Ted + embracing her sexually but because we didn't get to see Laura playing Ted's enraged ex. You can't tell me I'm the only one! Seriously, seeing Laura in that smoking black dress playing the harridan would have been aces. And then when I literally squeal out loud upon discovering a Ted/Laura graphic with text from my favorite song from Anastasia, I could not longer deny the truth.

(To repeat: I am dead serious about trying to bride my flist into getting into that show. Dead serious.)

Comments

[norgbelulah.livejournal.com]

Baby, I am already into this show. I haven't really delved into fannish stuff as of yet, but I really think I would only need a little push. ;)

AND WHY DOES FANDOM HATE TED??? WHAT?! I am flabbergasted. I LOVE Ted. He does make the best faces and he tries so hard to be nice, but then occasionally comes off as the over-privileged white male that he is, which just makes me want to go *patpat* on his poor confused head.

And I agree with everything you said re: Collette/Dean and the barn scene. Also, what was he thinking, just showing up with a different girl after not telling his parents Bridget was gone??? Who does that?!

Anywho, I'm glad someone on my flist likes this show too. <3

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

EXCELLENT SHOW! The pilot was pretty lackluster, but the third episode was so good and ensured that I would be obsessed.

And I think Colette is everyone's favorite! She's certainly mine. But I love all of the ladies. Initially I wasn't that interested in Laura, but she's growing and changing and figuring out who she is, and now I can definitely say that all four of these ladies are LOVELY. SO LOVELY.

I am one of the people who hates Ted.

Yay for another convert to this show! Yay yay yay!

[spirited-lizard.livejournal.com]

Hm, I don't know. I've read about the show, but didn't sound like something I'd like. What could make me like it? Tell me. ;)

[cynchick.livejournal.com]

I read about this show at the same time it was announced there would also be a show about Playboy Bunnies. It seemed that networks wanted to capitalize on the success of Mad Men and the popularity of the mid-century period, and make shows about "stewardesses" and cocktail waitresses in an era when they were the most objectified. I know at that time, the fledgling air travel industry was a great direction to go for young women who didn't want to go the nurse/secretary/homemaker route, but it was also a rampantly chauvinistic boys club and they were treated like shit.

Does the show address those issues, or just romanticize the glamorous golden age of travel without peeking into the darker corners? How do these women have agency in an environment where they are basically pretty ornaments getting their asses groped by businessmen? If there IS female empowerment, is it diminished by diverting into romantic story lines so soon into the series, before their characters are even fully developed?

From one feminist to another, I'm curious.

[bitterbird.livejournal.com]

everyone says good things but I have been hesitant to watch as I don't want this show to break my heart, especially if it is getting cancelled so early. I do agree though that its better to be cancelled when good than go on forever and suck.

[plural-entity.livejournal.com]

I have so much I could say about this show, and no time to say it.

Ted is probably my favorite character. That and Maggie. I just adore Maggie. I don't quite know who I want Ted to get with more -- Laura or Maggie. In the beginning, it was Maggie, and now I find myself more toward Laura. Just because Laura has sparked my interest. I just want the damn boy to be loved already. Whoever gets him, he's so flipping cute in this weird like grown up twelve-year old way.

I love Collette, but I find I can't really get into Dean/Collette. I am not against it.. I just don't have burning passion for it yet.

But srsly. There will be fic. I plan on requesting lots of fic come stainofmylove's next prompt meme, and I hope to god there is a lot of other ready to be filled. I plan on rewatching the episodes out so far, just to gloriously refresh, and then write, goddammit, this winter break.

[missymeggins.livejournal.com]

I'm planning to start Pan Am over Christmas! I'm really excited since so many people are saying great things about it. (But I'm also nervous cos I don't want to fall in love if it's going to get canceled :( Ah well, fingers crossed.)

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

I'm watching it. My favourite is probably Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate. For reasons. But I love all of the girls! Though I'm lukewarm about Colette/Dean: in theory, I like it, I just think Colette's time is better employed saving people breaking things than with him. (Though I have to disagree about the singing: singing the Nazy hymn was NOT CLASSY at all. On that note, I can't stress how impressed I am by everyone's French: the grammar's perfect, the accents are very good in that 60s ways, and the word choices are appropriate. There was a translation fail in the Haiti episode, when Colette talks to the doctor. Usually I wince whenever there's French spoken in American TV, but this series does it flawlessly.) I admit I didn't watch the scene with the parents through: embarrassment squick ack ack ack.

One thing I adore about this show is that the girls all have their own boundaries. They don't become liberated (if that makes sense) the same way; I loved the Truth and Dare game just for that, I think.

Also Kaaaaaaaate. I think I ship Kate/all the handlers ever. Because that is hilarious and awesome and about power struggles and omgKate. And if they do go through with what Kate's been asking for the last few eps I shall be so sad. Because spy Kate is amazing.