It's easy to make big comparisons or to scream this is brilliant television. Let's make it clear that it's not brilliant. It's just really, really good. In just one hour Pan Am offered timeless stories in clever, fast moving packages that got my heart racing and my stomach tingling. 'Romance Languages' is indeed, incredibly romantic. If you're not for the "love trumps all" message, you won't enjoy it. If you are, the hour proves to be a powerful declaration of love and an industry standard of how guest stars should be treated.
The episode mainly focused on Kate and Lauren who both tackle the difficulties of love during war and hatred. Racism is barely ever touched upon on TV these days, which is not a bad thing. I believe that the normal equality is portrayed the better it translates into society. However, it's never wrong to revisit the times that such mentality was unique. The show's timeline allows it and so, when the story hinted it would go there, I was curious as to how it would work out. No sugarcoating necessary, the writers must have thought. Don't get me wrong, Pan Am didn't turn dark and gritty but it was as honest and real as it ever could be. The character of Joe was just introduced a couple of scenes ago before he gets kicked out of Maggie's apartment. While he tries to win over Lauren, Joe suddenly is attacked for no apparent reason. It might not be poignant but it worked so well. The best thing about the affair was that the connection between Lauren and Joe wasn't obvious. Until the very moment that Lauren turned to kiss Joe, there was no real guarantee where the story would go. Having this kind of hatred and wrong doing on the backdrop, without milking it out or making it prettier than it would have been, was splendid.
Meanwhile, Kate's love for Nico was put to the test. In a classic 'it was just a job but then I fell for you' story it's hard to stand out. But Kelli Garner and Goran Visnjic owned it. I'm not easily convinced to put down my iPad while watching shows but the scene in the interrogation room did it. And I haven't picked my tablet up since then. See, that particular scene was just about clarification. But the truly powerful moment of their relationship came with the departure. Two lovers who had overcome so much stood there, restrained to show affection, talking in the same metaphorical language as they did earlier in the episode when they were just flirting, saying goodbye before flying to opposite ends of the world. I swooned out of my chair.
I'm utterly blown away by how powerful these supporting roles were written. Doomed to not last very long they lifted the story beyond the need to see the regular cast and closed in the viewers' heart within the span of minutes. Though my favorite pairing of the show, Dean and Colette, only got one scene, I was completely in love for the better part of the hour.
This is drama the way it should be. Engaging, powerful, painful but optimistic. Very, very good.
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