By Michael Fitzgerald Troy

It’s fitting that Pan Am centers around a hurricane this week, as the show seems to pick up speed. The first fifteen minutes read like a ’70s disaster film, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. It’s exactly the white-knuckled, over-the-top excitement I was hoping for, as the crew is forced to make an emergency landing in a closed airport, because one of the passengers, who is making his first flight, is having a heart attack. And then? And then, it becomes Tropic Thunder-meets-Hotel Rwanda-meets The A-Team, as the crew is stranded and terrorized in Haiti.

My favorite sky doll, Maggie (Christina Ricci), is up to her usual carry-on bag of tricks, grifting and networking the passengers to ensure that she, and the other ladies, get a coveted party invitation. (And, Paris Hilton is lamented for attending the opening of an envelope!) Maintaining her cool-as-a-cucumber demeanor, all the while quoting Hemingway.

Colette continues to be a strong character and easily one of favorites. She makes me want to speak French ALMOST as much as sweet old Lady Marmalade.

I am glad that Pan Am has made it this far, as I think it is starting to live up to its potential. I questioned whether it was suffering an identity crisis, as it was, and is, a little all over the place. But, hey, that’s life. Ups and downs. Camp and espionage. Highs and lows. Laughs and lulls. Glitz and glamour. That’s Pan Am. I’ll take business class, thanks.

For more Pan Am reviews by Michael Fitzgerald Troy, visit www.DearSkySteward.com!  (Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8 are already available.)

Michael Troy is a deeply superficial person. Born in the midwest in the ’70s, Michael came to Los Angeles to pursue his bi-polar career path as an actor and artist. 2005 saw the release of Michael’s first published book, Homo-Hero’s Big Book of Fun and Adventure (www.greencandypress.com). Michael has contributed to the Lady Gaga comic book from Bluewater Productions and has his hand in various other upcoming projects. Michael has performed stand-up comedy at all of the major comedy clubs in Los Angeles and is making his triumphant return to the main stage of The Comedy Store in September. Michael offers an off-beat sense of humor as the star of such youtube cult classics As The Gays on Film (www.youtube.com/fullfrontaltv), A Minute With Margot, a loving tribute to Superman legend Margot Kidder (http://www.youtube.com/user/rktcommander), and currently hosts a vlog style series Lethally Blonde over at www.monsterburg.com. Sitting alongside industry heavyweight Phil Jimenez at the “Divas and Lassoes” panel for the 2010 San Diego comic-con, Michael maintains and cherishes his “underground” status. A staunch believer in Blonde Ambition, Michael hopes his new comic about shallow blonde super heroes in Los Angeles, The Blonde Squad, will set the world on fire (or at least brighten it a bit). Check out Michael Troy and Lethally Blonde updates here!!!