Jaunted

Before everyone jets off to Moscow, however, there's still rocky business on the home front and, actually, not everyone is going; both Maggie (Christina Ricci) and co-pilot Ted aren't assigned the trip, as they've got their own dramas unfolding. Maggie is still welcoming Republican Congressman Rawlings into her bed at night and to her breakfast table in the AM (seriously, she was wearing a peignoir and making him eggs like a proper housewife), but he's got wind of some "worthless piece of yellow journalism" in the Village Voice, and pursuit of the "anonymous source" in it is distracting him and his re-election team. Maggie keeps mum. For now. But there's a party coming up and she'll be on his arm at it...

Back to the Worldport, where Dean is briefing his crew on this historic flight. Enter a tall and dark Captain Broyles who not only interrupts Dean, but also asserts his seniority as a "Sky God" to take the pilot's seat on this flight. Kate briefly whisper-explains that a "Sky God" is the nickname for a former World War II hero pilot to whom Juan Trippe gives free reign on Pan Am. Boyles final point of pride in this pep talk: "tell your grandkids that you were the crew who go Moscow for Juan Trippe."

Onboard, the mood is toned down as economy sits empty and business class is half-full of diplomatic suits. Bridget attempts to pry into Kate's CIA business, but Kate keeps her mouth shut (good). Nonetheless, Kate does have a side-job to do of finding out if a Moscow agent (Anastasia) is still "in the game" or not. She must see if a potted sunflower is on a window ledge of a Communist housing block for party officials. Tough, but at least she won't be murdering anyone.

Here's where things begin to get sticky for the girls. Arrival in Moscow is smooth, until their bureaucrat house mother notes that they are not permitted to leave the hotel unless in the company of her, their "hospitality ambassador." Kate goes snooping anyway, and ends up discovering Pilot Broyles' secret operation in the hotel's basement—a smuggling ring of Maker's Mark and cigarettes "worth more than a Faberge egg." Yep, Broyles joined the flight to bring in these goods on the flight and sell them for a hefty profit. Kate is disgusted, but since he doesn't tell on her, she doesn't tell on him.

Eventually Kate does convince their guide to stroll to the Soviet block and she spots the sunflowers and the agent alive, while her sis Laura snaps a pic. Squeal—a KGB car zooms into the driveway and makes off with both Bridget and Laura since Laura's picture is "espionage."

The crew's tight situation in Moscow has obviously escalated with the capture of two of their party, though Broyles is not worried. He speaks some Russian, he doesn't mind hanging out in the hotel and eating, and he advises the rest that patience is all that's needed here, not diplomacy. In fact, what's really need is money and lots of it! Kate freaks out when the Soviets order them to leave right away without Bridget and Laura, and so she sneaks away to talk the mysterious agent Anastasia into intervening with her powerful political boyfriend to save the two girls. He will, if Broyles ponies up all that sweet smuggling cash he just made. He does though, but not before voicing some suspicions over Kate's connections: "How does a Pan Am stewardess have connections in the Kremlin?" She counters: "how does a Pan Am pilot smuggle thousands of dollars of goods across international waters?"

Meanwhile, back on US land, it finally dawns on Congressman Rawlings that Maggie is the anonymous Voice tipster, and he's angry that his "pillow talk" was taken by her as true feelings. Whuh oh! Maggie ends their relationship: "I didn't realize having principles made me simple." At the same party, Ted and his society girl Amanda are proper and cute. He's ready to propose and does so just after the Rawlings breakup. Amanda says yes, but then kisses a crying, mascara-messed Maggie. Double whuh oh!

Finally finally the crew is back on the plane in Moscow and the KJB are attempting to force Dean (at gunpoint) to power up the jet and get the heck out. Dean refuses to leave without the two captured girls, but luckily just then the bribe money does the trick and Bridget and Laura are dumped out of a truck onto the tarmac to catch the flight just as Bridget confirms to Laura, without a word but with a look, that she is/was a spy. Broyles is impressed by Dean's cajones, and offers up the captain's seat for the flight back to New York. They take off as soon as possible and the few passengers onboard all clap when Dean announces, "we have now left Soviet airspace."

What was the worst part of this whole ordeal, according to Laura? Oh, just that "they took my new camera." Boohoo Laura; if only you know. If only they all knew.

Next week: Laura's secret nude photoshoot gets out, someone namedrops Andy Warhol and Amanda's lesbian kiss may ruin her engagement to Ted.

[Photos: ABC]