The Astronaut Wives Club Review: Protocol (Season 1 Episode 2)

Well, it looks like I’ll be crying at some point during every episode of The Astronaut Wives Club. I guess I wouldn’t make a very good astronaut wife. Which, we learned this week, would be a major problem. Why?

Because NASA is kind of a mean girl.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. I pretty much loved everything about this week’s episode, so instead of pros and cons, here’s a list of my random thoughts about Episode 2, “Protocol.”

Louise Shepard didn’t used to be the ice queen – Despite her brief stint as a dancing queen at the end of last week’s episode, Mrs. Shepard still isn’t very good at being friendly. Or nice. Even when Betty is scared because her husband is next up in space, she’s still all, ‘I believe in God and NASA. I would never be nervous’. She has her small moments, but she’s still just such a bore. When her husband says she used to be icy, I think even the interviewer is like ‘sure, used to’.

Mr. Time Magazine is kind of bad at his job – Because Louise is a bore, Max sort of snaps at her. This is, somehow, the most professional thing he’s done so far. I get that he’s trying not to invade the wives’ privacy, but every other thing that happens is ‘off the record’. He volunteers to go off record before anything even happens! I just don’t know that that’s the best way to be a successful journalist. Anyone else hoping that he and Louise act on this weird tension that seems to be developing between then?

I want everything about Mr. and Mrs. Glenn to be real. Please. – Throughout the episode, I found myself wondering how much of the story was ‘real.’ Obviously, much of the dialogue and story line has to be made up, but I’m really hoping that Annie and John Glenn are spot on. They just seem like the best people ever.

You can not let the vice president in? – Speaking of how great the Glenns are, can you believe that they refuse let the vice president into their house? I mean, it’s amazing, and I’m proud of them, but I sorta think if the VP showed up at my house I would assume I had to let him in. Bravo to them for thinking outside of the box.

I love the astronauts again – Last week, I was a little concerned that our boys were becoming too full of themselves (you know, ’cause of all the parties and women). But when John Glenn is told he isn’t going up because of the whole Vice President thing and all the others say they won’t take his place… well, I definitely didn’t tear up again.

This is way harder than being on the real housewives — Why? Because NASA is kind of a mean girl. Last week, I said that this was basically the original Real Housewives. Not surprisingly, it turns out being an astronaut wife is actually way harder. NASA is willing to do whatever it takes to look good, from squash tabloid stories to almost leave an astronaut to drown. In the ocean. The wives have so many rules to live by, no wonder Louise is so uptight. Surely, however, she and the other ladies will mess up at some point. I’m really looking forward to the drama that will inevitably follow. Hopefully it won’t be too bad, after all, as Duncan says, “We’re NASA, not the mob.”

The jury might still be out on that one. One thing I do know is that I’m still really excited about this show.

What did you think of this week’s episode of The Astronaut Wives Club? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to add your rating.

Reviewer rating:

User rating:

 

The Astronaut Wives Club airs Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.