Director: Louis D’Esposito (1.1) and Joseph V. Russo (1.2)
Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely (1.1.) and Eric Pearson (1.2)
Cast: Hayley Atwell, James D’Arcy, Chad Michael Murray, Enver Gjokaj, Shea Whigham, Kyle Bornheimer, Dominic Cooper, Lyndsy Fonseca, with guest stars James Frain, Costa Ronin and Andre Royo
Synopsis: Peggy Carter, following the events of Captain America: The First Avenger, returns to her unfitting ‘secretarial’ role at the S.S.R. as a manhunt for Howard Stark ensues, who is suspect in selling weapons to enemies of the United States. After meeting with Stark, Carter soon discovers that sinister forces are at play when silent agents of someone or something known as ‘Leviathan’ are in pursuit of one of Stark’s deadliest inventions.
Verdict: Agent Carter steps up Marvel’s game as it hits the ground running, firmly establish a post-war-time era for the MCU that is not only believable, but thoroughly enjoyable to witness. The show oozes exuberance and watching Atwell as Carter as she frequently – and gracefully – delivers constant fist-to-face action is only half the fun of the show. You’re in for a treat. Downfalls include: waiting for episode 1.3: ‘Time and Tide’
Spoilers ahead, beware!
Marvel’s Agent Carter is many things, and of that exceedingly long list, some might call it brave. It is the first of Marvel’s many mini-series to hit our screens, and if this is an indicator of things to come, we’re in for a hell of a ride. Consisting of only eight episodes, the series gets off to a fantastic start in a two-episode opener which leaves little left to be desired. To avoid confusion, It firmly roots its origins as to where we first met Peggy Carter through a series of flashbacks that immediately tie the series to the cinematic universe in which it so deservedly belongs. It also does a wonderful job of reintroducing several elements that we’ve previously seen in other media featuring Carter, presumably to get everyone up-to-scratch.
Her workplace, the base of the S.S.R (Strategic Scientific Reserve) is seen once more – for those who may of missed the Marvel one-shot that got the series green-lit – in full-swing as we discover its clandestine origins behind a switchboard in the New York Bell phone company. It’s here we’re exposed to the same sexism that you might come to expect a career-driven, independent woman may have to face in 1946 in the form of her colleagues, played by Murray, Bornheimer and Whigham. We are cautiously reintroduced to Dominic Cooper’s Howard Stark, who – in the style of archived footage – illustrates the same courtroom charm and wit that we see his son, Tony embody in IRON MAN and IRON MAN 2. With that, we’re presented with the introduction to the beginning of Agent Carter‘s plot, in which Stark is believed to be trading with enemies of the United States and as a result, is number one on the S.S.R. most wanted.
All performances up to now have been wonderful, especially that of Enver Gjokaj as Daniel Sousa, one of the fewer friendly faces to Carter in the S.S.R. Gjokaj’s handle of his character is utterly refreshing and despite underlying romantic implications between Sousa and Carter, which can typically detract from a series so early on, his character is well-written, and likely one of the secondary characters primed to be an audience favourite. Alongside Gjokaj is Lyndsy Fonseca as Angie who was also a breath of fresh civilian air, a relatable persona next to one of the S.S.R’s best feels natural, and Fonseca takes what seems to be a sort of ‘little sister’ role to Carter, generally a rather pleasant relationship to witness on screen.
Carter’s relationship with James D’Arcy’s Jarvis is an interesting one to say the least, the language between them, a game of chess. But this ‘dynamic duo’ in which there is an obvious stubbornness to both character, is perhaps one of the most prominent relationships to offer the comedic elements of the series. This duo is also the reason Carter eventually succeeds in capturing Stark’s most dangerous ‘bad baby,’ a weaponised liquid chemical explosive known as Nitramene, but only after the absolute cinematographer’s dream that was the choreographed fight between Carter and McFee. It’s here that Atwell wants us all to know one thing: Don’t mess with Agent Carter, she’s a superhero in her own right. There’s no need for superpowers here, and I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘superpowers’ never make an appearance, that’s what Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is now for, here, this is the evolution of the S.S.R, the technological side of the same coin.
Perhaps most impressive of all the performances was Atwell as Peggy Carter, the show’s protagonist. We see that she can hold her own on more than one occasion, switching from femme fatale to master spy at a moment’s notice and the writing is apt in that it so fantastically encourages her witty, audacious bad-assery. One of the characters makes a point of referring to Carter as “Captain America’s… liaison,” but the series effectively builds a world around Peggy Carter as she starts to build her life anew. With new relationships, new apartments and new foes ahead, Agent Carter is a show about what’s on the can: Agent Carter, Peggy Carter. This isn’t a Captain America groupie, this is a strong, well-versed woman who embodies qualities of leadership and integrity whilst dealing with her own personal development in an environment actively encouraging sexism and favouring men. This mix shows almost a self-reflexive awareness of the fact that a lot of hushed criticism towards Marvel primarily focuses on a lack of female-driven content, offering some subtle social commentary for now and the 1940s, but we have to ask if the disproportionate ratio of men to women seen thus far in the series is an indicator of the time in which it’s set, or if Marvel have still failed to deliver.
In terms of genre though, Agent Carter manages to land a perfect balance of comedy and action and even with a strong design, great writing, and some wonderful direction at its core, we have to admit that Agent Carter is only as successful as it is due to Atwell’s central performance. She is… everything that Marvel needs from a leading lady. She’s everything we need. She is strong-willed, yes, but not emotionally void, she soldiers on yes, but is still reflective of her past, as all good characters are. Atwell provides a well-rounded performance, and never in my mind has she been anything but a perfect fit for the role. If we’re to expect anything like the opening episodes of the rest of the series, viewers are sure to be nothing but pleased.
I think it’s fair to say that the creative team behind Agent Carter, or at least, thus far, whilst veterans of the CAPTAIN AMERICA franchise, have created a show which feels far more cinematic than the likes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and as a result, it feels as if it’s playing in the big leagues. However, like it’s TV counterpart, Agent Carter has been favourable to Marvel fans across the board with easter eggs aplenty, some of which predict the future of the series, others, filling in gaps in the MCU or are generally just there to entice. So keep your eyes peeled! Interestingly, the use of Roxxon Corporation was one of the biggest surprises, but welcomed nonetheless, (expect more evil corporate actions from these guys later in the series) establishing an even more secure connection between the sub-verses of Captain America and Iron Man. (As a quick aside, perhaps Marvel are stimulating our emotional capacities for both sides before pitting them against one another in CAPTAIN AMERICA 3: CIVIL WAR)
The two-episode introduction to the wonderfully powerful character that is Peggy Carter offers so many questions, just who or what is Leviathan? What is Jarvis and Stark playing at? What are their intentions for Carter? Do we already know the answer, in that Stark reveals in Marvel’s one-shot, that he wants her to help build S.H.I.E.L.D? Does Angie’s mention of “Mary’ – a legal secretary at Goodman, Kurtzman & Holliway” indicate a future link to Jennifer Walters a.k.a. She-Hulk? And most importantly, how much more ass does Carter have to kick before they give her her own sho- Oh wait… Everything’s good here, move along Agents.
Next week is the third episode (“Time and Tide”) of the eight-part mini-series, and you’ll be able to get coverage right back here at THN, so check back next week!
(5/5) – The next episode will air on January 13th for the US 9/8c, but unfortunately there is no current broadcasters showing Agent Carter in the UK. so UK watches may want to consider streaming online. The official site for Agent Carter can be found here.
