Agent Carter
Tuesdays
ABC 8|7c
I'd like to start this off with a statement: I'm switching up the way I do recaps. I was extremely happy with the Galavant review, and here's the best part - it didn't take four hours, which is how long my recaps usually take to write up. And on a lot of Wednesdays and Saturdays, I just don't have four hours to spend on one thing. Plus, they're long to read! So take a look at the Galavant review if you want to see what these recaps will resemble a bit more. Onward!
There is a great lesson we can all take from this series, and we learn it within the first thirty seconds of the pilot episode.
Never underestimate Agent Peggy Carter.
Unfortunately, that's what her coworkers do. They treat her as a secretary, asking her to file things and fetch coffee and sharpen pencils and 'do whatever it is you women do.' While she's enduring said treatment in the workplace, Howard Stark is being persecuted. Everyone thinks he's been selling weapons to the enemy, and when he disappears, it doesn't help his cause. Until he and his butler, Edmund Jarvis (Who is played by James D'Arcy, who was in Master and Commander along with Paul Bettany, the modern Jarvis FUN FACT FOR EVERYONE) find Peggy and tell her that the weapons were stolen, and Howard is being framed. He tells her there was an explosive taken that they need to find immediately, and gives the job to her. Eager to get back in the game, she accepts - and realizes she might have bitten off more than she could chew.
Let me say what I love about this series.
1. Peggy. I posted on Facebook, 'It is my professional opinion that we need more Peggy Carters and less Jane Fosters, please and thank you,' and got a hundred comments in an hour. Granted, there were a lot of Peggy vs. Jane remarks, but the majority basically professed their love for Peggy. She has lost the only man she's ever loved, but she isn't letting it destroy her life (granted, she has issues, but she's dealing with them). She's a 1940's Elizabeth Bennett - strong-willed, passionate, clever, smart, and polite - all while being polite, ladylike, and generally fantastic. Plus, she has perfect lipstick, great shoes, and makes a perfect bombshell blonde.
2. Jarvis. I was so excited when I heard they were going to have the original Jarvis the Butler in this series, and he's perfect in every way. A comfortable family man with a dry sense of humor, he's the perfect compliment to Peggy's exploits and tells her like it is.
3. The freaky voiceless dudes. Because let's face it, that electronic voice thing was awesome.
4. The humor. Marvel always has a great sense of humor, and this was no exception. I also love how the humor was focused more on subtlety and less on snark - I ADORE snark but I love how this particular sense of humor feels very 1940s where as 'snark' feels more modern, perfect for Tony Stark and the rest of the Avengers. Everything in this show felt retro and down-to-earth.
5. Bucky. Because he's currently alive, right, and that's pretty cool. He's out there somewhere, doing things. YEE-HAW.
6. Vanko's cameo. Now that's just fun.
What I mildly disliked
(because I didn't actually hate anything)
1. Colleen died. I mean, we all saw it coming, but that was sad.
2. There is no 2.
QUESTIONS
1. What angle are Howard and Jarvis working??
2. Is it just me, or did the first voiceless dude look like pre-serum Steve from the back?
3. How do Peggy's nails always stay unchipped? Is that her actual superpower?
4. Was that Joe DiMaggio?
5. Is the nice legless guy whose name I currently forget going to end up being a villain?
6. What is Leviathan?
The Fangirl Initiative is a collection of contributors dedicated to writing about the things we love.
YES to all! :DD I loved every moment of it so far for basically the same reason you said. :)
ReplyDeleteJARVIS IS A GEM and probably currently (yeah, I know only two episodes so far) my favorite character (obviously not counting Peggy because she's just awesome and wins all the awards for everything).
I think the legless guy is Daniel?? And I was wondering if he is who Peggy marries (because in Cap 2, we know she does get married, right? and has kids?) He seems so sweet and actually stands up for her and her work... so either he's going to be the right guy or a villain. And well either would be quite interesting.
Also: I NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT BUCKY BEING AROUND. I need to go lie down for a moment and contemplate the possibilities.
All in all, fantastic recap. Short and thorough. :)
Thank you thank you!
DeleteAlso, it's canon that Peggy marries a Howling Commando.
But which one?
My money's on Dugan.
Ooooh. Interesting. I didn't know that (obviously need to spend more time reading/watching/whatever-ing about Peggy). And I wasn't sure how "canon" everything in these shows are. :) The MCU can differ greatly from the comics while other times be spot on (but of course, there's tons of COMIC story lines)
DeleteDungan makes sense of all of them, so maybe Daniel will be a villian. :D I hope we see some Howling Commando action soon! (I think they should make a TV show about the Howling Commandos, though it'd be difficult to have Cap or Bucky in it. Ugh. Howling Commandos are so cool.)
Oh goodness me, I seriously need to watch Agent Carter. My Tumblr dash exploded with love for Peggy and I have to say she is so badass. I do not need to watch it to know. And Jarvis sounds like quite the awesomeness indeed. You just made me want to watch it even more, argh. *cue fangirling*
ReplyDeleteI'll be honest; I was a little heartbroken that we didn't get to see Paul Bettany for this. However, James D'Arcy is definitely a close second, and given their physical/vocal similarities and their time together in MaC, I've grown to appreciate what he brings to the role. (PS: I find it hilarious that this show about American espionage is currently starring two Brits.)
ReplyDeleteI certainly hope Daniel ("the nice leg-less guy") isn't villainous. However, Enver Gjokaj is a phenomenal actor (and one of Whedon's favorites, judging by his one-line cameo in Avengers and his major role in Dollhouse, where he had to switch between multiple personalities (including a psychopath and a girl. Yes, he played a girl... and very well, too). In that sense, if they do want Daniel to become a sudden villain, Gjokaj will make the switch seamlessly.
That being said, I keep waiting for something to happen, either to Daniel (PLEASE not death!) or between him and Peggy. According to Carter's brief recorded remarks in Winter Soldier, she eventually did marry, and her husband was one of the many soldiers rescued by Rogers during the war. It's not clear whether Daniel is one of them (PLEASE let him be!) because there were so many... but obviously, he isn't a Howling Commando, which (according to canon) Carter's husband is. So if Marvel doesn't change the identity of Carter's husband, then I hope she marries one of the main members of Captain America's Strategically Racially Diverse Team of Howling Commandos... who, it seems, we'll get to see in the next episode. Huzzah!