Marvel: Subverting Disney Innocence Since 2014.
A return to the rip-roaring action of the first few episodes, along with some surprising characterization revelations and the further unraveling of the overall myth arc, equals quite possibly the finest hour of the miniseries we’ve gotten thus far.
The Story So Far
The investigation into Howard Stark supposedly betraying America by selling weapons to hostile forces is turned upside down by several new developments, which include the re-emergence of Stark in New York. He tasked Peggy to retrieve a device that could shut down an entire city with the press of the button. However, the true intent of the “device” is discovered by Peggy, who is none too happy that Stark has somehow gotten a sample of Steve Rogers’ blood. This is enough for Peggy to break off all ties with Stark and his butler, Edwin Jarvis. Meanwhile, new neighbor Dottie Underwood definitely hiding something, as she was seen killing a would-be saboteur looking for Peggy.
Analysis (WARNING: Full Spoilers Ahead!)
This week, we’re introduced to a Russian all-girls school where young girls are trained to become killers through subliminal suggestion and literal death matches. This school is all but confirmed to be the infamous Red Room that spawned the Black Widow – the show itself never uses either of the two names, but it certainly didn’t stop promotional trailers (and fans, for that matter) from making that connection for us. The introduction of this element also brings further elaboration into the true motives of one Dottie Underwood, who showed a brutally beautiful side in last week’s chapter. We learn that she was one of the students of the Russian school, picking up bizarre behavior such as handcuffing herself to bed when going to sleep along the way. We then subsequently see her sneaking into Peggy’s room at the Griffith after having stolen her keys in an earlier conversation, taking not only some pictures of Howard Stark’s inventions, but also Peggy’s treasured picture of Steve Rogers. What Dottie’s plans are for the Stark invention pictures and her snooping around Carter’s room is left for another day, but it could very well figure into what happens in next week’s episode (we’ll get into that later).
While things on the home front are looking like they’re about to boil over, Peggy is given a mission to accompany an SSR squadron to Russia in order to find a new lead on the supposed Stark conspiracy and the Leviathan organization’s role in it – and even then, it’s only because of her connections to the Howling Commandos that she’s allowed to come along, and not due to any sort of actual merit that the SSR superiors may see in Carter.
Yes, the Howling Commandos – though with Morita, Falsworth, Dernier, and Jones notably absent – drop by to kick some ass and take names. Our old pal “Dum Dum” Dugan is joined by some familiar Howlers from the comics such as Percival “Pinky” Pinkerton and “Happy” Sam Sawyer among them. It’s always a treat to see Neal McDonough don the Bowler hat and tonight’s Carter appearance is no exception. His interactions with Peggy and the rest are a welcomed presence that helps bring certain levity to the Russian mission storyline. It’s pretty much like reuniting with old friends and sharing moments with them.
The Finnau story and its greater relevance to Howard Stark’s supposed betrayal of the United States also begins to be further unspooled, with Chief Dooley even beginning to see that everything about the story just might not exactly add up. These past few episodes have helped make Dooley feel less of an arbitrary “authority” character only there to issue orders to his subordinates, as evidenced by his continued private investigating into the Stark conspiracy, his mourning over Krzeminski’s death, and eventual praising of Carter’s efforts in helping the Russia mission be somewhat of a success for the SSR. He even shows certain concern on not wanting to be the one who sent a woman to die in Russia when initially rejecting Carter’s desires to join the team heading to Russia. These developments help to humanize Dooley into a character we should pay at least some attention to.
Speaking of humanizing certain characters, tonight’s episode shows us a side of one Agent Jack Thompson that takes him beyond the rather cartoonish chauvinist character portrayal we’ve seen of him thus far. Here, “The Iron Ceiling” shows that there was a darker side to his war hero story, revealing that he had shot surrendering Japanese soldiers, then buried the white flag they waved to avoid any potential persecution. It’s a much-needed unraveling of the man we once saw as some uber-macho SSR agent who opted to deal with interrogations in a brutal manner, further punctuated by Thompson’s PTSD kicking in during a firefight with enemy forces in Russia. It’s definitely not unusual for a man haunted by taking lives to put up a brave face and exhibit a display of machismo to compensate for it, especially in post-war 1940s America. With that in mind, one can certainly see why Thompson would treat others the way he does, especially in light of the new information brought out into the open here. There’s no doubt that this could represent a character shift for Thompson, one that’s apparently starting to show by episode’s end when he offers Carter to come join him for a drink. Credit to episode writer Jose Molina for crafting a backstory for Thompson that allows for the audience to feel sympathy for someone who not long ago was one we loved to hate for his boorish behavior. It’s certainly a stark contrast to the man who rudely brushed off Carter in last week’s chapter, isn’t it?
Agent Daniel Sousa’s personal arc into investigating the blonde-haired woman seen at the bar from the first episode reaches its logical conclusion with Sousa finally putting two and two together and finding out that Peggy was the blonde-haired woman in question. Sousa’s arc served the purpose of giving him something to do, but it also helps him become more of a character than just “that one-legged guy with the crutch who’s Peggy’s friend at the SSR”. It reveals an inquisitive nature to Sousa, showing him as someone committed to his work and not resting until he gets it done.
Striking the right balance between “action” and “story”, this week’s Agent Carter chapter stands as the best that’s been delivered thus far, and one that shows the benefit of the miniseries format to build characterization early on and either successfully deconstructing or reconstructing it to flesh out the dramatis personae of the story. An eight-episode window easily allows for both the story and the characters that make up said story to become something more.
Grade: 9.0/10
Quick Hits
- First with Pinocchio’s “Strings” song being used as the primary leitmotif for Avengers: Age of Ultron, now the use of Snow White as part of the Black Widow indoctrination program for young Russian girls. Marvel’s really going all out in (ab)using their Disney synergy to its true, creepy potential.
- A sort-of Marvel/DC crossover played out with John Glover, better known as Lionel Luthor from Smallville¸ making a cameo as an interrogatee of Chief Dooley.
- There was very little Jarvis this week and no Angie at all (or any of the usual suspects from the Griffith, for that matter), but given the magnitude of the episode’s man story taking the important SSR players to Russia for a good spell, it was probably for the best.
- On that note, there was also lack of the 1940s music backing certain scenes like in previous episodes, no doubt probably due to the more action-heavy story given to us this week.
- And speaking of Angie, the revelation of Dottie’s dark side and ulterior motives likely means that our favorite friend of Peggy’s is on the up-and-up.
- Russian POW: “Not bad for a girl.” Carter: “I hate you all.”
- Admit it, “Miss Union Jack” is a swell Howling Commandos-style nickname for Peggy.
- A housekeeping note: With Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s return looming closer in early March, should we dedicate a special edition of this weekly recap to get you all up to speed for the March 3rd premiere? Let me know.
Next Week
Thanks a lot, ABC/CTV promo guys, for ruining the fact that Peggy’s newfound appreciation from the SSR seemingly drops faster than an S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. Is there more to this? Maybe, we’ll see. But for now, hit me up on Twitter @MarcQuill to engage about this week’s Carter goings-on and beyond.