Marvel’s Agent Carter Review 1×01 “Now is Not the End”

Hayley Atwell shines as Agent Carter jumps out of the gate strong. Just the right balance of action, humor, heart and mystery kick off this lively eight-episode event with a bang. 

Agent Carter — It’s 1946 and the world has settled into an uneasy peace. Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) is still haunted by the past and stuck in a present that neither values nor appreciates her contributions to the fall of Hydra and winning the war. Though still solidly in the espionage game as an Agent for the SSR (Strategic Scientific Reserve), Peggy finds herself unable to escape the heartache of losing Captain Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and fighting an uphill battle for respect amongst her male peers. What’s a woman to do when she’s lost the love of her life, her circle of trusted allies and the sense of purpose that comes with knowing actions she takes every day can potentially save the world? In the case of Peggy Carter, the answer is to forge her own path—one no man or woman may have embarked upon before. When Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) is accused of treason and selling his most deadly weapon designs on the open market, he turns to Peggy to secretly clear his name while Agent Jack Thompson (Chad Michael Murray), Agent Daniel Sousa (Enver Gjokaj) and Chief Roger Dooley (Shea Whigham) at the SSR work tirelessly to prove his guilt.

RELATED | Marvel’s Agent Carter Review 1×02 “Bridge and Tunnel”

Aided by Stark’s loyal butler, Edwin Jarvis (James D’Arcy), Peggy launches her own clandestine investigation and must outwit both her daytime SSR counterparts and dangerous enemies Leet Brannis (James Frain) and the man in the green suit (James Landry Hébert) to uncover the truth. If caught, Peggy could be branded a traitor by her co-workers or worse by her enemies. When a lead on a powerful implosive Stark weapon is uncovered, Peggy relies on her wit, strength and tenacity to stop the mysterious voiceless criminals determined to steal the catastrophic weapon for their own purposes. As danger and death strike perilously close to her, Peggy must decide who she can trust and what sacrifices she is willing to make to both find and destroy Stark’s deadly weapons before they fall into the wrong hands. With so many juicy threads that weave in and out of each other, let’s dive straight into the details of the pulse-pounding and explosive premiere of Agent Carter!

Nearly every enemy and ally make one critical mistake—they all underestimate Peggy Carter. 

From the opening scenes that ended Captain America: The First Avenger with the emotional sacrifice of Steve Rogers through the series opening credits with Peggy Carter in a dazzling red hat and blue coat amongst the sea of gray to the climatic and action-packed end, Hayley Atwell simply stands out.

Peggy is strong, independent and smart, but not at the expense of her heart. Incredible praise goes to Hayley Atwell and Captain America writers and series creators Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely for finding that delicate balance between Peggy’s ability to lower the physical boom on the bad guys and yet touch us emotionally without either feeling out of place. They are both simply part of who she is at her core and are done so well that it would actually feel odd if she weren’t both.

Ironically Peggy might be better suited for the world Steve found himself in 70 years later. She’s a woman and agent ahead of her time in 1946. She’s assertive, tough and tenacious. But throughout the premiere all her strengths only served to highlight how remarkable an Agent Peggy is during a time when most viewed women as inferior. She isn’t afraid to make bold choices or do the right thing.

Howard, you’re asking me to become a traitor in order to prove you are “not” one. You do see the irony? ~ Carter

Come on, Peg. I know they’re not using you right over there. You want a mission that matters? This is it. ~ Stark

Stark is the only person that ignores her gender and respects Peggy for the remarkable person she is, but even he has his flaws and vices. Though brilliant he certainly is cocky and at times reckless. The writers and series producers have taken a bold line by which Peggy is measured against almost all the men that surround her and they all fall short either intellectually, emotionally or both. Either by their own arrogance or by sheer ignorance, Peggy stands head and shoulders above every one of them save Edwin Jarvis and glimpses of Daniel Sousa. And although both men see the inequity Peggy faces and admire her spirit in defiance of it, both, for the moment, still “see” her through lenses of 1946.

As the premiere progressed, Jarvis is the first to follow Stark’s lead and treat Peggy as the equal she is. It’s our hope that others follow. And those that don’t—are ultimately dispatched, put in their place regularly or left behind. After all, every male enemy she faced in the premiere paid her more respect than her peers, but still paid the price. Never underestimate Peggy Carter. When push comes to shove, she will outsmart you, kick your ass or quite possibly both.

Chemistry between Jarvis and Carter gelled quickly. James D’Arcy and Hayley Atwell are going to be fun to watch for the next six weeks. 

The methodical, proper butler with a schedule for everything and the headstrong agent willing to roll the dice and follow her gut to stop the bad guys at all costs—the perfect pair right? Actually, yes. The odd couple of Jarvis and Carter was hinted in the series synopsis but the real thing was gold. So many times the roles have been reversed. The male lead slugs his way through enemies and wins the day, but couldn’t do it without the resourceful, if not shy and brilliant assist from the woman in his world.

When we see Peggy early on humorously calling Jarvis for advice on how to stop Stark’s device from exploding and his resourceful answer in between tasks in the kitchen—we realize this series is different. The pattern is broken and the flipped vision of these two working together is fresh and new. As the final sequences of each hour unfolds, it’s Jarvis as the helpful sidekick to Carter the capable agent.

The brilliant part of both is that neither character is marginalized as solely weak or strong. They are both capable of strength and tenderness without compromising the core of who they are. Peggy is a woman who embraces her femininity, yet is incredibly resourceful and impeccably strong when faced with adversity. Jarvis is a man who embraces the noir style of the period, yet is unapologetically sensitive and capable of great empathy and caring for others.

As these two build respect for one another, the interaction is comedic and emotional genius. The tenuous relationship early eases into a trust and comes to fruition in an emotional scene where the two sit back to back in separate restaurant booths to avoid attention as they discuss their next moves. Peggy, emotional over the loss of her roommate to the Green Suit and wondering if what they are doing is all worth it, is reassured, in part, by Jarvis.

You were trying to do something good, and I believe you accomplished it. ~ Jarvis

But was it worth it? ~ Carter

I don’t think we’ll know that until the job is truly done. ~ Jarvis

D’Arcy and Atwell are masterful in their subtle emotions during this scene where neither lay eyes on each other. The two share emotion and respect through only their words to each other. Neither can see exactly how the other is emotionally moved by the conversation, but both seem to know. As Jarvis expresses his admiration for her and confidence, he’s a comfort to Peggy.

She is still unsure who to trust and who to let in to her life out of fear they will get hurt, but he seems to grasp that in her. Both share in the emotion as he tenderly hands her a handkerchief over his shoulder. This scene was simply great writing, great performances and a touching moment that reminded us of the balance Peggy and Jarvis share. They aren’t one-dimensional characters with only one role and only one box they fit within. They are complex and have plenty of room to grow as this series progresses.

By the time the first hour ends, Peggy feels a confidence about what she’s doing and a building trust for Jarvis, but as an audience, we’re conflicted. We know Jarvis and Stark are keeping secrets from Peggy and when those come to light, what will they mean for the budding trust between Peggy and Jarvis? We have no idea, but with the subtle bond these two characters share so carefully laid out, we’re both eager and apprehensive to see what happens next.

This series appears poised to flip the script on how women were perceived in 1946 every chance it gets. And we loved every minute of it.

Let’s face it, Peggy Carter eats stereotypes for breakfast. We didn’t miss the irony of Peggy’s use of the stapler and oven as weapons. Flipping gender stereotypes may be one way this series will excel. That’s not to say that Peggy is beyond using her femininity. Like any good agent, she is willing to use nearly every tool in her repertoire to get the job done. That may make Peggy ultimately the best agent in her office. She simply has more tools at her disposal than any of the men around her.

The chauvinistic nature of her fellow agents was broadcast loud and clear. Chad Michael Murray and Shea Whigham were both brilliant playing their roles as Agent Jack Thompson and Chief Rogher Dooley respectively to fit the era. We think we’re going to love hating them, but suspect they may be deeper than they first appear. We weren’t sure what at all to expect from the fellow agents. Seeing these two fall so clearly in the macho-arrogant camp of characters brought a realism to this period piece and an extra bit of fist-pumping whenever Peggy outwitted them.

In the final white-knuckle sequence where Leet Brannis escapes the Roxxon factory with a milk truck full of explosives and Peggy narrowly escapes with her life with the help of Jarvis, we get the sense that the real Peggy Carter is still the woman of action she was during the war. She’s simply suppressed that side of herself. She’s worked to fit into the role society expects of women at a time when men returning from war cast women aside after they toiled so heavily to build and grow a nation while the men were away.

It will be interesting to see what role Peggy plays in the rising frustration of women in 1946. A society that begged of women’s help has turned a blind eye once many of the men, who were completely oblivious to the roles women adopted in their absence, returned to the work force. No where was this influence by Peggy more evident than when she stands up to a belligerent customer with a fork in hand on behalf of her friend, waitress Angie Martinelli (Lyndsy Fonseca).

Oh! Just so we’re clear, this is pressed into your brachial artery. It may be dull, but I’m determined. Keep smiling.

Once you start to bleed, you’ll lose consciousness in 15 seconds.You’ll die in 90 unless someone comes to your aid. Now, given your recent behavior, how likely do you think that is to happen?

To prevent this not entirely unfortunate event from occurring, I’d suggest you find a new place to eat. Do we understand each other? ~ Carter

As Peggy exits the restaurant, a small, confident smile slides across her face as she slips on her shades and walks into the sun of the day. Peggy Carter once again has purpose. The risks are great, but saving the world one day at a time is reward enough for her.

FINAL VERDICT: Peggy Carter is forging new territory for the MCU. Far from filler, this dynamic premiere established Agent Carter as top-notch entertainment. Thrills, laughs, mystery and heart make this debut a resounding success.  

Hayley Atwell sparkled as Agent Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger. Audiences loved her tough exterior, tenacious spirit and men wilted when she locked eyes with Steve Rogers. We cried with her when the love of her life sacrificed himself to save so many others. As quickly as she entered our hearts and consciousness, she became a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) memory when Steve Rogers found himself in the distant future—a man out of time and out of place. Audiences clamored for some sense of an ending for Peggy. Surely something positive would come between her loss of Steve and when the world found him again 70 years later.

Enter Agent Carter. We’ve seen glimpses of Peggy in the Marvel One Shot that inspired this series and in flashbacks from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but this is her continued story finally told. Marvel has always fostered strong female characters in it’s comic universe. The MCU has introduced many to the masses. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) and Gamora (Zoe Saldana) to name a few.

But none of those strong female characters were the central focus. Until Agent Carter. Peggy Carter is a pioneer in the world of the MCU. She is the first female lead. The person about which the story revolves. This is her story and any reservations that Hayley Atwell might not be up to the task of carrying a series—were cast aside in a blink during the strong debut. In short, Peggy Carter is the heroine we’ve been waiting for in the MCU. One who finally stands on her own.

Much praise should be given to all the producers and especially writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely for delivering a strong female oriented story full of humor, charm, wit and standout performances. As the writers of both the Captain America movies and series creators, their contribution was invaluable to delivering fantastic quality and continuity. Hayley Atwell delivered an outstanding opening with an incredible range of demands. From emotion to action and even multiple accents she delivered big. She carried the weight of this series like the pro she is and we’re looking forward to seeing more sides of Peggy as her story progresses.

The involvement of Director Louis D’Esposito who also directed the Agent Carter One Shot upon which the series is based and has acted as Executive Producer on a number of the MCU films was another vital element of success. He took all the components and set the stage exceptionally well for the next six weeks. This episode clicked on all cylinders and it left us relieved that a second episode would immediately follow. We wanted more right away—and ABC obliged.

RELATED | Marvel’s Agent Carter Review 1×02 “Bridge and Tunnel”

In short, the Agent Carter debut rocked and it’s clear that this is NOT just filler material while waiting for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to return. It’s cinematic level of quality is evident from the opening to the end and if that level lasts all eight episodes, we’ll be clamoring for more. All this leads to one undeniable fact. Peggy Carter is emerging as an A-List character. It’s about time a woman did that in the MCU. In a world dominated by the men of her profession, Peggy Carter is the one making strides and ultimately on the right track towards exposing an unknown enemy while the SSR is focused squarely on Howard Stark.

As the clues that tie Peggy’s secret involvement mount, it will be interesting to see how well she is able to dodge her co-workers continuously without being caught. Will Peggy have done enough to clear Stark’s name and prove herself capable when the time comes? Will her peers surprise us and recognize her as an exceptional agent or will everything fall apart? Time will tell, but one thing is for certain, this show will continue to challenge the thinking of 1946 and 2015 and be highly entertaining while doing it. There is no doubt that despite the time period, Peggy is a role model for all women and girls watching today and if the strong writing and development continues, that’s only going to get better as Agent Carter entertains us over the next six weeks.

Questions, Comments, Concerns and My Reaction on Twitter…

• It ain’t life or death. Darling, you have no idea. I love #AgentCarter already. And love that HAT! Whoo!
• What kind of things are that? The alphabet? Let’s start with things that begin with A. HAHAHA
• Uh oh. Clandestine meeting.
• Watch out Jarvis. She packs a punch.
• You’re new to espionage aren’t you? You might have to learn a thing or two there Jarvis.
• Ladies things .. Undercover, espionage a brawl or two. Things you guys wouldn’t

  understand. lol

• Hell of a kiss. If @HayleyAtwell kissed me #IdPassOutToo
• #CrikeyOReilly should be a thing. Let’s make that happen.
• Damn!!! Putting those “secretarial” skills to work there Peggy? Dude got stapled.
• Maybe we shouldn’t have spent all that time changing our clothes? lol
• Commercial right there with a gun to the back of her head?? In the words of Trip “Oh hell no!”
• I’d been wallowing in it since the war. I grabbed the chance and mucked it up. Wow. #HeartAche
• I can’t find my leg anywhere. If you make Peggy smile, you win me over.
• So far, Peggy is breaking the stereotype. She’s used everything in the kitchen and office to kick ass.
• Uh oh. Big room with things that go boom. That’s not good AT ALL.
• Damn. We gotta teach Jarvis how this secret spy stuff works. #RadioSilence dude.
• Did he say Leviathan is coming? Who? What? Huh??
• Why didn’t he stop her? Cause they are still pulling staples outta his face. He met Peggy. Wasn’t good for him.
• Boy that bomb absolutely blows and then sucks beyond belief. Building? What building?
• Agent Carter rocks!