Marvel’s Agent Carter Review 1×04 “The Blitzkrieg Button”

With so many twists, turns and fantastic performances, Agent Carter is turning out to be a Tuesday night, lights-out, guilty pleasure.

Agent Carter — When Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) is smuggled back into town by a greedy Otto Mink (Gregory Sporleder), Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) finds her efforts to clear his name more complicated than ever. Unfortunately for her, The Griffith is the only safe place for him to hide. Evading the watchful eyes of the SSR during the day and the chastity championing Miriam Fry (Meagan Fay) at night, Peggy must use all her skill to keep Howard hidden, protect her neighbors from his virtue-robbing advances and help him steal from the SSR one of his most dangerous weapons, the Blitzkrieg Button. Meanwhile, Chief Roger Dooley (Shea Whigham) travels to Germany to interrogate Colonel Mueller (Jack Conley), a German officer who fought in the battle of Finow where both Leet Brannis (James Frain) and Sasha Demidov (James Landry Hébert) were originally reported dead. Determined to learn how these two Russians are connected with the stolen Stark tech, Dooley surprised to find that no battle was ever fought. Instead, the mystery only deepens. The Germans found piles of bodies at Finow, ripped apart by someone unknown.

RELATED | Marvel’s Agent Carter Review 1×03 “Time and Tide”

With Dooley away, Agent Jack Thompson (Chad Michael Murray) relentlessly pushes the SSR and doesn’t cease to wear on Peggy and Agent Daniel Sousa (Enver Gjokaj) along the way. As Sousa and Thompson interrogate a witness having seen a well dressed man and woman enter and leave the ship with the Stark tech, Peggy slips in to swap the Blitzkrieg Button with a fake provided by Howard only to have her suspicions confirmed. The Blitzkrieg Button is not what Howard claims. Instead, it contains one small, vial of blood. When Howard admits it’s Steve’s (Chris Evans) and can be used to save countless people in the right hands, an angry and emotional Peggy decks him for not entrusting her with the truth. The ensuing argument leaves both a betrayed Peggy and a disgusted Jarvis (James D’Arcy) at odds with Howard despite his intent to protect her. Meanwhile, Otto Mink, double-crossed by Stark, tracks Peggy in order to exact revenge. Before he can confront them, Dottie Underwood (Bridget Regan) eyes his unique pepperbox pistol and subdues him in a swift wall-walking, two-legged takedown. Dottie, like so many others on this show, is not who she seems. All the events of this week are beginning to paint the picture of a much larger mystery and are sure to leave a lasting mark. Let’s wade in swinging and sort through this week’s clues and fallout!

The world sees Howard Stark and Peggy Carter differently than they see each other. His swagger and her spunk clash beautifully on screen.

The return of Howard Stark under clandestine circumstances was a welcome change after the somber murder of Ray Krzeminski (Kyle Bornheimer). Despite his faults, his death was a punch in the gut to everyone and has only served to heighten the SSR’s resolve to squeeze the guilt from Stark one way or the other. Though not forgotten, that dark cloud was lifted a bit by the cavalier swagger and snide humor that follows Howard almost as faithfully as he chases skirts. As much as we’ve enjoyed Hayley Atwell and James D’Arcy on their own, Dominic Cooper brings an extra helping of eye-rolling humor and surprising seriousness all in one talented package.

Cooper was a tremendous get for Agent Carter and what would have been a good series regardless is even better with his presence. We give him high marks for his performance in The Blitzkrieg Button. His entrance and quick exit in the opening episode left us with a slightly forced and cameo feel that was lacking, but Cooper made up for it in spades in this fourth episode of the series. Between his charming sarcasm, his wandering libido antics and his seemingly genuine remorse for keeping Peggy in the dark to his real intentions, we were treated to the Howard Stark we enjoyed so much from Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger. Even better, we were allowed to see deeper into his world.

Though he puts on a show to the public and the ladies in semi-private, the very human interactions between Howard and Peggy grounded this episode amidst it’s humor and shocking twists. The overwhelming emotion by both of them during the reveal of Steve’s (Chris Evans) blood as the true reason for his return was palpable. It’s a joy to watch two immensely talented actors such as Cooper and Atwell play off one another with such sharpness and realism in a world full of the fantastic. Peggy’s betrayed tears were real. And Howard’s dejected understanding he’d wronged the one person that has taken a huge leap of faith to help him was equal to the emotion of the moment.

“You know, I believe that sample SR-53, that blood, Captain America’s blood, holds the key to vaccines, medications, possibly even a cure for the common cold. Steve Rogers may not still be with us, but he can still save millions of people.” ~ Howard

“And how many millions of dollars are you set to make? What the hell do you think of me? I think you’re a man out for his own gain no matter who you’re charging.” ~ Peggy

“Steve Rogers dedicated his mind, his body, his life to the SSR and to this country, not to your bank account. I made the same pledge, but I’m not as good as Steve was. I forgot my pledge running around for you like a corporate spy. So thank you, Howard, for reminding me who Steve was and what I aspire to be. For all I know, you did steal your inventions.” ~ Peggy

Howard isn’t the infallible and romanticized celebrity to Peggy that he is to so many. He’s a man, a genius and far from perfect. We suppose once you’ve swooned over the desperate kiss of Captain Steve Rogers, few things can impress a woman. But her truthful view of him makes the dynamic between these two characters rich to watch. Ironically, neither of them looks at the other the way the world does. Peggy is realistic in her approach to Howard like no one else is and he respects her completely in a world where no one else does. The brilliance of the episode’s writing by Brant Englestein was showing us those two views without letting the two of them see it just yet in each other. We have a feeling that payoff will come, but for the moment we as an audience have the advantage of knowing a bit that neither of them do.

Chad Michael Murray has made us believe Agent Jack Thompson is a solid, complex and unlikable character, but it’s the finer points where he’s really shined.

Chad Michael Murray has emerged as a conundrum in Agent Carter. That’s a fantastic compliment to his growth and skill as an actor. Those that categorized him in the past solely as the romantic and soulful lead for his good looks and boyish charm are at a loss whether to love or hate him as Agent Jack Thompson. That has to make Murray smile. No actor wants to be placed in box.

Known for his roles in One Tree Hill, Gillmore Girls and romantic comedies such as Cinderella Story, Murray has almost always portrayed characters that were very much black or white at their moral center. At first glance, Thompson would appear to be the same. A dedicated, tough and smart agent with a rough edge, an intolerance for weakness and a callous and insensitive nature, Thompson would seem to be the exact opposite of the romantic dream. It’s in the small subtle things the writing team has done for Thompson, and that Murray has brought vividly to life, that we see glimpses of a much deeper texture to this character.

Thompson may be the most difficult character to pin down as exactly one thing or another on Agent Carter. One minute we’re ready to deck him for lowering Peggy to simply ordering lunch and for bluntly reminding her that she will never be seen as an equal by any man, but then he will surprise us in the very next moment by reminding us it’s a shame she’s seen that way.

“You’re trying to hide something, Peggy. And the only one you’re fooling is you.” ~ Thompson

“And what’s that, Agent Thompson? The natural order of the universe?” ~ Peggy

“You’re a woman. No man will ever consider you an equal. It’s sad, but it doesn’t make it any less true.” ~ Thompson

“[Sighs] I can always come to you for the truth.” ~ Peggy

While some may have interpreted that second statement as simply a continued sarcastic indictment of Peggy’s place in society, Murray has achieved something special with those moments—ambiguity without confusion. How much of the Thompson we “don’t” see believes it’s truly wrong the way Peggy is treated and what part of him is just fine with things as they are? The looks on his face don’t completely tell us. We may never know, but it’s been fun to watch Thompson be a vehicle for Murray breaking the mold in which he’s so often been cast.

Thompson gets and gives the same subtly in his interaction with Sousa during the interrogation of the dock witness. Admittedly, Sousa is a bit naive. His heartfelt outpouring to obtain a bit of information is met with near ridicule by Thompson and a slap by the witness himself. But Thompson did listen to Sousa’s sensible point—that if the witness had seen nothing, he’d have already admitted it.

Sousa is a good agent. But Thompson is a more worldly and seasoned one that sees the darkness in people which Sousa has yet to admit exists. Understanding the motivation of drink and food to get the information would have tempted us to despise Thompson once again, had it not demonstrated his savvy as an agent and led to his acknowledgement that Sousa had a good nose and found something no one else did. Again we’re conflicted. In the open, he insults Sousa, but in private, he delivers a gesture of respect and acknowledgement. Which is the real Thompson?

Through four episodes, we’ve seen the callous worst of Thompson and it’s hinted that his war experience was a brutal one and may have shaped some of his rough exterior. We’ve also seen glimpses of the more human side of him too. One he’s loath to show very often, but in which we find ourselves wondering who the real Thompson is on the inside.

Creating characters that bring about that level of realism and ambiguity through shades of gray is something all actors strive for when building their roles. We’re conflicted where to place Murray’s portrayal of Thompson. Dedicated and savvy agent? Arrogant and callous ass? Haunted and damaged veteran? The answer is likely “yes” and we’re looking forward to seeing which elements continue to emerge as the second half of Agent Carter unfolds. That thought must have Murray smiling indeed.

We love a juicy mystery and Agent Carter is brewing a good one.

If there’s one area Agent Carter has excelled without proper fanfare, it’s the exceptional writing and countless outstanding performances that have revealed twists and turns we never expected. This fourth episode, written by Brant Englestein was riddled with moments that succeeded in leading us in one direction and then counterpunching with an unexpected surprise immediately after. The brilliance of these moments has been their ability lure us into a false sense of confidence by showing us elements that are obvious and then smack us with a counter that both has teeth and leaves us scratching our heads. Those qualities are the mark of a good mystery and we’re sucked completely in after four episodes.

Case in point—we all suspected there was more to Howard’s return, but his convincing story about the Blitzkrieg Button was heartfelt and we bought it right along with Peggy. It was Jarvis that gave away something was up. We admire the writing team for not letting Peggy take being used and kept in the dark lying down. When it’s revealed that the real play all along was recovering Steve’s blood, we’d have likely decked Stark as well. 107 one-armed push ups leaves a mark Howard.

With the entire episode hinging on the impending destruction of Manhattan and the Tri-State Area, we learn in a twist that something much more mysterious is afoot. Steve’s blood could indeed do a world of good just as Howard said. As laser-focused as the plot has been on this show, very little is left unconnected. So we also suspect that it’s somehow related to the bloody massacre at Finow during the “battle that wasn’t” with bodies piled up and ripped apart.

“No German fought any Russian at Finow. What we found can only be described as a massacre Bodies piled high and ripped apart. Whoever attacked them was long gone.” ~ Colonel Mueller

“Yeah, I’m having trouble stomaching your story.” ~ Chief Dooley

“I’ve killed many people; men, women and children. No person died by German hands at Finow.” ~ Colonel Mueller

With the hint that Howard visited Finow the day after, things are certainly connected in ways we haven’t yet seen. Are elements of Hydra, the mysterious Leviathan and others all converging on the secrets that led to the creation of the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) and Steve Rogers? It’s mentioned in The Avengers that many have attempted to replicate the elusive super soldier serum and it may be that the events in Agent Carter are the beginning of a collision course with those that would seek to twist that serum into a deadly weapon. The many questions are another element of a good mystery brewing.

The last few minutes of this episode certainly stirred the mystery pot. From the moment Bridget Regan was cast, the speculation began about the nature of her character. Would we see her put her fighting skills to the test as she did in Legend of the Seeker or White Collar? Or was that simply a ruse to keep us guessing? While we don’t know much more after this episode, we know one thing for certain. Ballet in Iowa must be much different from what we thought.

We have no idea where Dottie fits into the grand scheme of things, but who she is and how all these mysteries connect has us asking questions. The writing, including Brant Englestein’s in this episode, has been stellar. The four episodes thus far have felt very much like one tight, narrative. Wit and humor have kept things light and the show hasn’t shied away from darkness where the story has needed it. Mysteries are piling up like bodies at Finow. Sousa is creeping closer and closer to discovering Peggy and Chief Dooley may be about to learn a bit more about Leviathan after the magic typewriter fired up at the end. What does all this mean? We’ll only get those questions answered by watching to find out. Mark that as a notch on the belt of the writing team. We’re hooked and want to see more.

FINAL VERDICT: We get the feeling Agent Carter is setting the stage for so much yet to come in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The mythology of Iron Man and Captain America is much more connected than we thought. Simply put, is there a better time to be a Marvel fan?

Through all it’s charms as a period piece, it’s the twists and subtle mysteries surrounding the motives and identities of the characters in Agent Carter that have been the most compelling. Director Stephen Cragg and Writer Brant Englestein crafted a wonderfully intricate fourth episode filed with emotion, twists and turns. Everything flowed well and the characters’ decisions and motives felt, for the most part, fluidly real. Hayley Atwell and Dominic Cooper deserve tremendous praise for their very humanizing scenes and Chad Michael Murray is certainly growing into his own with this rich material.

RELATED | Marvel’s Agent Carter Review 1×03 “Time and Tide”

If the episode had any flaws, it was in the over-the-top behavior of Otto Mink. Granted, we loved the pepperbox gun, but the swift killing of his minions felt excessive for a character that ultimately didn’t turn out to be Leviathan related. We may yet learn more about Mink in the future, but his quest for vengeance over $50K seemed the only element of this episode that felt out of place. Granted, not knowing he wasn’t Leviathan from the beginning left us wondering if he may be. Perhaps his arc will be better understood as the series draws to a close, but if the last we see of Mink is his shocked expression under Dottie’s bed, we’ll be left feeling his role was bit overplayed.

Otto Mink did serve one invaluable role. In the stunning events that led to his infiltrating The Griffin to get to Peggy and Dottie’s blur of acrobatics in subduing him in the hall before he could do so, we learned that Dottie is more than she seems. If we never do hear from Mink again, he did at least give us that reveal and it left us asking why Dottie would protect Peggy. Is she evil and protecting her mark to achieve a larger goal? Is she good and looking out for Peggy in secret? We have no clue. We do know that poor Mink worked so hard to achieve what Houdini couldn’t, only to meet an untimely end at Dottie’s wall-climbing wizardry that would have made Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) proud.

As this episode unfolded, it’s easy to see how Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) would become the less-than-serious, womanizing, philanthropic, billionaire genius by following in his father’s footsteps. While the father and son similarities were certainly fun to watch, it’s the differences that make Howard interesting. It’s been obvious from the beginning that Tony was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies have chipped away at that brash exterior to humanize him, but through Agent Carter, we finally get a glimpse of the opposite from Howard. The son of a farmer and factory worker, Howard’s upbringing was harsh by comparison. Howard has worked hard to achieve all he has and feels the stakes of losing it all perhaps more vividly than his son ever will.

Establishing a mythology and history for the MCU may be part of the reason it was so compelling for Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, writers of all three Captain America films, to create Agent Carter and delve into the history of this world we’ve enjoyed so much on the big screen. If we ever get the chance, we’ll ask them that very question. With the upcoming Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron set to spiral the MCU into a darker tone and that trend continuing with the third Captain America film, Civil War, that will pit Captain America against Tony Stark, we can’t help but think that there will be a certain level of continuity with Agent Carter sowing the seeds that will later blossom into potential differences between Tony and Steve that has had so many hard-core comic fans and casual viewers alike excited. Both of those superhero characters are rooted here and things that shaped them are likely unfolding before us on the small screen. It’s definitely a good time to be a fan of the superhero genera.

Like his son encounters later, Howard Stark’s genius has him dabbling in things that few mortal men have grappled with and lived. That genius is both his greatest attribute and perhaps will be his ultimate undoing. We can only hope that his motives are genuinely honorable. Something deep down tells us they are, despite the disgust he riles from both Peggy and Jarvis for lying and sidestepping to keep his most dangerous secrets from those that would do real harm to the world. The irony is that no matter how this series plays out, his son may be doomed to repeat history on a much more horrific scale when an unleashed Ultron shows the world that we all create the thing we dread. What lessons will Howard learn the hard way that might have prevented the hubris in Tony that may cost so dearly if only Howard had lived to guide his son? We are rooting for Agent Carter to show us. After all, it’s all connected isn’t it? We do know one thing for certain, we’ll be tuning in the next four weeks to find out!

Questions, Comments, Concerns and My Reaction on Twitter…

• Stan Lee cameo tonight!
• I feel a Peggy Ass-Kickin coming for Jimmy.
• It’s not extrortion..it’s a shakedown! Hahaha!!
• “Ah the Griffith. How is Miriam?” ~ Howard. Figures. lol
• Ha! Howard doesn’t waste any time finding Peggy’s neighbors! lol.
• Well, at least she had the lunch orders part correct about Thompson.
• These are the “eggheads” that will figure out Stark’s tech? I fear for our country. lol
• He bought a girl..and five guys. 6! They beat the snot out us! (Yeah .. that sounds better) lol
• Cap has his Shield—Sousa has his “crutch” I think everyone underestimating him is gonna be shocked a some point. @EnverGjokaj
• Helen of the no pants. What does Stark have .. a magic potion?? @dominiccoop
• “The first ten probably aren’t suitable for you to see.” ~ Howard. Stark is so much fun on this show.
• “Why is your mustache so sad?” ~ Peggy. “I need you to steal one of them back.” ~ Howard. Uh oh. @HayleyAtwell @dominiccoop
• Ha! Ironic the secret agent is the only one without a secret vittles pocket. lol
• Thompson may be an ass. But he IS an effective agent. @ChadMMurray @EnverGjokaj
• “I’ll help you escape.” ~ Chief Dooley. What did he mean by that??
• Jarvis. You have a “tell” when you lie buddy. It’s a little obvious. And Peggy knows it. @HayleyAtwell
• “NO man will every see you as an equal.” ~ Thompson. Okay. Maybe Thompson is just a supreme ass. @ChadMMurray
• “It’s a shame.” ~ Thompson. Okay, maybe not. I dunno?
• Yep. I’d have punched Stark too. Maybe more than once.
• “The only way to break through that ceiling is to lie. It’s my natural inclination to lie. “ ~ Howard. Least he’s honest. lol @dominiccoop
• WTF did we just see!! @BridgetRegan
• Okay. Next time I hear #WantThat I’m backing up.
• WhooHoo! @RealStanLee sighting!
• Everything is all well & good until the magic typewriter starts up on it own!!