Marvel’s Agent Carter Review 1×08 “Valediction”

Agent Carter finished its season with an action-packed, emotional roller coaster that left us wanting more. The world, and the MCU, will simply be a better place with more Peggy and Jarvis in it.

Agent Carter — Midnight Oil, as Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) calls it, intended as a drug to keep soldiers awake for days, is a horrific failure that causes hallucinations, psychosis and murderous violence. With 47 dead in a theater and Agent Sousa (Enver Gjokaj) having gone temporarily psychotic after being exposed, it’s clear that a small amount can create massive death and destruction. When Howard and Jarvis (James D’Arcy) turn themselves in to the SSR, they cooperate fully to try to atone for the many deaths Howard feels are on his conscience. But perhaps most important to Howard is the forgiveness of Peggy (Hayley Atwell), one of the few people in the world whose opinion of him matters. Midnight Oil is also responsible for the Finow massacre and Dr. Fennhoff (Ralph Brown), who had been posing as Dr. Ivchenko, was there. In a daring press conference ruse, Howard and the SSR attempt to lure Dottie (Bridget Regan) and Fennhoff into the open, but an assassination attempt turns out to be a diversion to capture Howard instead. Fennhoff, who lost his brother at Finow, blames Howard. In an ultimate twist of revenge, Fennhoff uses his extraordinary powers of hypnotic persuasion to prey upon Howard’s deepest failure—the loss of Captain Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). Convinced in a dream state he can finally bring Steve home, Howard is sent toward Times Square in one of his own planes loaded with Midnight Oil to be dropped on tens of thousands celebrating V-E day.

RELATED | Marvel’s Agent Carter Review 1×07 “Snafu”

Jarvis, Peggy, Sousa and Thompson (Chad Michael Murray) arrive at Howard’s airfield seconds too late. With Howard in the air, Peggy sets out for the control tower while Jarvis takes off to shoot down his friend if he must. After a brutal fight in which Dottie escapes, Fennhoff is captured by Sousa and Thompson. With just seconds left, a tearful Peggy clutching the radio, reminds Howard that though they both loved Steve, he was gone and they must let him go. Howard, dazed and confused, snaps from his dream, much to the relief of Peggy at the tower and Jarvis flying close behind. Upon her return to the SSR, the entire room gives Peggy a standing ovation for her efforts, but Agent Thompson, true to his nature, still takes the credit. Afterward, Jarvis invites both Peggy and Angie (Lyndsy Fonseca) to stay at one of Howard’s residences for as long as needed. In a gesture of utmost respect, he gives the small vial of Steve’s blood to Peggy who in turn pours it from the Brooklyn Bridge near Steve’s home in a heartfelt goodbye that may finally allow her to move on. Unbeknownst to everyone, Fennhoff, fitted with a mask to keep him from speaking, is placed in a cell with none other than Arnim Zola (Toby Jones), the right hand of the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). With agents of Leviathan and Hydra still at large, Season One of Agent Carter came to a dramatic, emotional close so let’s zoom in and sort through all the brilliant details of this finale!

Hayley Atwell created a pioneering role model and heroine in Peggy Carter.

It’s truly rare that a series gets to pick up a property like Captain America: The First Avenger and continue the untold story of characters devastated by a heartbreaking ending. In Peggy’s final, tearful moments with Steve via Radio and Howard’s futile attempts to find him afterward, we only saw glimpses of what happened to those lives left in the wake of Steve’s disappearance.

We consider ourselves fortunate that Marvel saw in Peggy the potential for a larger story beyond Steve’s passing. We’re even more fortunate that the original writers of the movie, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely collaborated with show runners Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, along with many others, to bring Agent Carter to life.

There are an incredible number of people who worked countless hours to make the first season of Agent Carter a success, but Hayley Atwell deserves tremendous praise as the centerpiece of this series. There will be a day when women have so many incredible role models on television to choose from that it’s a quaint memory when there were not. But even in 2015, the list is shorter than it should be. It’s ironic that a character in a 1946 period piece can become the gold standard that women, young and old, can look up to today, but that’s exactly what Hayley Atwell accomplished in Peggy Carter. When all was said and done, Peggy was comfortable in her own skin and that is a rare trait that few attain.

“I don’t need a congressional honor. I don’t need Agent Thompson’s approval or the President’s. I know my value. Anyone else’s opinion doesn’t really matter.” ~ Peggy

Fierce, strong, determined and capable, Peggy was a woman out of her time in 1946. In much the same way, Hayley Atwell demonstrated many of those same qualities as the first female lead of a Marvel Cinematic Universe property in 2015. There will be many more, but Atwell will always have the distinction of being the first strong, successful lead in what we have come to know as today’s highly successful MCU under the direction of Executive Producer Kevin Feige. Peggy will be remembered for her tenacity, her intelligence and her integrity. But her strength wouldn’t feel as real without Atwell’s amazing ability to demonstrate Peggy’s vulnerabilities and emotions with such passionate and heart-wrenching performances each week.

As we watched Atwell take control in this finale, all the characters around Peggy fell into line behind her natural leadership. In many ways a feeling of relief swept over us as we finally saw all of the SSR working side by side with Peggy, Jarvis and Howard to defeat an enemy that they had all underestimated for far too long. Time and again, it was Peggy, with decisive clarity, that understood immediately what the next move needed to be and in turn, everyone listened. Those moments of leadership by Peggy were satisfying to see. Incredible writing and the magnetic presence of Hayley Atwell made Peggy Carter something special in the eyes of all who watched and enjoyed this first season.

Fennhoff, his Ring of Power and Dottie make quite the lethal trio.

When Bridget Regan was initially cast for Agent Carter, speculation ran wild on who her character might be and if her experience in previous action roles would be put to the test. Dottie, it would prove, was indeed the foil that was very much Peggy’s equal. Her effortless shifts from helpless damsel to cunning assassin made her enjoyable to watch as her Leviathan ties became clear.

Regan put all her skills into play in the finale. From hapless driver, beautiful seductress and ultimately a troubled, edgy weapon for Dr. Fennhoff, Regan created a complex villain that slipped under the radar as quickly and easily as Peggy had at the SSR. In short, we loved the range Bridget Regan brought to the role. Dottie was extraordinarily fun to despise.

In much the same fashion as Dottie, Ralph Brown made Dr. Ivchenko, a.k.a. Dr. Johann Fennhoff, a formidable enemy to the SSR. His singular talent for persuasive hypnosis made him someone to fear and at the same time provided the means to peek into the darker places of his victims. That became especially true of Howard who had carried enormous guilt since Finow and the loss of Steve Rogers. Brown was captivating in his hypnosis scenes. Both caring and sinister, Fennhoff slipped past the mental defenses of his victims and found the shadowy corners of their minds where the darkest secrets were hidden.

“Your guilt eats you, destroys you from the inside out.” ~ Fennhoff

“Yes.” ~ Howard

“Focus. There may still be a way to atone for your sins. Simply focus.” ~ Fennhoff

In a beautifully rendered snowy backdrop, Fennhoff brought Howard to the one time he was most vulnerable—the failure to find Steve Rogers. By convincing Howard there was a way to find Steve, Fennhoff would instead have Howard drop Midnight Oil on Times Square and cement Howard’s legacy as an abomination to humanity. Playing on Howard’s most catastrophic failure was the key and both Brown and Cooper played these scenes with equal parts personality and conviction. In the vision created by Fennhoff, Howard had a second chance to bring Steve back to Peggy and that was the encouragement he needed to climb in his plane and follow Fennhoff’s directions.

“Howard.” ~ Dream Peggy

“Peg, is this real?” ~ Howard

“Bring him home.” ~ Dream Peggy

With Dream Peggy showing Howard Steve’s shield, the deal was sealed. Howard was sucked in and only the real Peggy could pull him out. As she approached the tower with both Fennhoff and Dottie, everyone watching knew a showdown between these two women was coming and the amazing stunt teams and these two actors didn’t disappoint. When the moment ended with Dottie unconscious on a plane wing outside the tower window, Peggy had her chance to do for Howard what she could not for Steve. Bring him home.

Agent Carter brought Captain America: The First Avenger’s heartbreaking final moments full circle toward much-needed closure for the characters and fans.

As Peggy pleaded once again into a radio to save someone she cared for deeply, it was not lost on us that the situation mirrored her last moments with Steve. With the lives of Howard and all those in Times Square in the balance, Fennhoff, ironically had given Peggy a second chance.

“Peg, all I’ve done my whole life is create destruction. Project rebirth was—He was the one thing I’ve done that brought good into this world.” ~ Howard

“Howard I know you loved him. I loved him, too. But this won’t bring him back. Howard, you are the one person on this earth who believes in me. I cannot lose you. Steve is gone. We have to move on. All of us. As impossible as that may sound, we have to let him go.” ~ Peggy

“Peg? He was good before I got a hold of him, huh?” ~ Howard

“Yes. Y-yes, he was.” ~ Peggy

With Hayley Atwell unafraid to show vulnerability, we watched as Peggy fought for the life of Howard, one of the few people who understood her and one of the very few that shared her love for Steve. Both held themselves to a higher standard in many aspects of their lives after Steve’s disappearance. And both dragged the incredible burden of his loss with them wherever they went. In the back of both of their minds, they believed that had they done more, had they said more or had they tried harder, perhaps they could have saved Steve. That guilt was a shared one and his loss was felt the most deeply by these two.

In that moment, both found a sense of closure. Howard, unlike Steve, came home. Steve would always be with them, no matter where they went or what they did. Captain America, and all he stood for, would live on in the hearts and minds of many, but these two who knew him best and loved him most, could finally take steps forward into the rest of their lives. She and Howard could both finally let go and respectfully say goodbye to the greatest hero either had ever known.

They were richer in their hearts for having loved him and we are richer as an audience for the closure we got to experience with them. Thank you Marvel for bringing this story full circle, thank you to the entire cast and crew of Agent Carter for creating this eight episode series and thank you most of all to Hayley Atwell for pouring your heart and soul into this beautifully complex heroine that we can all be proud to put on a pedestal next to Steve.

FINAL VERDICT: Agent Carter delivered an action-packed, emotional stunner of a finale. We’re not ready to part with Peggy and Jarvis just yet. We’re petitioning for Season Two right now.

The list of superlatives to describe this series and this finale simply aren’t sufficient. We’d be remiss if we didn’t say just how much we enjoyed the dynamic of Jarvis and Peggy on screen together. Jarvis, ever the gentleman, emerged as a loyal and dedicated friend and supporter of Peggy. In turn, her admiration for him was on equal terms. In the final scenes, as Jarvis introduces Peggy and Angie to their new home, a final quiet moment between these two, who we watched grow throughout the series, spoke volumes about our own feelings toward seeing this season end.

“Should you again find yourself in need of my services, I would be honored to assist you at a moment’s notice, Miss Carter.” ~ Jarvis

“Thank you, Mr. Jarvis.” ~ Peggy.

During this small moment, the looks on both their faces emulated very much what all of us were feeling. This was goodbye for now and though we don’t want it to end, we look forward to seeing Agent Carter again in 2016. As the final moments between these two characters unfolded, everyone involved helped capture a beautiful moment that exemplified the respect these two have for each other and why one season of them together is simply not enough.

“No government, even our own, can be trusted with those particular inventions. Especially this.” ~ Jarvis

“Howard is giving me this?” ~ Peggy

“He is under the impression that the sample of Captain America’s blood was lost when he was under Dr. Fennhoff’s control.” ~ Jarvis

“So you are giving me this.” ~ Peggy

“I owe Howard Stark a great deal, but he does not own my integrity. I am quite certain there is only one person in the world who knows what to do with this. You, Miss Carter.” ~ Jarvis

Writers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters absolutely nailed it in this finale. Throughout the dynamic action, the emotional torture of the burdens Fennhoff exposed and the quiet moments of subtle emotion, words flowed effortlessly from one moment to the next. These two put an amazing amount of effort into this series as Executive Producers and their words popped in this last hour with grace and style. Yes, this is a comic book series with fantastic plot lines pitting sinister villains against dynamic heroes, but at the end of the day, this finale represented the heart and soul of everyone who worked so hard to make this series something special. For all its action & thrills, Agent Carter, was at its heart, about trust, loyalty and doing what’s right no matter the consequences.

RELATED | Marvel’s Agent Carter Review 1×07 “Snafu”

Director Christopher Misiano, whose older brother Vincent directed the previous episode, carried on the family tradition of a bar set high. With numerous locations, pieces, parts and elements, this finale certainly must have been a challenge to orchestrate, but Misiano, like his brother, did a masterful job capturing scene after scene that emotionally grabbed us. No moment was perhaps more majestic than Peggy’s tearful farewell to Steve from high atop the Brooklyn Bridge.

In what will likely be remembered as the pinnacle moment of this first season, Peggy pours the last remnants of Steve’s blood over the bridge near his home in Brooklyn with Bing Crosby’s “The Way You Look Tonight” serenading us in the background. Peggy did bring Steve home in the end. And with this final moment of closure, captured so brilliantly by Director of Photography Gabriel Beristain, we all had a moment to say our own farewells to Steve and Peggy in the warm glow of the setting sun.

Season One of Agent Carter did leave us with some open questions. Dottie’s escape means that she will live to fight another day and we can’t help but think that Peggy will be high on her list of targets. With the surprise guest appearance of Toby Jones, reprising his role of Arnim Zola in the cell with Fennhoff, we see the beginning seeds of Hydra re-emerged that will take place several generations later. As Agent Carter closes, S.H.I.E.L.D. still does not exist and we know little about how Hydra infiltrated them from the beginning. Those questions and where Peggy goes next leave us wanting more.

As Christopher Lennertz’s fantastic score brought Season One to a finish, we are left with an ending that in many ways satisfies our curiosity about Peggy’s life after Steve. This eight-episode run of Agent Carter is a monumental achievement in and of itself. With so many stories to draw from in the Marvel Comic Universe however, there’s unlimited potential for where Agent Carter can go next. We know one thing for certain, when it does, we’ll be watching once again.

Questions, Comments, Concerns and My Reaction on Twitter…

• Um, Sousa .. don’t inhale.
• Well that was an ill timed APB.
• 10 canisters?? WTF??
• The same people that secured the White House.. They stink. You should have hire me. Welcome back @dominiccoop!
• Does anything Howard invent for “good” reasons work as anything but a weapon? #WeaponsDesignerAtHeart
• Just since I left the car? Things change fast while your killing people Dottie. Keep up. 🙂 @BridgetRegan
• Your mad. As a hatter. What else did ya swipe Stark??
• We are humbled— Here’s Howard Stark. Just too much Thompson?
• You don’t remember me do you? Howard has to slow down his love life just enough to remember *some* names.
• And I thought Dottie was doing all this for Leviathan. But it’s just .. #DidntRememberMyName
• Uh oh. Here comes the focus. Hypnosis to get to that missing name.
• You guilt eats you. My precious. Don’t look at the Ring of Power!!
• Howard, bring him home. Oh man. That smashed the “feels” button.
• We have little time. Oh hell. Now I’m both sweating bullets and hurting in the heart.
• Are we ready for Peggy vs Dottie? Isn’t this fun?? HELL YES!!
• Uh oh. Batter up.
• I thought you’d be better. I thought you’d last longer.
• You are virtuous man. Oh hell.
• Oh they are NOT gonna do this horrible moment of loss on the radio again are they??
• Was he sayin something? You son of a bitch. Whoohooo!!!
• Project rebirth was the one thing I’ve done that’s brought good into the world. OMG the feels here.
• Ida. Steel trap. With a little rust maybe. 😉
• Anyone else’s opinion doesn’t really matter. I love Peggy Carter.
• It’s a bit far from the theater district. I’ll live with it.
• New visions will arise. HOLY COW!!!
• America—is the land of opportunity. OMG. S2 NOW Please! @ABCNetwork @AgentCarterTV #AgentCarter
• That was an action-packed, emotional stunner of a finale. I’m man enough to admit, the feels hit me hard. #LovePeggy
• I’m not ready to part with Peggy & Jarvis. 8EPs is NOT enough. That was an emotional roller coaster. I’m still spinning.
• Hulk has nothing on the wringer I feel like I’ve been through right now. #FeelsSmash
• Astoundingly good TV. #IAmSpent
• Peggy is an inspiration & a powerful role model for men & women alike. The world needs more #AgentCarter
• The world will be a better place w/a little more Peggy & Jarvis in all of us. What a beautiful partnership of mutual respect