Agent Carter Premiere Review: A New Heroine is Born
Stacy Glanzman
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Marvel's Agent Carter treated viewers to intense drama, action-packed fight sequences, gorgeous costumes, and witty dialogue in it's first two installments.
There's a lot to digest from the super-sized premiere, so let's get right to it shall we?
Marvel's Agent Carter Season 1 Episode 1 and Marvel's Agent Carter Season 1 Episode 2 wasted no time delving into the mystery and introducing the major characters, though that's to be expected with only eight episodes to tell the story. It certainly worked in it's favor, as I am definitely invested and excited to see how it all ends!
I loved the image of Peggy walking down the street in her blue coat and red hat amongst the sea of men in dark suits. The costumes in general are extremely well done, but that was a smart way to draw viewers in from the start. It's clear from the beginning that this is no ordinary woman and she is meant to stand out in a man's world.
I already love the relationship between Peggy and Jarvis. He may not exactly be field ready, but he's there for her when she needs him and more than willing to be thrown into the mix even if she's not ready to bring him. Plus, their banter is hilarious and shows how comfortable they already are with each other.
Peggy: Are you trying to butter me up, Mr. Jarvis?
Jarvis: Merely pleased to receive your call.
Peggy: Well you are faster than a train.
Jarvis: How flattering.
To be honest, I don't know much about the comics as I've only seen the films, but I do remember J.A.R.V.I.S. the machine from the Iron Man movies. Now I know Tony essentially inherited his dad's butler. He's basically Marvel's version of Alfred.
Agent Sousa appears to be the only one of Peggy's coworkers who truly respects her. It wouldn't surprise me if he's eventually brought in to help Peggy, though for now he'll stay in the dark. With Enver Gjokaj on Agent Carter and Dichen Lachman appearing on Agents of Shield as Skye's mom, it's too bad we can't get a Victor/Sierra reunion.
The rest of the men Peggy has to deal with on a daily basis are mostly infuriating, but Peggy handles it all with class. The same can't be said for the misogynistic customer at the diner who harasses Angie, but he got what he deserved. She may have even let him off a little too easy, but I can't argue with her results.
Lyndsy Fonseca sadly didn't have much to do and I admit I was hoping she'd get to kick some butt Alex-style, but Peggy more than makes up for my Nikita withdrawal. Hopefully we'll get more of her now that they're living in the same building. Peggy's initial reluctance after her friend and roommate was murdered was understandable and it gave us a sweet moment between Peggy and Jarvis towards the end.
Knocking someone out with lipstick is nothing new (Firefly comes to mind) but it's not every day you see someone take a guy out with a stapler or diffuse a bomb with perfume. I actually thought the bottle of liquor was going to serve another purpose, but I chuckled when she threw back the shot. Job well done!
Peggy's outfits and wigs gave me Alias flashbacks, though unfortunately she's stuck with 1940s technology. When Jarvis contacted her on the walkie-talkie and gave away her location all I could think was too bad they didn't have Bluetooth back then. Still, she seems to make do with what she has on hand.
The bombs were pretty nifty looking and certainly weren't lacking for power. I wonder if one will go off in every episode.
Did you guys like Agent Carter's two hour premiere? Will you be back to see if Peggy succeeds in clearing Stark's name? As I said before, I'm invested. I love just about any show that features a strong female lead who kicks butt on a regular basis. I'm also intrigued by the guy with the typewriter and seeing where that will lead.
Since they doubled up on us with the premiere we only have six more weeks before it's over. From the promo it looks like we're in for plenty of action jam-packed into only a few episodes, but at least that means there shouldn't be any filler. Do you guys like the limited season format? So far I think it works for this show.. If it does well there is always potential for it to be brought back for a second season with a new mystery, and if that happens, I hope they keep the format.
Stacy Glanzman was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in March, 2019.
