I try to write objective reviews, but Marvel's newest show Agent Carter is testing my limits. Why? Because it had the best two-parter opener I've seen in a long time. It didn't waste time, it didn't try to convince me, it didn't let up once. It just showered the television with bonafide awesomeness.
Ahem. I'll try to tap down on the fangirling, but honestly, you really need to watch this show.
Hayley Atwell reprises her role from the Captain America franchise to terrific effect, playing a woman looking for a mission in the post-War era. To all outward appearances she's been downgraded, working for the phone company, but it's a bluff: this office has a hidden elevator to the Strategic Scientific Reserve (S.S.R.), a covert operation headed by surly Chief Dooley (Shea Whigham). Even though Carter is officially an agent, the men of the office have a hard time accepting her, especially Agent Thompson (Chad Michael Murray). Carter doesn't want their pity though, even from nice ones like Agent Sousa (the extremely talented Enver Gjokaj, who genre fans may recognize as Victor from Dollhouse).
Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) returns as well, briefly, but he's in trouble: someone's stolen his worst weapons and selling them to the highest bidder. When Stark goes into hiding he asks Carter to look into the matter, serving as his eyes and ears within S.S.R, aided by his loyal butler Jarvis (James D'Arcy). This man is awesome: he prefers to go to bed by 9:00 pm, is distracted by loose buttons, but can sew them and Carter back up with ease and provides the best pep talks ever. The dialogue between him and Carter is delicious, full of peppery wit and heartfelt moments, flowing from one emotion to another with ease and never losing the show's sense of serial adventure.
The late '40s setting is wonderful, with big bad swing, grey suits and fedoras (with Carter's Carmen Sandiego hat shining amongst them), and even an old-time radio show of Captain American (which Carter absolutely can not stand). The show makes excellent use of its setting to offer some terrific retrofuture spy gear, like knockout lipstick and remote messaging typewriters. Carter's interactions with other women give voice to their struggles in a post-War economy as servicemen come home and boot them out of jobs. While one particularly feisty waitress Angie (Lyndsy Fonseca) tries to offer friendship and help, Carter is haunted both by too many losses, not wishing to get to close to anyone.
Then again, she's too busy using saving the day to waste much time in tears. Carter herself is a master of disguise, subterfuge, and overall awesomeness, but she doesn't play as some rote "tough girl" meant to satisfy a producer's checklist. As another reviewer put it: "What makes Atwell a perfect choice for Carter is that she is not rail-thin and does not need to be explicit or crude to get the job done. She does so modestly without coming across as prudish either."
She also has real problems, like needing a roomie to help pay rent or having to ask for a day off to take care of Stark's secret mission. Her character isn't any one simplistic trope. Agent Carter demands we take her as a full person, and a supremely competent one at that. It quickly becomes apparent why Stark trusts her above anyone else in the office.
The production quality is great, with lots of fun color and neat filmmaking. One particular scene offered a great intercut between Carter's fight and the recording room of the radio program, punctuating her kicks with the created sound effects of the show. The G-Men are appropriately brash while the villains are quite dastardly: it's all the fun of Saturday morning cartoons and old-fashioned adventure serials rolled into one.
Finally, while any good idea can be launched in a cool trailer, it takes real talent to flesh out a story into full complete episodes, and that's perhaps Agent Carter's greatest weapon: the writing is excellent, rivaling anything we've seen in a Marvel movie and at times surpassing it. I actually began a hashtag to count down the #PeggyZingers in each episode, because the banter she and later Jarvis engage in is part of what makes them so instantly likeable and arresting.
But more importantly it's not just banter for the sake of snappy writing: some of their oneliners are downright sad, such as when Carter, discussing the recent death of a friend, remarks that she loses all those who are close to her, though she quips "Perhaps losing isn't the right word." As mentioned before Jarvis offers a mean pep talk, cutting to the heart of the matter and proving he's more than the guy who drives the car. Everyone in the show is able to comfortably inhabit the line between comedy and drama, dipping into both wells with ease and making the show all the better for it.
One very light complaint: there were one too many flashbacks for my tastes. If we are to be reminded of the movie, I'd prefer new footage showing Carter's reaction rather than simply watching Cap crash again. But these were used both appropriately and sparingly, so I'll give it a pass.
So much happened in last night's two-parter that it breezed by, and there are many layers to sift through before the series closes after it's unfortunately short eight episode run. Hopefully Agent Carter will prove just as impervious to death as Captain America. In the mean time I know where I'll be tuning in as often as possible come Tuesday.
If you want to read even more of my thoughts on both episodes, check out my live tweets from last night on Storify. Agree, disagree, or just want to geek out? Let me know in the comments.
