Agent Carter 1.01 and 1.02
Jan. 8th, 2015 02:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakThat started promisingly.
So far, I really like it, with the one nitpick that the scene where the male SSR agents beat up the captured guy to "interrogate" him while Peggy uses the time to do heroics elsewhere is just there, without the show indicating whether it's meant to be an okay tactic or as a sign of the supposed "good guys" being morally compromised far beyond being chauvinists. (Sorry, but I can't turn off the real life relevance here.) The other nitpick I have is more on the funny side: is that a yellow Volkswagen Beetle Peggy is driving early on? In 1946? Guys, I know the Wirtschaftswunder was something to behold, but it didn't happen that fast.
Okay, on to why these two episodes were very well done. First of all, of course, Peggy. Who is great: fiercely competent, still grieving for Steve but also determined to handle current day life instead of longing for the past. And whom the show gives various relationships both existant and developing: the friendship with the waitress (cause for regular Bechdel passing) and until her demise with Colleen, de Souza, played by Enver G. whom I last saw being fabulous in Dollhouse as Victor/Tony, Howard in his one scene and of course Original Edwin Jarvis, who looks like he's going to be Peggy's primary sidekick on this show. All these "Agent Carter"/"Mr. Jarvis" conversations have a vibe of "Mrs. Peel, we're needed", don't you think? Only in this case with Peggy as the boss. (Aside from the part where he's keeping something from her on Howard's behalf, but given the time frame, I suspect that "something" is Peggy's future job as an end goal.) It's a neat developing dynamic between them, and I wonder whether Jarvis got an (so far off screen) wife on this show to make it clear from the get go that it's not going to be a romantic one? Whereas Agent de Souza, fellow war trauma survivor, looks like an intended potential love interest, unless of course he's really the true traitor, which isn't mutually exclusive. (His actor being so incredibly versatile actually makes me suspect the later, in which case, poor Peggy, because they have a nice low key friendship at the office going.)
The show also tries for a greater nod to history than the costumes, with Colleen and the waitress (damm, I wish her name hadn't escaped me!) in their conversations with Peggy mentioning that the employment situation for women is now worsening because of all the returning GIs. The Captain America radio show which vexes Peggy so with its swooning damsel and ra ra ra dialogue is a hoot, but only because the show proper actually really does avoid those clichés and the CA movies have as well.
Speaking of knowing meta on genre conventions: Peggy's "must not allow anyone get close else they become target" angst is immediately dealt with instead of hanging over the rest of the show, and Jarvis gives her the "heroes need a support team, and cutting yourself off the world you want to protect is stupid" speech which is basically the anti Nolanverse interpretation of Batman credo. Since Peggy isn't Bruce (who btw does have a support team in most versions, including the Nolan one), she listens. It also reminds me of one of the endearing attributes of the MCU - not in every movie, I'm not claiming that, but if they're on, they take care to include acts of support and heroism from the "civilians" instead of presenting them as mere set decorations.
Lastly: part of the fun of any spy show are the disguises, and so far Peggy is doing fine in this regard as well. My favourite so far was the ice truck inspector.
So far, I really like it, with the one nitpick that the scene where the male SSR agents beat up the captured guy to "interrogate" him while Peggy uses the time to do heroics elsewhere is just there, without the show indicating whether it's meant to be an okay tactic or as a sign of the supposed "good guys" being morally compromised far beyond being chauvinists. (Sorry, but I can't turn off the real life relevance here.) The other nitpick I have is more on the funny side: is that a yellow Volkswagen Beetle Peggy is driving early on? In 1946? Guys, I know the Wirtschaftswunder was something to behold, but it didn't happen that fast.
Okay, on to why these two episodes were very well done. First of all, of course, Peggy. Who is great: fiercely competent, still grieving for Steve but also determined to handle current day life instead of longing for the past. And whom the show gives various relationships both existant and developing: the friendship with the waitress (cause for regular Bechdel passing) and until her demise with Colleen, de Souza, played by Enver G. whom I last saw being fabulous in Dollhouse as Victor/Tony, Howard in his one scene and of course Original Edwin Jarvis, who looks like he's going to be Peggy's primary sidekick on this show. All these "Agent Carter"/"Mr. Jarvis" conversations have a vibe of "Mrs. Peel, we're needed", don't you think? Only in this case with Peggy as the boss. (Aside from the part where he's keeping something from her on Howard's behalf, but given the time frame, I suspect that "something" is Peggy's future job as an end goal.) It's a neat developing dynamic between them, and I wonder whether Jarvis got an (so far off screen) wife on this show to make it clear from the get go that it's not going to be a romantic one? Whereas Agent de Souza, fellow war trauma survivor, looks like an intended potential love interest, unless of course he's really the true traitor, which isn't mutually exclusive. (His actor being so incredibly versatile actually makes me suspect the later, in which case, poor Peggy, because they have a nice low key friendship at the office going.)
The show also tries for a greater nod to history than the costumes, with Colleen and the waitress (damm, I wish her name hadn't escaped me!) in their conversations with Peggy mentioning that the employment situation for women is now worsening because of all the returning GIs. The Captain America radio show which vexes Peggy so with its swooning damsel and ra ra ra dialogue is a hoot, but only because the show proper actually really does avoid those clichés and the CA movies have as well.
Speaking of knowing meta on genre conventions: Peggy's "must not allow anyone get close else they become target" angst is immediately dealt with instead of hanging over the rest of the show, and Jarvis gives her the "heroes need a support team, and cutting yourself off the world you want to protect is stupid" speech which is basically the anti Nolanverse interpretation of Batman credo. Since Peggy isn't Bruce (who btw does have a support team in most versions, including the Nolan one), she listens. It also reminds me of one of the endearing attributes of the MCU - not in every movie, I'm not claiming that, but if they're on, they take care to include acts of support and heroism from the "civilians" instead of presenting them as mere set decorations.
Lastly: part of the fun of any spy show are the disguises, and so far Peggy is doing fine in this regard as well. My favourite so far was the ice truck inspector.
no subject
Date: 2015-01-09 09:08 am (UTC)Agent Carter has the same writers (at least in the pilot) as Winter Soldier, though, so maybe not? I hope not, anyway - TWS was so interesting, it's a pity to undo it.