The timing re the fallout w/ Howard might mean they only have Cooper for 3 or 4 eps & they wanted a big scene in the middle before bringing him back for the wrapup. It does make the pacing & the structure of the episode a little weird.

I'm trying to process the revelations about Howard's background, which I agree must be intended to imply he's Jewish -- tho I have to confess I missed that the first time around b/c I was focused on how he'd just (basically) told Peggy he loved Steve and the only thing I could think was 'did he just come out to her as gay?'

I'm trying to figure out what this retcon actually means (how did he get sooooooo rich at a relatively young age and how/why would he hide his origins in the process? Did he game the quota system to get into the Ivy League, then sell some patents and get rich in the stock market during the war? If so how'd he get in the position to do that in the first place??? I realize we're probably not meant to think thus hard about it but the revelation must be there for a reason and it rather turns the existing assumption of at least a generation or two of inherited wealth on its head....There may actually be comics canon re Tony's dad working his way up from poverty but I've never encountered it )