Meet me at the Automat.
By Eric Goldman
This is our review of the second of the two Agent Carter episodes that aired on February 23rd. Click here for our review of the first hour.
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
So here’s the thing about those first six minutes… They really didn’t accomplish anything, story-wise (at least nothing that was apparent by the end of the episode). Peggy wasn’t fighting for her life, she was simply knocked out, and seeing her friends and foes in a big musical/dancing number didn’t give her any big revelation, it was just an entertaining way to see how her psyche was working and to get the Agent Carter cast singing and dancing.
Now personally, I still loved the sequence because I love musicals and I love Agent Carter and seeing this all occur was just a hell of a lot of fun – especially given Angie was included. Great to have you back, Lyndsy Fonseca! I just wish it wasn’t only for this sequence (maybe she has an unannounced cameo in the season finale?).
On the other hand, I imagine if you hate musicals, you really were bugged by this sequence, but regardless, once Peggy woke up, there was plenty of strong content to jump into.
Wow on Peggy and Jarvis’ big blowout argument as they walked through the desert together. From him saying she may not be a murderer, but people keep dying around her, to her cracks about him going home to a mansion someone else owns, they were both being pretty brutal – and it’s a testament to the lovely friendship and rapport these two usually have that it was hard to see them at this point. This was an excellent scene for Hayley Atwell and James D’Arcy, as the two took the usual friendly banter and turned it on its ear.
Chad Michael Murray on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Chad Michael Murray on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Kurtwood Smith on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Kurtwood Smith on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Chad Michael Murray on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Advertisement
Chad Michael Murray on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Chad Michael Murray on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Kurtwood Smith on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Haley Atwell, Enver Gjokaj on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Chad Michael Murray on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Advertisement
Haley Atwell, Enver Gjokaj on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Enver Gjokaj on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Haley Atwell, Enver Gjokaj on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Enver Gjokaj on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Enver Gjokaj on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Advertisement
Ken Marino, Wynn Everett on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Ken Marino, Wynn Everett on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Ken Marino, Wynn Everett on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Wynn Everett on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Wynn Everett on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Ultimately, this scene became about Jarvis accepting his own weaknesses – because Peggy was right, he had chosen (even asked in Season 2) to accompany her on her missions and then was blaming her when the always-real dangers that lifestyle included had suddenly become tangible and personal with Ana’s shooting. Seeing Jarvis own up to how terrible it was that he hadn’t told Ana that she could no longer have children was a very emotional, cathartic moment.
Ana in the meantime not only put Jarvis on the spot, letting him know she could tell he was keeping something from her, but she also endearingly told him to get out there and go help Peggy. Damn likable that Ana is, huh?
Thompson’s allegiances meanwhile were all over the place, but after some murkiness on that front earlier this season, now it seemed that was truly the point. Because man, this guy kept keeping secrets from everyone to the point that it was amusingly difficult to decide just who he was playing and what side he was truly siding with. I thought he might actually really want a seat on the council briefly, before it became clear he really was intent on blowing up the Gamma Cannon and killing Whitney, Vernon and Wilkes all at once.
The penultimate episode of Agent Carter: Season 2 (and possibly the entire series, given the frustratingly low ratings) sure ended on a big note, with Thompson threatening to shoot Samberly, Peggy threatening to shoot Thompson and Whitney nearly killing Vernon – only to be interrupted by the bomb apparently about to go off and a Darkforce-infused Wilkes bursting in and apparently unleashing his power. It’s an exciting, multi-faceted standoff, as this really strong, and underappreciated series heads into the conclusion of another great year.
