That’s a wrap… for now?
By Eric Goldman
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Agent Carter wrapped up its second season with an eventful episode that offered a satisfying conclusion to the season’s overall storylines while also laying some groundwork for the future via a tantalizing cliffhanger… though one that may prove to be filled with anguish should the show not return.
Getting some quibbles out of the way, while it was certainly great to have Peggy and Jarvis back on the same page, having Jarvis so initially right back into “Funny Jarvis” mode to the degree he was felt a bit jarring after recent events. That being said, it was very sweet when Peggy told him he might be the strongest person she knows and when Ana encouraged Peggy and Jarvis to drive together before she left LA.
We want to hear it.
Also, and this has been bugging me for the last few episodes, but I just don’t get Samberly. Well, I guess he’d be fine if he was in a single scene once in awhile as the annoying guy, but he got a lot of camera time of late and seemed a really extraneous presence who’s exasperating routine worked a little too well. But at least he was knocked out for the final confrontation!
Having Howard Stark back for the finale on the other hand was great, and he was given a ton of funny material – from deadpanning “She’s a two-time Oscar nominee!” after Jarvis ran over Whitney, to boasting about swimming in the nude. And it was a nice touch that while Howard is a good man, he still was hoping to get ahold of Zero Matter himself to profit off of it. Oh, and since I knocked Samberly earlier, it was very funny when he, Wilkes and Howard all looked so smug together after being called “Three of the most radiant minds on the planet.”
We want to hear it.
Manfredi actually allying with Peggy to stop Whitney was a cool touch, as was his motivation – he genuinely loved Whitney but also could see that she had completely lost it and had to be stopped. And Howard and Manfredi turning out to be old buddies was perfect.
Everyone – Thompson included, who’d proved his good motivations, if not his methods — volunteering to close the Darkforce rift was a well-played moment, as Sousa managed to sneak behind them all and solve the argument. And while in a way so much build up to sacrifice made it seem a bit too easy when everyone made it out alive, it successfully made things seem like Everything Was Going to Be Okay, before the rug was swept out from under us by Thompson being shot in the final scene.
Dominic Cooper, Haley Atwell on Marvel’s Agent Carter
James D’Arcy, Haley Atwell, Chad Michael Murray on Marvel’s Agent Carter
James D’Arcy, Dominic Cooper on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Haley Atwell, Enver Gjokaj, Chad Michael Murray on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Haley Atwell on Marvel’s Agent Carter
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Dominic Cooper on Marvel’s Agent Carter
James D’Arcy, Dominic Cooper, Haley Atwell on Marvel’s Agent Carter
Haley Atwell on Marvel’s Agent Carter
James D’Arcy, Dominic Cooper, Haley Atwell on Marvel’s Agent Carter
James D’Arcy, Dominic Cooper on Marvel’s Agent Carter
I was really surprised by this simply because Season 1 didn’t have a cliffhanger of this sort – the Zola scene was really cool, but more of a connecting pieces kind of thing than setting up anything for the next season. Btu now we have a main character possibly dead, shot by a mysterious someone… and they took Peggy’s file! The one we thought had all been faked… but if that were true, why take it? And if it’s real, just what did Peggy do that Vernon thought he could hold over her?
Some other thoughts:
-Peggy being so aggressive when she and Sousa finally kissed was great. Hey, it’s been awhile!
-I liked Wilkes early on, thought he began to feel a bit bland as the season went on. But he and Peggy had a suitably poignant “What could have been” moment, before he went off to work for Howard.
-Speaking of Howard, there were some really fun nods to the larger MCU with him here, as his flying car (or the second, better version of it) from Captain America: The First Avenger became key in the finale. And then of course, he mentioned the land in Malibu he owns… which presumably is the same land his son Tony will one day live on.
-I’m glad Whitney lived, considering how strong a villain she is. She lost the Darkforce, but perhaps now she will properly become Madame Masque? It did feel odd she was imagining Chadwick with her, considering how little she seemed to think of him though.
-Vernon Masters’ death was never confirmed. Hmm…
-Jarvis is right. Tacos are delightful.
-This show is delightful too. I really hope it comes back.
While not quite as strong as some of the recent episodes, “Hollywood Ending” still closed out Peggy Carter’s second TV adventure in a satisfying manner, doing right by the entire cast, all of whom got a big moment. I’m feeling a bit anxious about that cliffhanger ending, simply because it’s seeming like such a longshot the series will be back. On the other hand, the MCU isn’t going anywhere and there is such affection for Peggy Carter, including from those behind the scenes, we’ll no doubt see her again and, one way or the other I’m guessing, we’ll find out what happened next. But it sure would be great if that was in Agent Carter: Season 3 next year.
