Marvel’s Agent Carter

After finishing Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. there was only one logical place for me to go next, Marvel’s Agent Carter. I attempted this show with my wife after we first started dating in college and I remember we only made it about 4 episodes in. I’m not really sure why it didn’t vibe with me then, but after watching the whole thing recently I know that my tastes have gotten better. While this show has a lot of issues, and is not as fun as Captain America or Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., it is a good show to watch, especially season 1.

Season 1 takes some of the best parts of Captain America: The First Avenger, and makes it a spy drama. Carter is a desk jockey agent for the Strategic Scientific Reserve, otherwise know as the SSR, and has to overcome an evil organization not too dissimilar to Hydra while also navigating Cold War era misogyny in the work place.

Side characters Edwin Jarvis and Howard Stark are exactly what you’d want them to be and the various members of the SSR form a decent ensemble, but it never quite lands as good as the Agent’s of S.H.I.E.L.D. counterpart show. Where Agent Carter succeeds is in her performance. Hayley Atwell reprises her role as the lead Peggy Carter and as always stuns. She is the perfect casting for the Carter character and I’m glad she got another opportunity to bring the character to life.

Season 2 was a bit of a disappointment for me as it tried to tackle too much. I think the simplicity of the season 1 plot made it easier for the characters to shine whereas in season 2 it’s a bit too complicated and the characters get less time. I will say the addition of Jarvis’s wife was fantastic in season 2 and made for some great interactions.

Overall, while I don’t think Agent Carter is great it is certainly worth a watch. Season 3 never happened, but at least Peggy came back in some other Marvel premiers!