by Chelsea “Dee” Doyle, Editor-At-Large

If I don’t hear that Agent Carter is being renewed soon, I’m going to have to table flip all over the place. What this show accomplished in only eight episodes is incredible. It had a lot more obstacles and things holding it back than most shows. It had a different time period, it was female led (which let’s face it is still a stupid problem for ratings), and it was constricted by the Marvel Universe just as much as it was helped by it. It had to create its own world, characters, and interesting storylines while still fitting in with the overall intentions of the MCU. It added to the mythology and filled in blanks, like the immediate post-war world, the creation of SHIELD, the start of HYDRA, and the Black Widow program. It was an ambitious project, and there was clearly a lot of love that went into it. The acting was strong, the costumes and set design were fantastic, the fight choreography was excellent, and it was filled with memorable moments and connections. The fact this wasn’t already renewed is a damn crime, and that so few people ended up watching it is especially infuriating. Oh sure, Two and a Half Men and all the cookie cutter procedurals out there get huge audiences, but not something this slick and smart, I see how it is. I’m not here to rant though, I’m here to talk about Agent Carter and it’s finale “Valediction.” Previously, Peggy was finally caught for being a double agent, and their boss Dooley committed suicide to save everyone from a bomb strapped to him by Leviathan Doctor, Fennhoff Ivchenko. It should be noted with that name recognition was the identity of Doctor Faustus from Marvel Comics. Nicely played, show! Ivchenko and the Black Widow Dottie stole one of Howard’s weapons that caused everyone to start killing each other when breathed in.

This picks up exactly where it left off, and everyone is trying to figure out what Ivchenko’s next move is after they investigate the bloody movie theater. A solution is provided when Howard Stark willingly walks in with Jarvis and surrenders himself to them. All secrets are finally out there, and he figures out what they stole is something called “Midnight Oil.” It was originally created to give soldiers extra adrenaline so they could stay up later/have more stamina, but it instead set off violent rage. This weapon was used against Russian enemies, and we eventually figure out that Ivchenko had a personal stake in it. His brother died in a very bloody way thanks to the gas. So when Howard steps into the public eye to be used as bait, Ivchenko can’t resist taking him up on it. They stage a public appearance where the SSR say that Howard is no longer being charged with treason. Howard gets shot at, but when Jarvis whisks him away to a car, it turns out one of Ivchenko’s hypnotize victims kidnaps him. I’m really surprised they fell for this; it seemed ridiculously obvious considering they all knew Howard was the target. With Howard in his grasp, Ivchenko plans on using him to fly over New York City and release the gas, killing everyone below. He’s convinced by hypnotism that he can find Steve Rogers finally.

Getting into the mind of Howard Stark was great, because he’s a difficult character in a lot of ways. He’s likable but also not very trustworthy. He admits that Steve was basically the only good thing he ever did, and it’s part of why Project Rebirth was so emotional for him. Obviously we know he cared about Steve deeply, and Tony told us he spent decades looking for Steve despite everyone thinking he was dead. But it was great to see it live on screen here, and he and Peggy needed to connect in their shared grief in order to move on. Peggy talked Howard down as he flew toward New York, a specific call back to her last conversation with Steve as he too was on a suicide mission. Jarvis planned on shooting down his own boss in order to save everyone, which was a heroic but agonizing situation for him to be in. First Peggy had to take out the bad guys. It was amazing to see the fight with her and Dottie, although personally I wish it went on a little longer. Still it was interesting to see how Dottie was clearly the better trained fighter, but Peggy always uses her surroundings and her determination to stomp through trouble. Dottie wasn’t beaten for good, so that’s left open if they get a second season. Bridget Regan really deserves notice for her excellent and terrifying portrayal of Dottie. She goes from hilariously bubbly to psychotic in two seconds flat.

Ivchenko is handled by Agent Sousa, and that was a great scene. I knew it was unlikely he was really under the hypnotism, since we’ve seen it a dozen times and it was time for him to get knocked down. It was fun that he had ear buds in the whole time, so all of Ivchenko’s taunts didn’t work on him. Ha! I do think it’s clear that those were real insecurities Ivchenko read on Sousa, both about his feelings for Peggy and his personal insecurities. But he was the hero of the day anyway. Good for him! All’s well that ends well. Peggy is finally given credit by her coworkers, although it’s left open ended if she plans to return to the SSR at all. A senator comes in to commend Agent Thompson for everyone’s hard work, and he takes it instead of crediting the real heroes. I like that they did this. While Agent Thompson has come around in small ways, he’s still the same person, so it would be unreasonable to expect him to change completely. He buried the white flag when he killed surrendering soldiers, for crying out loud. This is not a guy who picks the just route. Sousa’s angry of course, but Peggy remains the coolest ever by saying she knows her own worth. She doesn’t care what people think. Go Peggy! Sousa asks her out on a drink-date, and she refuses politely, although that leaves the door open for them in the future since she only says it’s no for this time.

Howard gives Peggy and Angie one of his spare houses, and Angie’s of course delighted and excited about it. Aw! He also has decided to destroy all of his weapons, a move that parallels Tony’s own destruction of his weapons years down the line. However, Jarvis returns Steve’s blood to Peggy. He stole it from Howard and said it was destroyed, because he believed Peggy would make the right choice with it. It’s a very touching moment, especially between these two who we’ve grown to love as close friends and partners. Peggy chooses to dump Steve’s blood in the water, since no one can really be trusted with the super soldier serum. And also because she’s ready to let him go and move on with her life. It’s incredibly tragic since we all know he’s still alive under the ice, and she won’t know that until much later. The show ends with a slight cliffhanger, with Zola meeting Ivchenko and talking about them partnering together. It could either be a cliffhanger for real if they get a second season, or just a nice nod to the eventual take over of HYDRA. It should be noted that it was the Soviets (possibly Leviathan specifically) who picked up Bucky Barnes. If Zola is partnering with Ivchenko, that might be how he/Hydra got their hands on the Winter Soldier. Nice nod to continuity there. If the show gets another season, we’ll probably see Peggy either continue with the SSR, or possibly she and Howard will start SHIELD for real. It would be really great to see them start it from the ground up, and the steps they’ll need to take in order to make it happen.

And that’s the thing. There are so many plots they could do with this show! There are so many avenues. I think it’s silly for people to say that just because we know where it’ll eventually end, it means the journey there isn’t important. It’s incredibly important! I want to see more of Peggy taking the world by storm. I want to see her and Jarvis get into escapades and sit back to back at the diner every week. I want to see Howard make terrible mistakes and the other two rolling their eyes, ready to help him. I want to see what comes of the SSR and if Peggy and Sousa ever get that drink. I want to see SHIELD start and Peggy creating the vision that inspired it for many decades. I want to see the Howling Commandos show up again for random adventures in other countries. What about more Black Widow nods? Winter Soldier hints? HYDRA seeds? The options are endless. All they need to do is give the show a chance. Renew Agent Carter!

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Agent Carter Episode 5 5 out of 5 Painful Airplane Farewells

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