There has never been a better time to be a fan of comics when it comes to both the big and small screens. There are currently over a half dozen shows spread out across several networks that cater to comic book related material and if you believe the rumors, there are more to come. Last night we saw the 2-part premiere of Marvel’s Agent Carter starring Hayley Atwell who reprises her role as Peggy Carter from Captain America: The First Avenger. Warning spoilers ahead…
The episode opened with the ending of The First Avengerwhere Captain America speaks to Peggy prior to him crashing to his “death”. Peggy awakens from her nightmare and we soon learn that it’s 1946 and she is living in New York City. Carter reads a newspaper report about Howard Stark selling weapons to the enemy. After a short exchange with her roommate, Colleen, Carter makes her way to her “job” at the phone company. In a very Bond-esque way, Carter entered the phone company and was let in through a secret door to reveal the offices of the SSR (Strategic Scientific Reserve).
This two-parter revolved around Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) accused of selling weapons to the enemy and has gone missing. The SSR wants to find him and bring him to justice. Stark on the other hand has another plan. He finds Carter and entrusts her to clear his name while he goes overseas to track down some of his weapons that are surfacing on the black market.
In his absence, he leaves his butler, Jarvis in Carter’s care. He will assist and if need be protect her. Apparently a formula called molecular nitroamien, is so powerful that it could wipe out an entire city block with a single drop. It has gone missing and Carter needs to track it down before anything bad happens.
For the rest of the show, it’s a race between the SSR trying to find Howard Stark and any weapons that might be out there and an undercover Agent Carter trying to do the same and clear Howard’s name.
Along the way, Carter fights off a mute assassin who after killing her roommate is hell bent on getting his hands on the substance and has to disarm the molecular nitroamien she uncovers in a weaponized orb form. With a little help from Jarvis, she was able to do so. However, a milk truckload of the same device does go off and destroys a manufacturing plant and reduces it into a sphere of twisted metal.
In the end, new questions arise like who was that mute assassin and who does he works for? I suspect Hydra but we’ll find out as the season moves forward. Also, Agent Carter needs to stay ahead of the SSR who only see her as eye candy and a secretary as oppose to being an agent.
We can see the groundwork for what will later become S.H.E.I.L.D. and Agent Carter’s involvement. I love the look and feel of the show. You can see that the producers did their best to make you feel like you’ve stepped through time and is fully immersed in 1940’s New York. As for Hayley Atwell, she was great. She’s beautiful, smart and tough. I’m always in favor of strong female leads especially in the comics. Agent Carter is such a character.
ABC has only committed to seven episodes. The first two were solid. Let’s hope the next five are even more so.
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
