Agent Carter "Pilot" and "Bridge and Tunnel" Reviews

Peggy Carter busts out of the MCU and onto ABC in Marvel' newest show Agent Carter. ABC aired 2 episodes tonight, so I reviewed both. (SPOILERS!)

"Pilot" Synopsis: When old acquaintance Howard Stark finds himself being framed for unleashing his deadliest weapons to anyone willing to pony up the cash, he contacts Peggy – the only person he can trust – to track down those responsible, dispose of the weapons and clear his name." Stark empowers his butler, Edwin Jarvis, to be at her beck and call when needed to help assist her as she investigates and tracks down those responsible for selling these weapons of mass destruction. If caught going on these secret missions for Stark, Peggy could be targeted as a traitor and spend the rest of her days in prison – or worse.

High Points (Pilot):

• Connective pieces to MCU: Howard Stark, Captain America clips, Anton Vanko.
• Hayley Atwell excels in her lead role.
• The Post WW2 setting is a great time period for the MCU to explore.
• Knockout lipstick.
• Stark's weapons being stolen was a solid plot to integrate MCU characters.
• Stark's chemical formula becomes weaponized.
• Staplers can fuck people up.
• Where is the the best place to defuse dangerous weapons? The bathroom of course!
• Peggy's kitchen fight was badass.
• Leviathan tie-in to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
• There is more to Stark and Jarvis's involvement than it seems.
• The loss of Captain America still affects Peggy.

Dumb blonde isn't actually dumb or blonde

Low Points (Pilot):

• Guys at SSR don't ride the red river.
• Some of the humor misses the mark, especially Jarvis (Alfred > Jarvis).
• Jarvis needs a divorce lawyer.
• Dead Roommate = Fucked on paying rent.
• Anton Vanko doesn't look like he could father Mickey Rourke (In his defense, Mickey isn't actually a human being).
• So I guess Peggy Carter was once in Men In Black.

Verdict (Pilot) : I'm not a fan of superhero shows without superheroes (see everything I have said about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Gotham), but I decided to give Agent Carter a chance anyway because I'm a big fan of Hayley Atwell. The pilot does a good job of setting up Peggy's character. She is a war hero back in NYC and suffering from the plight of being a woman in 1940's law enforcement. Therefore many of the men at her office don't take her seriously, which strangely gives the character an advantageous disadvantage (I made-up an oxymoron!!). She may be forced to do other agents' paperwork and not be put on a case, but Peggy can go investigate on sly when she needs to without her co-workers ever suspecting she is capable of it. This comes in handy when Peggy's war-buddy Howard Stark tasks her with clearing his name. It was a good setup for Peggy to get into some action while simultaneously integrating characters we have seen before in the MCU. Agent Carter also had some solid actions pieces that allow Peggy to show off how badass she really is. On the negative side the humor was very dry and I felt missed the mark for the most part. Overall I give Agent Carter a 7.5 out of 10. I think I'll be sticking around for the next seven episodes of this mini-series.

"There's bomb under Constanza's desk!"

"Bridge and Tunnel" Synopsis: In the episode "Bridge and Tunnel," Howard Stark's deadliest weapon has fallen into enemy hands, and only Agent Carter can recover it. But can she do so before her undercover mission is discovered by SSR Chief Dooley and Agent Thompson?

High Points (Bridge and Tunnel)

• I would listen to the Captain America Radio Show.
• Kinky clothes come in handy for disguises.
• Peggy has a great American accent.
• It is funny how being a woman hurts Peggy's status within the SSR, buts aids her in being secretive about helping Stark.
• Always find the closest stairwell.
• Don't you miss the days when you could beat the shit out of a prisoner. O wait that still happens.
• Intercut fight with Captain America's radio show was awesome.
• Peggy Carter ain't no lameass Betty Carver. Seriously though the differences between Peggy and her radio counterpart are astounding.
• SSR agents find some evidence that could lead to Peggy.

"Hello, this is Patrick."

Low Points (Bridge and Tunnel):

• SSR agents are great at making incorrect assumptions and just overall sucking at their jobs.
• The waitress really wants Peggy to move in. (Charlie Kelly has been trying for ten seasons, what Peggy succeeded in doing in 2 meetings)
• Personally I haven't gravitated toward any other character besides Peggy. Supporting cast needs to be expanded upon a bit.
• Joe DiMaggio reference was a Joe DiMaggio reference.

Verdict (Bridge and Tunnel): The second episode of Agent Carter slowed down a bit from the pilot in order for Peggy to hunt down a milk truck driver and find a new apartment. That doesn't mean we didn't get any patented Peggy Carter action though. She gets to kick some ass on a milk truck this time. I think this show seems to be at it's best when she is in action or disguise. Moments with fellow SSR agents though fall short because frankly you don't give a shit about them. Other characters besides Peggy are easy not to get attached too. Hopefully they make some of them more likable in future episodes. And although it moved the overall story along, it felt like a filler episode. Agent Carter only has 8 episodes, so I thought that the storyline would be more focused which meant less time wasting bullshit. I just feel that this episode could have taken place in the first 20 minutes and led to something else. Don't me wrong though, it was better than most shows filler eps (such as Arrow's "Guilty"). So because Hayley is awesome, but her supporting cast still needs to be fleshed out a bit, I gave "Bridge and Tunnel" a 7.0 out of 10. 

Thanks for reading! Enjoying Agent Carter? How does it compare to other Marvel properties? Let us know what you think in the comments or on twitter @Caped_Informers. Check back regularly for more reviews and updates about the happenings of the comic book world. See ya next week for some more Agent Carter.

My current fetish (Being beaten by Peggy Carter)