by Graham Osborne
It’s been pretty hard to fault Marvel for their turn on the silver screen so far. They may have had a few wobbles with Iron Man 2, and the ending to Captain America: The First Avenger may have needed some improvement, but ultimately they’re riding a wave of successes on the big screen which they’ve seen cross over to the small with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Joining this is Agent Carter, following on from the events of The First Avenger and the Marvel One Shot on the Iron Man 3 DVD.
It’s been pretty hard to fault Marvel for their turn on the silver screen so far. They may have had a few wobbles with Iron Man 2, and the ending to Captain America: The First Avenger may have needed some improvement, but ultimately they’re riding a wave of successes on the big screen which they’ve seen cross over to the small with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Joining this is Agent Carter, following on from the events of The First Avenger and the Marvel One Shot on the Iron Man 3 DVD.
Agent Carter is a curious thing. It’s a Cold War spy thriller gallivanting in a world of (future) heroes, alien invasions, psychopathic robots and dance-offs with other extra-terrestrial beings. Currently, two episodes into the show, it’s too hard to say what it wants to be, but so far it’s showing promise.
Set in 1946, the titular Agent Carter is struggling with returning from the Second World War and fitting back into a world of misogyny, forced to make the coffee and file reports for the Strategic Scientific Reserve, or SSR for short, (the predecessor to S.H.I.E.L.D.) instead of getting out and working in the field where she belongs. Hayley Atwell once again plays the main character with the perfect mix of gusto and femininity, able to show shock and sadness at the death of an innocent before turning around and kicking a number of people firmly in the goolies and capturing the bad guy du jour.
Set in 1946, the titular Agent Carter is struggling with returning from the Second World War and fitting back into a world of misogyny, forced to make the coffee and file reports for the Strategic Scientific Reserve, or SSR for short, (the predecessor to S.H.I.E.L.D.) instead of getting out and working in the field where she belongs. Hayley Atwell once again plays the main character with the perfect mix of gusto and femininity, able to show shock and sadness at the death of an innocent before turning around and kicking a number of people firmly in the goolies and capturing the bad guy du jour.
Working alongside Atwell are Chad Michael Murray and Shea Whigham as the “top” agents of the SSR. However, this seems to result in them being steps behind Agent Carter as she solves the riddles, gets close to the villain and saves the day. Their actions and attitudes towards Carter would suggest they should be obstacles or competition to her investigation, yet they come across as dogged pursuers, attempting to solve the same mystery. Despite having little screen-time, they are portrayed as incredibly competent agents. It remains to be seen how their roles will develop.
Helping tie the show to the MCU is Dominic Cooper, reprising his role as Howard Stark. Charged with treason after some of his more volatile inventions are stolen from his secure vault, he requests Carter to prove his innocence, thus kicking off the plot and thrusting us into a world of espionage, mute assassins, incredibly polite British butlers with a hidden past and highly volatile explosive chemicals.
Helping tie the show to the MCU is Dominic Cooper, reprising his role as Howard Stark. Charged with treason after some of his more volatile inventions are stolen from his secure vault, he requests Carter to prove his innocence, thus kicking off the plot and thrusting us into a world of espionage, mute assassins, incredibly polite British butlers with a hidden past and highly volatile explosive chemicals.
The episodes themselves seem a little unsure of their tone, swinging from tense thriller to cheap pulp detective noir to comedy at the drop of a hat. This isn’t helped by the repartee between Carter and Jarvis (Stark’s butler, played by James D’Arcy) as they go about solving the mystery. It leaves a distinct sense of bewilderment as to how the writers will be continuing with the show as it evolves.
Agent Carter may be undecided as to what genre of show it wishes to be, but the acting is fantastic, the sets and action sequences are sublime and Hayley Atwell is amazing as the leading lady. With any luck, Marvel will see how well this series goes, and then start looking at a new series or movie featuring their other main female character within the MCU, Black Widow.
Agent Carter may be undecided as to what genre of show it wishes to be, but the acting is fantastic, the sets and action sequences are sublime and Hayley Atwell is amazing as the leading lady. With any luck, Marvel will see how well this series goes, and then start looking at a new series or movie featuring their other main female character within the MCU, Black Widow.
What Are Your Thoughts?
What did you think of Agent Carter?
What was your favourite part?
Will it go the distance and rival Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Let us know in the comments!
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