What with the final season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiering May 27th, and Enver Gjoki set to make a guest appearance as a possible pre-SSR/pre WWII Agent Daniel Sousa, fans might wonder why a character from Agent Carter is appearing. To understand the time travel aspect of the finale season a bit better, here are some reasons why MCU fans should binge-watch the well-crafted prequel to SHIELD.
1. The Flow of the Show
Throughout both seasons of this show, from the cinematography to the editing, the flow of Agent Carter is a prime example of how smooth shows based of comics can run.
Once you hear the characters speak; almost feeling like modern iambic pentameter, and every other element like the music and costume on top of that, it really does feel like a live read through of a comic book. Fans can get lost in the history of the character that was the first female director and founder of SHIELD.
The flow of Agent Carter is on the same level of satisfaction as Wanda Maximoff making Thanos afraid of her, and there’s no disputing that.
2. The Dialogue
Out of all of the television that has come out of the Marvel TV Studios, Agent Carter has by far some of the smartest writing as well as some of the smartest dialogue. Sometimes, it will make fans think about social construct and society, and other times the dialogue between is so ridiculous it will make fans belly laugh.
“I know my value. Anyone else’s opinion doesn’t really matter.”
By far the most famous line from the show, it has become synonymous as the show’s long-lived motto. Any fan watching the show should be able to relate to this because every person who watches the show should know that they are worth it and that the only opinion that should matter to them is their own.
“You think you know me.”
“And you know what I’M capable of.”
“Unless I have your reports and coffee, I’m invisible.”
There are many other instances across the show where there are thought-provoking lines, but the three examples listed above are the best examples as to why Agent Carter is such a smart show when it comes to discussing gender roles. Throughout S1 of the show, Peggy is continuously undermined, belittled, humiliated, and doubted. She constantly has to prove that she is equal, and the only time the men of the SSR actually take her seriously, is when they capture her for “helping” Howard Stark. She was able to fly under the radar because why? She’s a woman. They completely underestimated her abilities, and in turn she rightfully made them look foolish.
“What do you do for relaxation? Assemble rifles?”
“You going to punch all of LA?”
“Maybe? I could do with a hobby.”
These sets of lines are perfect examples of the quick-witted hilarity and cleverness of the rapport between the characters. It’s dialogue like this that will get any fan to fall for characters instantly.
3. The Wardrobe
Sure, all of the movies in the MCU and other Marvel TV look great when it comes to wardrobe and costuming. But when it comes to the last season of Agents of SHIELD, traveling back to the 30s and Agent Carter being set in the 40s, a lot of research specifically has to go into period pieces in order to get the most authentic feel for the show.
The prime example: Peggy’s wardrobe specifically.
Whenever she was fighting crime or in the SSR investigating leads, she would mainly wear exquisitely tailored suits or jumpsuits. However while mainly doing her errands, or socializing, she would be seen wearing gorgeous dresses . The versatility of Peggy’s wardrobe allowed her to do things other characters could not.
4. The Music
There are a lot of things Agent Carter can offer for specific fans. Fans who like action will get great fight scenes. Fans who like costuming, they can admire the period-accurate clothing. Writing? Fans of that aspect will get a fantastic story to follow. Another thing Agent Carter has to offer? amazing music.
“That Man“, sung by Caro Emerald is a modern song with a jazzy flair, perfect for the era of Agent Carter. And, if any hardcore Marvel fan listened to the first few notes, they’d be able to pick out that it came specifically this show.
In S1 Ep.3, “Time & Time“, Helen Forrest‘s version of “Someone To Watch Over Me” is played. The reason: many times during the episode, Peggy pushes people she trusts like Jarvis and Angie away. But looking closer at the lyrics, and given Peggy’s backstory she’s also trying to push the memory of Steve away. In turn, Peggy learns to let her friends in, as well as remember how much Steve cared about her.
S1 Ep.8, “Valediction“, Bing Crosby & Dixie Lee can be heard singing “The Way You Look Tonight“. Why this is such a pivotal moment for S1 is because this is the moment Peggy dumps Steve’s blood into the Hudson, saying “Bye, My Darling”. This is the moment Peggy officially moves on from Steve (not counting how Avengers: Endgame completely backtracks on that). If fans were to look up the lyrics of that song, and think back on Peggy and Steve’s relationship the song really does personify how they feel about each other.
The entire show soundtrack is perfect for fans that want to experience an authentic 40s aesthetic.
5. The Characters
Second Row: Whitney Frost, Doctor Jason Wilkes, Agents Daniel Sousa & Jack Thompson
Third Row: Ana Jarvis, The Council of Nine, Angie Martinelli
Besides Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter has one of the most colorful, complex group of characters that have come out of Marvel television.
Some of the protagonists include (excluding Peggy considering she’s the lead): Howard Stark, Edwin and Ana Jarvis, Angie Martinelli, Agent Daniel Sousa, and Doctor Jason Wilkes. As far as villains go there is: The Council of Nine, Agent Jack Thompson, Dottie Underwood and Whitney Frost. Now, from both groups, the ones that are sure to leave a lasting impression: Dottie Underwood, Whitney Frost, The Council of Nine, Angie Martinelli Daniel Sousa and Edwin Jarvis.
Dottie Underwood is the first known character to come from what would be…The Red Room. She is the very first Black Widow to be named in the Marvel Universe.
Whitney Frost, aka Madame Masque, is a villain the Marvel universe that should bring back for future projects. She is an incredibly smart physicist who was the brains behind the Zero Matter project. And once she absorbed the energy, in a way her genius reached levels nobody else could understand.
What Peggy had in common with both Dottie and Whitney, is that all three of them were able to slip under the radar of their respective fields because they were women. Because of that, they excelled to the top and even though the were foes, there was an understanding and respect between them. Regardless of good and evil.
The Council of Nine. This group of villains popped up in S2 of the show. Now, what other evil organization based of a mythical beast with NINE heads does that sound like? That right: HYDRA! Two years after WWII ended, the evil Science division of Germany started to make a resurgence, staying under the radar until…Captain America: The Winter Soldier. And, what with the SHIELD team going back in time, one of the S7 trailers even states something along the lines of “In order to save the world, we have to save Hydra“. Meaning, in 1931, they were just getting started.
Daniel Sousa, Angie Martinelli and Edwin Jarvis are the three character that had always believed in Peggy from day one.
Daniel was the only Agent at the SSR who treated Peggy like an equal, even when he thought she was guilty towards the end of S1. They both of them balance each other so well when it comes to finding evidence.
When she wasn’t even looking for a best friend, Angie shows up and helps Peggy find a place to stay after losing her roommate in Ep. 1. Without even thinking, Angie covers for Peggy when the SSR is looking for her. Regular friends don’t just risk themselves getting arrested. Angie helped Peggy escape; that is best friend material.
Since the start of the show, Edwin Jarvis was always Peggy’s right hand man. Sure, they had plenty of disagreements and spats but they always made up and they always had each other’s backs. Jarvis is that person Peggy could confide in about anything.
6. Other Marvel Easter Eggs
Before most of the other projects were even established by Marvel, Agent Carter had some pretty sneaky Easter Eggs when it came to other shows, even some clever dialogue that maybe hinted at future projects.
Zero Matter made its official appearance in S2, and was the substance that gave Whitney Frost her powers. However, if fans jumped over to Agents of SHIELD, on three separate occasions they encountered the same type of powers (S1. Ep. 18, “Providence“, S1 Ep. 19, “The Only Light in the Darkness” and S3. Ep.13 “Parting Shot“). Even in the show Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger, it shows how a Roxxon explosion gives Tyrone & Tandy their powers and is how Tyrone’s powers work specifically.
Agent Carter definitely had a sly way of predicting some heroes: i.e. Dottie Underwood being The Black Widow before Natasha Romanoff was even born. S1 Ep.5 “The Iron Ceiling” It mentions the organization Leviathan. And those the show strayed from the roots of the organization in the comics, the writers cleverly turned it into the origin story for The Red Room; the very same place that Natasha had her training. In the episode it shows everything Dottie went through to become an assassin. Fans get a glimpse at what would be the future Black Widow Program; the same program both Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova go through, just like Dottie. One could even think that in some way, both Natasha and Dottie could be related but that’s unconfirmed canon at this point.
Also, in that very same episode, Dum Dum Dugan, one of the Howling Commandos and Peggy’s closest allies, he gives Peggy the unwanted nickname “Miss Union Jack“. Now, a person not in the know could simply think that was just a nickname meant to annoy. However, if a person is in the know and has kept up to date with the latest Marvel news, that nickname could now mean that it was a swept under the rug hint at the very first episode of Marvel’s upcoming Disney Plus show What If?. Where the very first episode is going to be: What If…Peggy Carter took the Super Soldier Serum? And her hero name? Captain Carter. Whether it was intentional or not…that nickname worked excellently.
Though Agent Carter was unjustly cut short of a third season and left fans with a “Who shot JR?” style cliffhanger, the show continues to draw fans in across that MCU. Peggy Carter, Director and Founder of the future SHIELD, is a character that deserved more screen time. Hopefully her appearance on Disney Plus isn’t the last we see of her.
Agent Carter is streaming now on Disney Plus