Speedy Synopses:
Agent Carter 1x3: Time and Tide
Agent Carter this week wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination. Just paced a bit oblong? We get some character development from Jarvis throughout the episode. After getting picked up/interrogated by the SSR after the bumper from the Roxxon refinery gets traced back to Stark's car (why the SSR doesn't move against Jarvis sooner is beyond me). During the interrogation, Agent Thompson lets rip that Jarvis was charged with treason and dishonorably discharged while serving in British military. Jarvis's wife is threatened with deportation, although he remains steadfast in not giving up the details. After Carter recovers some papers, corroborating Jarvis's alibi, she gets chewed out by the chief for her troubles.
Carter and Jarvis later try to recreate the logistics of the heist of Stark's weapons, where we learn the truth behind Jarvis's treason and dishonorable discharge: he forged his general's signature on some papers of transit where he met Anna, a Jewish tailor in Budapest at the outbreak of the second world war. The only thing that kept him from the noose was Howard Stark's influence. Boy, I bet you Carter/Jarvis shippers are feeling silly now! The subterranean jaunt leads to The Heartbreaker, a boat branded with the crossed heart logo Leet Branis started to draw in the dirt as he was dying in last week's episode. After a fight with a local goon #1 and a Chekov's muscle-contractor-cum-back-massager-weapon, Carter wants to call it in and claim the credit, but Jarvis logics her into needing to do this in the shadows otherwise the blowback and scrutiny will cause more harm than good.
Jarvis phones an anonymous tip, rocking a NYC-accent worthy of at least a People's Choice Award, and Souza/Krzeminski recover the crate of stolen weapons from the boat. The recovery of the failed Hitachi Magic Wands is undercut when Krzeminski and the goon get murked at a train crossing, moments after the goon starts asking about the dame with the British accent he fought. Carter is indirectly responsible for his death, and to the rest of the SSR, the blame lies clearly with Howard Stark. Oh, there are no easy answers, Agent Carter. (Paolo S.)
Hero of the Week: Edwin Jarvis, Agent Carter
I know, you guys. I KNOW. I can't keep choosing Jarvis over Peggy! It's not right, it's HER show! But he is a LOYAL BUTLER AND FRIEND who is proving to be just who Peggy needs in her life. And y'all out there shipping the two of them? Just stop, STAHP. If Jarvis' story of rescuing his Jewish wife from Nazi-occupied Hungary at the risk of being HUNG FOR TREASON wasn't enough to squash that notion then I can't help you I CAN NOT.
Villain of the Week: Miriam Fry, Agent Carter
Actress Meagen Fey has one of those faces that you KNOW you know...you know? Her IMDB page is a mile long. Girlfriend has been in EVERYTHING on TV! I remember her best as the cheerful German wife/owner of the dude ranch that Francis goes to work at on Malcolm in the Middle. She runs the Griffith Hotel/Boarding House for Single Young Ladies with an iron chastity belt fist that would make Dolores Umbridge proud. She's traditional, uptight, snobbish and, frankly, a c*ckblocker (right, Molly?). That is why Miriam Fry is our Villain of the Week.
Troy Barnes Award for Evoking The Feelz:
(courtesy of tumblr/sleepyscandal)
Peggy Carter is a more talented agent than MOST of the men in her office yet she will never get the recognition she deserves. As British as she tries to be about it, taking it on the chin, we see that it's actually quite devastating to be treated as invisible at best and as a joke at worst. Jarvis intervenes in her moment of clutching at glory, reminding her that what she deserves she may never get, and it is brutal.
Ab-tastic:
NEXT WEEK, Y'ALL. NEXT WEEK.
Right in the Kisser:
The reveal of what Edwin Jarvis sacrificed in order to save his wife from the Nazis had my heart beating out of its chest like a Looney Tunes cartoon. He suffered a dishonorable discharge and would have been hung for treason if not for the intervention of his true blue friend, Howard Stark. I rather hope that we don't ever meet Mrs. Jarvis, that she remains off-screen like Norm's Vera or Niles' Maris. Professional Adulterer and All-Around Terrible Person Agent Krzeminski tells Souza that Peggy would never fall for a guy with a prosthetic leg after dating Captain America and suddenly I don't feel so bad at my lack of f*cks to give when he's killed.
Biff! Bam! Pow!
Comic Pages:
-Operation S.I.N. #1, written by Kathryn Immonen, illustrated by Michael Komarck
It's the 1950's and Agent Peggy Carter has retired from the spy life but her old co-hort Howard Stark is determined to tempt her back, so it makes total sense that he stages a home invasion which ends in the destruction of her home. She eventually admits that she's bored stiff no longer being in The Life and agrees to accompany Howard to Cold War Moscow. INTRIGUE. I enjoyed it much more than anticipated, fearing that it was just a tie-in for the show; it's smart, atmospheric and funny and the next issue promises BEAR FIGHTING.
-S.H.I.E.L.D. #2, written by Mark Waid, illustrated by Julian Totino Tedesco
It's a bit strange reading this comic because what you'll soon realize is that the comic is actually the SHOW you wanted S.H.I.E.L.D. to be when it first aired - lots of heroes and villains, a Superhero X-Files if you will. But that's not what we got and after a rocky first season and a stronger second, we've come to accept it for what it is. The first issue had Norse Gods all up and down the place and this next issue has Jemma Simmons undercover as a substitute teacher at KAMALA KHAN'S HIGH SCHOOL. My fangirl heart nearly ASPLODED. Jemma and Kamala bond, Coulson and Kamala get super competitive about who has the most superhero knowledge (hilarious) and everyone saves the day from a giant ball of putty that infects the students through the cafeteria food. SUBTEXT. Super fun and a must for any Ms. Marvel fan!
-Captain Marvel #11, written by Kelly Sue deConnick, illustrated by David Lopez
Carol Danvers misses her people back on Earth and so takes one day (along with interstellar rock goddess Lila Cheney) to visit over Christmas. It's beautiful and snowing in NYC but Carol knows she has limited time and chooses to spend it with her friend Tracy. Tracy is dying of cancer and by the final panel in this issue you'll see Carol take down an adversary and do something so spectacularly wonderful for her friend that you would be amiss not to have ALL the tissues nearby.
-Batgirl #38, written by Brendan Fletcher & Cameron Stewart, illustrated by Babs Tarr & Cameron Stewart
Barbara Gordon is on a date! With Hot Cop Liam! Liam makes his feelings about Batgirl well-known to Barbara; he thinks she's a vigilante, makes things worse, etc. Yeah, yeah, pal. We've heard it all before. Still, with her secret identity still in tact Barbara agrees to see him again. He actually IS really cute and a decent guy but I think we ALL know that it's Qadir who should be keeping her warm at night. Batgirl of Burnside has become a social media sensation and Dinah Lance is over it. She and Barbara have a huge fight and Dinah moves out. Then Barbara's professor shows up and she hasn't recovered her thesis/work/project and so stress-crimefights (apparently that's a thing heroes do) her way into some really questionable decisions. Still loving this series, and really happy that we got more Nadimah in this issue!
-Feathers #1, written and illustrated by Jorge Corona
This lovely new series by Archaia is just gorgeous. We have an orphaned feathered boy named Poe being raised in secret by a man who has secrets of his own, and a rich girl names Bianca, starved for adventure who has never been out of the city walls into the mazes that surround it; Poe and Bianca are destined to become friends/cohorts/partners-in-crime. Author/illustrator Jorge Corona describes it as "Spider-Man in a Dickensian world, but with a young adult feel and a fantasy twist." Perfect for you and the younger people in your life.
-Rat Queens Special: Braga #1, written by Kurtis Wiebe, illustrated by Tess Fowler
It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Rat Queens. I had no idea that this special issue even existed and THANK GOD I have Rat Queens in my weekly comic saver because my comic shop SOLD OUT. Braga is a badass orc and here we get her backstory. Turns out that Braga was not only of royal birth destined to be a leader of her clan but she is also transgender. Thing is, it's never even mentioned; we see her as a prince when she is younger, struggling to tell her father who she really is - not that she's a woman, but that she does not want to lead their clan down a path of interminable slaughter and war with their enemies as they have been doing for CENTURIES. Braga wants to make peace, she wants to put an end to the violence. She also has a best friend named Kiruk who is nothing but supportive, on and off the battlefield. (If you think that seeing two orc besties tell each other that they love each other won't make you cry I'm here to tell you that you are living a LIE.) There is so much dang humanity in her story, so much sorrow and hope, and her gender doesn't make one bit of difference; it's not the story, SHE is. "Let the bards sing my f*cking accolades" is my new favorite catchphrase that I may also be considering as a tattoo.
-There seem to be a common thread running through how women die in superhero movies, and it's pretty terrible.
-Comic History 101: excellent piece on the erasure of women in Comics post WW2 (and why Agent Carter is so important). You will be less than thrilled to see how badass women and their stories all morphed into soppy romances/man-hunts. That pic of a man CARRYING a demure Wonder Woman? Ugh.
-There’s going to be a Pretty Deadly Vol. 2, Kelly Sue has confirmed! In the meantime, go ahead and read Pretty Deadly, Vol. 1. It’s painfully good.
-Don’t say that you get no love here at Superhero Sundays: 3-page preview of the next issue of Bitch Planet!
-Great news for those that don’t have regular access to a local comic shop: Image Comics (Rat Queens, The Wicked and The Divine, Bitch Planet, Saga, etc) are now offering a mail-order subscription service!
-DC is REALLY pushing you to want to care about Aqua-Mom. I was greeted by a 2-page spread of her in my Batgirl comic this week:
News and Notes:
-The trailer for the Arrow add-on for Lego Batman 3 is pretty cool, especially with Stephen Amell’s voiceover. “Green...pointy...arrow-y.”
-Caity Lotz talks about her time on Arrow at Wizard World. I wish you could’ve had the sonic scream too, Caity.
-This interview with Exec Producer Marc Guggenheim has me stoked for the Vixen animated mini-series appearing on The CW Seed this fall; it will share the same universe as Arrow and The Flash AND Oliver will finally find out about Barry and Felicity’s kiss..! Anticipated tension between bros aside, I'm really looking forward to getting to know Mari McCabe and her awesome animal-power-adopting abilities.I mean just LOOK at her, out in front AND lipstick on point:
-Tom Cavanagh confirms that Wells is Reverse Flash, but I’m sure they’ve still got tricks up their sleeve. Also, The Atom could possibly have his own show in the future. Greg Berlanti is trying to make all of us house-bound. I mean, if they want to do another spinoff I’m going to request it be Birds of Prey. Bust Helena out of prison and make it happen. #justsayin
-Gotham has been renewed for a second series.
-Steven R. McQueen has left The Vampire Diaries and is rumored to be on the shortlist to play Nightwing in the Titans series. I may have...opinions about this.
-Stan Lee will be stopping by Agent Carter for his signature cameo. He is the man responsible for the happiest day in my husband’s life, evidenced here (on Stan's left):
He says our wedding was the happiest day of his life. I'm not buying it. #WeekendAtBerniesVibeGoingOnHere
-5 Things Learned About Agent Carter at the TV Critics Association Press Tour. (MORE S.H.I.E.L.D. crossovers!)
-Tom Hardy has dropped out of Suicide Squad (boo hiss!), apparently over the script (eep!) which has Rick Flag as more of a supporting character. Jake Gyllenhaal is being eyed as possible replacement.
-The Avengers: Age of Ultron, 2nd trailer - once more with feeling!
-Now that you’ve watched that trailer for 734th time, let's dissect the Black Widow scenes and ponder how much of her origin we’ll see!
-Captain America 3: Civil War has confirmed the return of Black Widow and Bucky/The Winter Soldier, as well as Iron-Man and Black Panther. Wait - no Falcon?
-So now Spider-Man IS appearing in Avengers: Infinity War, Part 1, I guess..? Sony needs to stop messing with our hearts. If it happens it’ll be interesting to see how they explain Peter Parker not being in the Battle of New York.
Everyone pumped for the return of Arrow and The Flash? Enjoying Agent Carter? Do we really need another season of Gotham? What comics are you reading/loving? Let's dish!