For some reason I kept thinking Carter is going to get frozen or something at some point and meet Steve Rogers in the future. Which doesn’t make sense, because that I totally forgot about the one scene in The Winter Soldier. Also, Carter’s great grand-niece or whatever is Rogers’ SHIELD-neighbor. AWKWARD…
— Alan
If you go back and watch the first few episodes of Mad Men–and much of the first season, really–you’re struck with how much they play up the “look, people smoked and drank and sexually harassed in the office!” relative to later seasons.
Once the writers/creators get over the throwback/modern callouts, they will likely decrease in frequency, or at least obviousness. For this show, I wouldn’t expect there to be less “she’s better at her job than the dudes,” because that’s kinda the reason the show is about her.
Oh my god, yes. It was so hamfisted that it almost made me stop watching. Fortunately, my wife got me to grit my teeth and carry on until it became the show that deserved all the acclaim.
That is to say, the Mad Men writers got over it and decreased in frequency. I wouldn’t assume that a network show, even a well put together one, would do the same, any more than Once Upon a Time will ever get tired of saying “Hey! I’m Snow White, remember?” (or whatever that show does).
Yeah, Boardwalk Empire was the same, but handled the topic better later on without ever shirking from it. Even when it’s accurate, it’s less jarring when it’s included in a more organic way, rather than having so many scenes that seem solely crafted for that purpose.
Am I the only one supremely not-interested in the “secret detective among the secret detectives complete with slapstick gotta-stay-hidden scenes” angle? Note: this might be entirely because, for some weird, probably mental illness-related reason, I really hate “stressful” scenes in TV where something medium-bad is clearly about to happen and you sort of watch the characters stumble into it. Watching George in Seinfeld is next to impossible for me, as his various schemes come apart at the seams over the course of each episode.
But I do find the whole schtick a little tired already. Everyone thinks Stark’s a traitor, so inevitably, when the trail of gratuitously zoomed-in-upon evidence leads them to Carter, there’s going to be the inevitable “spy-on-the-run” episode where only CrippleMan trusts here and she must save the day in order to prove that she’s not a Commie Whore or whatever. It’s almost as bad as the rom-com trope of one half of the couple walking in on the other half doing something that appears questionable sans context and the two breaking up/fighting/whatever because neither of them is smart enough to try talking about it.
Anyway, I sincerely hope they wrap that angle quickly and quietly, because it’s far and away my least favorite part of the show, both because of my inability to handle stressful situations and because of how obvious the entire thing is going to be -.-
… I’m gonna say that maybe a sneaky spy series (as opposed to a Bondy blow-them-all-up-real-good spy series) is just not for you. Though mind you Agent Carter seems to be a little bit of both.
Nope, I’m right there with you. Not so much because of the stress (although I understand where you’re coming from on that), but because it’s the least interesting aspect of the show for me.
Also, I’m surprised at how many people have reacted so much to the bits about women in the 40’s; there were one or two heavy-handed moments, but over the course of two episodes it really didn’t feel out of place to me with the setting. In fact, I thought the bluntness about the treatment of women helped set up the conversation between Carter and Jarvis around the end of the second episode.
I’m mostly really enjoying the show, thrilled to get to see the further adventures of Peggy Carter after Steve was turned into a Capsicle. Eagerly awaiting the next episode!
To be fair, without the ho-hum double-cross-for-liberty plotline, the show could still do Good Spy Things just fine. I mean, it’s the writers’/showrunner’s call, in the end, just not one I’m a huge fan of, and am hoping they don’t drag out tediously. Then again, it’s network TV. . .
So what’s everybody think now that the show is nearly over?
I LOVE,LOVE LOVE Hayley Atwell in all those nifty period outfits. And the show is fun too…
Diego
Despise it. Fun to see some of Hickman’s Leviathan stuff incorporated into the universe. Don’t know why they decided the right approach was to give her the supernatural powers of Wonder Woman, and the heavy-handed sexism nonsense is just tiresome. Wish it was otherwise either more grounded or included more aspects of the Marvel universe and made her an inhuman or something if they were going to give her superhuman abilities, but as is, it’s the worst of both worlds – neither including enough Marvel elements to be worthwhile, nor a human-level show set in the same universe to be interesting. But at least we got more Dum Dum Dugan.
Being neither shocked or surprised that a show about a comic book spy has over-the-top action and that a show about a working woman in the 1940s contains sexism, I’m enjoying it. The outstanding actors are a bit better than the scripts, but it more than satisfies as something to brighten up the winter doldrums.
(I did sigh a bit when the last episode relied on such well-worn tropes - commies, evil psychiatrist, hypnotism. But I can’t deny that they are all very period-appropriate tropes: an evil commie psychiatrist hypnotist is pretty much the 1947 zeitgeist’s ideal villain.)
I’ve enjoyed it. It’s not stellar, but it’s fun to watch. I enjoy the 50s evil commie super-science tropes, right down to the hypnotism and sinister ring-twirling. They’re a suitable replacement (in terms of an out-of-the-ordinary opposition) for the 40s evil nazi super-science tropes of the Captain America movie.
Carter herself is excellent, Howard Stark and Jarvis are great. The depiction of the returned GIs staffing the SSI is cool, and the SSI boss in particular is a great actor IMHO.
Dottie as precursor to the Black Widow is wonderfully batshit insane. (Incidentally, are we to assume that’s supposed to be a young Black Widow who stabbed Dum Dum and gave them trouble at the Leviathan place? I can’t remember whether BW is supposed to have a sort of weak Russian equivalent of the super-soldier serum, so retains her youth down to the period of the modern movies? Or am I just imagining that?)
It may be a comic book thing, I don’t know, but it’s not movie universe based. In Winter Soldier, when she and Cap are in the bunker talking to robo-Zola, Zola lists off both birth dates. “Natasha Romanoff; born 1984”
The show has actually grown on me, but mostly due to how much I like Carter. I have been trying not to pick up on the sexism too much, and actually want more of Carter showing up the guys and wittily handling their comments. I don’t think I can stop watching after how last week’s episode ended. I’m entertained and that’s what matters to me.
Our whole family has made this the #1 priority show to watch each week. It’s fun, my wife (who’s not big into superhero/action stuff) loves the role of Carter and her badass refutation of the sexism around here, and even my kid’s hooked.
Plus, Haley Atwell. <kellywand>Rrraawwrrr</kellywand>
Wish the ratings were better… Would love to see this get picked up for another run, perhaps moving forward a bit to her helping start SHIELD.
I have no idea what Black Widow’s modern origin is, but the old school one never had super-soldier serum. However, she was for a time married to the Red Guardian - the Soviet Union’s equivalent of Captain America (but he didn’t have super-soldier serum either, just a snazzy red costume.)
There was a later, female version of the Red Guardian as well.
Interesting feedback so far.
Personally, I LIKE that it isn’t too drenched in the Marvel universe. That’s what makes Carter more real & interesting for my wife and I. Love to see her kicking butt.
That plus the nifty period stuff.
… and Hayley Atwell.
Diego
Overall I enjoy it - it’s not perfect, but I like the setting and Atwell, and would love to see it picked up for another season.
I like it a lot. Things that would be cheesy and over the top on a show like Agents of Shield, instead come off as charming in a period piece. Even the action scenes feel way more plausible to me for that reason, I half expect to see a ‘BLAM’ text pop up on the screen.