Week 27: Now Is Not the End, Bridge and Tunnel

Now Is Not the End

My attention span sometimes lapses while watching a show, so. I find myself saying, "How did they know to go to that warehouse?"

That being said, how did Agent Carter know to go to that warehouse? Was it the vitaray detector that just happened to be a thing in Captain America's file box, because of course that's what you would keep in there?

I thought this was a decent start to a new series. I like Agent Carter as a character. The clever play between her and Jarvis was fun, and something that I hope can continue.

I'm somehow more interested in this plotline than I am with AOS. I think the lack of superheroes in this time frame makes everything feel more believable, as I don't find myself asking, "Why isn't Superhero X here to help with this? He's right down the street!"

Tony Stark feels more of a Macguffin delivery device at this point, but I hope that he'll have some actual plot soon.

Now is Not the End: Not a bad premiere, but it feels quite a bit like a rehash of the short film that inspired it, so I look forward to seeing the series (hopefully) grow from this point. The spy scenes are definitely the most interesting stuff here, culminating in the creepiness of the mute bombmaker's cryptic warnings. Jarvis's dedication to his duties as husband and butler taking precedence are a funny bit of comic relief. Kevin Heffernan plays obnoxious jerks so well that he single-handedly turned me off from the Broken Lizard films, so seeing Carter put the fear of death in him with a mere fork was a treat. The sexism material is frustrating, but of course that's the point. I'm a sucker for the music, fashion, and design of this time period, so even if the show produces some bad episodes, I should enjoy its surface details at least. (7/10)

Erik: I took it that Carter knew to go into that specific warehouse from the presence of guards outside, which she remarked to Jarvis was unusual compared to the other buildings.

Bridge and Tunnel: Another good episode, and a promising sign that this is going to be a fun series. I appreciated the directorial flourishes, like the long overhead pan as the assassin walked away from the first murder scene, and the contrasting of "Carver's" helplessness in the radio program with Carter actually taking down a criminal. Carter staying one step ahead of her colleagues could wear thin, but I expect that to evolve as the men develop distinct personalities; I predict that Sousa has already started covering for Carter (ie. destroying a good photo of her as "the blonde") and that Thompson will recognize her brilliance at a critical turning point in the plot and work with her. I've heard for years of "Cartinelli" fans shipping Carter with Angie the waitress and now that I finally see the series, damn, yeah, I'm picking up on the strong chemistry between them. The only gripe I have is Jarvis aggressively prodding Carter to trust him more while treating her injured knee; it seemed out of character for him to say that, like the writers taking a clumsy narrative shortcut in their relationship. And I must admit confusion: Even if Carter's war-time experiences don't earn her any respect at the office, shouldn't they have made her a minor celebrity elsewhere? She's being fictionalized in a radio show; people should be asking her for stories or autographs. (8/10)