Agent Carter Season 2 episodes 8-10 review

We're back where we were last year with the series drawing to a close, will it go out with a bang? Let's take a look

The Edge of Mystery/A little song and dance

Forgive me for blending this into a double-review but since the episodes were primarily interconnected I think this serves them better, plus it saves me doing 2 separate reviews for them.

So, in these episodes we see the escalation of Jason’s capture, the consequences of Ana’s shooting and we see Jack Thompson doing what he does best, playing the game. Is it any surprise that I thought they were both fantastic episodes, this season has been on fire with great episode after great episode, rivalling that of the Netflix series in terms of tight storytelling and character dynamics.

So, Whitney Frost gets a chance to get the zero matter she wants, and convinces Jason that he wants it too. His betrayal is an interesting thought as Peggy’s head clashes with her heart over how to respond to this, not helped by the fact that Daniel dealt with the same dilemma which resulted in them getting exactly what they wanted.

The rest of the episode is them racing to stop the nuclear explosion, coddled in with Jack finding a bs report about Peggy which he hands to Vernon whilst still knowing that it’s likely false. I think I already used the ‘you really are an idiot’ clip for you, Jack but it seems doubly appropriate here, so… Here it is

So, to Mr Jarvis. My god the universe dealt him a major blow with this one. Ana may have survived but it came at quite a cost as she’s unable to bear children, a subject which Jarvis didn’t initially have the heart to tell her about. His desire for revenge under such circumstances is quite understandable, even if it got him and Peggy in quite a predicament which resulted in an argument where Peggy pointed out some quite interesting home truths. It’s not unfair to note that Jarvis has always seen Peggy’s adventures as… well adventures, and really it never hit home to him that it could have a personal cost until now.

Back to Jack Thompson for a second, in the second half of the episode he uses his skills to perfection. The ability to play whatever side to ultimately serve your own goals. And he did that throughout the episode, siding with Soussa, siding with Vernon Masters, siding with Whitney Frost all to achieve the goal of removing the threat of Zero Matter, whatever the cost

Speaking of that, though, this starts to put him at odds with Peggy, who wants to try and get the best outcome. She’s an optimist with the skill to most of the time come out on top. Jack is more the pragmatist I think is the right word. So long as the outcome is desirable, what it takes to do it is fine. The problem lies with Jason. If I’m honest, he’d gone too far and his probable death at the end of the episode felt like the only out for him now.

Am I missing anything? Whitney has a boyfriend who’s pfft… I don’t give a sh*t, he’s not important and erm… no that’s about everything. Looking forward to the finale

Rating 9/10

Hollywood ending

You had to try your luck, didn’t you?

So, with all distractions out of the way, all guns are pointed at Whitney Frost, who has absorbed Jason’s zero matter and is now intent on constructing a device to gain an infinite supply.

Howard Stark is back, providing his usual combination of scientific genius, jokes about being rich, having a massive ego, being attracted to women and just generally being the comic relief. Not that Edwin Jarvis does a bad job getting back to his more chipper self in this episode anyway.

Jason is also back. OK… I’ll admit, I wish he’d stayed dead this time, we’ve been here already and I had no real desire to see him again. Next please. Whitney’s boyfriend whose name I can’t be bothered to remember plays a larger role in this one. But not that large, next…

Agent Carter got time to interact with both Daniel Soussa, especially near the end where they finally sorta get together but more interesting to me was Jack Thompson. He’d spent the entire series kinda afraid she’d turn against him, especially I suppose fearing she’d use the fact that he took credit for her accomplishments against him. Here, he gave even more ammo to use against him what with siding, albeit temporarily with Vernon Masters. Carter is not interested in doing so, however. She knows that Jack Thompson is a good man, although one she may not always agree with and that is all that matters to her.

Whitney’s downfall was well told; it was fairly apparent from early on the zero matter was driving her crazy. Here she’d reached peak craziness, the kind of craziness there’s no going back from. So crazy that she was so drawn to the zero matter she didn’t notice the big-ass gamma cannon that was right behind her. It’s nice that although the zero matter was withdrawn, she’s not lost her craziness, keeping trying to damage her own face and having imaginary conversations with Calvin Chadwick.

OK, I’ll address my big issue. I don’t mind open endings. I don’t mind the fact that the broach thing turned out to be a key, the fact that there are members of the council still out there and that Dottie Underwood is still at large. What I contest with, however is cliff-hangers. They strike me more as a desperate attempt to get another season.

The fact of the matter is Agent Carter has done poorly in ratings from the beginning. The fact that it got a second season at all was a minor miracle. But add to that the fact that they’re working on another series featuring Hunter and Bobbi it makes a season 3 seem ill-fated.

It’s a shame to end on a such a negative note, on what is a strong episode, but it needs to be said.

Rating 8.5/10

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Images/clips used in this review are from Marvel's Agent Carter and Ratchet and Clank and belong to their respective owners. All images/clips in this review are subject to fair use