This is one half of a blog about the TV show "Agent Carter". You won't have to read both for them to make sense, so if one or the other isn't you're cup of tea, don't worry. This first one will be about the place "Agent Carter" has in the bigger media landscape; the second about why I love it.
Some of you might recognize the second half of the title from the end of "The Dark Knight", the second of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. The quote, as said by Commissioner Gordon, is, "Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now." Having finished the first season of "Agent Carter" I believe she's the hero we need in TV today. Peggy Carter is not a superhero.
First a little background. Agent Peggy Carter is first introduced in Marvel's Captain America: The First Avenger and in her first scene, knocks a guy flat on his face when he underestimates her. Between 2011 and 2015, Peggy Carter was in a short film and as an old woman in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. "Agent Carter" is Marvel's foray into having a woman-lead film or show. "Agents of SHIELD" is more an ensemble show. "Captain Marvel", scheduled for release in 2018, will feature the story of Ms. Marvel.
"Agent Carter" is not only a first in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) but also a first in terms of the larger TV/film retellings of comics. In between "Wonder Woman" (1975-1979) and now, women have not lead the way. Although women make up much of the audience, they are still denied representation. (Please do your own research on this, if it interests you.) Since 1975, there have been more than 20 film and television productions of Superman. In the same time span, roughly the same number of productions for Batman. Recently, The Flash, Green Lantern, the Green Hornet, the Green Arrow, Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk have all been the subject of TV shows or films.
I've done a lot of reading about "Agent Carter" and I've found a lot I love about Hayley Atwell's portrayal of the character and how she is written. I love the show. Peggy Carter takes up space unapologetically and fights in a way that is unique among current Marvel women. Most noticeably to me is how she differs from Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow. Black Widow fights with ruthless grace. Peggy Carter bulldozes through opponents, using whatever blunt object is near at hand. Men underestimate her, and the other women in the show, and they use it to their advantage.
A further reason to love "Agent Cater" is the supporting cast. I won't go on at length about most of them. The characters that start the show as somewhat two-dimensional sexists jerks (products of the time that seem almost cartoonish) evolve to become fleshed-out, with back stories and lives that are not immediately visible. In 8 episodes it is difficult to have too much character development, but the men Carter works with become less like cartoon villains and more like people. The best characters are the other women in Carter's life, although there are not many.
In judging shows and films there is a test called the Bechdel test. It is used to judge gender bias and has three requirements: the production being judged has to have two women in it, who talk to each other, about something other than a man. (Wikipedia is a good starting place for more info.) In the first scene of "Agent Carter", Carter's roommate comes home and they discuss her work as a riveter and their plans for the weekend. Later on in the series, Carter discusses her friend Angie's acting career and sites to see in New York with a new woman, Dottie.
The cinematography is excellent as is the casting, the writing, and the acting. I can't recommend a show more. And it is only 8 episodes currently. I am unsure if the first few are currently available, but if you can watch it, you should.
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