And watch it I did. But the reason was actually because I needed to meet Agent Peggy Carter and her fantastic lip colour just a month or so before the TV show Agent Carter premiered on ABC. Because Agent Carter is one of the best shows I’ve seen in years, decades even, as I realize while writing this post…
Truly, we all need this lip shade…and it stays on during WWII frontlines battle. Because Peggy Carter, that’s why. Making brown eyed brunettes sexy since 1941. When she pulled out that Sweet Dreams lipstick, we knew shit was on. Speaking of, Hayley Atwell knows what is up and tweeted what brand/color lipstick she wears while shooting Agent Carter so you too can be epic.
sourceNeed More Female Leads
Let’s not even pretend you weren’t getting Alias feels when this part of the show’s beginning happened and she walked into her “Job at the Bank”:
I mean, I was just waiting for the faux elevator scanner to start from Alias‘ show open! There’s even an ABC logo to go with it.
But it got me to thinking, is this the first spy/super hero show on network TV we’ve had since then to feature a true female lead? Like legitimately a sole lead without an equal male counterpart? Maybe CW’s attempt at reviving Nikita, but… I can’t really think of anything! I know we have Arrow and now The Flash. But these are dudes. And while their casts include some super females, they’re not the lead. It doesn’t count.
Is Miss Margaret Carter our only female?!
If so, she’s totally representing. Look at her being clever with her compact mirror! You know who else is representing? The female showrunners Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas. Warms my heart and adds some sass to my walk to know there are ladies in charge of the ordeal. Marvel, write this down. We like this! Remember how well Guardians did, which was written by a woman? (nods) Remember how everyone wants a Black Widow movie?
We’d all love to have MORE FEMALE LEADS, so really, everyone reading or scanning this needs to SET YOUR DVRs for this show right now. Literally, I will wait. Tuesdays at 9pm EST on ABC. If you’re not in the US, then you should take this moment to pen a letter to your TV stations requesting they get Agent Carter. It’s only 8 episodes long!
…Okay, you’re back? Great! Thanks for helping out all of us. Now let’s talk about how hot Dominic Cooper is…
Howard Stark Is Hotter Than His Son
Let’s keep it honest, when you saw “Guest Starring Dominic Cooper” you shed a single, small tear realizing that the adverts of the show were just teasing you and he isn’t a full time character. Sure, he had significant air time, but he’s just a piece of the puzzle. I guess I’m okay with it, since Peggy is so epic and the writing sings to my soul, but still… I mean, look at the man! If that isn’t fuck me eyes and hand porn, then I don’t know what is.
Seriously though, Cooper’s performance as Howard is way sexier than RDJ’s Tony. And don’t get me wrong, I love me some Tony Stark. There’s just something about this cat I can’t get enough of. He takes Stark flair to a new level for me. My lady bits are big fans and I don’t even like the mustache! Doesn’t matter though, I still want this man.
YES I DID, MR. STARK. Now take me away swiftly in your motorboat.
Jarvis Is Everyone’s New Favorite
Maybe I just waxed poetic over what Howard does to my lady bits, but move over Stark, Jarvis is here. The original Jarvis. Edwin Jarvis. And we all want a piece of him and his sherry at 8pm lifestyle. He’s like the Mr. Carson of this operation and I want to be his wife. Because she has needs after hours and he is happy to have a work-life balance to fulfill them. Plus he does the laundry and he makes souffle. I bet he washes the dishes, too. And you know that he knows which spoon pairs with which soup. He is the butler husband you’ve been waiting for.
When he hands the handkerchief to her in the diner? STOP IT! I can’t even handle him at that moment. I just want him to pour me a port, play our new vinyl on the gramophone, and read me the latest from the paper’s serial fiction.
There’s something about the cadence and timing of Jarvis that works so well we find ourselves not even missing Howard Stark after he’s gone. Let’s not forget Jarvis’ eyes either. Or his slightly Cumberbatch mouth. Or the fact that we’re still squeeing about JARVIS. It’s really just so much nerdy goodness it’s hard to handle without exploding from feels.
Hayley Atwell’s Acting Rocks
I’ll say it: Hayley Atwell is an excellent actor. I’m in love with her performances. She’s seamless through her different accents, makes the viewer forget that it’s SFX when she throws a dude out the window, legitimately cries when her friend dies, and gives that EXACT LOOK we have all felt ourselves giving when a male colleague makes a diminutive comment without realizing he’s a sexist asshole. She nails it. And not like a messy hammering job either, she’s like two swift swings of the hammer and the nail is in that board for life kind of nails it. True professional.
This moment is my absolute favorite because in the still it looks like she’s trying to seduce Jarvis, but in the show it’s this beautiful moment of humility and growth for her as she begins to process her grief/trauma about Steve Rogers. Gorgeous scene.
I want to go watch ALL OF HER THINGS now! I hope she’s doing theater next time I’m in her city (or she’s in mine) because I want to see her on stage. I need more Hayley. Stat. I’m so enamored with her that I might even go ahead and admit that I think she’s at the same level as Tom Hiddleston. We need more of this girl. Like right now. Like hordes of tumblrs need to be created solely for praising her and her awesome.
Also, can we discuss how she has bigger than B-cup girls and isn’t afraid to use ’em? And it’s so well done and legitimate to her character, too. There’s nothing better than a woman being a woman and getting the job done in half the time. Agent Carter knows what’s up.
Dressed. To. Kill. Quite literally.
Notably Lacking Cigarettes
THANK GOODNESS! I get that it’s historically accurate to have them, but I am so tired of cigarette smoking in period pieces. And you know what the fake world of Marvel Comics is? FAKE! So they do not need to be historically accurate at all. We’re dealing with nitrame bombs that never existed and aliens (maybe?) communicating through green lighted typewriters attached to a tin can antenna, so the lack of smoking isn’t a factor for me. Good riddens, tobacco is good for your health adverts.
Great Supporting Cast
Let’s talk about all the other people who shape it… her diner friend, the diplomatic coworker, and the sexy prick coworker. Sure there are more supporting cast members, but these struck me as the ones we should remember for later because they’ll be further developed into something we weren’t expecting. (It’s a spy thriller, of course people besides Stark and Jarvis are lying to Carter!)
Diner Friend (Angie Martinelli)
She’s got a good spunk to her. I love that she’s an actress who can’t land a gig and hates the chick who got the terrible Captain America radio play part. (Also, OMG the scene being set in the snowy alps and ALL the Bucky feels flooded back!!) When she delivers the line, “Okay, but it’s perfect so I’m starting to think it’s me.” I was just like SNUGGLE. I really like this gal. I’m excited to see where they take her and how she weaves deeper into Peggy’s crazy life.
Diplomatic Coworker (Daniel Sousa)
At first I thought he had a thing for her, but after the premiere ended I knew he did not. He just likes her and hates people being mistreated. His little quip about not being able to find half his stuff, including his leg was great and also felt routine; something he said often to lessen the blow of reality. That scene where he says the line to Peggy was actually really touching. (I am stopping because I’m about to get really over-detailed about how much I loved the writing in this show).
Sexy Prick Coworker (Jack Thompson)
Who saw it coming that he was actually the muscle of the operation?! Also is the carrot and stick a thing? That was weird. But ZOMG Chad Michael Murray and I couldn’t place him the entire episode!!! I’m expecting a good amount of depth out of this particular character… he is striking me as a villain who will be helpful at the very end. But he’s got a lot of personal growth to get through before we arrive there.
Conclusion?
I loved it. I mean, I’ve been gushing about it here for a War & Peace length of words, so duh. But seriously, everything about it was just so good! The writing was spot on. It developed characters incredibly well while it moved the plot along. I am so happy this show exists!
The worst/best thing about it is that it’s only 8 episodes long, and the premiere counts as 2 episodes. But it’s the same reason shows like Sherlock are so good! The precision of conciseness makes for 100% quality all of the time. There’s no slacking, no Charlie has visions season 2 of LOST episode to be suffered through, no potential for it to go awry. I salute this decision and plan to enjoy every second of every episode and then buy the DVDs when they come out so I can enjoy it again and again and again.
Did you watch the Agent Carter premiere? What did you think? What’s the blog name for your Hayley Atwell tumblr? I’m asking for a friend. Also, I am 100% planning to go as Peggy Carter for Halloween this year. You heard it here first.
