The Weekly Rant: Agent Carter Season 2 Episode 3
The Weekly Rant: Agent Carter Season 2 Episode 3
I wouldn’t say I was a disappointed with the third installment of Agent Carter Season 2. I wouldn’t say that it was clearly a set up/filler episode, either. In fact I definitely wouldn’t say that this episode was more about cheap, yet very clever, one liners and Easter eggs than it was about advancing the plot. What I WOULD say, however, was that “Better Angels” was not my favorite episode. This isn’t to say the episode was bad, unentertaining, or could be accused of hindering any progress it established with the last two episodes; it just definitely dipped after the two hour premier. Now that we are on the same page lets jump into what was REALLY going on this week.
As a general rule, it is important to remember that the makers of most television and film think VERY LITTLE of us, the viewing public. They think, to their own detriment, that we the audience members aren’t very bright and are in need of constant exposition (dare we forget the latest Fantastic Four reboot), or too slow-minded to understand their attempts at subtlety by heavy handedly beating us over the head with that “subtlety” (Like, how many times can you show me a picture of Jesus in the background of shots of Superman in Man of Steel?!?! We get it, Zach. He’s our savior!). But this is, seemingly, not the case with the writing room and show runner for Agent Carter.
This week, the powers that be at Agent Carter put their trust in us, the dull, imperceptive viewer. “But Steve, what did they do to show us this trust?” you ask? Simply put, they allowed the major antagonistic force of the season to be an amazingly intelligent, physically dangerous FEMALE. Whitney Frost is great leap for Marvel television. Never before have we seen a female as the brains and brawn of a villainous enterprise. Last season, we saw very early on that Dottie was a legitimate physical threat not only to Peggy, but to the various male characters as well. She was a force to be reckoned with, BUT she was not the brains of the baddies; that role belonged to Dr. Faustus errrrrrrrr Fenhoff errrrrr whatever. Point being, for whatever reason, they didn’t think she was capable of carrying the entire criminal enterprise on her own, thus the need for Dr Faustus to carry the scepter.
In a bold and refreshing move, however, season two has taken the next step and made Whitney Frost the true antagonist. As we learned this week, Whitney is actually Agnes Cullen, the “Madame Curie of the Plains”. A genius inventor, who spoke the truth when she told Wilkes she understood Zero Matter more than he did. She is not only a genius scientist, but also a force of will who is orchestrating a grand puppeteer-act with her husband, Calvin Chadwick, future Senator and current CEO of Isodyne. Her mastery is so strong, so invisible to those under her control, he, and all of the other pawns in her plan, are completely in the dark. Every thing she wants or needs, Calvin does for her without realizing it isn’t his idea. She is a manipulative and cunning genius, but it doesn’t end there…
Whitney Frost was caught in an industrial accident last week; one of the Holy-Trinity-superpower-giving situations, so it makes sense that this week we get to see her use her newly acquired gift. Just as her current director makes a seemingly unwarranted physical advance at Ms. Frost, he discovers the crack in her forehead. Naturally he freaks out and begins screaming. Seeking to silence this man and not draw any further attention to her “deformity”, Whitney grabs his arm and proceeds to unleash her as yet uncontrollable power. She essentially absorbs his essence by emulsifying him into Zero Matter, after which he is sucked into her body through her own skin. In the process of doing so, the crack on her forehead grows, just a touch. “But Steve, I saw the episode. I know this happened, why are you telling me again?” Listen, disembodied voice in my head that sounds exactly like H. Jon Benjamin, I led you down this road to explain that Whitney is also the damning physical force this round. She has the brains to devise the plan and, now, has the physical ability to carry it out without any help.
Seeing a fully formed and fleshed out female villain is not common in comic’s related media. Hell, it’s not common in movies or television as a whole. Marvel has taken a leap of faith in us, the viewers, that we are strong and smart enough to believe that Ms. Frost can be THE villain. Lets prove them right. Lets accept this character for what she is; a strong, smart, EVIL person who is bent of power and does not shy away from carrying out her nefarious will by any means she deems fit.
That’s all I got this week, be sure to watch Agent Carter, Tuesdays on ABC and then tune in to the Agent Carter After Show, Wednesdays on TheStream.TV.
Join our Facebook Group, The Agent Carter After Show.
Follow us on Twitter at @AgentCarterAS
Welp, see ya.
Steve
And don’t forget to watch this weeks After Show!
