AGENT CARTER // BACKLASH AGAINST SEXISM

AGENT CARTER // BACKLASH AGAINST SEXISM

Television shows tend to follow the same stereotypical format: the big, muscular male superhero fights evil and the tight- skirted damsel in distress falls in love with him. Marvel, the highly popular comic book empire has made it their mission to change these types, namely in who the hero is. From Black Widow to Jean Grey, powerful women rule Marvel’s comics and movies, working side by side, and sometimes in front of, the male heroes.
Marvel has been branching out recently, going from movies to television. Marvel’s “Agents of Shield” was a smash, highlighting the most underrated heroes of the Marvel universe-those without special super powers. Now, after the success of the Captain America franchise, Marvel has chosen to highlight a star of the Captain America universe for television-Agent Peggy Carter. In Marvel”s “Agent Carter”, Peggy Carter balances her position in the SSR (Strategic Scientific Reserve) as a secretary with her private missions for Howard Stark, the resident genius, all the while fighting off the sexism of the 40’s.
Actress Hayley Atwell, the powerhouse who played Peggy in the first Captain America film is a knockout in Agent Carter, embodying the character of Agent Carter and running with it. The series is only set to be an eight episode mini series, but once the plot thickens a little more, one can only hope for a full season.
Atwell herself does not have that many acting credits to her name, most of them being television movies and unknown television series. Her fame started picking up in the US with her part in the first Captain America, and after that Peggy Carter took off, with video game voice overs and more movie appearances, including the upcoming movies “Ant-Man” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron”.
The first episode starts with a harrowing beginning, showing Peggy saying goodbye to love interest Steve Rogers as his plane crashes into the ocean. Carter has nightmarish flashbacks of this time, and her time in combat. What creates a more chilling scene is that Carter is doing normal, everyday tasks such as making tea and ironing her clothes, all the while having these memories flashing in her head. Soon enough she’s on a mission-Howard Stark has been framed for something, and it’s up to Peggy and Edwin Jarvis, Howard’s friend, to help clear his name.
The Internet has been abuzz with reviews and opinions on the show, one of the biggest names being Entertainment Weekly. They gave Agent Carter pretty good reviews, calling for a continued, deeper plot, but applauding the show for its backlash against sexism and how Peggy deals with it. Another great aspect is the wit of Edwin Jarvis, who goes on assignments with Peggy and matches her sarcasm.
Other actors include those reprising their roles from the first Captain America movie, including Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark, and newcomers that bring amazing roles to the show, such as James D’Arcy as Edwin Jarvis, Stark’s butler and Atwell’s mission companion. Marvel’s “Agent Carter” will air an eight-episode mini series on ABC on Tuesdays at 9/8 central.