TV REVIEWS: FTN Reviews The Agent Carter Season 02 Premiere!

Man I missed Peggy Carter! It shows a lot about a character when you enjoy seeing them for the first time in a long time and can’t help but smile. That is truly the case here with the return of Agent Carter. From the moment she was on screen, I knew this was going to be good, and boy was I right.

The two-hour premiere did a lot in the time it was given. Which has a been a strength of the show, as it knows exactly how long it has to tell a story. From tying up a loose end from last season with the capture of Dotty, to the move to L.A. and the mysteries that have been revealed because of it, this looks to be a very exciting season.

Now, of course, the focus here is Peggy, as it should be! And let me say, Hayley Atwell once again kills it as Peggy Carter, even more so now that she’s allowed to show even more of the character. In Season 01, she showed Peggy as guarded, and a bit haunted by the death of Steve Rogers/Captain America, but here, we see a more fun side of her, one that appreciates things more than she did in the first season, and it’s great to see. She smiles so much in this premiere, it’s almost like a new character.

Then there’s Jarvis, who is brought in via a completely believable manner, and like Peggy, has evolved since Season 01. He now craves the action life, and has taught himself many things to ensure he’s ready to “fight evil”. It’s awesome. Just as awesome as his wife Ana! Who we met and get to enjoy for a good bit. She’s not what you expect, and that makes it all the more fun.

To focus on the more story aspects, things are happening in LA, and even New York, that acquire the SSR’s attention, and it definitely delves into the more fantastical elements of the Marvel Universe, whereas last year was more tech and science based. Again, great stuff. From a lake freezing because of a girl put inside it, to a “zero matter’ substance that is dangerous on almost infinite levels, to a conspiracy that reeks of Hydra and other subsequent bad guy groups, there’s already a lot built up here.

If there was a down part of the Agent Carter premiere, it was the suddenly squashed romance between Peggy and Sousa, who’s now the head of the L.A SSR office. Their connecting was a key part of Season 01, so to see it squandered so quickly (for now) because “three times zones feels like an eternity” felt pretty cheap. I won’t lie, it was interesting to see Peggy hurt by this, played beautifully by Ms. Atwell, but I’d had for this to be a love triangle thing when the show honestly doesn’t need it.

Oh, and a special shoutout to the amazing Howard Stark, who despite having no physical presence in the premiere, was all over the place via his house, cars, antics, and flamingo…I kid you not on the last part.

In the end, the Agent Carter premiere was very compelling from start to finish, new characters like Wilkes, Whitney Frost, and returning favorites Jarvis, Sousa, and yes, dear Peggy, made this return well worth the wait. Can’t wait to see where this goes.