S01.E01: Now Is Not the End / S01.E02: Bridge And Tunnel

[Maverick]

I wax surprised to see the CA footage. Even though Disney owns the movie, I think the still have to pay Evans to use his likeness in the show.

[Kromm]

I wax surprised to see the CA footage. Even though Disney owns the movie, I think the still have to pay Evans to use his likeness in the show.

Not if it's covered in the contract he already signed to do the movie in the first place.

Disney has a certain amount of foresight (as does Marvel, and ABC). They've known there would be potential crossovers for years. They probably didn't catch on early enough to get that clause in for Robert Downey Jr., or even Sam Jackson (I get the feeling they probably paid through the nose for the few minutes he put in on AoS), but just re-using Evans' likeness? I bet they had that covered (and maybe if they only used a likeness of Sam Jackson rather than a full guest appearance that might have been covered too).

[Danny Franks]

So I knew this was going to be good, and it did not disappoint. Finally, a comic book show that hits all the beats I want, right from the off.

 

Peggy Carter is searingly awesome, and she was in Captain America as well. She's such an alpha woman (is that a thing? It is now), and while I understand the train of thought that she might be too perfect to be likeable for long, I think Hayley Atwell has enough acting chops to give Peggy all the layers she needs. And I did love the "crikey o'riley!", where the manners dropped just a touch. And then the girlishness when she was first introduced to Howard's apartment in the second episode. Like I said, she's good. 

 

The supporting cast were decent, on first impressions. Douchy, potato-faced guy was a douche, Amy's ex from B99 was a clot. Enver Djokaj, I've only seen in Community, where he played a Serbian war criminal that Britta briefly dated, but he was funny in that, and seems likeable here. I do wish they'd managed to get Bradley Whitford to continue the role he played in the Agent Carter one-shot, though.

 

James D'Arcy was pretty great as Jarvis. Mannered and prim, without being a punchline. Must be tough knowing he's playing a character that inspired a Paul Bettany voiced AI.

 

Really liked the 40s stylings (and Hayley Atwell looks incredible in these fashions), but I agree that the 'this is the 1940s!' music on the radio in every other scene was a bit too on the nose. And I liked that they pulled the legs out from under all that 'isn't this glossy, period fun?' and brought the real world of espionage crashing down on Peggy, with the killing of her roommate.

 

My one criticism is the amount of sexism the guys displayed to Peggy. Yes, it was a sadly authentic look at the general attitudes to women in the period, but Peggy was as close to the front lines as women got in the war, and for them to all dismiss her so utterly felt a little contrived.

 

Lots of little references and easter eggs for fans of the movies. Dr. Vanko, Howard's appearance in front of the Congressional Committee echoing Tony's, the Hydra references. I really liked the use of Captain America clips, and I can imagine that anyone who watched this and hasn't seen that movie will want to track it down as soon as they can. The technology was a bit daft, but fun. A remote controlled typewriter, a safe cracking watch?

 

And holy crap! James Frain was a Cylon!

 

Eight episodes won't be enough, and I pity the people who have to go back to watching Agents of SHIELD after this.

[redfish]

I noticed there weren't a lot of women in the SSR. Even James Tiptree Jr mentioned when she worked in the CIA, she and other women agents were disrespected all the time. They didn't think there were some women who worked in the war who would have wanted to work there as well? I guess this is the revolution for only one woman because she's the exception to the rule...I find that condescending. Why aren't there other specialists who were women (other than Jarvis) around to help Carter who also felt the same way?

[Minneapple]

And no Skye, and not having everyone else constantly keep telling us how awesome Skye is.

To be fair, they've eliminated everyone talking about Skye's awesome-ness on AoS. And thank God too. It was so tiresome and boring. Skye has improved about a thousand percent over last year.

 

Actually, the show kinda reminds me of early Alias, the double-agent thing is a dead ringer. I loved Alias, so I'm glad, of course.

Nikita! It reminded me of Nikita. Plus Lyndsy Fonseca! Alex! Sniff, I still miss you. In addition to the bright lipstick, I loved the ladies' hair. Hayley and Lyndsy's curls were so pretty. And the fashion was great too. The only miss was Peggy's hideous dress at the party.

 

Eight episodes won't be enough, and I pity the people who have to go back to watching Agents of SHIELD after this.

Soooo....I know everyone is saying they want more than eight episodes, but IMO eight eps will be enough. The writing is tighter and there's less filler with eight eps. Actually I think Marvel/ABC would be really smart to give us miniseries like this for AoS' big extended breaks. Just do it twice a year, a different character focus for each miniseries. It could be more great cross-promotion -- they could keep the movie tie-ins and keep Marvel on our screens for most of the year.

 

--And I'm looking forward to SHIELD returning. It's gotten pretty good this year.

Edited January 7, 2015 by Minneapple

[Mars477]

AoS has gotten better, but still the best characters are not the ones on the regular cast list.

[Deanie87]

So I have never read a Marvel comic, never seen a Marvel movie except for the first Iron Man which I was dragged to, and have never seen Agents of Shield. In other words, I am not exactly the target audience but I loved it!

I'm sure that I probably missed a lot, since I don't know any of the characters' back stories or their place on that universe. But I am a sucker for a tough dame from the 40s, so that is enough for now. As far as I can tell, the show did a great job in making the character and the story interesting for those of us who have literally no previous knowledge of this world. I really hope it stays that way.

Plus, Bubbles, Ray Wise, James Frain, Eli from Boardwalk Empire and Jarvis from all the British shows/mysteries/Masterpiece Theaters! I just wish that so many hadn't died in the first 2 episodes.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Deanie87

[BooBear]

I loved it. I really felt like Peggy Carter stepped off the movie screen and went on with her life. Agent Carter is awesome. I also appreciated the highlighting that there was a ton of sexism even for a top agent back then.  In a way Agent Carter kind of became the underdog that Steve was at the start of Captain America, but then she was kicking butt.  I loved Jarvis. I am not necessarily shipping them but I find the wife situation .. unusual.  They are very compelling no matter what. I could take them as friends, more, or both.

[Netfoot]

Great show.  Peggy Carter is fantastic (and Va-Va-Voom!) and the show was very entertaining, with a good balance. 

 

I'm not distressed to hear that only eight episodes will be broadcast.  Because if the word MARVEL appears in the title, they usually manage to screw it up totally around episode eight or so.  Just by making it entirely too ridiculous.  I don't read comics much -- never have.  As a result, merely introducing a famous comic book character or well known comic book story line doesn't immediately win any points with me.  Fortunately, Agent Peggy Carter is fantabulistic in her own right.

 

So I'll be watching until they totally screw the show up, like they did with Agents of SHIELD somewhere around episode seven.

[fastiller]

Disney has a certain amount of foresight (as does Marvel, and ABC). They've known there would be potential crossovers for years.

 

And since disney also owns the Muppets, I'm so wanting a Muppets/AoS (or Muppets/Avengers) crossover.  Actually, I think Miss Piggy & Agent Carter would get along just fine.

 

 

Peggy Carter is searingly awesome, and she was in Captain America as well. She's such an alpha woman (is that a thing? It is now), and while I understand the train of thought that she might be too perfect to be likeable for long, I think Hayley Atwell has enough acting chops to give Peggy all the layers she needs. And I did love the "crikey o'riley!", where the manners dropped just a touch. And then the girlishness when she was first introduced to Howard's apartment in the second episode. Like I said, she's good.

Alpha woman should have been a 'thing' long ago.  Glad you did something about that Danny Franks.

 

"Crikey O'Reilly!" has quickly become my go-to exclamation.

Edited January 8, 2015 by fastiller

[Sandman]

Why aren't there other specialists who were women (other than Jarvis) ...

 

Did I miss a plot twist?

 

Personally, I thought Peggy's dress at the club was on point -- I thought it was supposed to be on the trashy side, because that was part of the disguise. (Hm. She did worry that Daniel might still recognize her in the photographs, though, so ... ?)

Edited January 8, 2015 by Sandman

[Shanna]

This show was such a mash-up of my favorite genres. Spy-action-comic book? Sign me up for the whole season!!

Exactly! I was thinking it was a little like dick Tracy, except not so goofy? I really really like this show, I think the time period has a lot to do with it!

I was also very excited to see Nikita's Alex show up!!! And most of the actors were sort of "hey it's that guy" types, including the chad. I cannot believe cw cmm is in this show but his role is perfect. I hope this gets picked up again for next year.

[HalcyonDays]

I haven't watched any of the Captain America movies, nor Agents of Shield, or any of the Marvel's shows and movies, but on some whim, I taped this and gave it a chance. Totally LOVED it. Really enjoyed this and I am in. I think Hayley Atwell is awesome as Agent Carter and am looking forward to the next episode. Also love the 40's vibe of the show. Jarvis, his character is interesting too, and I wonder what his end game/plan is. Seems he's playing Miss Carter a bit. Too bad this show has only 8 episodes - I would love to see an extension or at least a second season.

[JayKay]

"Why does this keep happening?"

I am so here for all of this. I once watched an interview where Hayley Atwell said she lived in Kansas City for a while so that could explain her impressive American accent. She also earned my eternal support for actually saying something nice about the American Midwest haha.

Not sure how I feel about Jarvis but so far he makes a solid sidekick. The dynamic reminds me of Sherlock Holmes and Watson, which is fun. It would be nice if Peggy could trust him.

As long as the show's about Peggy, I'm not going anywhere.

[Kromm]

And since disney also owns the Muppets, I'm so wanting a Muppets/AoS (or Muppets/Avengers) crossover.  Actually, I think Miss Piggy & Agent Carter would get along just fine.

 

Alpha woman should have been a 'thing' long ago.  Glad you did something about that Danny Franks.

 

"Crikey O'Reilly!" has quickly become my go-to exclamation.

I'd think they'd reserve Miss Piggy for the PARODY--"Agent PIGGY Carter".

[pcta]

Love the strong female lead. But the star of the show for me was the production value. Sets, costumes, music, camera work, etc. absolutely fabulous!

Edited January 9, 2015 by pcta

[HistoryGirl]

Not if it's covered in the contract he already signed to do the movie in the first place.

Disney has a certain amount of foresight (as does Marvel, and ABC). They've known there would be potential crossovers for years. They probably didn't catch on early enough to get that clause in for Robert Downey Jr., or even Sam Jackson (I get the feeling they probably paid through the nose for the few minutes he put in on AoS), but just re-using Evans' likeness? I bet they had that covered (and maybe if they only used a likeness of Sam Jackson rather than a full guest appearance that might have been covered too).

As you mentioned, Chris Evan's "appearance" would be Marvel/Disney/ABC property already.  Nothing to sign off there, but he might get a slight bump for the use of his likeness elsewhere.  Depends on his contract. 

 

With regards to Samuel L. Jackson, I doubt that he comes with a caviar price tag.  The man does all kinds of "low brow" TV commercials.  On RHoBH, Lisa Rinna said that she never says no to anything, which is why she was the spokesperson for Depends even though it was a bit embarrassing. I suspect SLJ is a lot like Lisa Rinna in this respect.  Anything to keep oneself relevant and a paycheck coming in.  The second he starts being a Hollywood d-bag about playing Nick Fury, is the second they replace him.  Unlike RDJ, Sam Jackson is far more replaceable in the franchise, especially since Coulson is technically the Director of SHIELD. 

 

As for Agent Carter, I thought the historical detail was on point.  Every single thing just left me flabbergasted.  You really felt like you were in the era.  I didn't even realize that an automat was an actual thing! 

Edited January 9, 2015 by HistoryGirl

[KirkB]

I was watching the Charmed DVD's once (trust me, this is relevant) and on the commentary they answered a question I'd always had about why there were no pictures of Prue anywhere in the house. It turns out any time you use an image of an actor, whether it's a picture or a video, you have to pay them as if they had actually been on the show. If the same is true here, every shot of Steve got Chris some money.

[Sandman]

I'd think they'd reserve Miss Piggy for the PARODY--"Agent PIGGY Carter".

 

Hee! Can you imagine? She'd somehow manage to find her way into EVERY photograph! And there'd be a lot more "Hai-YAAAAA!" in the dialogue looping.

[maraleia]

"Why does this keep happening?"

I am so here for all of this. I once watched an interview where Hayley Atwell said she lived in Kansas City for a while so that could explain her impressive American accent. She also earned my eternal support for actually saying something nice about the American Midwest haha.

Not sure how I feel about Jarvis but so far he makes a solid sidekick. The dynamic reminds me of Sherlock Holmes and Watson, which is fun. It would be nice if Peggy could trust him.

As long as the show's about Peggy, I'm not going anywhere.

I am loving this show so damn much and it's all down to Hayley Atwell's performance. She is also adorable in interviews and in reference to her Midwestern love she's said that "I would spend all of my holidays from school in Kansas City. So I guess you could say that I was educated in England, but my spiritual home is in Missouri," Atwell tells PEOPLE. "The American side of me is the more domesticated, family side and the English side is my education and sense of humor."

She is also a huge KC Royals and Chiefs fan and loves KC BBQ. I am in love with this woman.

[Ariah]

Did I miss a plot twist?

 

 

Not exactly.

Ultimate version of Jarvis is homosexual in the comics

.

[Sandman]

Is it just me, or is

Ultimate Marvel kind of obsessively Darker & Edgier?

[Ariah]

Is it just me, or is

Ultimate Marvel kind of obsessively Darker & Edgier?

Not just you.

I don't mind that myself, but right now everything is

darker and edgier and bolder

and it's slowly getting to the point when it's too much.

 

Now, that's why I kind of adore Carter's lighter tone - I mean ok, her love "died" and her roommate was killed and her friend can be branded a traitor... But still, it's lghter in tone than AoS. For me, at least.

[Humbugged]

I was watching the Charmed DVD's once (trust me, this is relevant) and on the commentary they answered a question I'd always had about why there were no pictures of Prue anywhere in the house. It turns out any time you use an image of an actor, whether it's a picture or a video, you have to pay them as if they had actually been on the show. If the same is true here, every shot of Steve got Chris some money.

 

And also depending what show it is and how much bad blood there is with the actor just on the Charmed thing .Shannen fell out with the PTB and left after a big ole clusterfuck behind the scenes and her image was never used probably out if spite . Isaiah Washington threatened to sue ABC when Grey's showed a pic of  in a newspaper,no George or Izzie flashbacks yet when Lexie had a plane dropped on her Chyler Leigh kept getting paid for a good 5 episodes afterwards as they kept showing her dying repeatedly .

 

So yes Chris would have got residuals for the clips but ABC would have had no fee to pay MARVEL for using their clip in their TV show .It's all Feige anyway.

[MadyGirl1987]

(I might add that although we saw Steve Rogers last night, no clips of any superhero were ever shown in Agents of Shield)

In the first episode, during Skye's opening monologue about SHIELD being out of the shadows and people knowing there are heroes and monsters after the events of The Avengers(which is wrong now that I think about it, as the first Iron Man ended with Tony "outing himself" as IM), they show a shot of the Hulk and a quick, long-distance, CGI shot of someone(IM or Thor) flying. Not much but something...

 

Lots of little references and easter eggs for fans of the movies. Dr. Vanko, Howard's appearance in front of the Congressional Committee echoing Tony's, the Hydra references. I really liked the use of Captain America clips, and I can imagine that anyone who watched this and hasn't seen that movie will want to track it down as soon as they can. The technology was a bit daft, but fun. A remote controlled typewriter, a safe cracking watch?

I totally agree with the similarities to Tony at the committee in IM2. Hilarious, and Cooper does a good job of making me go, "Yep... That is definitely Tony Stark's dad."

 

I really enjoyed it. I loved the suspense and period piece aspects the most. Loved all the actors. Will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

 

And add me to those saying Agents of Shield is much better this year. CA2 was the best thing to happen to that show... Turned it into appointment TV for me.

[Netfoot]

Now, that's why I kind of adore Carter's lighter tone - I mean ok, her love "died" and her roommate was killed and her friend can be branded a traitor... But still, it's lghter in tone than AoS. For me, at least.

 

Give 'em 8-10 episodes and they'll ruin AC like they've done everything else.  which is why it's good there are only eight episodes!

[romantic idiot]

Yeah, I don't think AoS can be used as an example of a show going off the rails after 8 episodes. I think they had only 3 decent ones pre- the Winter soldier - the virus, the absorbing man and the Fitz-Ward bonding one, and those were not all done in the first 8 episodes, and it improved markedly after the Winter Soldier came out. 

 

If if the comics go to sh** after eight episodes, I wouldn't know. 

 

So anyway, I couldn't mind seeing the continuing adventures of Agent Carter, based on the quality of these two episodes, and to see more of Hayley and Enver. I wasn't planning on watching AC at all to be honest - not into this period pieces - but I changed my mind the minute I heard they'd cast Enver Gjokaj. And I am so glad I did. 

[Grammaeryn]

I guess I am in the minority here. I thought it was okay but was bored in parts. The whole THIS IS THE FORTIES push in every scene got a bit grating. But I am a former history major so the impact is probably lost on me. I like the Agent Carter character and Hayley so I'll stick around. I think I somehow sold my firstborn to MCU so they own me. The problem with the shiny party dress in the first episode was it was too long. Hayley had to hike it up every time she walked. Jarvis is awesome and like everyone else, I hope he isn't evil. Maybe what the 40's considered evil - homosexual? (This is a historical statement, not my opinion. Homosexuality was considered a mental illness and people could be arrested if caught FYI).

[Mars477]

Jarvis isn't gay, he's British. He has a wife and he sparked with Peggy when he was patching her up. I'm 99% sure he's attracted to women.

[shapeshifter]

I was watching the Charmed DVD's once (trust me, this is relevant) and on the commentary they answered a question I'd always had about why there were no pictures of Prue anywhere in the house. It turns out any time you use an image of an actor, whether it's a picture or a video, you have to pay them as if they had actually been on the show. If the same is true here, every shot of Steve got Chris some money.

They kept showing the same clip over and over, which distracted me into wondering if they got to use it any number of times for one fee, or if it was a narrative choice indicating that moment was etched deeply in her memory, or a combination of the two, with the writers being told, "Hey. We can afford one clip. Try to work it in as much as possible."

...Jarvis is awesome and like everyone else, I hope he isn't evil. Maybe what the 40's considered evil - homosexual? (This is a historical statement, not my opinion. Homosexuality was considered a mental illness and people could be arrested if caught FYI).

I was wondering if they are going to skip depictions of racism because it's only 8 episodes, and they've decided to focus on feminism--which might be a valid excuse, but it could also destroy all credibility for the depictions of sexism. Edited January 10, 2015 by shapeshifter

[alias1]

Jarvis isn't gay, he's British. He has a wife and he sparked with Peggy when he was patching her up. I'm 99% sure he's attracted to women.

I'm pretty sure the wife is a cover story.   

[Mars477]

I'm pretty sure the wife is a cover story.   

Unlikely, because we (the audience), actually hear her voice.  She's a real person, not a construct, we just haven't met her (on camera) yet.

 

It's total bullshit because Jarvis isn't even particularly effeminate, he's just domestic.  But I guess unless you're a total swaggering cigar chewing manly man you have to be gay.

[alias1]

Unlikely, because we (the audience), actually hear her voice.  She's a real person, not a construct, we just haven't met her (on camera) yet.

 

It's total bullshit because Jarvis isn't even particularly effeminate, he's just domestic.  But I guess unless you're a total swaggering cigar chewing manly man you have to be gay.

The first thing I thought is that the voice is a tape player.  I don't see Jarvis as effeminate. 

[Grammaeryn]

It's total bullshit because Jarvis isn't even particularly effeminate, he's just domestic.  But I guess unless you're a total swaggering cigar chewing manly man you have to be gay.

No, that is not what I or anyone is saying. Earlier in the topic, someone mentioned that the Ultimate universe's Jarvis is gay. I know the difference between European and homosexual thanks.

[kennyab]

The first thing I thought is that the voice is a tape player.  I don't see Jarvis as effeminate. 

 

Jarvis was stirring a soufflé while on the phone to Peggy, and we were watching him. That would have been a hell of a setup for him to start a tape player (actually, some other type of recording, as this was pre-tape-as-common-recording-medium), answer the phone, and then physically react to his wife getting home. That seems a bit unlikely.

 

As a guy with crush on James D'arcy, I'm calling this as Jarvis being happily married.

[Danny Franks]

Why would Jarvis pretend to be married? That makes no sense. Even if he was gay (which I don't think he is, and I saw little to suggest he was), he could just be a 'happy bachelor', like many gay men were and continue to be. Or he could actually be married and hiding his homsexuality. Manufacturing a fake wife seems like a ridiculously convoluted thing to attempt, when few would ever assume a man is gay just because he's unwed.

 

So yeah, I think he is married, and I'm happy about that. Because that means we don't get any romance between him and Peggy, and they could perhaps make them friends, which is what Peggy actually needs in her life. Also, if they never show Jarvis's wife, then it just seems like an easier way to do it. Only eight episodes, so why waste time on the sidekick's family, when you can just have her mentioned or heard, like the infamous Mrs. Mainwaring. Saves you casting someone, at the very least.

 

What's next? Sousa really has two legs and is just pretending he lost one? Actually, that seems less farfetched to me.

[Cranberry]

What's next? Sousa really has two legs and is just pretending he lost one? Actually, that seems less farfetched to me.

 

I was actually wondering while watching if he was faking injury so that he could take people by surprise later! I'm suspicious of everyone in any type of spy show, I guess. Plus it seems a waste to have Enver Gjokaj unable to do cool fight scenes.

 

I don't think that Jarvis is faking the existence of his wife, though. He would have had to have timed her tape-recorded voice pretty perfectly; he had no idea that Peggy was going to call at that moment and I didn't notice any way that he could have triggered the recording.

[Raja]

I was actually wondering while watching if he was faking injury so that he could take people by surprise later! I'm suspicious of everyone in any type of spy show, I guess. Plus it seems a waste to have Enver Gjokaj unable to do cool fight scenes.

I don't think so. It seems as the SSR is the new jid on the block, like the real life CIA grew out of the OSS. So it has a selection of transferring people. Some dumped because of war injuries, others like the Chief because they were poor FBI agents before the war n

[Netfoot]

But I guess unless you're a total swaggering cigar chewing manly man you have to be gay.

 

And sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[Mars477]

I don't think so. It seems as the SSR is the new jid on the block, like the real life CIA grew out of the OSS. So it has a selection of transferring people. Some dumped because of war injuries, others like the Chief because they were poor FBI agents before the war n

The SSR was around during the war, but it was a military organization now transforming into a civilian organization, staffed with general infantry veterans instead of spies and commandos.

I think there's a lot of story potential that could be mined from the horrors the other SSR agents experienced in the Pacific theater. Like, one of the douchebags got his sense of humor shot off at Guadalcanal? Well, taking that island was pretty unhumorous.

[Danny Franks]

I think there's a lot of story potential that could be mined from the horrors the other SSR agents experienced in the Pacific theater. Like, one of the douchebags got his sense of humor shot off at Guadalcanal? Well, taking that island was pretty unhumorous.

 

I think there was also mention of him being on Iwo Jima, wasn't there? Even less humorous. That's definitely one of the interesting areas that could be mined by the show, given the chance. These guys are all veterans of a war that is only just over, and they'll all have their own scars and traumas to overcome. Not least Peggy herself, because I'm sure she didn't just move to New York the day after Steve 'died'. There are untold stories of her experiences too.

 

I may not have been watching or reading the right things, but I've never seen much on how soldiers adapted to going home after WWII. It's touched on in shows like Band of Brothers and The Pacific, and in movies like Saving Private Ryan, but rarely explored in any detail.

[Vapor]

Jarvis isn't gay, he's British. He has a wife and he sparked with Peggy when he was patching her up. I'm 99% sure he's attracted to women.

 

Unlikely, because we (the audience), actually hear her voice.  She's a real person, not a construct, we just haven't met her (on camera) yet.

 

It's total bullshit because Jarvis isn't even particularly effeminate, he's just domestic.  But I guess unless you're a total swaggering cigar chewing manly man you have to be gay.

 

 

While it wouldn't exactly shock me to find out he's straight, him "sparking" with Carter when patching her up can be interpreted as them just having good chemistry (which is true no matter what his orientation). There's a moment he realizes his hand's on her leg and he quickly removes it, which, especially given the times and both their personalities, would be pretty sensible. They were having a heart-to-heart.

 

It's funny when people mention the woman's voice, because I immediately thought it could be any number of people. A sister. A roommate. A beard. Or just his wife, like he said, obviously.

 

I don't know how likely it is that Jarvis is gay. But I guess what bothers me a bit is this idea that him being gay somehow means all these other things about him. Like he has to talk or act a certain way, and that's why he's gay. Not just, you know, the possibility that he likes men. And that the era doesn't afford him the luxury of being as honest about it as he'd like, especially to someone he just met.

 

No, he doesn't have to be "a total swaggering cigar chewing manly man" to be straight. Nor does he have to be the opposite to be gay. Believe it or not, there are people who fit that description that are gay as the day is long. It's an odd defense of the character to leap to the conclusion that the reason he's suspected by some is because "he's British." What does that have to do with anything?

[Netfoot]

I may not have been watching or reading the right things, but I've never seen much on how soldiers adapted to going home after WWII. It's touched on in shows like Band of Brothers and The Pacific, and in movies like Saving Private Ryan, but rarely explored in any detail.

 

You could watch The Best years of Our Lives, a movie released in 1946, which focuses specifically on how returning WW-II veterans re-adapted to peacetime life.  It won seven Academy Awards, including best picture.  If you can face B&W and no widescreen, I'd recommend it.

 

When this was made in 1946 it wasn't some sort of historical perspective.   It was actually happening for real, right then, all over the USA, and the rest of the world,

[KirkB]

I could see Jarvis being gay and telling people he has a wife, but why would he bother making a recording of a woman's voice that only we the audience would be able to hear?

Edited January 11, 2015 by KirkB

[shapeshifter]

While it wouldn't exactly shock me to find out he's straight, him "sparking" with Carter when patching her up can be interpreted as them just having good chemistry (which is true no matter what his orientation). There's a moment he realizes his hand's on her leg and he quickly removes it, which, especially given the times and both their personalities, would be pretty sensible. They were having a heart-to-heart....

I noticed a "spark" that gave me pause. Maybe his wife is an invalid or dying? But I actually missed hearing a wife's voice at all, so I'm taking everyone here's word for it.

[alias1]

I watched that scene again where a woman's voice is heard and I agree it was not any kind of recording.  She said, "Edwin, I'm home, and he said "I'll be right there, Anna."  So not a phantom person.  But for some reason I just don't think he's really married. Chalk it up to watching too many spy shows where everything is not as it seems.

[Danny Franks]

I noticed a "spark" that gave me pause. Maybe his wife is an invalid or dying? But I actually missed hearing a wife's voice at all, so I'm taking everyone here's word for it.

 

She sounded lively enough in that scene, when she was announcing she was home. What she does that has her out of the house while Jarvis is at home cooking is  a question I pondered. Again, through the lens of 1940s gender politics (and class politics), it seems odd for an English butler's wife to be out of the house in the evening without her husband.

 

So either she has a job, which would be very plausible, or she has an active social life that Jarvis isn't necessarily a part of, again plausible. I'd be interested in the answer, though. If they ever plan on her appearing, that is. If they don't, and she remains a ghost voice in the background, I'm fine with it. It's Peggy I really want to get to know, not Mrs. Jarvis.

[AAEBoiler]

I finally watched the show and thought to myself, "Gee, the actress playing Peggy's brassy, waitress friend sure reminds me of Lyndsey Fonseca." Lo and behold, I find out from this board that it was her!!! I am also on board with others who think there's more to her character than meets the eye.

[emma675]

I caught the re-airing last night and I'm in. I don't when I became such a Marvel fan girl, but there it is. I've never read a single comic book or graphic novel in my entire life, so I have no background in any of this, but I've seen every single Marvel movie and tv show (except for the Hulk movies, I just can't watch those) and I love them all.

 

Agent Carter was fantastic--I loved all of it. The clothes, the music, the characters, the sets, the story lines, all of it.

[Grammaeryn]

Van Ert was played by Dr. Venture himself, James Urbaniak. Also radio Peggy is played by Erin Torpey, Jessica Buchanan from One Life to Live.