S01.E04: The Blitzkrieg Button

[kennyab]

I think he disrespected her because she's a female or maybe he just couldn't stand her calling him out on his shit if he told her what the "weapon" actually is.

 

 

Howard's lying has nothing to do with the fact that Peggy's a woman. He respects her more than just about any other person in the world. He knew that she'd wouldn't like the idea of him profiteering from Steve's blood, so he lied to her to avoid the whole thing. He knew that she'd help no matter what, as she wouldn't want Cap's blood to get into enemy hands, but he knew she'd bring up the type of ethical argument that he tries very hard to ignore (hence her bringing up the guilt he was trying to avoid).

[GenieinTX]

Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark is perfection.  He is so dead on.

Enver howeveryouspellhislastname is so good.  Sousa being a great guy and Enver being gorgeous is a lovely combo to watch.

And of course, Atwell as Peggy is so so good. She is such a BAMF and gorgeous.

 

I really love this show.  Love it.  I assume Thompson is going to get some humble pie at some point, but he might not.  They may not write him getting his due.  Peggy will go off to SHEILD at some point, but Thompson may stay in his job and keep on being an ass to all.

[HoodlumSheep]

Awesome episode! All the theories about the Black Widow connection appear to be true.

I hope Peggy punches Thompson eventually too.

Steve saw Peggy as his equal :'(

I just want to wrap Sousa in a blanket and tell him everything's gonna be alright. :(

I continue to love Howard. My favorite part of the MCU will probably always be the flawed Stark men.

[Shanna]

I'm sorry, did that log really list Howard as being 51??? That's not right is it?

I need to rewatch the first ca because I'm not sure hat the timelines are on everything, but I think Peggy founded shield not ssr, right?

[stealinghome]

Thompson's exposition in this regarding Peggy's glass ceiling, or the general attitude towards her as an agent, would hit harder and stand up to the thematic points of plights of women in the post war years being relegated back to housewife status, if the plot of the show didn't require Peggy to be actively bad at being an SSR agent.

It's funny how perception differs, because the people I actually find totally incompetent at the SSR are everyone *other* than Peggy. She's so far ahead of those chumps it's not even funny--she's been a mole for weeks and no one is any the wiser. If any of them want to come join SHIELD (which, I suspect the foundation of SHIELD will be the finale), Peggy should just laugh in their faces. And I'm pretty sure SHIELD will be founded precisely because the SSR is so incompetent and limited.

 

I need to rewatch the first ca because I'm not sure hat the timelines are on everything, but I think Peggy founded shield not ssr, right?

Yes. The SSR is what Peggy/Erskine/Tommy Lee Jones work for in the first Cap movie--it predates all of them. Whereas in Winter Soldier, Steve says Peggy helped found SHIELD.

Edited January 28, 2015 by stealinghome

[Orion]

Another great episode.  This show has spoiled me to the point that I don't think I'll ever be able to watch AOS again. I'll just be bitter that I'm not watching more episodes of Agent Carter.

 

I really enjoy the chemistry Peggy has with both Jarvis and Howard (not romantic chemistry just the chemistry between the actors). A scene as simple as the 3 of them driving through the city was so engaging and fun.

 

I probably in the minority but I didn't like the Dottie reveal. In a show that has, so far, managed to have really grounded and real fight scenes all of sudden having a Ninja was a little off putting.  I did love Dottie's line about wanting the gun.

 

Howard Stark room hopping and Peggy just yelling out his name was a riot.

 

Atwell was so good in the scene where Howard and her fight. All the emotions she was able to get across in that scene were spot on. The writing was also fantastic there too.

 

Sousa's a nice guy.

 

It was really nice to see most of the men in Peggy's office get more develop this episode. Thompson, while accurate to his time, is a dick.  Loved the fake out cyanide pill that the boss gave the Nazi. I'm getting concerned about his level of determination to pin all bad things on Howard Stark and how that will eventually end for him.

 

There is just so much character work in every scene, not a moment is wasted I continue to be very impressed.

 

The rooming house mother is funny in a infuriating way. There are a few interesting articles on the internet about women who ran boardinghouses in the 1940's and how seriously they took their jobs of protecting young women's reputations and virtue if anyone is interested just search Boardinghouse Matrons.

 

Overall just another excellent episode. Can't wait for next week and the HC and hoping for some more Jarvis.

 

 

Edited January 28, 2015 by Orion

[Spartan Girl]

Dottie is officially an assassin.  Called it!

 

I knew Stan Lee would someone work his way into a cameo, but it still surprises me whenever it happens.

 

Howard sleeping with all of Peggy's neighbors while hiding...his level of debauchery in the 40s is simply amazing.  I did love Peggy punching him HARD in the face when she found out about him having Steve's blood.  I'll bet she fantasized about doing that when Agent Douchebag was giving his sexist speech -- here's hoping that she does it by the end of the series!

[Sakura12]

It was nice of Howard to leave his bag so Peggy's laundry excuse looked legit. Whatisherface was surprised. 

 

I also hope that Agent Douchebag sees Peggy kicking all kinds of ass and stands there with a shocked look on his face. 

[Sharpie66]

Enver howeveryouspellhislastname is so good.  Sousa being a great guy and Enver being gorgeous is a lovely combo to watch.

 

It's Gjokaj, pronounced "joe-KYE". I hope it'll be a name that lasts a long time in Hollywood, because he is just that good!

[FurryFury]

I really wanted the show to develop the SSR side, and it's nice to see that the writers have delivered. Both Thompson and Sousa were good, and I freaking love the interrogation subversion - it wasn't a cliched call to the witness' morality that did the trick. but a much simpler solution. And it does seem that Thompson has his own post-war demons, judging by that scene with Peggy when he was drinking (I did want her to punch him, though. I'm sure it will happen at some point). Anyway, I think I'm warming up to SSR characters.

Peggy/Howard is probably my favorite dynamic on the show, even edging out her and Jarvis. They are glorious together and oh so funny. The rift at the end was heartbreaking, yet made sense. I hope they'll make up sooner rather than later, though.

Not sure how I feel about Dottie, the reveal was completely unsurprising, but it all depends on what's her goal.

Overall, a good episode, I continue to be head over heels with this show. Why, or why is it only 8 episodes long?

[Shanna]

It's funny how perception differs, because the people I actually find totally incompetent at the SSR are everyone *other* than Peggy. She's so far ahead of those chumps it's not even funny--she's been a mole for weeks and no one is any the wiser. If any of them want to come join SHIELD (which, I suspect the foundation of SHIELD will be the finale), Peggy should just laugh in their faces. And I'm pretty sure SHIELD will be founded precisely because the SSR is so incompetent and limited.

Yes. The SSR is what Peggy/Erskine/Tommy Lee Jones work for in the first Cap movie--it predates all of them. Whereas in Winter Soldier, Steve says Peggy helped found SHIELD.

Thanks! That's what I thought happened re shield.

As for ssr being incompetent, I think they are a mixed bag. They are competent at some things but yes, Peggy runs circles around them. It helps that she is underestimated.

However, we did have Sousa hilariously drawing dark hair on Peggy's picture so it looks like at least one of them is on to her. I love the movement we are getting on everything and the pacing. Tv should do more mini series type shows.

(Side note on aos, the preview just made me think that show is still clearly all about Skye and I did well to drop it. So good job promo monkeys!)

Edited January 28, 2015 by Shanna

[HistoryGirl]

 

I also want to throw a little hate at the owner/manager of the women's hotel that Peggy is staying at.  I can't believe she thinks that it's her duty to make sure all the women living under her roof, control themselves around men!  How little you think of your own sex, lady!  Was this the way how people really felt during those days?

 

Post war, pre-women's lib movement of the 1960s/70s, those boarding houses would've wanted to ensure that the young maidens stay... Maidens. A woman like the owner (?) wouldn't have wanted to let the parents of the girls down. She wouln't want them to be "defiled" which is why the rule of no men above the first floor exists. Certainly there would be women in the building who'd want those rules to be held tightly, which is partly why they exist. It's a safe existence in a big, scary city. That owner would never be short on women lining up to live there, because it is a great place, rules or not.

That was the time. The genuine fear that a scary man would come to your apartment and defile you, making you ineligible for marriage (or harder to marry). Obviously there were plenty of non-virgins at marriage, but it wasn't something you advertised. The ideal was the virginal bride and that owner is trying to help them out (and their parents who, in some cases might likely be paying their rent)

  

I'm sorry, did that log really list Howard as being 51??? That's not right is it?

I need to rewatch the first ca because I'm not sure hat the timelines are on everything, but I think Peggy founded shield not ssr, right?

If we're going strictly by MCU, if memory serves me, Howard "owns" SSR to some capacity and promotes Peggy to director. I believe a director gets demoted or maybe it's an open position at the point of the one shot from Iron Man.

Peggy later morphs SSR into what is now SHIELD. in AOS there's a line in episode 1 that Ward has after being asked if he knows what SHIELD stands for and he says something like "I think someone really wanted it to spell SHIELD". SHIELD...captain America carries a shield..... So I suspect she changed the name to reflect Steve Rogers' ideal/mission of doing good.

In Cap 2

Zola says that SSR hired ex-hydra agents to do their sciencing. Also old lady-Peggy tells Steve that she ruined everything or something like that. That the condition of the world was because her and Howard had made mistakes. My thought is that old Peggy realized that her and Howard allowed Hydra into SSR/SHIELD which is what led to its demise,

Edited January 28, 2015 by HistoryGirl

[kennyab]

I probably in the minority but I didn't like the Dottie reveal. In a show that has, so far, managed to have really grounded and real fight scenes all of sudden having a Ninja was a little off putting.  I did love Dottie's line about wanting the gun.

 

I liked it, as it represents a shift that's starting to happen in-universe for the MCU. Up until this point, they've been worried about HYDRA and the Skull's energy weapons. WWII's over though, and they're more in clean-up mode with HYDRA (not realizing what Zola and his crew are starting to get up to). We're now in a transitional phase, what with the Red Scare and Cold War looming on the horizon. Leviathan represents that change in power and tactics, and Dottie, who I assume is Soviet spy working for Leviathan, is the first taste we're getting of that world change. Leviathan's rise may even be the impetus for the formation of SHIELD. And it's an interesting parallel to the shift that's occurring in AoS with the presence of the Inhumans becoming known.

 

I'm loving what a rich history they're providing in the MCU. I'm looking really forward to the look into the 50's MCU we're going to get in Ant-Man, and it's awesome that Peggy is basically serving as the backbone that holds the whole of the MCU together.

[Traveller519]

Thanks Shanna and stealingathome for the clarification there, I'd been thinking the SSR naturally evolved into SHIELD.

 

I need to rewatch the first ca because I'm not sure hat the timelines are on everything, but I think Peggy founded shield not ssr, right?

 

 

Yes. The SSR is what Peggy/Erskine/Tommy Lee Jones work for in the first Cap movie--it predates all of them. Whereas in Winter Soldier, Steve says Peggy helped found SHIELD.

 

Obviously Peggy and Howard decide to take things in a new direction somewhere along the line here, probably at the end of the miniseries.

 

With respect to Peggy vs. the other Agents. I think she's proven to be well and truly the best spy out of the group, and probably the best investigator, but the problem I have is the plot of the show writes it so she has to do all her best stuff outside the realm of the agency she works for. Great that it means that she's working her magic and helping her friend, terrible that it means she's the last one to show up at the offices every day, have to continually excuse herself from work, and last week blatantly thwart an interrogation. I'd find returned GI's who assume they can do this job better being forced to face facts by being shown up by a more capable woman to do a better job of furthering the narrative than the route they chose to go.

 

To add to that, as has been written upthread, I am pleased that the other agents aren't written as bumbling idiots (well, maybe Ray... and the two scientists that kept lighting themselves on fire). Dooley and Thompson have been shown to be very shrewd interrogators and detectives, and Sousa is a detail hound. They've advanced their case, without Stark's insider knowledge, and as of this episode do appear to have recovered some of his inventions without having them hand delivered by their anonymous source.

[ChelseaNH]

Dottie's moves were reminiscent of Black Widow, but the way it was filmed looked more animalistic and predatory.  If she turns out to be an alien, I would not be shocked.

 

In Cap 2, Zola said that Romanov was born in 1984, I believe.  It's comic books, so they can retcon anything, but for now that indicates they aren't copying the comic story directly.

 

I suspect Agent Thompson will never get his comeuppance.  At least not at Peggy's hands.  I thought his little speech was entirely too on-the-nose.  It means he has to realize that this a way Peggy could be seen (with respect), even as he's stating it could never happen.  It's a little too meta for comfort.

[kennyab]

If we're going strictly by MCU, if memory serves me, Howard "owns" SSR to some capacity and promotes Peggy to director. I believe a director gets demoted or maybe it's an open position at the point of the one shot from Iron Man.

 

As far as the SSR is concerned, Howard was only involved in Operation: Rebirth. The call he places at the end of the one-shot is to recruit Peggy as the head of SHIELD as the newly-forming SHIELD.

[Sharpie66]

When Dooley was talking to the Nazi, he said, "I can help you escape the hangman's noose," but my brain only heard "escape" and immediately went to "OMG, are they going to have him get out using Odessa or something equivalent?!?" which happened a lot with the Germans that the US wanted in their control instead of the Soviets. I was happy to realize that I had misheard and he offered him "cyanide," and then just giggled when it turned out to be a breath mint.

[Shanna]

I think he did say "escape" he just meant it as in 'escape through death'. But the first thought I had was that it would be funny if it was tic tac or something.

Traveller, I don't mind her being not all in at work, except last week which was excrutiating, because for the most part she does seem to be doing her job. She gets lunches, and coffee and files. It's just that they aren't using her to her full potential.

She was late once and had a sick day, which isn't a big deal.

[shrewd.buddha]

Obviously this show could be telling some interim period in both their careers that lead to them ultimately getting their deserved reputation, but it's tough to make sympathetic characters (to the SSR establishment) who are evading that organization and working outside its machinations.

 

I think the writing for this show is sharp, much better than AoS, but Peggy's double-agent status makes me wonder what her role model Steve would say if he were around. Yes, we know she's the hero and is doing 'bad' things for the right reasons, and yet ... She is stealing government property based on lies from Stark. If she were to get caught before clearing Stark there would be no way to avoid being labeled a traitor.

 

..And even when she manages to save the day in the end, the 'regular joes' in the SSR may not be so forgiving of how she sabotaged a lot of their work.  

(When Sydney Bristow was doing the same thing on Alias, it sorta worked because the agency she was working for was basically evil.)

It will be interesting to see how the show wraps up Agent Carter's situation at the SSR. I doubt the higher-ups we've seen so far will chuckle and say "Oh Peggy! You've made fools of us, but we're all better off because of it now! Why don't you take charge?"

 

That's the only sticking point I have with the show, really. And even with that, this show is way better than most of what's out there right now.

[Izeinwinter]

*Zola* said 1984, but if Natasha is really 80 years old she would as a matter of course be setting up fake backgrounds that match her apparent, rather than true age. 

 

Wait. *groan*. Born in 1984? Romanov made her fake backstory into a bloody literary reference? But of course she did. >.<

[FurryFury]

Really, if MCU's Russia is anything like the real-world one, no way would Natasha be trained during 90s. It makes zero sense, nobody had any money for such things then, really. But then, Arrow had gulags near/inside Moscow, so it's not like I should expect anything approaching accuracy from comic franchises.

[UncleChuck]

 

I can't believe she thinks that it's her duty to make sure all the women living under her roof, control themselves around men!  How little you think of your own sex, lady!  Was this the way how people really felt during those days?

My mother graduated from college in 1938 and her first job was teaching at a Nursing School.  I have a copy of her employment contract that specifies that one of her duties was to accompany any of her students as a chaperone whenever they went off campus.  So yes, women could be over-protected in pre and post-war America.

 

 

I enjoyed the Dottie reveal.  Almost every crime procedural on the air these days cultivates some "big bad"--a super-villain with powers the police just cannot contain.  So when we met Mr. Smuggle/Murder and he was able to identify Peggy, track her to her apartment and gain entry, I just assumed that he was this show's version of "big bad"--then Dottie--and ... WHAM!! "big bad" is not so big and bad.

[VCRTracking]

 Loved all the Peggy and Howard scenes and the reveal of Dottie to be a proto-Black Widow agent.

 

Also loved that they used "Drum Boogie" by Gene Krupa at the end. It was used in the Barbara Stanwyck/Gary Cooper movie Ball of Fire (1941).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbVTTOJFJf8

[stealinghome]

I think the writing for this show is sharp, much better than AoS, but Peggy's double-agent status makes me wonder what her role model Steve would say if he were around. Yes, we know she's the hero and is doing 'bad' things for the right reasons, and yet ... She is stealing government property based on lies from Stark. If she were to get caught before clearing Stark there would be no way to avoid being labeled a traitor.

 

..And even when she manages to save the day in the end, the 'regular joes' in the SSR may not be so forgiving of how she sabotaged a lot of their work. ...

Steve breaks the rules left and right for what he feels like is The Right Cause, though. I mean, he's only ever let onto the battlefield in CA:TFA because he disobeys direct orders and flies into the heart of Nazi territory (which he's been expressly forbidden to do). Heck, he was committing a felony simply applying to get into the Army multiple times under false names. And what he does in CA:TWS speaks for itself. imo, Steve is every bit the rule-breaker Peggy is. Neither does it carelessly/thoughtlessly, but neither is shy about breaking rules when they feel it's justified,

 

Now, do I think Steve is far more suited to be a soldier, as opposed to a spy? Oh, totally. Peggy's a much better spy than he is. Amd do I think he's obviously uncomfortable with the shadier side of SHIELD? Absolutely. But fighting to exonerate a wrongfully accused man (who's a friend, no less) and eliminate major threats to national security along the way? Steve would be all over that. He wouldn't LIKE that he had to be a double agent--frankly, I don't think Peggy particularly likes it either--but he'd be all about getting justice and protecting the country/world however he had to.

 

 

I agree that the regular joes at the SSR will NOT be pleased with Peggy when it all comes out, which is why I believe the finale is going to be Stark and Peggy founding SHIELD. Then it won't matter if the asshole agents like Peggy or not, because they'll be unemployed when the SSR is disbanded while Peggy's running SHIELD.

[Malbec]

With respect to Peggy vs. the other Agents. I think she's proven to be well and truly the best spy out of the group, and probably the best investigator, but the problem I have is the plot of the show writes it so she has to do all her best stuff outside the realm of the agency she works for. Great that it means that she's working her magic and helping her friend, terrible that it means she's the last one to show up at the offices every day, have to continually excuse herself from work, and last week blatantly thwart an interrogation. I'd find returned GI's who assume they can do this job better being forced to face facts by being shown up by a more capable woman to do a better job of furthering the narrative than the route they chose to go.

 

"Hero forced to go rogue" is a pretty classic spy/action/thriller set-up, though, whether it's because the hero has been framed or because they can't trust their agency or because they're just a cop who doesn't play by the rules .  It gives the hero another ball to juggle when they have to defeat the bad guys AND evade the good guys at the same time.  It's also an excellent way to reveal a hero's ingenuity and character by seeing how they handle a well-intentioned ally who's at cross-purposes with them.  So far, Peggy has been forced -- by circumstance and by the attitudes of the time -- to handle these things by sacrificing her reputation. 

 

YMMV, but to me that's writing that's painful to watch, but it's not bad writing because it's a believable choice that she would make.  It also reveals her integrity and heroism in a way that a straightforward "Peggy kicks ass and everyone appreciates her" plot wouldn't be able to.  We know how much it galls her to be treated as second-class in her workplace; her willingness to play to the low expectations of her colleagues is something we know hits her where it hurts.  The fact that she's willing to accept that as the price to pay for doing the right thing is a powerful character statement.

[Mars477]

Peggy's not the best spy in the office, she's the only spy in the office.  Everybody else thinks like a cop.

[ChelseaNH]

It was used in the Barbara Stanwyck/Gary Cooper movie Ball of Fire (1941).

 

I adore that movie.

 

When Peggy was yelling at Howard, I hoped that the rooms had better soundproofing than modern apartment houses.  But then we saw they had brick walls, so...

[funkopop]

I adore that movie.

 

When Peggy was yelling at Howard, I hoped that the rooms had better soundproofing than modern apartment houses.  But then we saw they had brick walls, so...

 

I noticed that as well.  Also,  immediately after Ms. Frye heads downstairs she starts yelling Howard's name down the dumbwaiter.  For all of Ms. Frye cautions she seems to have selective hearing.

Edited January 28, 2015 by funkopop

[that one guy]

Looking forward to next week, and thrilled to be right about Dottie. But c'mon, show. IF A SHOW'S GONNA HAVE BALLERINA-ASSASSINS, THERE'S GOT TO BE SUMMER GLAU. Right? Please, show?

[Sandman]

Peggy's not the best spy in the office, she's the only spy in the office.  Everybody else thinks like a cop.

 

And everybody (except Sousa) wants to be Bad Cop, at that.

[Actionmage]

Poor Sousa!  He still has alot to learn about interrogation techniques.

 

I respectfully disagree. Sousa tried to appeal to a fellow soldier's better self. Just because Thompson took the (seemingly) easier method of appealing to the man's vices doesn't automatically mean Sousa's bad at interrogation. He's just more polite than Agent "Bite on this stick as I pummel you" Thompson.

[paigow]

It's Gjokaj, pronounced "joe-KYE". I hope it'll be a name that lasts a long time in Hollywood, because he is just that good!

Must renew Celebrity Apprentice and team him up with EYE-ON Ziering

[FurryFury]

Just because Thompson took the (seemingly) easier method of appealing to the man's vices doesn't automatically mean Sousa's bad at interrogation.

 

I think he's definitely worse at interrogation, because Thompson didn't just pick the easier method, he picked the *correct* method, which is important. 

[Shanna]

I think he's definitely worse at interrogation, because Thompson didn't just pick the easier method, he picked the *correct* method, which is important.

I love Sousa but I agree. Otoh, his instincts were dead on from an investigation perspective and once he got Thompson to listen he was able to convince him. Sousa is also the only one who seems to have realized that blond might have worn a wig...

[Texasmom1970]

Chad Michael Murray is a smarmy, douche again in this episode, big surprise. Wasn't it brilliant casting hiring him for that part. He just has to show up and be himself!

Loved, loved, loved Peggy's wine colored dress in this epidode, the wardrobe department is killing it for her in this show.

[Orion]

Just to kind of piggy back on a few of the comments on Ms. Frye that are above.

 

Prior to WWII there were very, very few positions available to "respectable" women. It's one of the reason that this era was such a big step for woman's lib. When the men went off to fight the women stepped up into the roles in the work place.  But before that a woman that was well raised and needed to earn an income had very few choices. The boardinghouse matron was one way to do that. No only would the women or their parents pay more for homes that were respectable but husbands that were overseas would too. 

 

The women could live there protected and safe. The downside to owning one of the boarding house is that your reputation was only as good as the girls living there. If the women that were boarding with you were thought of as loose then the owner received the same reputation. A woman that was earning a good living could suddenly find herself forced to sell and without a job. These homes were often run by women who had little to no family to fall back on if their business went under.

 

While Ms Frye seems over the top and over the line she has a lot riding on enforcing these rules. I can understand her determination to protect herself along with the women there.  I wish the show would touch on that just a little because I think it is really interesting.

[Malbec]

I respectfully disagree. Sousa tried to appeal to a fellow soldier's better self. Just because Thompson took the (seemingly) easier method of appealing to the man's vices doesn't automatically mean Sousa's bad at interrogation. He's just more polite than Agent "Bite on this stick as I pummel you" Thompson.

 

Come to think of it, the witness in this episode was kind of a Rorshach test for Thompson and Sousa.  Both agents picked the technique that would have appealed to him.  It's noteworthy that Sousa did not only appeal to a fellow soldier's better self (although there was that), he also appealed to the man's sense of dignity, which we know is something Sousa himself has not always been afforded on account of his injury.

 

Thompson happened to pick the right one.  Although arguably the offer of booze was especially effective after Sousa had been leaning on the guy for the better part of an afternoon, or however long the interrogation took. 

[tessaray]

 

Took a look at a screen grab of that Finow airfield sign in sheet -- why was it in English and not in German ? Or Russian ? Or whatever the language was of whoever was running the airfield when Howard Stark landed his plane there ?

 

I haven't seen the episode yet but English has been the official language of (international) aviation since 1944.  FWIW. 

 

ETA: The Chicago Convention on Civil Aviation was November 1944.  I can't find the reference for it, but I've also seen 1942 as when English was mandated. I suppose for the Allies, it would make sense.

Edited January 28, 2015 by tessaray

[Llywela]

But if they end up wanting some sort of twist, then I suggest she end up marrying Gabe Jones and being Trip's grandma.

It's a nice idea, but both Peggy Carter and Trip's Howling Commando heritage have been discussed often enough in AoS that if Trip was Peggy's grandson, we'd definitely have heard about it by now.

 

Oh was that where he was. I thought for sure it was under Peggy's bed.  With the way Ms. Frye runs her place it won't be to long.

The body was under Dottie's own bed, presumably only until she can safely dispose of it.

 

To add to that, as has been written upthread, I am pleased that the other agents aren't written as bumbling idiots (well, maybe Ray... and the two scientists that kept lighting themselves on fire). Dooley and Thompson have been shown to be very shrewd interrogators and detectives, and Sousa is a detail hound. They've advanced their case, without Stark's insider knowledge, and as of this episode do appear to have recovered some of his inventions without having them hand delivered by their anonymous source.

I thought the Stark inventions held by the SSR in this episode were the ones hand-delivered by the anonymous tip-off - we've not seen them recover anything else. The stolen inventions were all on the ship, Jarvis called it in, and the SSR took possession of them and are now studying them to find out what they do.

[bagert]

Well, Operation Paperclip lasted for a long time after the war, well after when Phillips, Stark and Peggy founded SHIELD.  Neither Howard nor Peggy were co-founders of the SSR; Colonel Phillips was its commanding officer, and he recruited Howard Stark.  Peggy joined SSR as an agent early on.

 

I expect Thompson to get his comeuppance next week as the promotional photos have him in Russia with Peggy and the Howlers, and he sees the respect the Howlers have for her.

[Rick Kitchen]

That totally confused me! I was wondering if he didn't know her name and then he called her Peggy so... Was that some sort of pet name?

how drunk was he?

 

He called Sousa "Suzy", too.

[Danny Franks]

Does Dottie also go by Yelena Belova? I'm torn on whether I want that. On the one hand, Yelena Belova! But on the other, using her in this means she could never be used in a Black Widow solo project. The jumping leg scissors takedown on Mink was definitely meant to evoke Nat's moves. I like the way she can flip between bubbly and cheerful and stone cold. It's unnerving. But is she there because of Peggy? If so, is she hunting her or protecting her?

 

Peggy is still awesome, and Hayley Atwell displayed some nice comedic chops with some of the antics revolving around hiding Howard. Loved "why is your moustache so sad?" Then she showed she can bring the emotional weight as well. The woman has it all, and then some.

 

So Thompson seems more like a mix of Bud White and Ed Exley, by the episode. That's not a bad thing, because it's an interesting mix of good detective and questionable guy. I'm not going to lambast him for being played by a guy who is apparently unpopular, or for not liking Peggy working there. He's a man of his time, and I thought the scene they had together played more like him being genuinely confused as to why she would want to work in a place where she doesn't belong. The attitude is lousy, but it is very realistic for the period.

 

Sousa still seems too good to be true, in his empathetic, understanding wholesomeness. It's easy to see why he isn't respected by his co-workers, and I don't think it's because of his crutch. They don't get him any more than they get Peggy. A man that touchy-feely, in the 'police' in 1946? His technique would have worked on a different person, but on the bum they were interrogating? Thompson had it right by appealing to his greed rather than his better nature. It was clear as day.

 

And honestly, I do think Sousa is too good to be true. Last week they had him not remember the name of a battle in the war that Thompson had talked about, this week he's hazy on his own experiences. I'm expecting a moment where he tosses the crutch away, in good old Keyser Soze fashion.

 

Stan Lee makes me smile. Always. His cameos make me smile even more.

[ProudMary]

However, we did have Sousa hilariously drawing dark hair on Peggy's picture so it looks like at least one of them is on to her. I love the movement we are getting on everything and the pacing. Tv should do more mini series type shows.

 

I don't think that Sousa is necessarily on to her (Peggy) yet.  I think he's just testing out the theory that perhaps the blonde in the photo isn't really blonde after all.

[Sakura12]

I would love it if Thompson went to introduce himself and the Howling Commandos ignored him and went straight to Peggy, saluted her and said they were reporting for duty.

[kennyab]

It's a nice idea, but both Peggy Carter and Trip's Howling Commando heritage have been discussed often enough in AoS that if Trip was Peggy's grandson, we'd definitely have heard about it by now.

 

I agree with you 100% about that. I meant that maybe there's a twist with Angie in that she meets Gabe and ends up marrying him, thus actually her own little part in the future of the MCU.

 

But is she there because of Peggy? If so, is she hunting her or protecting her?

 

My guess is both. If I read it correctly, the guy she killed was just some rando who helped Stark get in the country and was looking for some payback after Peggy and Jarvis retrieved Howard. Dottie's there to do long-term surveillance on Peggy, so she can't just have a random nutter blowing all of that. Ultimately, I'm pretty sure she's a bad guy working for Leviathan, but in that moment her actions actually served Peggy's interests.

[kalamac]

Fringe has me conditioned to believe that a self-typing typewriter is receiving messages from an alternate universe.

[stealinghome]

I don't think that Sousa is necessarily on to her (Peggy) yet.  I think he's just testing out the theory that perhaps the blonde in the photo isn't really blonde after all.

Yes--because the bum described seeing a nicely-dressed man and a dark-haired woman on the docks, placing the call. So it clicked for Sousa that the mysterious woman who's twenty steps ahead of everyone else may not actually be blonde (or, perhaps, he realized that wigs are a thing and hair color isn't really the best descriptor).

 

I would love it if Thompson went to introduce himself and the Howling Commandos ignored him and went straight to Peggy, saluted her and said they were reporting for duty.

I'll be disappointed if this DOESN'T happen.

Edited January 29, 2015 by stealinghome

[Luckylyn]

Am I crazy to be wondering if Dottie is Jarvis' wife and that's why the show never lets us see her so we'll be shocked at her true identity?

[Shanna]

I'll be disappointed if this DOESN'T happen.

I will be disappointed to! I full expect chads face to have an awesome gobsmacked look.

Yes--because the bum described seeing a nicely-dressed man and a dark-haired woman on the docks, placing the call. So it clicked for Sousa that the mysterious woman who's twenty steps ahead of everyone else may not actually be blonde (or, perhaps, he realized that wigs are a thing and hair color isn't really the best descriptor).

Whether he figured it out yet, I think it's just a matter of time right? Anyway my point was that he was not the best interrogator but is clearly a decent investigator so bravo agent Sousa.

[Tigris Tv]

I read the Thomson and Peggy scene very differently.  I didn't take it as him being sexist and underestimating her, but of him pointing out the uphill/glass ceiling she faces and asking her why she puts up with it.  He doesn't say women will never be equal to men, he says no man will ever see a woman as his equal - both may be untrue, but mean very different things.  Of course this implies as well that he too could never see her as his equal if taken literally, but I take it as saying "this is the world we live in".  He also says it in connection with "why are you here", and implies that fetching people's lunch orders is beneath her - why doesn't she just quit.  I think he may have more of an inkling of her capabilities than the others do.  Of course he is a bit of a jerk about it, but since he seems to be a jerk to most people I don't get an anti-woman vibe off of him.  I will not at all be surprised if he has less trouble adjusting to the realization of her capabilities once they are revealed than the rest of the agents would have.

 

Really enjoyed the interaction between Thomson and Sousa this episode. I also noted that Thomson pays Sousa a compliment when it was deserved - showing he isn't blind to those observations based on how he otherwise treats the person (never really seemed highly respectful of Sousa's abilities before). Sousa was also great in this episode and the two of them play very nicely off of one another.