S01.E04: The Blitzkrieg Button

[Emily Thrace]

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?

Its a little nuts but I like it I also like the idea that shes just happily married to Jarvis. I think its just the Auschwitz anniversary coverage I've been reading but the idea of some escaping the Nazis and living happily ever after has its own appeal.

I also had a thought about Thonpson. I wonder if part his attitude about women is because he lost someone during the war. There were more than few women who lost thier lives fighting for the allies as things like nurses and pilots. It would explain his attitude towards Peggy, if he's buried someone who wanted to an equal before. That speech was a bit too personal to be just about Peggy.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

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!

Hey, if Goran Visnjic was able to become so well known that people learned how to pronounce his name correctly, then there is hope for Enver too! No offense to Goran, but I think Enver is a more versatile actor so I have been hoping for his career to take off since Dollhouse.

[Kel Varnsen]

This was an interesting episode considering it was only the 4th episode in I was surprised that not much really happened. There was no big action sequence of something for Peggy to solve, it was all mostly laying the foundation for the coming episodes.  

 

I liked that they are rounding out some of the characters too, especially Thompson, the Chief and the lady who runs the apartment. It would be really easy to make them into cartoon characters. 

 

I also thought it was hilarious that they seemed to want you to think that this Mr. Mink guy was some big kind of badass, and then he was only in like 3 scenes and he was taken out by Dottie.

[Advance35]

I also had a thought about Thonpson. I wonder if part his attitude about women is because he lost someone during the war. There were more than few women who lost thier lives fighting for the allies as things like nurses and pilots. It would explain his attitude towards Peggy, if he's buried someone who wanted to an equal before. That speech was a bit too personal to be just about Peggy.

 

I'd believe that about Thompson.   Again, I don't necessarily LIKE him but I get the feeling there is MORE to him.   And I don't mean that he's a secret villain or that he's a secret above average hero.   I just think he doesn't show himself to the rest of the world and I think that's by choice on his part.   He seems to keep a wall up between himself and the rest of the world kind of like Peggy.  Different motivations entirely and though Peggy tends to keep people at arms length it doesn't stop her from feeling and/or expressing compassion for others BUT the simularity is there IMO.

 

Thinking back to the various approaches by Thompson and Sousa to get the Bumb to talk, I find myself wondering which method Peggy would have chosen and to be honest I don't think it would have been Sousa's approach.  I don't know that it would have been as below the belt as Thompson's though.

 

I liked that they are rounding out some of the characters too, especially Thompson, the Chief and the lady who runs the apartment. It would be really easy to make them into cartoon characters.

 

 

These writers are really good.  I'd also add Sousa to your list.  They didn't do anything revolutionary with him but I still concluded the episode feeling like he had MUCH more dimension.  I feel like all the characters on canvas have their own struggles though we aren't privvy to all of them (just like in real life).

 

And a poster upthread pointed out that back in that time, a Land Lady in "Mistress Griffith's" position had her own survival and well being to worry about, since it was in direct relation to the reputation of the girls in her charge.   That is an interesting aspect that I had know idea about.   This show is sprinkled with so many potential interesting character arcs and it's sad that 8 episodes won't be enough to visit them all in depth.

[Kel Varnsen]

These writers are really good.  I'd also add Sousa to your list.  They didn't do anything revolutionary with him but I still concluded the episode feeling like he had MUCH more dimension.  I feel like all the characters on canvas have their own struggles though we aren't privvy to all of them (just like in real life).

You are right about Sousa. I liked how he kind of failed in the interrogation of the homeless guy. A lesser show would have made it so that he was a top notch agent/investigator who is only being kept down by prejudice because of his injury (trying to make him a male equivalent to Peggy). It is interesting that these characters are way more well rounded than the characters in the first handful of episodes of Agents of Shield were. Those guys were way more cookie cutter by this point in that series.

[Julia]

I also thought it was hilarious that they seemed to want you to think that this Mr. Mink guy was some big kind of badass, and then he was only in like 3 scenes and he was taken out by Dottie.

 

I didn't get badass from him. I got psychotic homicidal nazi with an automatic weapon. It doesn't take all that much skill to kill people when you can pump a lot of bullets into them at short range.

[Sandman]

It doesn't take all that much skill to kill people when you can pump a lot of bullets into them at short range.

 

And with no discernible recoil -- or at least none apparent to me.

[Kel Varnsen]

I didn't get badass from him. I got psychotic homicidal nazi with an automatic weapon. It doesn't take all that much skill to kill people when you can pump a lot of bullets into them at short range.

I was thinking more of a badass in that they were setting him up as a badguy with a lot of power who could be a problem for Peggy and Howard for a long time. Then he was killed after three scenes, which was funny.

[Bruinsfan]

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

He did see her effortlessly take out Miles Van Ert while he was trying to chase the guy down, so I don't think he's completely in the dark about her capabilities.

 

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...

Yeah, the last apartment I moved from had 18" brick walls. I only heard my neighbor's smoke alarm faintly through facing kitchen doors, that place was almost soundproofed. The landlady can't be listening with a glass against every door!

Edited January 29, 2015 by Bruinsfan

[Sakura12]

Peggy took that guy out with a briefcase when he wasn't looking at her. That is not the same thing as kicking a guy's ass. 

[funkopop]

But would it make a difference for Thompson seeing her kick ass, or solve the case, or catch the guy.  When he was talking to her in this episode, the sexism he described was not that she is a woman and therefore incapable of being good at the job, but that her being a woman invalidates her accomplishments because she shouldn't be there in the first place. So he can watch her body slam dude after dude in his mind she doesn't have a place alongside him so it won't register.  And I think Peggy kind of had that realization with Jarvis regarding her having to save the world from the shadows.  She was so excited to be able to bring this case to SSR and drop it at their feet like "I'm worthy of being your equal" and realized it wouldn't be that easy.  Otherwise she surely would have proven it to them by now.

 

Don't get me wrong I would love for  smug smarmy Thompson to have that smirk wiped off his face but I think its a bit of a disservice for Peggy and the gravitas of sexism to just have her punch a dude out or have the Howling Commandos clap on her back and everything gets righted.

Edited January 29, 2015 by funkopop

[Bort]

Don't get me wrong I would love for smug smarmy Thompson to have that smirk wiped off his face but I think its a bit of a disservice for Peggy and the gravitas of sexism to just have her punch a dude out or have the Howling Commandos clap on her back and everything gets righted.

Especially since back then (and hell, even today) that glowing adulation from a big group of men would have the sexist ones likely thinking "oh, she must be really good at blowjobs."

[funkopop]

Especially since back then (and hell, even today) that glowing adulation from a big group of men would have the sexist ones likely thinking "oh, she must be really good at blowjobs."

 

Which we have seen already implied in the first episode when they overtly sexualized her relationship with Captain America both on the radio show and among the SSR agents.

Edited January 29, 2015 by funkopop

[Shanna]

Peggy took that guy out with a briefcase when he wasn't looking at her. That is not the same thing as kicking a guy's ass.

True but it was still pretty damn effective. They've definitely done more with Thompson than I thought they would already and I really hope to see an entertaining reaction next week. But I want Sousa to figure out what Peggy's really been doing. I can believe this show is going to go away so soon!

[Sandman]

Speaking of Cap, I can't decide if his real role is well understood at this point in the story. In the early part of Captain America: The First Avenger his was largely a public relations role, and Steve eventually took an active combat/leadership role, of course; would the general public (and the SSR guys) know about the latter during or immediately after the war? Or was Peggy's "liaison" function further devalued because she's seen as adjunct to an ad campaign?

Edited January 29, 2015 by Sandman

[stealinghome]

In TFA, while Steve started out doing PR, there's a scene where Peggy and the Colonel were watching actual battlefield footage of Steve, which presumably would have been sent back to the States as well as disseminated among the armed services. And weren't there all sorts of newspaper headlines about Cap's battlefield exploits? I have to think everyone in Peggy's office knows that Steve was actively serving in combat, especially since Steve remained attached to the SSR throughout his career.

[kennyab]

But would it make a difference for Thompson seeing her kick ass, or solve the case, or catch the guy.  When he was talking to her in this episode, the sexism he described was not that she is a woman and therefore incapable of being good at the job, but that her being a woman invalidates her accomplishments because she shouldn't be there in the first place.

 

I believe it would make a difference for him to see her in action. He was speaking as an unreliable narrator there, as we know from history that he's wrong, there are plenty of men capable of seeing women as equals. I think that because he hasn't had his viewpoint challenged, there's no reason for him to think differently. But if he had been on the front lines of the siege of the Red Skull's fortress, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Peggy and the Howling Commandos, I think he'd have a different perspective.

 

Speaking of Cap, I can't decide if his real role is well understood at this point in the story. In the early part of Captain America: The First Avenger his was largely a public relations role, and Steve eventually took an active combat/leadership role, of course; would the general public (and the SSR guys) know about the latter during or immediately after the war? Or was Peggy's "liaison" function further devalued because she's seen as adjunct to a ad campaign?

 

I think Cap's wartime activities were known to the public once he actually became involved in the fight. Probably not the specifics, but I think the public came to realize that he was actual out on the battlefield.

[Kel Varnsen]

I believe it would make a difference for him to see her in action. He was speaking as an unreliable narrator there, as we know from history that he's wrong, there are plenty of men capable of seeing women as equals. I think that because he hasn't had his viewpoint challenged, there's no reason for him to think differently. But if he had been on the front lines of the siege of the Red Skull's fortress, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Peggy and the Howling Commandos, I think he'd have a different perspective.

 

The problem I have is that I think his Thompson's opinion is more about how society sees women than about how he sees one individual woman. I mean he was talking about how it was the natural order of things. So even if he know that Peggy was a badass (and I think he knows she has skills) it is not relevant since his opinion of society is that in general people think men should be in the workplace doing that kind of thing, not women.  It is the old, I think you are ok, but society will never accept you, thing.

Edited January 29, 2015 by Kel Varnsen

[Shanna]

The problem I have is that I think his Thompson's opinion is more about how society sees women than about how he sees one individual woman. I mean he was talking about how it was the natural order of things. So even if he know that Peggy was a badass (and I think he knows she has skills) it is not relevant since his opinion of society is that in general people think men should be in the workplace doing that kind of thing, not women. It is the old, I think you are ok, but society will never accept you, thing.

The thing is though, he was saying that "no man" would see Peggy as an equal. Which is wrong, because steve, Howard, Jarvis, the howling commandos all see her as an equal. I'm not sure that Thompson was only warning her about society, I think because he included all men that included himself. Maybe. I think he might be a person who is capable of changing his mind though. He knows she's better than what she's doing but he doesn't know she's better than most of the men if not all of them. So next week should be good...

[Danny Franks]

I believe it would make a difference for him to see her in action. He was speaking as an unreliable narrator there, as we know from history that he's wrong, there are plenty of men capable of seeing women as equals. I think that because he hasn't had his viewpoint challenged, there's no reason for him to think differently. But if he had been on the front lines of the siege of the Red Skull's fortress, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Peggy and the Howling Commandos, I think he'd have a different perspective.

 

Exactly. Do people really think a guy like Dum Dum Dugan, for example, was the picture of early enlightenment in American society? I'm sure he would have said that a woman's place is in the kitchen or whatever, prior to seeing what Peggy is capable of. Even Bucky Barnes would probably have laughed at the idea of Peggy fighting alongside them... until he saw her do it. It's the way the entire generation, and all those before, was brought up to think, and why all those women going into the workplace to replace the men was so massive an upheaval in society. Women in general were not seen as being capable of the same things as men. Hell, in the real world women wouldn't be seen as suitable of fighting alongside men in armies until very recently.

 

Thompson exists in a world pre-feminism, pre-Women's Lib, and what liberation there was for women, he seems to have missed because he was in the Marine Corps in the Pacific. Now, if he sees Peggy be awesome and doesn't change his view of her, then he's just a douche. It's how you react to your preconceptions being challenged that tells people how worthy you are. For Thompson, and most other men, the only visible presence women would have had in war would have been as nurses, admin assistants or USO Show girls. Of course, there were lots of women who did very dangerous things during the Second World War, but received little public acclaim for their actions.

 

 The thing is though, he was saying that "no man" would see Peggy as an equal. Which is wrong, because steve, Howard, Jarvis, the howling commandos all see her as an equal. I'm not sure that Thompson was only warning her about society, I think because he included all men that included himself.

 

 

With those men, Peggy proved herself. She showed them she was awesome, and they believed her (as you would). With Thompson, he's not seen it yet. He's seen a woman who seems to be intelligent and witty (I'm guessing he recognises these aspects), but cocked up an interrogation by thoughtlessly letting the suspect overhear vital information, and he thinks she's trying to do something that she'll never succeed at.

 

I'm not saying Peggy needed to prove herself with all of them to be given a fair shake, but if she'd been found wanting, most of those guys would probably have a far more paternalistic view of her than they seem to.

Edited January 29, 2015 by Danny Franks

[Netfoot]

And with no discernible recoil -- or at least none apparent to me.

 

The energy of recoil is converted and used to spin the barrel assembly.  It also powers a teleport device which transfers ammunition from your pocket directly into the chamber for firing, and hot brass away to the nearest dumpster. (Although, in theory, it could be using caseless ammunition, eliminating the brass entirely.)

[Sandman]

Oh. So now I know. Thanks, Netfoot.

[Julia]

The energy of recoil is converted and used to spin the barrel assembly.  It also powers a teleport device which transfers ammunition from your pocket directly into the chamber for firing, and hot brass away to the nearest dumpster. (Although, in theory, it could be using caseless ammunition, eliminating the brass entirely.)

 

It's the handwavium coating on the barrel that does it. 

[Worsel]

I really like this show a lot, but I'm disappointed that the writers do not know how to spell Nuremberg.

[Leia1979]

I loved so much about this episode, especially the fight between Peggy and Howard, Howard getting "friendly" with all of Peggy's neighbors, and the moment Peggy removed the vial of blood from the orb. I gasped out loud because I knew what it was right away, but my husband didn't make the connection. Some things were well done even if they made me mad...mostly Thompson. I cringed every time he called Peggy "Marge."

 

I found it interesting that Sousa hedged about where he had been injured. Thompson implied Sousa was in Europe, and I think his lack of disclosure must mean the writers are withholding something from the audience. Like I wouldn't be surprised if Sousa had crossed paths with Cap at some point. 

 

And like many, my answer to "no man will see you as an equal" (paraphrasing) was Steve Rogers did! I did get a feeling of Thompson going for brutal honesty in that scene rather than only being an ass, but man did I want to smack him anyway.

 

I'm going to go with Dottie's Black Widow moves making her Russian.

[BooBear]

And a poster upthread pointed out that back in that time, a Land Lady in "Mistress Griffith's" position had her own survival and well being to worry about, since it was in direct relation to the reputation of the girls in her charge.   That is an interesting aspect that I had know idea about.   This show is sprinkled with so many potential interesting character arcs and it's sad that 8 episodes won't be enough to visit them all in depth.

 

Something I think is interesting on this  show is the history lesson I feel like I am getting. I am not a kid but I feel like I missed this period in my history class. Who would have thunk it would have come out of a superhero show. I also thought this show fleshed out Thompson. From the idea that he went for the booze in the interrogation made me think he has those same issues. But then they reinforced it with his talk with Peggy. I can't say I will ever be on team Thompson but I got my first flicker of a moment where I didn't hate him.

[Carrie Ann]

I basically hate Thompson, and CMM is a huge part of that, but I do sort of wonder whether maybe he's like...whatever the SSR version of Internal Investigations would be. Or a plant from a super secret SSR division, or another American intelligence agency. And that his job is to root out double agents, but also to recruit the best, strongest people for this other division. Because some of the stuff he's throwing at Sousa and Peggy just seems off, in some way. Like, the way he kept pushing Sousa to get rid of the bum, but then ultimately helped with the interrogation. And like he's constantly pushing Peggy, like he's trying to see if she'll break.

 

And honestly, my biggest piece of "evidence" is that there is any hint in the press for the show that Peggy could end up with this dude. Because he is atrocious with her, and I don't need to see him redeemed of that, unless the whole thing is an act.

[Kel Varnsen]

I also thought this show fleshed out Thompson. From the idea that he went for the booze in the interrogation made me think he has those same issues. 

I don't think it was meant to imply that he had the same issues. I think it was a logical piece of deduction from him, based on what he has seen and the world he lives in that a vet returning from the war, who is no a homeless guy probably likes to drink.

[Rick Kitchen]

I really like this show a lot, but I'm disappointed that the writers do not know how to spell Nuremberg.

 

Was it Nuernberg?  That's the German spelling.

[Worsel]

Was it Nuernberg?  That's the German spelling.

They spelled it Nuremburg.  It should be Nuremberg (I assume that is the English as opposed to German spelling.)  I thought it didn't look right when I first saw it, then when I read the recap and saw it again I realized it was incorrect.

[Netfoot]

I cringed every time he called Peggy "Marge."

 

I don't understand the "Marge" business.  Someone said Peggy's real mane is Margaret.  But "Marge" isn't short for Margaret.  It's short for Marjorie.  My mother was Marjorie/Marge, so I know of what I speak.

Edited January 30, 2015 by Netfoot

[Sakura12]

I figured he's calling her Marge because he's an asshole. You know he knows her name. That's why I want him to see her in action next week and see the respect she gets from the Howling Commandos. 

[sidwich]

Something I think is interesting on this  show is the history lesson I feel like I am getting. I am not a kid but I feel like I missed this period in my history class. Who would have thunk it would have come out of a superhero show. I also thought this show fleshed out Thompson. From the idea that he went for the booze in the interrogation made me think he has those same issues. But then they reinforced it with his talk with Peggy. I can't say I will ever be on team Thompson but I got my first flicker of a moment where I didn't hate him.

 

One of the things that I appreciate about this show is that even though it's an ABC/Disney superheroish show is that it doesn't completely show the period as this ultimate, romanticized America of the past where everyone treats each other perfectly and upholds truth, justice and the American way. So often "The Greatest Generation" is held-up as as such an ideal that subsequent generations can't live up to that it's refreshing to have it portrayed with some degree of not-so-nice humanity.  

 

Yes, there were crappy jerks even then.  Yes, "others" (women, disabled, etc.) could be treated really badly.  Yes, white, able-bodied men really were the top of the food chain and could act like it.  Yes, some veterans had terrible homecomings and never recovered.  Substance abuse was a reality for some.

 

I think Thompson and Sousa are interesting flip sides.  If Sousa wants to see the ideal in the world, Thompson is the ultimate cynic who speaks the harshest reality.  And there's no cynic like a former idealist.

[Tigris Tv]

 

And there's no cynic like a former idealist.

 

My gosh - that gave me a shiver of prophecy.

[justjoan]

 

I really like this show a lot, but I'm disappointed that the writers do not know how to spell Nuremberg.

 

Well, the prop makers, not the writers. Unless you're looking at a copy of the script, in which case, tsk tsk writers.

 

ETA- or wait, was it the chyron that was misspelled? I don't know who writes those, but presumably some techie. Maybe they got the guy from my local news to do it. Can't spell to save his life.

 

Someone said Peggy's real mane is Margaret.  But "Marge" isn't short for Margaret.  It's short for Marjorie.  My mother was Marjorie/Marge, so I know of what I speak.

 

It's more commonly a nickname for Marjorie, but it's also one for Margaret. Along with Madge, Meg, Maggie, Rita (Rita Hayworth was a Margarita), Molly, Daisy, Greta... "Margaret" has a lot of nicknames in a lot of languages. None of which matters, because Peggy goes by "Peggy" and Thompson damn well knows it. He's not being affectionate based on their personal relationship, like Howard and his "Peg." He's asserting his dominance by renaming her without regard for how she feels about it. Suuuuuch a jackass. I honestly don't care at this point what tragic backstory they give him to make us sympathize with him. It's the '40s; everyone has a tragic backstory. If he's the future Mr. Peggy I'll scream. Especially since I'm in no hurry to meet him, whoever he might be. Let the woman mourn! If these are the only episodes we ever get of Agent Carter- noooooooo!- then introduce him in another short film, or a comic book, or heck, a Tumblr post. Just. Not Thompson. Please.

 

I agree with everyone else, though, and all credit to the writers, at least he's not a one-dimensional jackass. Well done on that.

Edited January 30, 2015 by justjoan

[Raja]

I think Cap's wartime activities were known to the public once he actually became involved in the fight. Probably not the specifics, but I think the public came to realize that he was actual out on the battlefield.

I think Captain America was shown in the news reels much like ace fighter pilots and the better known Generals. We saw SSR brass watching them presumably movie nights on ships, bases and theatres back home also played the news

[KirkB]

The films of Cap in action (well, preparation for action at any rate) would have been shown to the troops for moral purposes and back home for recruitment purposes but they must have been distributed more widely because even the Red Skull claimed to have seen them.

 

Thompson's misogyny wasn't unusual for the day. It was pretty institutional. Not every man was brought up that way but it's the kind of mindset that would be hard, if not impossible, for some people to break out of. A guy like him could be tied to a chair, surrounded by a dozen enemy agents, Peggy could kick the door down and single-handedly beat up every one of them right in front of him, and his response would not be "holy shit Marge you're amazing!" but "those saps must've been weaker than I thought." Cap respected her because that's the kind of guy Steve was and while Howard came to her for help because he knew she could be trusted I think a part of him still saw her as a skirt first.

[that one guy]

I found it interesting that Sousa hedged about where he had been injured.

 

 

Me too. In that conversation, it was clear that Sousa and Thompson were hiding things from each other, or at least there was a lot left unsaid.

 

On re-watch I realized that it was Dottie whom Howard was making out with during the dumbwaiter scene - and she recognized him. So whatever her mission is, it doesn't involve assassinating Stark because she passed up a perfect opportunity. What's the mission? Leviathan only wanted one thing from Stark's safe. Was it the implosive? Was it Captain America's blood? Pretty sure it wasn't the overpowered back scratcher.

[Raja]

On re-watch I realized that it was Dottie whom Howard was making out with during the dumbwaiter scene - and she recognized him. So whatever her mission is, it doesn't involve assassinating Stark because she passed up a perfect opportunity. What's the mission? Leviathan only wanted one thing from Stark's safe. Was it the implosive? Was it Captain America's blood? Pretty sure it wasn't the overpowered back scratcher.

My speculation given the unsecured hiding place Agent Carter is using is that Dottie will get the blood and Leviathan will use it to create The Winter Soldier.

[FurryFury]

Wow, that's a terrific idea. I haven't even thought about it, but it would be perfect.

[VCRTracking]

That wasn't Dottie, that was another blonde neighbor named Lorraine. Then later Howard hooks up with another down the hall named Helen! He probably would have worked his way to Dottie right after that.

 

I never occurred to me when I first heard Howard's speech about his backstory that he could be Jewish but Bleeding Cool.com seems to think so:

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/01/28/howard-stark-jewish/#.VMkY6gYyvcY.twitter

Edited January 31, 2015 by VCRTracking

[ratgirlagogo]

 

I never occurred to me when I first heard Howard's speech about his backstory that he could be Jewish but Bleeding Cool.com seems to think so:

Stark is a common German-Jewish surname - the two people I know IRL with that name are Jewish.  Howard is a common Jewish given name, also.  Not that that means anything, since of course there are many people named Stark and Howard who aren't Jewish,  but the whole Lower East Side backstory struck me as super-Jewish as well, although  plenty of other ethnic groups lived there too.  It's an interesting angle for a WW2 anti-Nazi story, obviously.

Edited February 1, 2015 by ratgirlagogo

[alias1]

The idea that Anna could be someone we've already seen is an interesting idea because I find it strange that they couldn't just hire someone to play Anna instead of having all of her lines off screen.  They hired actors for all the girls in the boarding house.  It probably means nothing, but it does make me wonder if there's a reason they haven't shown her (besides not wanting to pay another actor). 

[shapeshifter]

Stark is a common German-Jewish surname - the two people I know IRL with that name are Jewish. Howard is a common Jewish given name, also. Not that that means anything, since of course there are many people named Stark and Howard who aren't Jewish, but the whole Lower East Side backstory struck me as super-Jewish as well, although plenty of other ethnic groups lived there too. It's an interesting angle for a WW2 anti-Nazi story, obviously.

Yes, and, BTW: I'm pretty sure at some point somebody goofed when they said Stark's mom "sold" shirtwaists. She would have "sewed" shirtwaists in a factory, maybe even the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.

That wasn't Dottie, that was another blonde neighbor named Lorraine. Then later Howard hooks up with another down the hall named Helen! He probably would have worked his way to Dottie right after that.

Too many blondes to keep track of. Edited February 2, 2015 by shapeshifter

[paigow]

That wasn't Dottie, that was another blonde neighbor named Lorraine. Then later Howard hooks up with another down the hall named Helen! He probably would have worked his way to Dottie right after that....

 

 

.... and died like this guy in Goldeneye

 

[MisterGlass]

I believe Captain America's newsreel would have been widely shown, and only controlled footage would have been in them, but I imagine that many of his missions remained classified.  It's likely that Peggy has had more access to classified material than any of her colleagues, so they may have know idea just how integral she was to the SSR, or her roll with the Howlers post-Cap.

 

 

My speculation given the unsecured hiding place Agent Carter is using is that Dottie will get the blood and Leviathan will use it to create The Winter Soldier.

I love this bit of speculation.  Honestly, when I saw they were heading to Russia or Eastern Europe, I began hoping for a Winter Soldier cameo.

 

 

...maybe even the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.

I thought about that incident as well.  That was 1911, and so not impossible that the Starks were affected.

 

 

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

Maybe there is dial on the side with numbers.  They should see if it is set to 616.

 

 

It is interesting that these characters are way more well rounded than the characters in the first handful of episodes of Agents of Shield were. Those guys were way more cookie cutter by this point in that series.

 

In defense of AOS, it was a new medium for Marvel, and needed to tie very directly into a future movie.  I've watched it all, and I know how rough it was to start with, and that it isn't up to this quality of characterization yet.  I'm still an optimist, seeing how far it's come.

[Actionmage]

Thompson exists in a world pre-feminism, pre-Women's Lib, and what liberation there was for women,

 

(italics mine)

Well, not exactly. US women had the right to vote for only 25 or 26 years at the time of this series. In order for that to have happened, there had to be feminism. First-wave feminism started back in the early 1800's and was primarily about getting the vote, being able to have any say in their children's legal affairs, owning and controlling property in their name ( as opposed to owning property but not being able to legally have any say over it), and lots of other things.

 

And "being in the Pacific" doesn't cut it either. While Baa, Baa Black Sheep/Black Sheep Squadron wasn't  a historical documentary, it showed plenty of women in support roles. There were plenty of women in harm's way and doing their jobs like the guys.

 

From The National WWII Museum site:

Sixty-eight American service women were captured as POWs in the Philippines. More than 1,600 nurses were decorated for bravery under fire and meritorious service, and 565 WACs in the Pacific Theater won combat decorations.

 

 

So yes, while the sexism on display in the series is era-appropriate, Thompson gets no slack for choosing to be a jackhole to a fellow service member who served in a different theater from his.

[Sandman]

I thought Howard said his mother sewed shirtwaists, too. And thought of the Triangle factory fire. I wasn't sure if it was consistent with the timeline.

[Julia]

Howard was (I think?) in his thirties during the war, and the fire took place in 1911. They tended to hire unmarried young women, though, so it seems unlikely. There were a lot of sweat shops on the lower east side.

[Ottis]

This series is sooooo slow. It is the only show I watch where I can see the main character get mad about something, leave the room while it is still on, get laundry from the dryer, come back in and then see the show reveal what she is mad at (in this case, saving Captain America's blood). I didn't miss a thing.

 

Carter gets upset at so many small things. Well of course they would keep Capt America's blood. He was the product of an *experiment."

 

I am trying to enjoy it but the pacing and the main character's odd reactions are overwhelming the nice atmosphere.