The first two episodes of Marvel's "Agent Carter" is out and have been met with mostly favorable reviews thanks to its message of feminism and lead Hayley Atwell's performance, though some improvement can be done on its action sequences.
Though set in the 1940's, "Agent Carter" breaks stereotypes with its lead character, SSR Agent Peggy Carter, portrayed by Atwell, who is "more capable than the cocky, bumbling male agents around her," The Daily Beast describes. Wall Street Journal thinks Carter may be able to stand outside "Captain America: The First Avenger," where she has been introduced to movie-goers.
The show starts after World War II, with Carter working for a phone company as her cover, while she is actually a Strategic Scientific Reserve agent. The article describes SSR as "a precursor to SHIELD in Marvel's cinematic universe."
Carter is shown in the show lacking a purpose, one that she mentions having had during the war. Things change, however, when Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) approaches her to help him clear his name from SSR's suspicion of being a double agent.
The Daily Beast mentions Carter teaming up with Stark's butler, Edwin Jarvis (James D'Arcy) to retrieve Stark's creations, so-called weapons of mass destruction that has been stolen. While Carter and Jarvis fight their way into knowing who has been stealing, Carter's capability as an agent is displayed through her fighting skills and spy gadgets.
However, fans cannot expect cinematic quality from the show. Slate says that the show's execution ended up being "needlessly confusing," and with huge parts of the episode spent on "incoherent action sequences."
The Daily Beast, however, looks at it a different way. "'Agent Carter's' action scenes are not as high-budget as those in Marvel's films, but who expected them to be? It's a TV show, one that prides itself on other stuff: its feminist message, its alluring star, its cool espionage tactics, and its costuming," the article defends.
Plot-wise, however, not much has been revealed in the show's first two offerings, seeing as the main villain remains unknown. Overall, critics like "Agent Carter" for the fact that "her story is being told at all." Carter not only fostered good friendship with Captain America, but also "paved the way for Black Widow and the other ladies of SHIELD," reminds The Daily Beast.
Moreover, "Agent Carter" is the next woman-led comic book adaptation after 2005's "Elektra."
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