AGENT CARTER: “Smoke and Mirrors” {Roundtable}

Here we have more scary science at work and some devious conversations. I guess we should call it Tuesday?

1. Flashbacks: good or bad? Explain your answer with some evidence if you feel up to it.

Roz: So good! I’m all for learning how both Peggy and Frost got to where they are today, especially watching as Frost’s life has come full circle with being bought and sold for looks.

Rueben: I actually really liked the flashbacks in the episode because like Roz said it gave us a great look into how both Peggy and Whitney got to where they are now. I especially liked seeing Max Brown as Peggy’s older brother and learning that it was because of his death that Peggy joined the SOE.

2. Why can’t Peggy just catch a break and get Mr. Hunt before he tries anything too dangerous? Should we be worried that he might not die/go down easy every time.

Roz: I think if Peggy caught a break, we all wouldn’t like her as much. Part of the charm – at least for me – is how much she doesn’t cowtow to what is expected and what she should do.

Rueben: Peggy is nothing but resilient and stubborn. She is a woman who thinks for herself and doesn’t let men “tell” her what to do. She wouldn’t be Peggy Carter otherwise. I don’t think Peggy will every catch a break, but she’ll figure a way around whatever obstacle gets in her way.

3. Peggy not cut out for field work? HA! How much do you want to see more of Peggy vs Hunt? Or just Peggy taking down the world?

Roz: Peggy vs all the men who underestimate her! Please. Or maybe just the population that think her weak and not worthy of her history.

Rueben: Maybe at one point in time she thought she wasn’t cut out for field work, but she has proven herself worthy, above and beyond. I think Peggy has already done a lot of “taking down” and there is plenty more to come.

4. Do you want to imagine an America if the Arena Club had been able to wield that much influence given what they seem capable of so far?

Roz: No, I don’t want to imagine the alternatives that could exist. Real life is almost too much for me right now.

Rueben: No, that would be a nightmare situation for sure.

5. On a scale from one to ten, how much would you love Peggy to punch Masters in the face? As before, evidence is welcome.

Roz: My desire is strong for Masters to be gone. But I realize that that’s going to take far more work than I’d like it to.

Rueben: Right now, it’s a strong 8 because he is just allowing the Arena Club to stay in existence, but that being said there always has to be an antagonist in the story so I guess Masters is just one of many that Peggy has to deal with.

6. What did you make of Peggy’s decision at the end of the episode? Were you expecting it to be as upsetting?

Roz: I hadn’t even imagined that Peggy had a brother, or that he’d have died. I think that it was all a perfect combination of things to force Peggy into field work.

Rueben: I didn’t expect her to have a brother either, but it makes even more sense why she joined up and ended up doing the work that she’s doing. There had to be a catalyst and the loss of her brother was it for her. It was upsetting to say the least, but so many families had those some hardships; Peggy really had a way to make a difference in honor of him.

MARVEL’S AGENT CARTER – “Smoke and Mirrors” – Agent Carter and the SSR learn there’s more than just a pretty face behind Hollywood star Whitney Frost, Peggy’s most dangerous foe yet, on “Marvel’s Agent Carter,” TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2 (9:00-10:00 p.m. EST) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Richard Cartwright)
PRODUCTION SETS AND PROPS

7. From one to five red hats, how would you rate this episode?

Roz: For the flashbacks – all of them – I give this four and a half red hats.

Rueben: I think I’d have to give the episode 4 1/2 red hats this time because of the flashbacks; that little moment between Peggy and Wilkes (with Souza seeing it) and the comical moments with Jarvis (between his comment about the koala bear and saying Jarvilous just before he went down after getting hit with that tranquilizer dart). Just the right amounts of levity, emotion and seriousness.