Marvel’s Agent Carter S02E06 “Life Of The Party” REVIEW

Airing in the UK on Fox TV, new episodes every Thursday
Writer: Eric Pearson
Director: Craig Zisk

Essential Plot Points:

• As Wilkes seems to be at risk of disappearing entirely and slipping into a different realm, Peggy is determined to help him stay in a semi-stable form which requires Zero Matter. The only person that they can get that from is Whitney Frost.
• Whitney Frost, meanwhile, finally has the chance to meet with the Council of Nine to show the potential of her new powers.
• Since Peggy is still injured from the escapades in last week’s episode she can’t confront Whitney Frost herself, so she enlists the help of the only person she thinks can stand on her own against Whitney: Dottie Underwood.
• Springing her free from jail, Dottie has to extract some Zero Matter from Whitney without her noticing.
• The mission, which is being undertaken by Dottie and Jarvis, is set to take place at a party in Calvin Chadwick’s honour. Agent Thompson is also there, but for very different reasons.
• Whitney finally meets with the Council of Nine but things don’t go as planned.

Review:

After Peggy’s dangerous confrontation with Whitney Frost last week left her with a hole in her side, she is too injured to take her on again this time. So, desperate to save Wilkes from disappearing completely into another realm, Peggy decides to enlist the help of a familiar face: Dottie Underwood. Springing her free from jail Peggy asks her to extract some Zero Matter from Whitney Frost without her realising, and, alongside Jarvis, the two set off to do exactly that.

“Life Of The Party” is most certainly Dottie’s episode. Having basically not been around for most of this season, we were beginning to wonder why she had been brought back. Now, she gets her chance to flex her muscles once more and it is a joy to watch. Her interactions with every character in this episode are priceless, her intellectual quips with Peggy, her flirtations with Wilkes and the way she teases Jarvis, all of them make her an invaluable addition to the team (even if she was, and still is, their enemy). Bridget Regan is the primary reason why Dottie is such an excellent ally in this episode. Her charming performance and the way in which she delivers her lines make her character all the more likeable, so it is great to see her return to the show.

Her exchanges with Jarvis in this episode are the most enjoyable. His obvious displeasure at having to work with the woman that caused such havoc in the last season is rather amusing, especially when she keeps trying to give him the slip during the party. Dottie continually referring to him as “Jeeves” is fun too, especially since it annoys Jee… sorry, Jarvis so much. Their sparkling dialogue is courtesy of Eric Pearson, whose script is the episode’s main strength. Not only is the comedy on point, but “Life Of The Party” was also the most intense episode of the season so far. Given that it really feels like the characters are up against the clock – and that it is a matter of life of death for Wilkes – Pearson ensures that it was a nail-biter of an episode, and this series’ best outing so far.

Whitney Frost’s development was another highlight this week. Now that she has relinquished control of the Council Of Nine, and has increased her powers to a highly volatile level, she has become a serious force to be reckoned with. It’ll be interesting to see how Peggy manages to outsmart her, since she is currently so powerful that no one is able to stand up to her. One thing is for sure, though; if the series continues at this rate it’ll be hard to question its position as Marvel’s best show.

The Good:

• Dottie Underwood’s return to the series is fantastic. Not only is she great fun with her quips and the way she interacts with other characters but she is also the perfect candidate for the job (even when she ditches her listening device).
• Her exchanges with Jarvis are pretty hilarious, both before and during the party.

• Ana is back! After being sorely missed in the last few episodes she makes a reappearance to help Wilkes out with his experiments. It’s good to see she’s capable of being more than just Jarvis’s other half; maybe we’ll see her join her Peggy one day.
• This episode is definitely the most intense of the series so far. It really feels like the team is up against the clock, and with the development of Whitney’s powers and the predicament Dottie is left in at the end of the episode,“Life Of The Party” is a real nail-biter!
• Jarvis wants a cane with a sword in it – please can someone get him one.
• “The decadence in this place is truly repulsive.”
• “Mr Chadwick is always looking for ambitious men like yourself to do his bidding. You’re just his type.”
• “No window shopping.”
• “It takes more than six walls to hold me.” “Six?” “We’re in a cube, Peggy. Try to keep up.”

The Bad:

• Calvin Chadwick’s plan concerning Whitney and the Council Of Nine was so obvious it’s amazing Whitney didn’t realise what was going on.

And The Random:

• Look out for the not-so-subtle Tiffany and Co product placement in this episode. Pretty clever way to promote the product if we do say so ourselves!

Review by Roxy Simons

Read our other Marvel’s Agent Carter reviews