Marvel’s Agent Carter S02E07 “Monsters” REVIEW

Airing in the UK on Fox TV, new episodes every Thursday
Writer: Brandon Easton
Director: Metin Huseyin

Essential Plot Points:

• Dottie Underwood is being kept against her will by Whitney Frost and Vernon Masters begins to try to torture her for information.
• Whitney wants to get the uranium rods that Peggy took back, and is determined to do anything to do so. After subjecting Dottie to her power, she realises Peggy’s weak point.
• Wilkes makes himself tangible once more using Zero Matter, and a container to keep him in the physical realm.
• Dottie’s tracking device turns back on, and Peggy and Jarvis decide to go after her even though it is probably a trap.
• After their rescue mission initially fails, Peggy and Jarvis are able to escape the clutches of Whitney’s men and get Dottie out of there.
• While this is happening, though, Whitney goes after Wilkes who she wants to work with to determine the true potential of Zero Matter. After he fails to comply with her request she decides to kidnap him. Ana tries to stop her, but is put in a dangerous position as a result.

Review:

Following on immediately after last week’s episode, “Monsters” sees Peggy plot a rescue mission for Dottie Underwood after she was taken by Whitney Frost. Feeling that Dottie was her responsibility, Peggy is determined to get her back safely even if her current situation means that she could become a formidable pawn in Whitney’s hands. Given that this episode was shown in America the same night as the previous one, it is reasonable that they are so closely linked together. This is certainly the better of the two episodes, though.

“Monsters” opens with Dottie being questioned by Vernon Masters, the head of the SSR. Determined to find out exactly what Peggy is trying to do, he is willing to use any kind of torture method to get the information he needs. Unfortunately for him, Dottie is not one to break easily under pressure. Even truth serum doesn’t have an effect on her. It is amusing to see Masters struggle to get her to crack, especially as her retorts get more and more under his skin as the process goes on. It highlights her formidability as an opponent, and also brings back memories of Natasha Romanov’s entrance in Avengers Assemble. It is clear, then, that Whitney’s power is truly horrifying if it is able to make Dottie break in an instant.

When the signal from the tracking device in Dottie’s necklace comes back on, Peggy and Jarvis are immediately willing to get her back despite knowing full well that they could be walking into a trap. Wilkes, on the other hand, is not so convinced. Having finally made himself tangible again using a special human-sized container and the Zero Matter stolen from Whitney Frost at the fundraiser in the last episode, he does not want Peggy to put herself in danger for no good reason.

Despite trying to convince Peggy with a kiss, Wilkes is on to a loser. Peggy is not one for leaving someone behind when it was her responsibility to keep them safe. Of course, she wasn’t to know that her decision would put both Wilkes and Ana in danger. Now that he is back in tangible form, it seems that Wilkes’ storyline will finally be on the move again. Of all the character’s plots, it is Wilkes’ that seems to have come almost to a standstill as the episodes have gone on. Having only been seen briefly each episode, and being unable to leave the Stark residence, there has not been much room for character development on his part. So, given that he is now back in the physical realm and has been kidnapped by Whitney by the end of the episode, one can hope that his role in the series will improve.

It is Ana and Jarvis’ relationship that is at the forefront of this episode, though. Having come to terms with Jarvis’s new adventures with Peggy, and the danger it puts him in, Ana finally opens up about her concerns for his wellbeing. It is not always easy to convince an audience that two characters are in love, at least not when one of those character’s has spent most of her time off-screen, so it sweet to see the couple worry for each other’s safety and it aptly demonstrates their love for one another (yes, we know how cheesy this sounds). It makes it all the more brutal, then, that Ana is put in a life-or-death situation at the end of the episode. Having been the source of most of the series’ comedic relief, seeing Jarvis break down is very upsetting, especially thanks to James D’Arcy’s powerful performance.

The Good:

• Dottie Underwood is a great adversary in this episode, especially as she mocks Vernon Masters torture techniques.
• Wilkes’s storyline seems to be moving forward after being at a standstill for most of the series.
• Ana and Jarvis’s relationship in this episode is endearing. They worry and care for each other, and it makes it all the more shocking when the episode ends with Ana at the hospital.
• Jarvis questioning Peggy about having two suitors was a lot of fun.
• “I’ve pulled out my own teeth, my own nails, my own hair. I’ve burned off my own flesh with a blowtorch. I’m no Nazi harlot, and you are wasting my time.”
• “One doesn’t spend years in the company of Howard Stark and not pick up a thing or two about electrical engineering.” “Luckily you didn’t pick up the clap.”
• “You know, I’m not in the movie business, but I think you’re going to need a lot more makeup to cover that up.”

The Bad:

• If it took Dottie so little time to get out of her bonds when tied up with Peggy, why didn’t she get out of there earlier? Whitney was gone, and Dottie is certainly more than capable of going up against her goons.

Review by Roxy Simons

Read our other Marvel’s Agent Carter reviews