A nuclear bomb went off, but that was the least of Peggy’s problems on Agent Carter 2×08 and 2×09.
“The Edge of Mystery” and “A Little Song and Dance” are, in many ways, compelling and exciting episodes. The story drives forward without an instant of hesitation, the lines between good and evil blur with dizzying frequency, and it’s not often that a nuclear explosion is a fully-earned artistic afterthought. The sudden, blinding violence of Jason’s detonation is as punchy, awful, and effective as anyone could hope — and is underscored brilliantly by the silent end credits.
Agent Carter 2×08 and 2×09 also present some of the most emotionally-driven storytelling the show has offered since its first season. Ana’s near death, and the lasting consequences of her injuries, propel Jarvis to a spate of magical thinking that culminates in a truly cold-blooded act of uncharacteristic violence. Jarvis’ behavior might be slightly trope-ish, but James D’Arcy grounds every moment in brutal sincerity. A man utterly out of his depth, Jarvis is left with no recourse but to mimic Peggy’s mode of problem solving.
Needless to say, it really doesn’t work.
Peggy and Jarvis’ subsequent fight reaches a level of emotional violence that Agent Carter has never yet attempted. Both agent and butler positively blister with rage and redirected blame. Peggy’s anger obviously comes from Jarvis’ ridiculously boneheaded actions, but there’s a more complicated edge as well. Peggy is known for her decisiveness; she depends on it, survives by it. But now, percolating beneath the surface of her no-nonsense approach to life is a prevarication that has plagued her for most of the season — her divided feelings between Jason and Sousa.
There’s no question that the song-and-dance number that begins the episode is delightful — all the more so for the delicious opportunity to briefly enjoy Lyndsy Fonseca once again. (And to hear Enver Gjokaj sing!) But the subject, Peggy’s choice between two men, is oddly restrictive in the context of Agent Carter. Add this internal indecision to Jarvis’ actions, however, and out comes a Peggy who sees her own determination cast back at her, as she continues to doubt her own future. Jarvis’ wildly bad decisions a nightmare reflection of what she does, and what she feels, and it’s that burden that spills out in her razor-edged speech about consequence.
On that note, let’s return to Lady Consequence herself, Whitney Frost. Always an uncompromising actor (in the story sense) Whitney kicks things into overdrive in “The Edge of Mystery,” with Jason at her side. Unfortunately, the focused, earnest woman of science who seems to genuinely crave an alliance with Jason continues to transform as a result of her actions. In spite of her abilities and “communication” with Zero Matter, it is Jason who is chosen to enter the inter-dimensional rift… and Whitney doesn’t react well to disappointment.
Jason is no longer an ally; now he is an obstruction that Whitney Frost cannot endure. Of course, it is this sense gall and rage that lead Whitney to procure the Gamma cannon (because it’s not a party until there’s Gamma rays in the mix!) and pull her away from Jason long enough for him to… well, to do what it is that he does.
Speaking of which.
I would feel remiss in neglecting one very unfortunate thread that has been pulled emphatically tight in these episodes: The de-activation of Jason Wilkes.
For all that he has been a crux of the story of Agent Carter season 2, Jason has been frustratingly inert — unable, quite literally, to impact his own story. After several episodes of intangibility (and skirting the edge of something much worse) Jason’s return to physical form was punctuated by his kidnapping, after which he was held prisoner by Whitney Frost and her extremely dubious motives.
All of this culminates in Jason’s singular moment of agency — holding the shotgun to Peggy and learning the location of the uranium — which plays as a moment of culpable villainy. For the first time this season, Jason is given the opportunity to make an active choice. He chooses himself, Sousa chooses Peggy, and Dr. Wilkes is whisked off to the next stage of his development. But once again, he is not the actor but the acted-upon.
When Whitney’s bomb opens the unearthly vein of dark force, the Zero Matter itself chooses Jason to be its host. Jason is left with poisonous, agonizing power squirming beneath his skin, and no apparent way out.
Jason does not get the chance to use Zero Matter for good. He is not allowed to revel in his strength, as Whitney has, or exercise his power like Vernon Masters. Jason, rather, is doomed once again to ineffectiveness. He is forced to suffer Whitney’s physical torture, to relive the agonizing guilt of betraying Peggy, and contemplate the true existential horror of what Zero Matter will do to him. Oh, he is still crucial to the story, but for all intents and purposes, Jason has become a living McGuffin — no more human than the Gamma Cannon that so suddenly threatens his existence.
The best Jason can hope for, as he suggests to Peggy, is that his ordeal will “be over.” Jason has incredible dignity in the face of his power, but that’s really all he has. And in a show where characters like Thompson, Sousa, Whitney, Dottie, and Jarvis all get to make mistake after spectacular mistake, it’s unfortunate that, as spectacular as Jason’s current curtain-call is, his exit feels more like a whimper than a bang.
We want to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Write a comment below or submit an article to Hypable.