Marvelous Geeks

Disney’s What If…? has finally premiered and its first episode, “What if…Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?” is everything I could have hoped it would be. As the self-proclaimed biggest Peggy Carter fan, it’s great to get to see her shine in a way where her name is honored and remembered.

Insert, my villain origin story always being the detail that people seem to often ignore just how much she has to overcome at a time where women weren’t granted voices in order to make the S.S.R. a better place. At the height of all, by some, she is often forgotten while by others, she is resorted into merely a love interest.

But Margaret “Peggy” Carter has always been so much more.

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Type: Romantic Show: Marvel’s Agent Carter Featured Characters: Peggy Carter and Daniel Sousa

Sometimes the best relationships are the most unexpected ones. The ones where you walk into a show not even thinking you’ll get and bam, you’re immediately hit with a plethora of feelings from day one. That was the case for me with Agent Carter’s Peggy Carter and Daniel Sousa.

It wasn’t just easy to root for them to get together because the parallels between them was endless, but because together, they brought to life the second chances trope, and that’s a relatively underrated one that’s done right.

Peggy Carter was a badass heroine from day one, and when she lost Steve Rogers before they were even given the chance to be together, it was easy to want her to be happy. And it was easy to want to see that because it was made acutely clear that love is something Peggy wants in her life.

Agent Carter is a series that emphasizes the importance of a woman’s agency, but it’s also a series that beautifully showcases the fact that a strong, fierce woman isn’t weakened when she opens her heart to love.

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Marvel’s What If… trailer is here and we can’t stay calm because Captain Peggy Carter is coming! There is a lot that happens in the trailer, but chills, tears, all the emotions because the what if concept exploring Peggy Carter as Captain America (England?) is everything to me.

Hayley Atwell will be reprising her role as the S.S.R. agent turned founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. except this time, instead of Steve Rogers taking the soldier serum and the vibranium made shield, it will be Peggy Carter.

Marvel’s What If… has always sounded like a riveting concept, but seeing the actual trailer and having a glimpse of what the animated feature will look like already has me beaming like a kid who’s just been told she is going to Disneyland for the first time.

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Agent Carter was a remarkably special series. And while Peggy Carter’s presence alone was enough to keep viewers constantly engaged, I always found myself completely enamored with the friendships the series explored.

Peggy Carter is an agent unlike any other, but even the toughest souls need someone to lean on. And Peggy knows a few great souls: the ridiculous genius Howard Stark, the kind and loving Daniel Sousa, the incredible ray of sunshine Angie Martinelli, the sweet Ana Jarvis, and the noble Jason Wilkes. Bottom line is, Peggy would never be alone.

However, it was her partnership with the one of a kind Edwin Jarvis that continuously managed to resort me into an emotional wreck. From the very beginning, the two understood one another. And because of that very understanding, they effortlessly inspired a kind of growth in each other they would’ve otherwise not been able to find.

Edwin Jarvis is perhaps one of the kindest souls to ever walk the earth, and when someone is as selflessly hardworking as Peggy Carter, she’d need someone who’d find the best ways to slow her down. And such a prodigiously profound moments happens so early with the two, it strengthens their partnership beautifully from the start.

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Edwin Jarvis is #SideKickGOALS. Go ahead, I dare you to tell me someone that’s better—I’ll wait. And listen, while I’m normally all for listening to the opinions of others with the belief that no opinion is wrong, when it comes to this question, in the world of television, if it isn’t Edwin Jarvis, the answer is wrong. Sorry not sorry, I don’t make the rules. /End Rant.

Agent Carter was the gift that gave us inimitable characters for two beautiful seasons before it was tragically robbed of a permanent home on television. (And no, I will never in my life be more bitter about a cancellation than this.) In the midst of those exceptional two seasons, we not only got to know Peggy Carter more, but we were given the chance to get to know the Stark family’s infamous butler Edwin Jarvis. In our short, but profound journey with the greatest sidekick in the world, we were able to understand, without a single doubt why Tony Stark decided to keep him alive for all these years. He’d be my suit’s A.I. too if I was a genius.

But in all seriousness, in Jarvis we met someone incomparably brave, unceasingly kind, and indescribably wise. We met a figure who’s truly indescribable and whose presence is an undeniable gift in the lives of many.

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When hands linger, it’s always every viewer’s dream, right? There are very few swoon-worthy scenes quite like when two people the audience is rooting for finally hold hands. And that’s certainly the case with Agent Carter’s Daniel Sousa and Peggy Carter in “Life of the Party.” This isn’t the first time they hold hands; it happens casually at first. It happens without a second thought because it is done to help a friend, but where the desires start to scream, we see the changes in their physicality.

The longing for more—the longing that goes beyond what they can even process at the moment.

It starts with Daniel trying to help Peggy because her wound is terrorizing her, and it concludes with Peggy trying to offer comfort when she learns that Violet broke up with him. But deep down, it’s a testament to the desires between them. It’s always been. It starts with lingering hands and leads to an almost kiss.

It’s a scene where the cinematography screams at the audience to pay close attention, and those are the kind of scenes that always deserve a scene breakdown from us. The solid background emphasizing their hands and clothes deliberately wants the audience to focus on this closely. Directors want us to understand that there is a clear distinction between the way they’re holding each other in this moment, and the ways in which it will be seen with other characters later in the episode. It’s a scene that screams in its quiet intimacy, and that is why it matters so much.

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“Valediction” will always be one of our favorite episodes of Agent Carter–the events of Avengers: Endgame aside, it still holds up as one of the most beautiful moments of closure and vulnerability. It is one of the scenes I’ll always look back on with great fondness and admiration. It’s a scene that always deserves to be singled out.

Surely everyone’s caught the importance of the Brooklyn Bridge-–the symbolic art of Peggy Carter bringing Steve Rogers home. When it comes to describing the insignias of rivers, in this scene especially, treasuring is the only word that comes close–there are endless promises hidden beyond the depths of crystal water. With “The Way You Look Tonight” playing in the background and Peggy whispering “bye, my darling” fans of the duo can experience a sense of serenity with her. Letting go of someone who was deeply beloved is without a doubt the most difficult task anyone can partially complete–and yes, only partially because it’s the one thing that cannot be done entirely. Somewhere in time and perhaps in the depths of the East River, some elemental parts of their being could move on together. The symbolic meaning of rivers is one of the more ambiguous ones in the world of literature, but this scene represents the reflective intimacy in a quiet moment of closure where stillness equates to eternity–where Steve Rogers’ prominence is treasured most delicately and honorably.

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Peggy Carter has been, is and will always be integral to the Marvel Cinematic Universe–we’ll even go far enough to say that when the character’s excavated through feminist theory, she’s the heart of the universe. We all have our favorites in the universe, ships we agree and disagree with, but we’ve got to give it up to Peggy Carter for the ultimate fight towards equality. If it weren’t for Peggy, S.H.I.E.L.D. would not look the way it does today and that’s a cold hard fact people need to swallow.

When the audience first meets Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger, it is 1943 and along with Colonel Chester Phillips, she is in charge of training agents in order to discover who’d be the ideal candidate for Project Insight, otherwise known as Captain America. As a longtime friend of inventor Howard Stark, Peggy’s position in the Strategic Scientific Reserve (S.S.R.) is a large one. A feminist reading could state that at this point, Peggy Carter appears to be the token female lead—it’s painfully obvious she will end up with Steve Rogers in the end, but what isn’t obvious is the role she’ll play in his life long after she is gone. During her time working on Project Insight until Captain America’s death at the end of film, Peggy is present during each of the battles showcasing to the audience that there is more to her than brains and the ability to throw a punch.

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It’s been a long, long time since the world spoke favorably of a female, let alone a female agent, one they never wanted to believe deserved her rank solely on the basis of her sex. Margaret “Peggy” Carter wasn’t always catching bad guys on the streets of New York rocking 1946 “Red Velvet” lipstick, but it would appear as though she was often placed in situations where she needed to prove her worth. A task she managed to do so by believing in herself, fighting the good fight, and taking her wit where it was appreciated all while falling in love with a man who was seemingly destined to never be hers. Or so that’s how it would appear in one timeline. She became an exemplar for women everywhere in the Marvel Cinematic Universe when she authenticated the fact that the right to choose for ourselves could be the key to living a dignified life. You can be all. You can be as you want just as long as you learn your value.

“The story of Captain America is one of honor, bravery, and sacrifice.” A kid from Brooklyn, a hero — the story of a man who could never give up fighting. A man who’d tirelessly choose the selfless path in life. The path that’d lead others towards victory while often leaving him bruised, broken, and alone. This is the story of a hero who’s so good, it’s almost unbearable to think of his tale without the enveloping sadness that follows. Steve Rogers is a son, a friend, a soldier, an ally, a lost love, a hero — an Avenger. A man who’s always fought for a freedom he himself could never find. A man out of time. But what happens when the fight is over and you can finally choose for yourself? You get to do the one thing people have gotten tired of telling you, too — you get to live. And as cliché as it may be, you get to love.

Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter’s story is perhaps one of the most tragic arcs in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the perseverance and the seemingly never-ending quest to stop bullies is what’s made them both so noble. And as it would appear, a story that’s been prophesied from the beginning, making it that much more riveting when reading between the lines — full circle if you will. “I might, even when this is all over, go dancing.” And that they did.

Part I and Part II

11 years and 22 movies have amounted to one of the most beautiful cinematic experiences of our time – a journey, I could not be more grateful to have experienced alongside so many marvelous geeks. This isn’t the first or last time the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be featured, but there’s something about these initial reactions that are so unbelievably special to us. So much of what we’ve watched through the years has built up to this moment in exquisite fashion and we cannot believe the utmost satisfaction we’ve felt at the end of Avengers: Endgame. We’ve got a ton lined up for the end of phase three and what might just be our favorite film in the universe so far, but for now, this two part episode review will do. Our first initial thoughts and reactions. The attempts to wrap our heads around the masterpiece that we’ve been fortunate enough to witness live. It’s been a blessing in so many ways and we’re in complete awe. Avengers: Endgame wasn’t perfect, but it’s as close as a film in its genre could come. We laughed, we cried (a lot), and most importantly, we celebrated.

Listen on iTunes Podcasts, Spotify, or Spreaker.

There’s an unusual idea has been making its way around that’s set on the belief that love in the media is weakness. And perhaps, in the real world though I’ve been fortunate enough never to witness this. You’d think Once Upon A Time’s late Cora Mills is in position of their hearts or something. But there’s no theory or idea that’s more laughable, and I say that with the utmost respect. There are a number of opinions that differ from mine that I could respect, turn the other cheek, and agree to disagree on, but when said idea is damaging and leads to young women believing that strength is coldness and isolation, I draw the line. There’s great bravery in honesty and it takes more courage to be vulnerable than it does to build a wall. It takes more courage to understand and explore our feelings than it does to shut them off. It takes strength to fall into the great unknown with a partner that we’re willing to share our entire lives with.

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There's no feeling quite as indescribable as finding a fictional character to care deeply for. A character who we perhaps see ourselves in or a character who's just so well written, it's difficult to turn the other cheek. There are a number of fantastic TV characters -- whether heroes or villains or somewhere in between, they're so well written, they become a part of us. They become someone we cherish, someone we want the best for. They become someone we're constantly in awe of. And 2016 has truly been one of the best years in the world of television. It's been a strong, undeniably powerful year for complex, incredible characters.

And whatever you do, in order to get the best of Year-End reviews, you need to check out the beautiful work Nerdy Girl Notes and TV Examined are doing as well.

Spoilers Ahead

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