Marvel's Agent Carter - Season 1

When the downright bad follows on from the very good The first season of Agent Carter is really very good. The series has an eye for detail, good lead actors and a pretty good script. The sets, camerawork and many other elements all contribute to a very aesthetic and credible rendering of the post-war United States (post WW2). The actress is, in her own way, a superhero, beautiful, strong... and intelligent, no less. It has to be said that it's better for her to be that strong, given that she evolves in a world of men, some of whom are macho. The series doesn't always show itself to be very subtle in this respect, but rather Manichean, although this is a minor detail. Hayley Atwell's performance undoubtedly brings a great deal to the character of Peggy Carter, who is believable and sympathetic. The series knows how to show finesse at times, and is even downright funny at times. There's never a dull moment, and every episode adds something to the first season: 8 to 9/10 for me. 9 is a lot, but that's how good the first season was for me. The trouble comes in season 2, and Agent Carter becomes unrecognisable. We lose all the finesse of the situations and characters, some of them even becoming lamentably ridiculous. You can like one of them in the first season, and want to slap him in the second, it's that bad. A typical situation of the second season, as the characters approach Jack Thompson. 'What happened to you Jack?' 'Oh, I don't know...' 'Oh, here, look on the floor, two metres away from you: A memory wipe!'. And it is typical of this season, tough! To sum up, after a season that was both excellent in terms of content and form, Agent Carter sinks into the depths of mediocrity and facile, even absurdity. Stop watching at the end of the first season, or endure season 2, you've been warned.

Disclaimer: I fell in love with Hayley Atwell and Dominic Cooper on screen a long time ago, so seeing them together in a non-ambiguous friendship full of respect is pure delight. After Peggy Carter appeared in a few Marvel movies (2011 Captain America: The First Avenger, 2014 Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and two episodes of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel creators decided to give this character her own series. What an excellent idea! Is it the period (1940s), the more realistic approach than the usual "jump everywhere all the time" of comics, the writing, the direction, the actors, the obvious chemistry between them, the special effects, the beautiful sets ? I cannot really say which is the major factor that makes this series a must-watch. Probably the perfect mix of all of them. Hayley Atwell carries Peggy Carter's character with class (and beauty) and effortless effectiveness, giving the series a delightful dimension. The fact that the adventures she shares with James D'Arcy (Edwin Jarvis), who is just perfect, and Enver Gjokaj (Daniel Sousa) take place in the 1940s provides not only a wonderful aesthetic, but also makes this, as of 2026, eleven-year-old series feel timeless. In the second season, we have the pleasure to see Lotte Verbeek (Ana Jarvis) in one of the best and most endearing supporting characters ever. The only criticism I have: why the hell did they stop after two seasons? The result is a captivating entertainment, beautifully constructed, that I already watched half a dozen times, that I will definitely watch again, and that I highly recommend.