‘Agent Carter’ Review: “A Sin to Err”

It was only a matter of time before the SSR became somewhat aware of what Peggy’s been up to, and it’s fitting that the guy who figures it out is Sousa—like Peggy, Sousa is also often undervalued at work. As Dr. Ivchenko points out, it’s easy for women to be utilized in the field because men underestimate them, just as it’s easy for Sousa to catch on to Carter because he’s often sidelined and viewed as a softy. Ah, stereotypes. They’re so charming.

Between last week’s episode and this week’s “A Sin to Err,” things have really been heating up on ‘Agent Carter.’ Now that we’re aware of Dottie’s origins in the Black Widow program, the show has wasted no time putting her skills to use, and also, man, not a single Russian can be trusted, huh? Dr. Ivchenko is working with Leviathan and Dottie to extract Stark’s weapons from the SSR, and orders Dottie to take Peggy out. At the same time, Sousa and the SSR are onto her—and just when Chief Dooley was starting to put faith in her abilities!

So Peggy goes on the run in an action-packed and suspenseful episode, trying to fight off and outrun the SSR to continue solving the mysteries of Leviathan and its allies. The diner scene, which pits Peggy and Jarvis against three agents, is particularly outstanding, set to peppy period-appropriate music and really showcasing Peggy’s skills for perhaps the most extended amount of time yet. Even Jarvis gets a hit in! It’s this scene more than any other on the series so far that nails the look and feel of the MCU, with the action shot in similar fashion to something we might see in a ‘Captain America’ film. There’s a dynamic energy, but also a sharp elegance to the entire sequence, which is exceptionally paced.

Also of particular note in tonight’s episode is Angie, who finally gets something interesting to do. I like Angie as a character, but Lyndsy Fonseca’s performance had yet to impress me…until now. Fonseca gives a Russian nesting doll (appropriate terminology, for sure) performance, delivering both as Angie and as Angie implementing her acting skills to throw the SSR off track and help Peggy escape.

Peggy’s fugitive sequences are the absolute highlight of the evening, showing off her range of skills as she not only tries to outrun her colleagues, but continue to investigate which of Stark’s many (many, many) ladies might have been a Russian spy. There’s also some fun espionage stuff with Dottie and Ivchenko, although the scenes in which the latter attempts to hypnotize SSR agents perhaps dragged on a little too long, taking us away from all the suspense with Peggy, who winds up poisoned and almost killed by Dottie until the SSR swoops back in to arrest her.

“Don’t go easy on her…just because she’s a girl,” Dooley says to Sousa, and Peggy wouldn’t want it any other way. Nor would Sousa, who knows what it is to use what’s perceived as your handicap to your advantage, and having already let Peggy get away once, he’s for damn sure not going easy on her this time. Both of these agents just want to be treated as equals, and the upcoming interrogation should be very interesting.

Additional Thoughts:

• Ginger Rogers’ eyes are like “the darkest gates to the abyss.”
• “A plumber with flat feet. That’s inadequate.” Indeed.
• Chief Dooley with the ‘Fugitive’ reference! “Every bus stop, train stop…trolley car.”
• Agent Thompson’s grandma’s name is Gam-Gam. This got the biggest chuckle out of me.
• We only have a couple of episodes left—with that in mind and given Peggy's arrest, we’ve got to be seeing Stark again next week, right?