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Agent Carter "S2E6 Life of the Party" - Review: Dotti returns!


Agent Carter "S2E6 Life of the Party" - Review: Dotti returns!
8 out of 10

Some people say the enemy of your enemy is your friend, which makes two things about them very clear. One: they have never played Monopoly; and two: they’re dumbasses that are just asking to be betrayed. The enemy of your enemy is still your enemy, and those who forget won’t be around long enough to regret it. This week, Peggy gets forced into a very terrible idea of seeking help from an old enemy which can only end one way; badly.

Life of the Party – Dr. Wilkes devises a way of containing his body within this dimension but needs some Zero Matter to make it work and the only source left is Whitney Frost. With Peggy still injured and the others easily recognizable, they recruit some very unlikely help from the captive Dotti Underwood. Whitney shows her findings to the Council of Nine with an unexpected reaction.

Dotti, oh how we’ve missed you! As soon as these former neighbours get back together, the episode is an utter riot of fun. It places Dotti’s character in a fascinating position of knowing she has the clear physical advantage over the still hobbling Peggy but must bide her time and wait for the opportune moment to break her leash. Right from the gals' first reunion, as Dotti seethes with pleasure at the idea of Peggy being forced into asking her for help, the pair have outstanding chemistry together. There’s laughs galore as the operation continues from the anti-Dotti net launcher to using the hair dryer as a conversation mute. In many ways, it becomes an Agent Carter take on a Suicide Squad outing as Dotti utilizes her special abilities (which include being a Jarvis approved dancer) to get the job done. We know she’s going to slip the leash at some point but the episode does a good job of creating doubt and mystery over when and how as the events play out. Elsewhere, in the good guy camp, there are some interesting hints of a new story arc for Mrs. Jarvis. Her joyful and encouraging mannerisms of the early episodes seem to vanish in a snap upon seeing the extent of Peggy’s injuries. This is a very good human reaction for her character as she discovers firsthand that her husband is doing more than just playing at being spies for a hobby. To her, the danger is finally real and as such, she starts to fear for his safety. It seems a safe bet that before the end of the season, she will demand that Jarvis stops helping Peggy.

This episode sees an excellent continuation of Jack being seduced by the dark side that even sees him depart the episode as Peggy’s enemy. Vernon Masters continues to superbly be his Darth Sidius as he introduces Jack to more powerful and influential people at the party, getting him hooked on the idea of becoming one of them like he’s just snorted it off a mirror. Like a knife, Vernon sticks it inside only to twist the blade with the idea of losing it. It was unlikely Vernon’s plan all along but more a product of the recent events to turn Jack against Peggy, but his gradual approach is marvelous to watch. Although by far, Jack’s best moment of the episode comes from getting verbally man handled by Jarvis of all people. Jarvis’s “call it like I see it” assessment of Jack being groomed as a lacky by the powerful is brilliant to watch as we can clearly see from Jack’s reactions, that part of him knows just how true that is. It still feels like Jack’s going to come back around eventually, but for the next few episodes, we’ll some great moments as he turns his full attention to taking Peggy out.

The Whitney and council scenes have a lot going for them. For all that follows, Whitney’s best moment is actually her first scene in pledging her bipolar mood swings and the fear her husband Calvin now lives in following their little chat about who wears the pants last episode. The resulting events carry some degree of predictability as Calvin’s early expression clearly implies something about Whitney’s Council audience is not on the level. Yet how the events play out is still very enjoyable for actions and effects it delivers with the escalation of Whitney’s powers. She was always going to take over the ship but the episode concentrates on finding the entertainment in fulfilling this. It’s very in keeping with the show to have these this pledged “old boys club” answering to a woman and there’s great laughs as Roxon head Hugh Jones immediately starts sucking up to her. It serves to successfully escalate Whitney’s villain status as her physical power is now matched with political and business influence. She actually feels more formidable than Leviathan at this point last season to keep her feeling like a real threat to the team.

The Dr,. Wilkes and other dimensions area of the show are feeling hazy at the moment but everything else is progressing great. The episode gives us a villain expanding his power and a hero slowly losing more ground. Dotti’s return makes things ever more interesting as she could turn into the difference making between Peggy and Whitney, depending on which side she chooses. It’s a shame the expanded SSR team doesn’t return this week but this is a good enjoyable episode.

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