The Iron Ceiling – Peggy decrypts a coded message from Leviathan’s typewriter leading the SSR which, with the help of a few Howling Commando friends, leads them to a Russian military complex in Belarus for training sleeper agents. Meanwhile one of its former graduates under the alias of “Dotti” infiltrates Peggy’s apartment and steels photos of the SSR confiscated Stark tech. Meanwhile agent Sousa figures out that Peggy was the mysterious blonde from their investigation.
So after last week it would seem the blood is thicker than billionaire playboy philanthropist friendships as the (possibly last) vile of Steve Rogers Blood that Howard Stark was trying to hide from Peggy has created quite the bust up between them. The ramifications are still being felt this week with no Howard and almost no Jarvis featuring in the episode. This allows the clear focus to be on Peggy herself and her own problems of making her SSR colleagues see her as more than a walking skirt. The results are brilliant as over the course of the episode we get to see her winning over and earning their respect rather than being handed it, to finish as an equal and even invited for drinks with the guys like a card carrying tomboy. Yet it’s how this occurs that’s so enjoyable. Yes we see Peggy making intelligent and valuable contributions to a mission as well as holding her own in gun fight but we as an audience already knew she was capable of his. So instead we witness this transition of opinion through the normally swaggering eyes of agent Jack Thompson by exploring his weaknesses making it feel understandable for Jack to change his stance towards Peggy after he does a Shan Yu and meets the real her. This also fantastically endears Jack to us as a hidden protagonist (Chad Michael Murray is so good when given something more complex to work with) as he bonds with the Howlings over war stories and reveals his infamous Navy Cross award was not all the act of heroism people believed. Yet none more so than in possibly the most human moment of the series when we see him genuinely freeze up in the heat of battle. It both elevates Peggy’s skill by contrast and highlights that fear knows no gender. This is further reinforced by Chief Dooley becoming more open minded as he fairs much better than last week with his solo investigations. Again like Jack we clearly see and understand his process of thought that leads him to believe that both Howard Stark isn’t the traitor the evidence is all too conveniently pointing to and that Peggy is more valuable asset to his team than he credits her for. When he gives her a “Good work Carter” at the end, we feel like saying the same to him.
However, just as Peggy’s torn the “no girls allowed” sign down from the fort disaster and unravelling is still on the horizon as Sousa marks Peggy as the mysterious woman from his photographs that’s been interfering with the SSR investigation. He appears to be sitting on it for now but we can be pretty dam sure it will come out one way or the other in the remaining three episodes. The big question now becomes who will be the players on each side. Prior to this week Sousa was viewed as Peggy’s only real ally within the department yet now he’s poised to be her lead opposition (even if reluctantly). In the same way Jack looked like he’d be placing Peggy’s head firmly on the block if anything this big went down but now looks like he could be her main defence. It’s a great feeling of mystery wrapped a seemingly certain event to keep us guessing.
Then there’s the now absolutely wonderful Dotti Underwood. Last week she was revealed as being secretly very bad news and it looked like she was heading straight for a faceoff with Peggy. Instead we actually get a brilliant exploration of her character and back story with implications into the wider MCU. As we see her trained and brainwashed from childhood to become a lethal killing machine disguised as a sweet and innocent girl (using Snow White as a teaching tool is a delectably twisted indulgence of the shared Disney parentage) in a flashback at the same facility Peggy and the team later visit. It’s very clearly implied as a forerunner or precursor to the Black Widow program that a young Natalia Romanoff would go through many decades later (in Winter soldier she mentioned starting that young). The imagery of seeing the girls handcuffed to their beds each night is suitably creepy and even more curious when we see Dotti still doing it to herself all these years later like she can’t sleep without it. With this episode Dotti has immediately become the show’s most interesting character as we see her subtly playing dumb towards Peggy to learn her mannerisms with indicators that she plans to impersonate her. We still don’t know what she really wants or why (though a Leviathan connection is fair to assume) but she’s so good to watch right now we just don’t care.
Elsewhere in the links of the MCU chain the Howling Commandos headed up by the reappearance of Neal McDonough’s Timothy “Dum Dum” Dugan, bowler hat and all are very welcome fun additions. They’re presence prompts a welcome heavier action tone to the episode that has been lacking for the last couple as well as providing a good outlet for Peggy to open up to around old friends. The scene of Peggy and Dum Dum in the back of the truck reflecting on their departed mutual star spangled acquaintance is nice and touching; along with Peggy’s brutal honesty about Howard Stark “he may be a wanker but he’s one of us”. In fact Peggy and her old soldier buddies continue to bring the best out of each other throughout the episode as in their trusting company she’s less afraid to playfully use the lady card “does anyone else feel a chill going up their knickers?” and of course putting Dum Dum firmly in his place following a dramatic entrance “stop wahooing and help!”. It’s a fantastic blend of action and fun that never quite takes itself too seriously. On a final MCU note spare a quick thought to the mentally out there but brilliant scientist the team finds; as Nicolai states that he sees things the way others can’t I think clear subtle note to him being an Inhuman even if unconsciously. It would make a great transition back into Agents of Shield if the Inhumans played even a minor role Carter’s climax and from a wider show runner perspective seems quite desirable. We shall have to wait and see if they will.
The week’s Iron Ceiling (the limits of Communism?) provides a great change up on recent episodes without sacrificing the overall feel of the series. Peggy remains a fun and enjoyable adventure with no shortage of mystery... some would say too much and that it lacks a main villain but personally I’m having way for fun trying to figure out the mystery than knowing the solution could provide. It’s almost sad to think that we’ve only got 3 weeks left of this loveable lady lead. Let’s just hope Peggy’s made the same lasting impression the TV executives that she has with us.