“Agent Carter” is possibly this year’s “Sleepy Hollow” in terms of mostly overwhelming support and accolades from television critics. The show featured the fun, “BAM! POW!” aspects of classic comic books while directly critiquing sexism and misogyny that took place in the ’40s and in micro-agression form today. Overall, Marvel should be pleased with the critical success.
The head-over-heels love that many critics exhibited with the show and the lead, Hayley Atwell (who plays Agent Peggy Carter), can be seen in quotes such as what The Telegraph’s Ben Travis wrote. “In the opening two episodes, Atwell commanded the role perfectly, clearly relishing the chance to play revisionist history as a contemporary feminist character in a period setting,” he wrote. “Her repartee with [Howard] Stark’s butler Jarvis (Broadchurch’s James D’Arcy) was genuinely delightful thanks to a strong script that retained Mravel’s trademark humour, set a clear tone, and established the character dynamics.”Melissa Leon of The Daily Beast also praised Atwell, writing, “[The show’s] biggest asset, of course, is the steely Atwell, wh onever asks you to feel sorry for Carter despite all the sexism around her.”
Time’s James Poniewozik also brings up the fact that “Agent Carter” is a Marvel show that doesn’t immediately alienate viewers by relying completely on the Marvel movie slate or by meandering around a plotline. “Unlike ABC’s last Marvel spinoff, this show knows what it is from the beginning, and that’s a good start,” states Poniewozik who adds that the show’s biggest advantage is Atwell’s Carter, “with voice, personality, conflicts and a mission.”
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