Last night’s two episodes of Agent Carter had their ups and downs—but their emotional spine came from Edwin Jarvis, whose wife Ana has narrowly survived a gunshot wound. But the most magical moment comes here, when Edwin finally pushes Peggy Carter too far.
Spoilers ahead...
The little moment of collecting herself, the hair flip, and then the icy cold tone that Peggy uses on Edwin, are just incredible. If you ever needed proof that Hayley Atwell is a fantastic actor, just watch this one-minute-and-change scene. The whole storyline—in which Edwin will give anything for his wife to be okay, and then as soon as she is, he rushes off on a foolish quest for revenge, leaving his Will and Testament behind—is James D’Arcy’s finest moment thus far. But Atwell still manages to own this scene, completely.
Otherwise, season two of Agent Carter remains a fun thrill ride—although Jack Thompson’s long-awaited betrayal of the slimy Vernon Masters could have carried more weight if it had happened more dramatically. And with just one episode left, I still don’t know or care what the magical substance known as Zero Matter is. They might as well call it McGuffinium. But the characters are so strong and so interesting, it hardly matters.
Charlie Jane Anders is the author of All The Birds in the Sky, which is available now. Here’s what people have been saying about it. Follow her on Twitter, and email her.