Agent Carter: 2.06 “The Life of the Party” and 2.07 “Monsters”

Life of the Party: Peggy has a terrible idea.

Jason is basically in the same place that Frodo goes into when he’s wearing the One Ring – wraithy and weird. He can hear Peggy calling him, along with something else drawing him to another place, but he pulls himself back to where Peggy is. He tells her that he can’t fight the pull much longer, and he doesn’t know what’s happening or how much longer he can resist the urge before he’s gone forever. Peggy points out that his research was focused on containment – housing Zero Matter – and maybe he can use that to help himself.

He wails, “I CAN’T,” and Peggy reasonably asks why. “I don’t have mass!” But he did briefly regain mass and tangibility when he came into contact with the Zero Matter from Jane Scott’s body, so they need more Zero Matter. (Everyone needs more Zero Matter). “If you could replicate that, even briefly, do you think you could build a containment field for yourself?”

Whitney is muttering into a mirror, and Chadwick is like, “Are you okay?” “DO I LOOK LIKE I’M OKAY.” Everything is messed up – the fiasco at Roxxom, the general disaster, and that “twit federal agent.” Chadwick says that everything will be fine – and he’s arranged a Council meeting she can go to. He had to call in all his favors, but she’s the one who can explain everything (“Better than me!”) and she’s thrilled. The Council will be at the fundraiser that evening, so she can talk to them and everything will be fine. She flings her arms around his neck and whispers thank you, thank you. He does that thing where as soon as she can’t see his face, he goes all serious.

At stately Stark Manor West, Jarvis is cleaning Peggy’s impalement wound while Ana watches in queasy fascination. Ana asks if it hurts, and Peggy’s like well, only when I walk. And sleep. And breathe. “And eat” “Oh yes, eating was quite unpleasant.” Peggy slowly hobbles to the bathroom to change so she can go down to the lab. Resting is not in her vocabulary.

In the lab, Sousa is waiting, and he looks like shit. Peggy tells him so, and he responds: “Says the woman with a rebar hole through her abdomen.” But she didn’t call him to ask about his emotional state. “I called you here because we have a problem.” “Just one?” She explains the Jason problem, and he’s like well, that’s annoying. Peggy reminds him that Jason is sort of the centerpiece of the case they’re building against Isodyne, so it would be helpful if their star witness was like, PRESENT. Sousa: “So you need him.” (Sousa is being a bit of a jealous little snit right now.) “WE NEED HIM.”

Peggy outlines her plan to get Zero Matter from Whitney, and they can get it by going to the fundraiser tomorrow night. Sousa: We need tickets… Peggy: Howard donates to all the political campaigns, so Jarvis already HAS two tickets. “Of course he does.” Peggy will modify the vacuum syringe to extract Zero Matter, and it’ll be SUPER EASY. “And we’ll make a hasty exit without any fuss.” Sousa: You’re gonna do this. Peggy: Yes. Sousa: You who can’t really walk right now, and Whitney’s just tried to kill you and she’ll see you coming a mile away. You? Peggy: SOMEONE ELSE THEN. Sousa’s out, Rose is on a plane to see her mom, and no one else is trustworthy. “What you need is a highly skilled, unknown face, who can blend in with the glamor and throw down in the gutter.”

In a grey cell, Dottie Underwood is informed that a doctor is here to do her psych evaluation. The doctor, of course, is Peggy, in disguise. Dottie is THRILLED.

Dottie notes that Peggy is injured. “You’re REAL hurt.” Peggy lets Dottie know that there’s been no contact from the Soviets, or anyone claiming affiliation with Leviathan asking for Dottie’s release. Dottie is not shocked by this. “It takes more than six walls to hold me.” “Six?” “We’re in a cube, Peggy. Try to keep up.” Dottie notes that whatever Peggy wants, it’s clearly not official, and it’s obvious that Peggy needs Dottie’s help.

Ana is following Jason’s instructions to modify the syringe to hold Zero Matter, and they’re a great team! Jason is edgy, and Ana’s very philosophical. “The situation is not ideal, but Miss Carter is very determined.” Jason’s like, look, they’re going deep behind enemy lines against the most dangerous person alive, so it’s got the potential of being a huge clusterfuck. “But they will have reinforcements, no?” “Not to my knowledge.” Ana suddenly realizes the risk of all of this nonsense, just as Jarvis comes running in to ask her where his formal cufflinks are. She answers automatically, and he doesn’t really notice that she’s suddenly scared for him.

Jarvis is really excited at the idea of leading a mission and being right in the thick of everything, and Ana needs to go and collect herself before continuing work on the syringe. “Darling, are you alright?” “Oh yes. Fine.” Lying.

Back at Dottie’s cell, Peggy holds up the Arena Club pin. “Why were you trying to steal this?” “Maybe I was hired to steal it. Maybe that pin unlocks the secrets to every major decision made by the people who run everything in this cesspool of a country. Or maybe it just matched my blouse!” Peggy wants something from the men who wear the pins, but she’s gonna break Dottie out, and if Dottie behaves, then Peggy will work on the deportation thing. Dottie’s in. “That was easy.” “What can I say? I’m a giver.” “Just so we’re clear, I know you’ll try to run, and I’m prepared for it.” “Just so WE’RE clear, I know the deportation offer is a lie, and you’ll never be prepared for me.” Fair enough. Peggy tosses Dottie a hockey pucked shaped thing, and tells her to use it to get through the door.

“Simple as that, is it?” “I’d call it intermediate for a smart girl like you.” Peggy will handle the guards, and when Dottie gets out, she’s to turn right. Peggy leaves, and Dottie examines the puck. It comes apart, and seems to be some kind of magnet, which Dottie uses to manipulate the lock and finds the guard asleep with pink lipstick on his lips. He also doesn’t have his gun on him. “Oh, Peggy, you’re no fun at all.” Dottie leaves the building, turns left, and there’s Peggy and Sousa! Sousa shoots a net over her. “You thought this would stop me?” “No,” Sousa admits. “But I thought this might.” He presses a button that shoots a current through the net, and Dottie collapses. Peggy hits the button, too. “You happy?” “Very.”

When Dottie wakes up, she’s under a hairdryer, dressed in an evening gown, and tied to chair. She is not amused. Peggy walks up and begins talking, but Dottie can’t hear her – hairdryer. Peggy gives her the rundown: there’s a Tiffany & Co. box with a diamond choker in it – its beautiful. “I will be sure to return the favor with a choker of my own someday.” The choker has been modified with a tracking device and also a neurotoxin that will kill her if she tries to remove it. Cool.

Jarvis enters and greets Dottie (who responds, “Jeeves.”). He would like to know what kind of firearm he will be getting. No firearms. She will steal it. Jarvis does NOT want to be alone with “her” without a weapon of some kind, even though she did steal his wristwatch from his wrist while tied up without him noticing. “A knife then, or a cane, with a sword in it.” Peggy rolls her eyes, and flips on the hairdryer so Dottie can’t hear them, and it’s honestly easier to show you what happens next:

At her dressing table, Whitney is fussing with her hair – she can’t get it to cover the Zero Matter mark on her face. She doesn’t want to go, and she can’t be seen like this and it’s a disaster so they just need to reschedule. Chadwick tells her he can’t reschedule, and finds a fascinator with a conveniently matching swatch of fabric that covers the side of her face.

Peggy holds up a magazine with Whitney’s face on it – “This is your target.” Dottie’s never heard of Whitney – F Stands for Freedom isn’t her kind of movie. Dottie is more interested in Jason – “Hi, puppy!” – and Peggy explains that she wants to get a sample of Whitney’s blood, and Dottie isn’t to let Whitney touch her. The syringe should work in less than a second, and Peggy and Sousa will be outside in a surveillance van. Jarvis will have his communicator in his glasses, and Dottie’s will be in a FABULOUS hat. Dottie professes to be a little confused about the syringe, and could the puppy show her how it works? She watches with calculated interest as Jason leaves, and Peggy asks if she needs anything. “No, I’m just excited to get to work.”

At the fundraiser, Peggy and Sousa are in the van, and Jarvis and Dottie are DANCING, the dorks. Dottie is a phenomenal dancer. Dottie also finds the decadence to be repulsive. Whitney and Chadwick arrive, and Dottie wants to say hi, but Jarvis pulls her into a spin and dip at seeing FBI!Red and JackOff. He’s a good dancer, too.

Chadwick bloviates to FBI!Red and JackOff about communism, and how it’s a moral whatever, blah blah blah, and that means more money for the Fed to go hunt down Ruskies blah blah blah and then Whitney is like, “I’m so sorry you’re good at your job, because I’d love to have your handsome face in my next picture.” Even JackOff is like, “Lady, you are blowing smoke up my ass and I’m uncomfortable.” (Actual quote: “…thank you?”)

Jarvis reports to Peggy and Sousa. Dottie: “Want me to kill him?” Peggy and Sousa: “DO NOT KILL HIM.” Jarvis wants to abort, but Peggy says no – this is the only way to help Jason. Jarvis mans up, Dottie is already on the move.

FBI!Red reminds JackOff that Chadwick would be a powerful friend, and everyone else in the room are the “men that keep the world spinning, and they’re starting to know your name.” Peggy is a stain on his rep, though. Oh, Hugh Jones is there, too! He’s mad about Peggy sneaking into his office last week, and the whole “stealing of nuclear bombs” thing. “You coming after me again, golden, boy?” “No, I had no idea.” FBI!Red basically tells JackOff to keep Peggy muzzled and caged.

Jarvis is unsure about what to do, and Peggy reminds him that he has a valid reason for being there. He needs to keep JackOff occupied while Dottie does her job. “Do you think you can handle that, Dottie?” “I don’t know, it’s such a COMPLICATED PLAN.” Dottie is my patronus in these cases. Jarvis calls Dottie a nuisance, and informs her that she is to follow instructions for the next ten minutes. She salutes. “Yes, sir, JEEVES.”

At the bar, JackOff is getting a drink, and a blonde woman tells him he should smile more (MISANDRY!) “It’s not a smiling night.” “Night’s not over yet.” Jarvis slides in between them and says that he just won a bet with David O. Selznick. “He thought you were Burt Lancaster.” HA. “I didn’t know this was a butler friendly affair.” JackOff asks where Peggy is, and doesn’t believe that Peggy is sitting by the pool, reading a bawdy novel (call me, Peg, I got recommendations!). JackOff feels a sudden urge to secure the perimeter, and Jarvis goes in for the kill: he calls Chadwick JackOff’s employer. After all, Chadwick does look out for bright young men, like JackOff here. “I’m Chief of the New York SSR. I serve the Federal Government.” And when Chadwick is Senator, they’re going to work together to protect Amurrica. Jarvis does not find that comforting.

Jarvis has one last bit of advice: “I know you fancy yourself a political animal, but you are decidedly out of your depth. These waters are full of sharks.” “A little advice for you. A little baking soda will get the stains out of Stark’s suits.” “…everybody knows that.”

Outside the bathroom, Dottie bumps into Whitney, and apologizes for being SUCH A KLUTZ, and this pin will NOT STAY ON, and did I stick you? I AM SO SORRY. “I didn’t feel a thing.” Whitney ices at Dottie and moves on. Dottie has of course gotten her Zero Matter sample, but her communicator is sending some ridiculous sound to Peggy and Sousa – she left her hat by a running sink.

Dottie has gotten into the Council chamber, and hides in a cabinet when the Council and Whitney come in. Whitney has a hat box with her, and she says that it’s such an honor to be there. She begins her pitch: Since they discovered Zero Matter, she was an advocate for using it to solve energy problems. “But I was wrong about Zero Matter…this is not about energy. This is about power. The kind of power that can bring the world to its knees.” She pulls a rat out of her hat box,and absorbs it, much to everyone’s discomfort.

“I must say, we all thought you were going crazy, but thank you for bringing this to our attention.” They all agree, and Chadwick tells her that she was perfect, as two thugs come up behind her and rope her around the neck with loops on sticks. “Do not let her touch you!” She looks utterly betrayed – like it didn’t occur to her that Chadwick would turn on her like this.

She puts her hands on the floor, and Zero Matters the thugs out of existence – she’s no longer limited by touch. The Council hadn’t anticipated this, and she takes out four or five of them (leaving Hugh Jones and a few others), and then she turns to Chadwick. He begs her for his life, but, “I trusted you. I MADE YOU.” And she Zero Matters him, too (and I lost the bet. I had him dying in episode 7. DAMMIT.)

Whitney turns to the remaining Council, and calls the meeting to order. Whitney demands unrestricted access to Roxxon, and the newspapers will need to print the story to explain the disappearance of Chadwick and the other pasty losers. She will bring them unlimited power, etc, etc, and Jones says that he is VERY excited at this new collaboration. Whitney smiles. “Meeting adjourned.”

Jarvis walks rapidly down the hall, reporting on his conversation with JackOff. He is also looking for Dottie, and Peggy jumps up to go in and help (Sousa thinks this is a terrible idea). However, before she can even open the door, she stops and turns around, where blood has leaked through her bandages and shirt. She claims she’s fine, but Sousa’s like, “It looks like you popped your stitches opening the door.” She allows him to help her sit. “It’s not fun when your body quits on you, is it?” It’s terrible! “How do you cope with it?” He will let her know as soon as he figures it out.

The Council leaves, and Dottie exits the cupboard. As she leaves the chamber, she runs into FBI!Red and two of his thugs. “Great party!” she chirps and runs. He orders his thugs to bring her to him alive.

Sousa pokes the bandages at Peggy’s wound, and she’s thinking she should schedule a follow up appointment with Violet. Sousa’s like um…. not gonna work out so well, since she broke up with me. Peggy is indignent – she will go enlighten Violet as to the awesomeness of Sousa, and everything will be fine. “I can be very persuasive.” Sousa explodes that Violet dumped him because she thinks Sousa is in love with Peggy, so… Peggy is aghast (and so is Jarvis, who heard all of this). And Peggy then apologizes for coming out to L.A. and mucking up his entire life, and before either of them can figure out how to move the conversation on and/or start making out, something crashes into the van.

It’s one of the thugs FBI!Red sent after Dottie, who is busily beating the shit out of the other one without messing up her hair. But JackOff sneaks up behind her, and knocks her out. However, she dropped the syringe with the Zero Matter in it.

Outside, Sousa checks the body, where there’s no ID. Jarvis exits, to say they don’t know where Dottie is, but he found the Zero Matter syringe. When Peggy tells him to escort her in to find Dottie, he says that he was just escorted out (“rather forcefully”) by hotel security. So no, they have to go. And everyone else is leaving as well, so they have to go.

Hugh is filling FBI!Red in on what happened with the Council and that Whitney Frost is in charge of everything. FBI!Red then tells JackOff he did a good job catching Dottie (again), but this cockup is his fault, since it was “your girl Carter” that busted Dottie out in the first place. JackOff doesn’t like being talked down to like an errant child. “It doesn’t make sense. If it is Carter, what’s the angle?”

FBI!Red tells JackOff that he’ll need to take out Carter. JackOff won’t kill her. “Who said anything about killing her? That would be wrong.” He wants JackOff to discredit her so thoroughly that it destroys the IDEA of Peggy Carter. JackOff doesn’t think it’ll work. “She’s got something on you?” So he’ll have to find something on her. “Carter’s a girl scout.” FBI!Red: “If you can’t find something on her, then I have to question whether you’re suited for high command in this government.” JackOff assure him that there’s no question.

At Stark Manor West, Jason is excitedly burbling about how excited he is and how happy he is and that he’s got some plans drawn up for the containment unit. Peggy and Sousa are looking at something, and Peggy finally says that she’ll have to look at them later – Dottie Underwood is on the loose and that’s really bad news. Jason, understandably, is like, “But this is my life? So I can continue to have one?”

Jarvis announces a visitor for Peggy. JackOff. Sousa doesn’t want Peggy to go; he’ll take the blame, but Peggy heads up (and changes into her bathrobe).

JackOff non-apologizes for it being so early, and Peggy says that she’s an early riser. “Kinda looks like you’re coming off of a long night.” “Your charm knows no bounds. It’s a wonder you’re not married yet.” Jackoff asks if she knows a Catherine Wexford – the cover name she used to bust Dottie out. Peggy doesn’t know her. JackOff gets to the point. He’s on a flight to New York that afternoon. Peggy needs to come with him. She says no. He says that he has no place in his office for anyone who can’t follow orders. “Well, it’s not the best job market out there for women, but I’ll just have to manage.” JackOff: “Don’t do this. Don’t chase boogeymen, and just get on this flight with me. Leave all this behind you, it’s okay to be wrong.”

“I know what it feels like to be wrong. I’m not wrong. Not this time.” “How much are you willing to bet?” “Everything I’ve got.” “That’s a lot to lose.” “But I won’t lose.” “Yes, you will. And when you do, you’ll never see it coming.” He leaves.

In a trunk, Dottie is chained up. The trunk opens, and Whitney looks in. Dottie, for the first time, looks scared.

CarrieS: “I’ve just had a terrible idea!” Oh Peggy. Marry me. Come, be my soulmate. And maybe let me borrow some of your clothes.

“We’re in a cube, Peggy. Try to keep up.” God, I love Dottie so much. I love everyone in this show so much. It makes my recap comments so redundant. The only specific thing I can think of that this show has yet to give me is Angie as a regular, a spinoff in which Rose, Violet, Angie, and Ana run a private detective agency, and a scene in which Peggy, Dottie, and Whitney have a wild night of three-way lesbian sex. Please give me these things, Marvel. I’ve been good this year.

I feel like the show does a good job with Peggy’s love triangle, but I’m so over love triangles in general that it just doesn’t rock my world. I could happily never watch another love triangle again, even this one.

Peggy walking around with a hole in her middle is really stressing me out. For God’s sake, Peggy, sit down. And wear looser clothes. You’re in a surveillance van, just throw on a fucking bathrobe on for crying out loud.

RHG: SANTA WE HAVE BEEN SO GOOD.

Monsters: Natural consequences of terrible ideas.

Whitney Frost hosts a press conference, dressed in black and draped in a veil. She thanks her family and studio family for her support, and announced that Chadwick and some of his colleagues died in a shipwreck off Catalina Island. Peggy and Sousa are watching in disgust. Whitney claims that she will not be broken, and that she will come through this stronger than ever.

Peggy thinks that Whitney killed Chadwick and most of the Council, but not Dottie. “I won’t believe anything of her demise until I see a dead body before me.” (Smart.) (You haven’t see Steve’s body, just saying.) And with Whitney as smart as she is, she’ll know Dottie is extremely valuable to her. Jason (and Ana) are working on fixing the transponder that receives the signal from Dottie’s necklace, and she’ll report to Sousa when they do. Sousa: “And after that, we should talk. About things.” They both awkward off.

In a….well, a dungeon, basically, FBI!Red unpacks ominous tools and implements while Dottie watches with amusement. “How romantic!” He’s hoping they can have a nice talk without unpleasantness. “There’s nothing in that case that won’t bore me to tears.” He chuckles (he thinks she’s full of false bravado). He tells her about the sadistic wife of a Nazi commandant that he interrogated for 24 hours before she told him everything.

“I’ve pulled out my own teeth, my own nails. My own hair. I’ve burned my own flesh with a blowtorch. I’m no Nazi harlot. And you? Are wasting my time.” He grabs her chin. “WHAT IS PEGGY CARTER LOOKING FOR?” Dottie calls him scared, scared of the pretty blonde monster holding his leash. He injects her with something – truth serum. Dottie smiles. “Like mother’s milk.”

Stark Manor West: Ana is helping put together the containment chamber, and Jason is having more and more trouble holding himself together. Peggy comes in, and asks how he’s doing. “Do you want an honest answer?” “At this moment…. no, not particularly.” He smiles faintly. “I’m doing great.” Jarvis has repaired the transponder – he’s spent enough time with Howard Stark to pick up some electrical engineering skills. “At least you didn’t pick up the clap.” The transponder isn’t picking up anything, which could mean that it’s been broken in the necklace, or they are out of range – but Howard has a dirigible.

Jason has been irritably pacing through this, and finally snaps “WHY. Why mount a rescue for someone who will kill you given the chance?” Peggy won’t abandon someone who was captured under her orders, and Jason is like look, you can just kill her with the neurotoxin and be done with it. Peggy isn’t at that point yet, and understands that Jason is under a lot of stress and he’s like, “UGH FINE I’m sorry.”

Dottie is a little bit loopy and is taunting FBI!Red: “You’re REALLY close to breaking me this time!” FBI!Red tells her that he knows about the previous season where Dottie was basically tricked into helping a crazy old Russian with a revenge boner for Howard Stark, and Stalin isn’t happy and everyone has disavowed her and she’s got nowhere to go. “And you actually think you have a friend in Peggy Carter.” He’s called away to see Whitney by Whitney’s pet thug.

“I was on the verge of getting her to talk!” Whitney doubts that. All she wants from FBI!Red is to find the damn uranium rods that Peggy stole last week. He’s like, we can get you new rods. No, she needs the same rods from the same test. This is your priority, any and all means. “And what about Dottie Underwood?” “I’ll talk to her. I have a feeling this needs a woman’s touch.”

Dottie is pulling at the ropes binding her to the chair when Whitney walks in – Dottie’s bravado takes on a more desperate edge. “I think you’re gonna need a lot more make up!” Whitney smiles. “I’m done with that part of my life. My childhood, my innocence. You know what that’s like.” Dottie: “Yes, yes let me tell you my secrets, we’re in the same boat!” Whitney: “We’re not even in the same ocean. Also I disabled the tracking device in your necklace.”

Whitney grabs Dottie by the throat, and the Zero Matter works up towards Dottie’s face – not to kill her, but to cause a LOT of pain. Dottie’s throat fills up, and then Whitney lets her go. Dottie says that Peggy wanted Zero Matter from Whitney’s blood, for her “new boyfriend.” “Wilkes? No, he’s dead.” “No, he’s a ghost.” “Intangibility.” Whitney nods. “Congratulations, Miss Underwood. You’re still useful to me.” She turns the tracking chip back on.

In Stark Manor West, Jason eyes the containment thingie. “Ready?” Peggy asks. “No.” “Splendid.” He walks in, and Jarvis turns it on, and Peggy drops the Zero Matter from Whitney on his hand. He writhes in pain for a bit, and then, then he can touch the floor. “It worked!” Peggy holds out her hand for him to shake – and then he kisses her, rather soundly. “Sorry. It was a long time coming.” “It’s quite alright” Peggy awkwards back.

He is also hungry! Ana rushes off to prepare a Hungarian feast for him. Jason is excited at Hungarian food. He’s never had it. “Is it good?” “….eh?” Jarvis responds. The transponder starts beeping that it has a signal, and Peggy calls Sousa with the good news that Jason is now in the world and Dottie’s been found. Sousa is stilted on the phone, and then says “Aw, gee, mother, I’d like to come visit, but I can’t.” Peggy understands that means FBI!Red is there. She asks if she can do anything to help, and he says no.

FBI!Red tells Sousa that he need to hunt down the uranium. Sousa is clearly thinking, “Oh the uranium I helped steal?”

Peggy tells Jarvis that Sousa can’t help them, and Jarvis is like “Um…is it possible this is a trap?” “Oh, it’s TOTALLY a trap.” Jarvis is not comforted.

Peggy and Jarvis leave with a thingie – a jitterbug, a non-lethal concussive device. He demonstrates it on some defenseless lawn furniture. Ana brings out a brown jacket – “More befitting a prowler.” Marriage. Ana is also worried about this adventure – she understands why he needs them, and she will permit him his adventures, but he must also permit her to “wring her hands from time to time.” Jarvis assures her that no harm will come to him under Miss Carter’s watch. Away they go.

Sousa: So Roxxon has known that someone stole uranium from them like, for multiple days, and they never reported it? Fuck that noise, the trail is cold, the evidence is compromised, this ain’t going nowhere. FBI!Red tries to flatter Sousa, and Sousa’s like, dude, I’ll try but no promises.

FBI!Red does this whole thing about inspirational stories and rewards and blah blah blah. Sousa: I’m not here to add to my story or be anyone’s inspiration porn. I’ll do my best, but don’t get your hopes up.

In the car, Jarvis is happy about Jason’s success. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so…. excited.” Peggy slams her foot on his foot on the brake. Jarvis: “UNSAFE.” Peggy: “USE YOUR WORDS.” Jarvis: “I was trying to fill the silence.” Peggy: “I like silence. Also it was a moment, he kissed me, I indulged him.” Jarvis: “…and blushed. Also this causes a sticky wicket between you and Sousa. And his engagement is over, so….”

Also, Jarvis notes, this does bring you from famine to feast in regards to quality suitors. Jason’s incandescent smiles and Sousa’s Sousa-ness and Peggy’s like, “I DIDN’T MEAN TO ENCOURAGE THEM. It simply happened.” “You underestimate your allure. You mustn’t be the least surprised.” “I am. I don’t know what to do.”

At the ranch, I guess, where they’re holding Dottie, Jarvis sneaks into the pool area. They’re stopped by a thug, where Jarvis is just the distraction for Peggy to cause a severe brain hemorrhage. Jarvis sets up the jitterbug and, with a group of security coming at them, Jarvis hits the code to set it off… and nothing happens. And nothing happens. And nothing happens. Peggy drops her gun and surrenders.

They are marched down into the cellar, where Dottie chirps, “Is this supposed to be a rescue? What a nice surprise!”

At Stark manor West, Jason and Ana are tucking into a LOT of food. “Slaut!” “L’chaim!”

Peggy asks Dottie where Whitney is – and Dottie gives the rundown on FBI!Red and his useless interrogation. Peggy gets loose from her bonds.

Ana is clearly troubled, and Jason asks her what’s wrong. She’s just tipsy enough to tell him – Jarvis never really told her what danger he was in when he went on his adventures with Peggy, and now she misses the lie. She worried less. She then asks Jason what his next plans are. He isn’t sure – Isodyne had been purely focused on Zero Matter research, and they were ten years away from figuring it out (how did they know that time frame?). And now? He doesn’t know. “Look at us, crying into our $400 bottle of wine.” Ana, ever the pragmatist: “Would you like to cry into a $1000 bottle?”

Peggy eyes Dottie – something awful has clearly happened to her. Dottie wants to know what her plan is. Dottie goes back to prison, of course. Dottie isn’t thrilled with the idea of being sentenced to death, legally or not, and Peggy can’t possibly know how deep the rot goes in the SSR. “Your idealism blinds you, Peggy.” Throughout this, Jarvis has been struggling with his bonds, and finally gets loose and yells, “CAROLE LOMBARD.” Because the jitterbug’s code was set to Carole’s measurements, and Jarvis had entered Barbara Stanwick’s measurement (gross, Howard) and both ladies snap: “What do those numbers do?” It sets off the delayed reaction, which then goes off and the three escape. No Whitney, though.

Dottie is still not in good shape, and Peggy finally realizes that Whitney did this to her, but no one tried to question Peggy nor Jarvis. “What did you tell her?” “Peggy, you knew this was a trap.” But not for Peggy. No, it was a trap for Jason. And Ana. Jarvis grabs a gun and gets Dottie to move.

Stark Manor West, Whitney opens the door, and the burglar alarm (Jarvis’ voice) goes off. Whitney turns it off, and finds Jason. Whitney is impressed with Stark’s plans for a palladium core, and then turns her attention to Jason.

Jason and Whitney are having a nice chat. She’s impressed with what he’s managed to do by himself, and isn’t the Zero Matter the BEST? “Like the two of us? Both fascinating in our own way?” “Peggy will be back soon.” Whitney wants to know what happens if he leaves his containment field, or where he goes. But what she really wants to know is, “Where are my two uranium rods?” She tries to zap him with her Zero Matter, but he just absorbs it, and she’s basically scaroused. “You are full of surprises, doctor!”

Peggy, Jarvis, and Dottie rush back to SMW, and Dottie notes that Peggy is scared.

Whitney begins science-ing. How do you feel? What happened? Jason flings open the door to the containment field. “Get OUT of here!” He is able to walk out and still be tangible. Whitney’s like HEEEEEEY you should come with me because we can help each other! We both need Zero Matter! We can learn how to control it! Jason: No one can control it! Whitney: We can change the world! Jason: World’s fine.

Whitney: Fuck that noise. You think you were hired by Isodyne because you’re good at what you do? No, they needed a woman (Jane Scott) and a colored man as tokens. “I simply want to change things for people like us: people that have been ignored, held back, ground up.”

Whitney’s pet thug comes in, smirking at a black scientist, and then asks if Whitney found what she came for. “Not everything. Dr. Wilkes will be accompanying us.” She knocks Jason out with a blow to the head.

The phone rings, and Ana answers it. It’s Sousa, calling to ask if she’s heard from Peggy. She hasn’t, and she’s worried. Sousa says he’ll be right there. Out the window, she sees Whitney and her pet thug carrying Jason out the door.

In Sousa’s house, he gets jumped before he can even get to his car.

Ana runs out to confront Whitney, and her pet thug pulls his gun. Whitney’s like, “We’re not monsters, no need to kill her.” Ana won’t let Whitney take Jason, because he’ll die. Whitney’s like, he needs answers, I can give them to him. Peggy’s car pulls up, and Whitney’s like well, we can slow them down, and shoots Ana in the lower abdomen. Whitney and company run off, as Jarvis runs to Ana, screaming frantically for help.

Peggy drives Ana and Jarvis to the hospital. Peggy also tells a handy police officer that she has a prisoner in the trunk, and he’s to keep watch and for fuck’s sake don’t open the trunk.

They rush Ana into the ER, and Peggy and Jarvis are told to wait outside while the doctors work on Ana. Then they hear someone else calling for help – an officer has been shot. It’s (of course) the officer that was told to not open the trunk. What did he do? Open the trunk. And the necklace is on the floor.

At the SSR office, Sousa drags himself in and FBI!Red is waiting for him. “Rough night?” “Surprised a couple of burglars.” But Sousa has no leads on the Roxxon materials. Doesn’t think they’ll ever find it. “That would be a real shame.” And FBI!Red says that Sousa is getting a nice long rest, and he’ll take over the SSR operations until Sousa is back on his feet. Sousa tries to demure, but it doesn’t work.

Peggy calls in, asking to talk to the Chief, and gets FBI!Red. She hangs up without saying anything, and sits down next to Jarvis, who is completely shattered. Ana is still in surgery, and they won’t say if she’ll make it or not. Peggy takes his hand, and they wait.

CarrieS: One thing I love about this show is the sense of wonder and delight with which most of the characters view the world. Dottie doesn’t just see Peggy as her enemy, she sees Peggy as a never-ending source of revelation and entertainment and challenge. Whitney’s response to finding Jason is to ask him a ton of sciency questions – even getting some dark matter sucked out of her own hand is less of an upsetting event and more one of curiosity and amazement. Peggy sees everything as a puzzle to be solved. Rose and Jarvis see everything as an adventure. This means that even when the show is dark, there’s an undercurrent of joy in it. And there’s enough characters that if, say, Jarvis becomes dark and dangerous after this episode, there will still be tonal balance coming from other characters.

I could watch Dottie being tortured all day, not because I like to see her suffer but for her sheer unflappability. “Your mother?” LOL. “You’re really close to breaking me.” OMG, Dottie, you are adorable. You’re a manic pixie dream girl of evil.

Whitney vs Dottie switches so many moods so fast, and so effectively. Such outstanding writing and acting. Also the cinematography in this show is lovely – I love all the shots of Whitney and Jason’s doo-hickey containment chamber.

I’d be more worried about Ana if Peggy hadn’t spent the last two episodes running around with a hole in her midsection. They better not fuck with Ana. I hate cliffhangers. I expect them on TV, but that doesn’t mean I have to like them.

RHG:  First, the reason we have two episodes this week and two episodes next week (er, last week and next week by the time you read this…) is because Agents of SHIELD comes back the first week of March and we had Agent Carter delayed two weeks thanks to the State of the Union so THANKS OBAMA. Think of the recappers.  THINK OF THE RECAPPERS.

(Mostly I wanted to say that because this burn-off period is not necessarily indicative of renewal chances, so…we’ll see. Fingers crossed, y’all.)

Anyway, I missed Dottie and her positioning as Peggy’s counterpoint, nemesis, and photonegative. And Dottie being interrogated is delightful. FBI!Red is so out of his league with…well, everything. He’s so used to being able to swing his dick around and win all the fights, but Dottie, Peggy, Sousa, and especially Whitney are not intimidated by him and his toxic masculinity. Even JackOff isn’t totally snowed in by it.

JackOff is being kind of interesting right now – he cares about Peggy, clearly – he basically begged her to let go of this bone, and I don’t think it’s just because of how she could fuck up his career prospects. I think he cares a little bit, but being JackOff, he can’t express it in any way except by being a condescending jerk. And he knows he’s in deep, but he isn’t willing to torpedo his career to get himself out. (Not yet.)

Poor Ana. Poor Jarvis. Maybe Jarvis wasn’t totally congizent of what danger he was in, maybe he was, but he NEVER expected Ana to be in the line of fire. He figured she had been put into all the danger a hundred lives could require, she was safe and always would be.

And as a final note, WHERE IS MY ANGIE.