AGENT CARTER Season One

Peggy in the middle

released 30 November 2015 | 12 | blu-ray/dvd

Creators Christopher markus, stephen mcFeely

Cast Hayley atwell, James d’arcy, Chad michael murray, enver Gjokaj, bridget regan, dominic Cooper

Spun off from a “One-Shot” short on the Iron Man 3 Blu-ray, Agent Carter is the ’40s-set sequel The First Avenger never had – albeit one where Cap’s very much on ice. It’s a far more consistent, higher quality affair than its Marvel TV stablemate Agents Of SHIELD, the post-war setting giving its story the freedom to unfold without being at the mercy of massive, Hydra-shaped plot twists filtering down from the big screen.

It’s still very much part of the MCU, however. The Strategic Scientific Reserve is basically SHIELD: The Early Years, investigating weird cases before Nick Fury even dreamt of his long leather coat; the fugitive Howard “Tony’s dad” Stark and his inventions are effectively the show’s McGuffin; and there are plenty of “did you spot?” nods to comic book continuity to keep Marvel fans happy.

At the same time, Agent Carter never gets hung up on being a prequel to present-day Marvel screen outings – aside from numerous mentions of the missing-in-action Steve Rogers, this is an Avenger-free zone. In fact, it’s not so much a superhero drama as an espionage show, owing as much to Bond as its big-screen Marvel stablemates. And with a short run of just eight instalments, the twisty arc plot is allowed to develop organically and at a decent pace – no need for filler episodes here.

The series also embraces its ’40s setting, with stunning sets and costumes, a guest appearance for Rogers’s old unit the Howling Commandos, and a fun running gag about a hokey radio adaptation of Cap’s wartime adventures.

But the main reason the show works is Hayley Atwell as Agent Peggy Carter herself – one of Marvel’s finest screen heroes to date. She’s hard as nails, the cleverest person in every room she’s in, has a knack for a sharp quip, and she’s doing it all without