My crush of the week – Agent Carter

March 6, 2015 by hollykerrauthor 2 Comments

(Note: I posted this over on my Holly Kerr – Author  site earlier today, so apologies if you’re seeing it twice.)

I have a thing for superheroes. I’m not sure if it’s a men in tights thing or what; I don’t particularly have a need to be rescued but I like super heroes.  I’m not into comic books.  I’ve never read them and I doubt I ever will.  My love of the men in tights comes from movies, and now television, and began with Michael Keaton as Batman, back in 1989.  I also have a thing for strong, kick-ass females on television, like Buffy, Sydney Bristow on Alias, and even Xena, the warrior princess.

Do you want to know who has recently vaulted to the top of both lists?

Agent Peggy Carter

For those of you who don’t know what or who I’m talking about, Agent Carter was Captain America’s girlfriend, as seen in the first Captain America movie and in the world of Marvel comics.  She’s a SSR agent, who along with Captain America, helped end World War 2. Back in New York City in 1946, Peggy Carter has been passed aside because of her sex.  From storming into battles, she’s relegated to filing and fetching lunches for the men in the SSR office and it’s becoming difficult for her to deal with the apparent sexism at the workplace. No one knows what she’s capable of, nor does anyone care to find out.

Enter Howard Stark (Iron Man’s dad) to save her, and by saving her, I mean giving her a secret assignment to find his stolen inventions.  Peggy hides this assignment from her fellow agents, even beating them to the punch on several occasions.

Of course she saves the world again. Or at least NYC.

With the Agent Carter  TV show, Marvel has created a “feminist hero who’s not too vulnerable, not to cocky and not too sexy (while still keeping just enough of those traits in play so that viewers will want to spend time with her for an hour a week…” (www.avclub.com) She’s got lots of layers – witty, strong-willed and sensitive – and can kick some serious ass! Peggy Carter is a fierce, realistic female hero without any superpowers.  The show’s star, Hayley Atwell, does her own stunts and Carter is pretty kick ass. The show deals with sexism with grace and humour when it would be so easy for Peggy to knock the heads of her fellow SSR agents together.

There was a particularly disgusting scene at the end of the final episode, where a male co-worker has just taken credit for what Peggy accomplished, and went so far as accepting a presidential commendation, which angers a friend and fellow male agent.

“How can you sit and take it?”

“I know my value. Anyone else’s opinion doesn’t matter.”

I loved her reaction to the situation.  She’s a superhero in both in her profession and to female fans and that’s why she’s my crush of the week!

Ever watch the show? What do you think of Agent Carter? And who’s your crush of the week?