The episode beings with Jason Wilkes (allegedly dead) being framed by Isodyne Energy. He is the perfect scapegoat for them so why not frame the dead black guy as being a Communist? Peggy doesn’t buy this one bit, but this is partly because of her instincts and partly because she basically led the guy to her death and feels guilty.
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Howard Stark makes his first appearance this season directing a movie. After his usual innuendo about hooking up with a movie star, Irene Dunne this time, Stark is able to shed some light on the pin that keeps popping up; first the one Dottie stole and then the one Peggy found with Jason Wilkes. It’s a token from a gentleman’s club called “The Arena.”
With Howard's help, Peggy sneaks into the club and attempts to plant a listening device, but only manages to glance at a foreshadowing newspaper about a candidate for Senator stepping down. This newspaper is a sign that the group (including Chadwick) in The Arena have more pull than Peggy originally thought. This also leads more questions about Dottie. Why would she want the pin? Perhaps she knows the pull that The Arena has and maybe she wants something for them. It looks like we won’t be seeing Dottie anytime soon to get those answers.
Peggy leaves the SSR office angry when Jack Thompson, who decides to make a visit, refuses to look more into the Arena Club. Sousa notices the floating keys and pens on her desk as she passes. Assuming it to be a side effect of Zero Matter, Peggy and Sousa go off to their friendly neighborhood scientist for help.
Howard makes a chemical solution to make the wavelengths visible around Peggy (since the gravitational pull around her is disrupted) After spraying the area around her, they're able to see Jason Wilkes. Although they can't touch him in his ghost like form, he fills them in on his encounter with Whitney Frost. Peggy is obviously overcome and happy to see that she didn’t lead him to his death, while Sousa stands by watching the exchange.
Sousa has yet to propose to his girlfriend. My bet is that he doesn’t until Wilkes makes a move on Peggy, when he is in less of a ghostly state. Sousa seems to be needing a kick to move on with his love life, but if Peggy moves on with hers first, I doubt Sousa will be far behind.
Whitney manipulates her husband to call an assassin on Peggy, after Carter visits her on set. Being an actress comes in handy because she turns on the waterworks and gets her way and Peggy and Jarvis barely escape the assassin. However, this only makes Peggy confident that they are on the right track. What else would point them in the right direction but to be nearly killed?
Peggy - 1 Whitney - 0
Frost failed to cause the demise of Peggy and also realizes the seriousness of the Zero Matter that she is carrying in her when she absorbs her director into Zero Matter and the mark on her forehead continues to grow. Whitney is petrified by what happened, but it’s my suspicion that she is smart enough to gain control and use this against her enemies and perhaps even her husband.
Meanwhile, Jason has to sit on the sidelines while Howard pops over to Peru and tries to get help from his old professor. Jason tries to convince Peggy that she would be safer if he left for a while. It is a chivalrously attempt to protect her, but Peggy refuses to let him off alone. It’s no longer about her guilt, but also wanting him to be safe. Jason gets the hint and if he wasn’t in his ghostly form, they would’ve started making out right then and there.
As we know Peggy's husband was saved by Captain America (as seen in The Winter Soldier) and while Sousa and Wilkes were both in the army, so was our very own Jack Thompson. Although Jack has made some very questionable decisions like giving Vernon Masters the video of Zero Matter and joining him in his schemes within The Arena (I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt that he will do the right thing in the end...probably), but, it would be a shocker if he turned out to be Mr. Peggy Carter, after she reforms him, of course.
Frost is also revealed to be the pseudonym of Agnes Cully and the inventor behind most of Isodyne Energy’s technology and discoveries. Frost is a triple threat and a worthy opponent of Peggy. They’re both equally intelligent and underestimated by the men around them. That is a mistake on their part and while there are many players in this game, it is clear that in the end it’ll come down to Peggy and Whitney. This is the showdown that I’m looking forward to.
Written by Carly B., AGENT CARTER Beat Writer
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