Before SHIELD: “Marvel’s Agent Carter”- Episode 7 “Snafu”

Inspired by the films “Captain America: The First Avenger” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, “Marvel’s Agent Carter” is a series created for ABC based on beloved Agent Peggy Carter. Our writer, DeShawn Blankenship recaps the mini-series each week, updating you with the very latest in his series, Before SHIELD.

Picture Credit: ABC/Marvel Studios

Welcome back, Agents! The penultimate episode of our show, “SNAFU” puts our heroine’s back against the wall as her enemies get closer to their goals. Peggy is lower than she’s ever been, but she’s fighting to save the world from Levithan’s evil. Will she succeed? Let’s find out!

Tonight’s episode picks up where last week’s episode left off. Dooley, Thompson, and Souza take turns going after Peggy. Souza takes her betrayal hardest, but Peggy doesn’t respond to their digs. She explains that they’re wasting time with her when they should be going after the real enemy. Souza leaves Peggy alone in disgust.

In the viewing room, Thompson finds Dooley watching Peggy along with Ivanchenko, who comments on how good of a liar Peggy is. Thompson questions why the Russian is there and Dooley defends his new friend, brushing his top agent off. Thompson doesn’t like it but he doesn’t press. Ivanchenko’s influence in his full–gear and the bad doctor offers to leave but Dooley tells him to stay.

Each man insinuates that Peggy is either sleeping with Stark or that he’s coerced her into working for him. She calls each of them out for marginalizing her in their own ways and reiterates that they’re letting Dottie the Proto Widow off the hook. Thompson threatens Peggy with physical violence but she doesn’t flinch. He’s been on the receiving end of what she can do. If these two ever meet in an alley with no tricks or surprises, my money is on Peggy every single time.

Jarvis arrives at the phone company and demands to speak with Dooley. The switchboard operator feigns ignorance, but when Jarvis mentions a signed confession from none other than Howard Stark. The operator wastes no time in getting the SSR chief on the horn. Jarvis offers a confession that paints Peggy as a naive patsy. Howard also claims full responsibility for the theft of his inventions, indicating that impending bankruptcy drove him to it. Dooley accepts the confession on the belief that Howard will soon arrive to be surrender himself. He also takes a moment to fire Peggy from the SSR.

When the others leave them alone, Peggy confronts Jarvis about the confession. Jarvis admits to forging it, saying that Howard never responded to his requests for help. Peggy enlightens him on their impending fates when their captors find out, saying that being hanged isn’t fun.

In Dooley’s office, Dooley is on the phone with his wife. He’s mustered up the courage to call and beg for a reconciliation. He’s successful, arranging a dinner date for later in the evening with their children. He thanks Ivanchenko for the advice, but the therapist demurs. Peggy and Jarvis are still seeking a way out of their predicament when they see Ivanchenko at the window, tapping out a message in Morse Code. They decode it and learn that Leviathan goes on the attack in minutes!

Peggy, with nothing left to lose, goes with the last weapon on her arsenal: the truth. She tells them that Stark’s confession is fake and lays out the entire story for Thompson, Dooley, and Souza. They still don’t believe her and she gives them the vial of Captain America’s blood. When they ask why she’s doing it, she tells them about Ivanchenko. The men compare notes. Souza believes Peggy as Thompson wonders if it’s because he cares about her. Dooley doesn’t believe Peggy but he trusts Souza. The pair is assigned to find Ivanchenko’s accomplice in the building across the street. Dooley returns to his office and tells the bad doctor to close the window, tipping off the Russian. Once again, he tells Dooley to focus on his family, brainwashing him with new commands.

Across the street, Thompson admits to Souza that he now believes Peggy as well. In a semi–touching moment, he tells Souza to shoot to kill if he finds Dottie Underwood. He’s warns Souza about the teenage girl from Russia and doesn’t want to lose anyone to the adult version.

Dooley calls Peggy and Jarvis into the interrogation room and pulls a gun. He handcuffs them to the table and locks them inside, breaking the key in the door. Souza almost sees Dottie but she hides. Dooley escorts Ivanchenko into the laboratory, where he accuses the scientists of letting Peggy steal Howard’s inventions. He kicks them out and then helps the doctor find Item 17. They also find an odd vest that he tells Dooley not to touch.

Dottie attempts to leave the building but Souza confronts her, leading to a fight. She easily outmatches him and leaps down the stairwell, disabling the agents she runs across because they’re all too surprised to shoot her. Thompson returns to find dead agents but he’s too late to keep Dottie from escaping the building.

Dooley escorts Ivanchenko to the elevator, but tries to fight his programming at the last minute. The doctor reasserts control and takes Item 17, but not before handing Dooley the vest from earlier. Dooley watches the Russian leave the building with a blank look on his face. Outside, Dottie collects her boss. She suggests leaving as they’re now compromised. The doctor declines. He wants to test their prize first. Dottie is worried about the SSR but the doctor says that they’ve got other issues and won’t be a problem.

Jarvis and Peggy escape the interrogation room as Thompson returns. The action shifts to Dooley’s home, where he finds his son painting at the table. When his wife arrives, Dooley knows he messed up by letting Ivanchenko escape, but he just wants to be with his family. Peggy, Jarvis, and Thompson find Dooley slumped over his desk, dreaming about his family…and wearing the vest. Jarvis explains that the vest is a prototype armor with an internal energy source. It’s now roasting Dooley alive. The chief says that Ivanchenko messed with his mind and warns the others not to let him talk. Thompson suggests removing the vest, but Jarvis explains that doing so will trigger an explosion.

Dooley picks up his gun and makes Peggy vow to bring down Leviathan. He asks the others to apologize to his wife for him before he shoots out a nearby window and jumps out of it, earning the award for the Hero of the Night award. Peggy blames herself for bringing Ivanchenko to where he could do the most damage. Jarvis blames Howard and his inventions. Peggy remembers that Leet Brannis was tasked with stealing Captain America’s blood and wonders what else was stolen. They find that Item 17 is missing and. You know it’s bad when even Jarvis doesn’t know what one of Howard’s inventions does.

Dottie wheels a baby stroller into a theater and turns on the gas inside. The patrons begin fighting. The episode ends with an usher escorting a late–arriving couple into the theater. Item 17 is a nerve-gas that triggers aggression and the patrons have killed each other in rage.

What did you think of Chief Dooley’s sacrifice? Will Howard return in the nick of time to help out? Will Agent Carter get a second season? Comment with your thoughts!