Amy Richau reviews the third episode of Agent Carter season 2…
The third episode of Agent Carter “Better Angels” answers a lot of questions from the two episode premiere last week. Scientist Wilkes is not dead (not surprising), but he’s not fully alive either. Whitney Frost’s new black scar is a danger not only to her looks. And Jack Thompson appears to be willing to break the rules for his own advancement.
As the episode opens we learn along with Carter and Sousa that Isodyne has framed Wilkes as communist Russian spy as a part of their zero matter coverup. Carter of course isn’t buying any of this, and is even more determined to uncover the truth after she learns from Howard Stark that the mysterious pin she found in last week’s episode is from a secret group called the Arena Club. The Arena Club of course is the group trying to ensure that Calvin Chadwick becomes the next senator of California – although the real power of the group is his actress wife Whitney Frost.
There are a lot of open questions about just how zero matter works, but Stark seems up to the task of figuring it out. The Stark character, half-playboy/half-scientist, has a lot of promise, but in this episode falls a little flat. Hopefully things will pick up for this character in later episodes as so many of the other supporting characters in Agent Carter are so fun to watch.
Wilkes it turns out is trapped in an invisible plane/altered reality, but Stark is able to communicate with him and see him after spraying him with some kind of liquid. It’s a bit goofy to have a ghost-like character people can see, but also walk through, but we are at least treated to some more Wilkes-Carter flirting.
SSR agent Jack Thompson finds his way to LA in “Better Angels”. Thompson seems offended by Carter’s accusation that he values getting a medal over finding the truth, but that’s exactly the path his character currently on. Thompson helps a shadowy government figure cover up the Isodyne mess “for a greater good”, but it does seem very likely from some of Thompson’s actions later in the episode that he will wake up and do the right thing eventually.
Whitney Frost takes on a bigger role in this episode as her zero matter scar takes down a creepy co-worker. Frost is revealed to be a brilliant scientist and someone willing to take out anyone who gets in her way. Just like Dottie, Frost is a strong and entertaining villain for the series. She finds a way to get what she wants despite being surrounded by men who don’t value her, just like Carter in the SSR.
As the episode ends Frost is in a state of panic over her new powers, Carter is recovering from an assassination attempt, and Stark is off to Peru to get help from an old friend.
Amy Richau is a freelance entertainment and sports writer. Follow her on Twitter.
Originally published January 27, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
