TV recap: Agent Carter season one, episode three - Time and Tide

Previously on Agent Carter, Peggy tracked down Leet Brannis, who stole Howard Stark's bombs. Just before he died, he drew a symbol in the sand for her to interpret. And the SSR, investigating the Roxxon Oil refinery explosion, have now got a second huge explosion, also caused by Howard's bombs, to link it to.

"You clearly don't know the rules of the house."

Someone is spying on Peggy in her new home, while she's busy trying to work out what the symbol - a heart with a wiggly line horizontally through it - that Leet Brannis left her could mean. As Peggy is on her bed looking for symbols, the spy is climbing the drainpipe on the wall by the building, and as he gets to Peggy's window he's greeted by the woman herself  - and her gun. Turns out it's just some guy trying to sneak in to see his girlfriend.

Chief and Krzeminski are checking out a flat after getting a lead on the Roxxon Oil explosion/bomb blast case. They find passports and cash, but Chief is more interested in the typewriter - looks like these two have found Creepy Guy Two's hideout.

"I'm afraid I'm married to my work at the moment."

At breakfast Peggy and her housemates chat about boys. Molly, whose boyfriend it was who snuck in to see her the evening before, gets found out by the landlady and thrown out.

At work, Thompson reveals to Chief and Krzeminski that the real Leet Brannis died two years ago. And Creepy Guy Two could have Russian connections, which Thompson is about to check out when Sousa comes in with the real headlines - the numberplate pulled from the wreckage of the Roxxon Oil refinery explosion belonged to a car owned by Howard Stark. 

We see Jarvis tidying up from breakfast at home and then hear his wife's voice. I'm not great at accents, but I can tell you she's definitely not American or British. Possibly European, possibly Russian. Could she be significant? Is there a reason we've not seen her yet? 

Peggy turns up, she wants Jarvis to help her work out how someone broke into Howard's impenetrable safe to steal his wares. Jarvis reveals there was a storm the night of the theft, and the power was knocked out. But he was asleep. Hah. Before Peggy and Jarvis can get too far into their search, Thompson and Sousa turn up. Thompson is suspicious of Jarvis, especially once Jarvis reveals that he reported Howard's car missing a few days ago - suspicious enough to take him down the SSR for questioning.

"He's capable of driving a getaway car."

Jarvis is surprisingly calm when being questioned by Thompson. I thought for sure he'd be jittery and stumble over his words, but he's cool as a cucumber, and doesn't give anything away. I'm so impressed. I wonder where this comes from? Perhaps his time in the Army.

Oh, oh. And then Thompson reveals that Jarvis was charged with treason. What? When? Why? Peggy is surprised too, and Thompson doesn't have any more details, apart from the fact that Jarvis was dishonourably discharged from the Army. Thompson threatens to have Jarvis and his wife deported, and it's at the mention of his wife that Jarvis finally gets angry, although apart from a growled comment to Thompson, he's still contained.

Peggy's up to something. She leaves the interrogation viewing room, grabs a file and comes back to get Chief to sign some documents, which he does. Thompson and Chief think they've almost cracked the case, and are about to start talking to Jarvis again when Peggy says she's found the stolen car report that Jarvis made. The revelation is made in front of Jarvis, who knows the SSR can't hold him.

"Do you have any idea how stupid that was?"

It's clever of Peggy, but it does mean she gets a massive bollocking from Chief. She bites her lip and takes it as Chief makes her apologise to Thompson for "ruining" all his hard work. And then she has to bite her lip and hold her head high again when stepping out to the main office to see all the men staring at her, clearly happy to see her brought down a couple of pegs (no pun intended). 

Peggy and Angie have a new housemate - Dorothy Underwood, who looks blonde and sincere and perky. I'm suspicious. She just comes across as too much of a farm girl, like she's putting it on. Dottie, as she wants to be called, is in New York to pursue a ballet career. Ballet, you say? I can think of another ballerina I know from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In undercover gear - all black and badass - Peggy turns up at Howard's to try and find out how his inventions were stolen. She and Jarvis head into the tunnels below the house, where Peggy theorises that Leet Brannis used a raft to remove the goods from Howard's house.

Thompson has a name for Creepy Guy Two - Sasha Demidov. He's definitely Russian. Ballerinas, Russians - can you see where this is going or am I looking too deep for something that isn't there? 

We saw Peggy chatting with girlfriends earlier, now it's time for Sousa and Krzeminski to have a man to man chat, that consists of Krzeminski telling Sousa Peggy wouldn't trade in a red, white and blue shield for a crutch. Well, let me tell you something Krzeminski, Peggy loved Steve Rogers, not Captain America, and she first fell for him when he was the little guy, way before he took the super serum and gained all those muscles. She sees deeper than just looks. So there. I'm not saying I want Peggy and Sousa to get together, but she wouldn't dismiss him because of his leg. Also, Krzeminski, you're no oil painting yourself. /rant

"We all have secrets."

Peggy's been trying to subtly get Jarvis to tell her about his past, but that subtlety hasn't worked so she demands he tell her because she needs to trust him. Jarvis doesn't want to tell her, and I'm with him. He's shown Peggy she can trust him (apart from that mysterious phone call to Howard at the end of episode one, still don't know what that was about).

And then he gives in. Before the war, Jarvis worked for a general. The two went to Budapest, where Jarvis met Ana, his wife, who is Jewish. The general refused to sign a letter to guarantee Ana's safety, so Jarvis forced his signature, and got caught. It was Howard who came to the rescue, saving both Jarvis and Ana. Despite all they've been through, Jarvis is still unable to tell Ana what he is really up to for Howard.

Peggy and Javis reach the end of the tunnel, and through a pair of binoculars Peggy finds the symbol Leet Brannis drew in the sand for her - it belongs to a boat moored not to far away. That's where Jarvis and Peggy head next. Again, someone is spying on the pair as they approach the boat. Men hiding in shadowy spaces is a key theme of this episode.

Inside the vessel, our fearless pair discover a stack of crates under a net, all of which are marked 'Stark Industries' - Howard's inventions, Opening one crate, Peggy finds a glowing green device that looks a bit forceps-like. Apparently it causes involuntary catastrophic muscle contractions, so bad that bones break. Ouch. Why is Howard inventing this stuff?

"They'll only use it to tear you down."

Peggy wants to call it in, but Jarvis says that the SSR won't be happy. They stage a little play with Jarvis as interrogator, and he kind of proves his point. Peggy says her colleagues at the SSR will respect her for conducting her own investigation and finding the stolen inventions, but they really won't. They'll use it to get rid of her. So Peggy gets Jarvis, disguising his voice, to call it in anonymously, and Sousa and Krzeminski head down to check it out.

Thinking Jarvis has returned, Peggy is instead attacked by a huge guy. He's been employed by Leet Brannis, and although he's massive Peggy gets some good punches in before he traps her with a steel pipe at her throat. Jarvis arrives in time to attack the guy, and is then attacked in return. The only thing to do is for Peggy to attack the guy with the catastrophic bone breaking tool, and then for Jarvis and Peggy to make a run for it to get away before Sousa and Krzeminski arrive.

Krzeminski is happy, but Sousa is suspicious about the fact that a call gave the SSR all the information they needed. And big guy, who's now awake and heading back to the SSR with Krzeminski, isn't saying much except to ask if that "English broad" is working with Krzeminski. As Krzeminski stops the car at a traffic light, someone hits him from behind. Getting out to confront the guy, Krzeminski is shot dead at point blank range. The shooter also kills the big guy, leaving no witnesses.

Peggy arrives at the office the next day to find the telephone girls crying. Of course, she has no way of knowing about Krzeminski's death, which has badly affected the men of the SSR. I didn't like the guy, but being an insufferable sexist does not warrant death. Sousa and Thompson reveal Krzeminski was killed by a professional, and that they both think the anonymous tipster is at least partly at fault.

"Stay vigilant, I'm not losing any more of you."

Chief blames Howard for Krzeminski's death, saying Howard is the reason behind the case Krzeminski was investigating. And then he heads off to call Krzeminski's wife. Agent Carter is great at balancing dark with light, so Thompson's comment that he'll call Krzeminski's girlfriend brought a smile to my face and lightened the mood a bit (as much as it can be lightened after someone has died).

Death has brought home to Peggy her lack of connection with the world, and she heads to the diner to make amends with Angie, after shunning her the night before. It's the right thing to do, Peggy needs someone to talk to - even though she didn't like Krzeminski much she did respect that he was good at his job and feels his loss. A friend is what Peggy needs right now, and Angie, not connected to the SSR or Howard Stark in any way, is definitely that friend.

Marvel Musings

-I love the little really cheesy elements of Agent Carter, like the Captain America Adventure Programme. They show that the writers have a really good sense of humour, and aren't afraid to be too obvious. Personally, I think these moments are also a nod to comic books and 1940s spy capers. This week's moment of amusement came from Peggy's Book of Symbols. A Book of Symbols? Really, was it going to be that easy? (Of course not, but it is fun.).

-Some great stuff on female friendship this week, which I think has been sorely needed. We've mostly seen Peggy interacting with men up to now, from her relationship with various male colleagues in Captain America: The First Avenger, to her friendships with Jarvis and Howard in Agent Carter, and her work at the SSR, which only really brings her into contact with men. There have been a couple of brief scenes with Angie and the now-dead Colleen, but it is only in this third episode that we've really seen Peggy interacting with women, and that we've seen how much she needs female friends in her life.

-And in case you don't know what I was talking about above - Russian ballerinas=The Red Room=Black Widow.