Agent Carter Season 1 Episode 5: The Iron Ceiling

Welcome to the episode written  by the co-host of Children of Tendu, http://childrenoftendu.libsyn.com/ , Jose Molina. If you want to work in TV you should check that podcast out. It is really good and they give you tons of information about the art of written for the small screen. 

The start of the episode kicks off in Russia where we learn the origins of the Black Widow program. Dottie Underwood is one of these girls. Jarvis tries to talk Carter into going back to help Howard who she wants no part of. He points out how none of her co-workers like her or respect her. She says she will make them.
 
She gets back to the office and everyone is trying to figure out how to decode a message written in code. The professional decoder couldn't figure it out and Carter walks in and does it in no time flat. Proving her worth, but Thompson doesn't want to give her any props. She puts herself on the mission. Thompson tries to get Carter kicked off the team but she proves that she knows more about war than he does. She has been through world war 2, none of them have.

She tells them she can 107th Regiment to lead the team. Now the 107th for those of you at home is what the MCU calls Howling Commandos. She gets them to agree to let her on the time. Thompson sends Sousa to get something out of his locker, in a mean trick to get him to see Carter undressed. It works but has an added side-effect. He sees a mark on her back, the same one that the blonde has in the picture. He now suspects her.

On the plane before the jump Carter tries to clam Thompson down but he doesn't want to take her help. She is a lot cooler under pressure than he is. They run into Dum Dum and the rest of the Howling Commandos who right away they put Thompson in his place and elevate Carter above the rest of them. The team that Thompson and co respect above all others respect Carter above all others. That doesn't sit well with them, as well it shouldn't. It should show them her worth.

While everyone is chilling around the fire they ask Thompson about the Navy cross. He tells them he fell asleep on duty and wakes up to the Japanese sneaked into camp and he woke up just in time to kill them all before they could kill his CO. Back in the States, Sousa looks into Carter and the blonde lady while the chief is looking into more information on the battle and Stark. The reporter he talks to tells him that it is a railroad against Stark but the chief doesn't want to believe it.

Thompson gives orders but the Howling Commandos ask Carter what she wants to do and she changes the orders. Thompson agrees but you can tell he isn't happy about it. Carter and her team get in and we see that they are in the school from the beginning. The one that trains Black Widows. A little girl crying draws them into another room where a lone girl sits crying. She stabs Dum Dum before taking off and hiding in a hole in the wall. He is fine, lucky his vest saved him. One of the team did die in her escape. Sad day for the Howling Commandos. Carter takes charge.

The chief comes to talk to Jarvis. The chief tells him that Howard has a lot of people after him, including an Army General. The chief says that he doesn't want to be part of a witch hunt. He wants to hear the truth and he gives Jarvis a phone number to call to get a hold of him.

Carter and co find people in a cell and free them. Meanwhile back in the states, this eras Black widow breaks into Carter's room and starts going through her stuff. She finds some pictures of Stark's weapons, one of which she takes.

The team start asking questions of the men in the cells, turns out one of them is an engineer. They are trying to make the man build Stark's weapon. It turns out that Howard is not here, just plans for his weapons. They misunderstood. They get the prisoners out of the cage and run as the Russians move in on them.

The engineer tries to sell out the Americans and his co-prisoner tries to talk him out of it before Carter just shoots him. Thompson freezes up and Carter has to keep them all alive while they wait for Dum Dum to show up and give them an exit. Carter has to all but drag Thompson out who had a breakdown on the battlefield. The man who told Carter she couldn't handle war proved he was the one who couldn't handle it. The team escapes, Carter is the last one on board because she wanted to make sure everyone else made it safe. She is a hero.

The Howling Commandos invite Carter to join them, they would call her Lady Union Jack. Now Union Jack is a Marvel hero named Joseph Chapman. She tells them that she has to go back home and prove to everyone that Stark is innocent. It seems she is back on the case. Thompson tells Carter the truth, the Japanese didn't try to kill his CO, they came to surrender but he didn't listen and buried the white flag to hide the truth. Carter comforts him.  

Dottie still sleeps handcuffed to a bed. Showing us that she is one of the little girls from the start of the episode. Thompson gives Carter her props and she gives Thompson some props that he didn't deserve. The man they brought back to the states has agreed to help them with whatever they need. For the first time ever Carter is invited out with the guys. Sousa stays behind, he has too much on his mind. He doesn't want to believe Carter is the blonde.

Such a great show!!!!