Agent Carter Episode Recap, Season 2 Premiere, Episodes 1 & 2: The Lady in the Lake and A View in the Dark

Violet recaps the Season 2 premiere of Agent Carter, consisting of two episodes, titled The Lady in the Lake and A View in the Dark, where Peggy has been relocated to Los Angeles! Following the recap, both Violet and Josh share their thoughts about the episode.

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Episode Recaps of the Agent Carter Season 2 Premiere, Episodes 1 & 2: The Lady in the Lake and A View in the Dark

The Season 2 premiere of Agent Carter begins with Dottie (full name: Dorothy Underwood, who now has brown hair, and is wearing an outfit similar to the outfit that Peggy was wearing in the Season 1 premiere, complete with red hat) attempting to rob a bank. However, Peggy and the SSR are already lying in wait. Peggy and Dottie fight in the bank vault, and Peggy ultimately knocks Dottie out with a bag of coins, and arrests her.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Sousa investigates the Lady of the Lake murder mystery, as the LAPD has called in the SSR for help. Despite the heat, a lake is partially frozen over, and a woman’s body has been found in a block of ice.

Back in New York, Peggy begins interrogating Dottie, as Thompson and two other agents watch from the other room. She asks Dottie about a lapel pin that she was after in the safe deposit box, and wants to know why. Just then, Thompson gets a phone call from Sousa asking him to send someone out to Los Angeles to help him. Thompson interrupts Peggy’s interrogation and sends her to LA, despite Peggy’s protests, telling her that Sousa specifically asked for her.

Jarvis meets Peggy at the airport to pick her up, as he is in LA to organize Howard Stark’s estate. Peggy is confused to see a flamingo in the back of the car, and Jarvis informs her that Mr. Stark wanted it as part of his menagerie, and its name is Bernard. Stark is currently out of town as part of the new business he’s in: the moving pictures industry. Jarvis is dreadfully bored, so he begs Peggy to allow him to drive her around, at least until Stark returns.

Jarvis drops Peggy off at the Auerbach Theater Agency, which is the cover for the SSR. Chief Sousa is surprised to see her, but tries to cover. He quickly gets her up to speed and introduces her to LAPD Homicide Detective Henry. They decide that they need to determine whether the frozen lake and the dead body are even the same crime. They go take a look at the body, which is still frozen, and only beginning to thaw, despite the heat lamps. The killer’s m.o. is to switch the shoes to the wrong feet. It is unclear whether the body caused the lake to freeze or vice versa. Also, the body glows in the dark.

They take a sample from the body, but the SSR lab tech, Dr. Samberly, informs them that it’s not ice. The reason that the body was glowing in the dark is because it was near a particle accelerator. Dr. Samberly tells them that there’s a particle accelerator at Isodyne Energy in Pasadena, so Peggy, Sousa, and Henry head there.

The receptionist won’t allow them to look around without a search warrant, so Peggy pretends to go to the bathroom and sneaks back to where the labs are. One of the scientists pulls her in to sample one of his experiments – he has made wine. She asks about the dead woman, and he recognizes her as Jane Scott, who worked there as a particle physicist. He reluctantly tells Peggy there were rumors that she was involved with the owner of Isodyne Industries. The Isodyne receptionist catches Peggy and kicks her out, but Dr. Wilkes gives her his contact information.

Peggy finds out that Isodyne owner Calvin Chadwick is going to be at the Santa Anita race track, so she plans to confront him there. Jarvis’s wife, Ana, lets Peggy borrow an outfit suitable to wear to the race track.

Jarvis accompanies Peggy to the race track, and distracts Chadwick’s wife, movie star Whitney Frost, by talking to her about starring in a Stark Productions movie, while Peggy talks to Chadwick. At first, Peggy uses an American accent, pretending to be a supporter of his run for Senate. However, as soon as she mentions the name Jane Scott, he tries to walk away. Then Peggy introduces herself in her British accent, informs him of Jane’s death, and demands a list of Isodyne employees. However, he tells her to get proper clearance.

Peggy, Sousa, and Henry go to the coroner’s office to see the body, and get an update now that the autopsy is complete. However, the coroner is frozen to death, and his body shatters when pushed over.

Back in New York, Thompson interrogates Dottie. He unlocks her handcuffs, and she pushes the table over on him. Agents come in and pull her off.

Per Peggy’s request, Jarvis brings Dr. Wilkes to the coroner’s office to see what has happened and get his assistance. Meanwhile, Detective Henry goes to get a drink of water from the water fountain, which freezes. It looks like Dr. Wilkes sees this happen.

Sousa and Peggy read the autopsy report, which shows that she was killed by the substance that froze the lake, and the murderer only wanted them to think that she was killed by the Lady of the Lake killer. The only people that knew that the victims’ shoes were switched were the actual Lady of the Lake killer and the police. They immediately realize they need to find Detective Henry.

Outside, Detective Henry punches Jarvis, knocking him out, and kidnaps Dr. Wilkes, so that he can fix him.

Thompson continues interrogating Dottie, and asks her about the pin. Just when Dottie is about to reveal information, some FBI agents come in and take Dottie into custody.

Sousa, Carter, and Jarvis drive out looking for Henry, and find his car parked by a bridge. However, the car is frozen, and no one is inside. Dr. Wilkes has left his business card behind on the seat though. Peggy and Sousa head out, leaving Jarvis behind to direct the police. Peggy gives Jarvis her small gun.

Meanwhile, Henry confesses to Dr. Wilkes what he did. The police locate Henry, and fire shots. Dr. Wilkes runs off, and Peggy pulls him to safety behind a pillar. She then radios instructions to the police telling them “no guns.” Peggy instructs Dr. Wilkes to stay there.

As Sousa goes looking for Henry, Henry sneaks up behind Sousa and pulls his gun on him. Henry has begun to freeze. Peggy approaches them and tells Henry to put the gun down. Sousa says they can work this out. However, Henry replies, “They’re not gonna let us.” When Peggy asks who, someone shoots Henry, causing him to shatter. Peggy exclaims that she said “no guns,” and the officer apologizes, claiming his radio was in the car.

Thompson and the FBI agent, Vernon Masters, go out for drinks, as Thompson expresses his anger that the FBI took credit for Dottie’s capture. Vernon tells Thompson that the entire Department of War is being restructured, and the SSR is becoming irrelevant. He basically tells Thompson to keep up the good work, so that he’ll be given a good position in the future.

Peggy asks Dr. Wilkes for a written report. He thanks her for saving his life, and asks her out for dinner and dancing. However, Peggy declines, saying it’s her policy not to become involved with persons of interest.

The officer who shot Henry reports to Chadwick that the job is done, and Chadwick pays him. After the officer drives off, we see that Whitney Frost is also involved in this.

Peggy and Sousa return to the SSR and discuss the fact that the case is not solved, since they don’t know who the murderer is, so Peggy will be around for awhile longer. Peggy asks Sousa to go out for a drink, but he says he can’t. As Sousa leaves, Peggy watches him from the window, and sees that he meets up with a young woman, and kisses her. Jarvis then pulls up to pick Peggy up.

Meanwhile, at Isodyne, Dr. Wilkes watches as a black substance in a glass container continuously changes shape in a volatile fashion.

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Episode 2 begins with Peggy seeing Jarvis working out. He challenges her to a round of Judo, and they spar. Ana walks in on them in a compromising position, but thinks nothing of it, even encouraging them to go for another round.

Rose badgers Sousa to tell Peggy the truth about his lady friend. They both walk into the office to find Peggy and Sousa’s girlfriend, Violet, getting along great. Violet invites Peggy to join them for dinner that night, then leaves for work.

As the SSR loads up Jane Scott’s body to be transported from the morgue, a man kills the two agents and steals the body.

Chadwick meets up with a group of gentlemen in a secret meeting room, unaware that a meeting had been scheduled. The Council informs him that they’ve decided to shut down Isodyne. Chadwick protests, but to no avail. They remind him that his focus should be on the Senate race, and that they’ve already contributed a significant amount to his campaign.

Sousa and Peggy oversee the recovery of the bodies of the SSR agents who had been transporting the body. Sousa gets word that the Isodyne search warrant has come through, so they rush over. However, when they arrive there’s supposedly a containment leak, and the lab is under isolation. Just then, Dr. Wilkes comes in, and Peggy tries to get his help. He slips her a note that has an address on it, telling her to meet him there alone at 7pm.

Dr. Wilkes sneaks into an Authorized Personnel Only area at Isodyne and steals a film reel. He doesn’t realize it, but another scientist notices him leaving.

Back at the SSR, Sousa finds out that the address is for the Dunbar Hotel downtown. He tells her that it’s a swanky place and she should get dolled up. As he takes off his jacket, an engagement ring falls out of the pocket. She tells him to tell Violet she’s sorry that she can’t make it to dinner.

Ana lets Peggy borrow a dress to wear to the Dunbar Hotel. Peggy insists on driving herself, so Jarvis shows her the special features of Stark’s car, including a tracking device.

Peggy meets Dr. Wilkes at the bar of the Dunbar Hotel. She reluctantly agrees to tell her a little about herself.

Meanwhile, Whitney Frost is at work, making a movie, and is upset to hear the director call her an “older woman.”

Dr. Wilkes deems Peggy trustworthy. He then insists on Peggy dancing with him. Dr. Wilkes says that he doesn’t think Chadwick killed Jane Scott, at least not deliberately, but thinks that he would kill to cover up the research they’ve been conducting. He goes on to say that it’s bigger than even Chadwick thinks it is. He’ll have to show her. As they leave, we see that the man who killed the SSR agents is following them.

When Whitney Frost goes to her dressing room, Chadwick reports that their Zero Matter project is being scrapped. Whitney is angry that Chadwick let the Council walk all over him. He says that the lab is being scrubbed tonight, and as of tomorrow, Zero Matter will be gone. Chadwick thinks it’s a good thing in the long run, because they want him to focus on his Senate career. Whitney acts happy, but we can see that she’s not.

Dr. Wilkes and Peggy drive up to the Griffith Observatory and take in the view of the city. He tells her about working in the orange groves and then working at the observatory, and later gaining experience in the war. They go inside, and he shows her the film reel that he stole from Isodyne. It shows an atomic test that did not go as planned – some sort of black mass sucked everything around it into itself. The only thing left behind was the black mass, which Isodyne calls Zero Matter. Meanwhile, outside, some men with guns have shown up.

Dr. Wilkes tells Peggy that Jane Scott must have come into contact with Zero Matter. His job was to build and maintain the magnetic containment chamber for it. Peggy tells Dr. Wilkes that they’re going to Isodyne tonight to steal it. Just then, then are gunshots, and they run to the car. Peggy activates the tracking signal on the car. Ana alerts Jarvis to its activation. Peggy hotwires one of the men’s cars while Dr. Wilkes covers her, then they drive off. The men hop in their other car and follow.

The car Peggy is driving starts to break down due to the gunshots, so she pulls into an alley as the men drive by without seeing them. As they duck down, Peggy happens to find a lapel pin matching the one that Dottie was after. Peggy and Dr. Wilkes walk from there.

Violet meets Sousa at the agency before going out to dinner. However, just as they are about to leave, Jarvis calls the agency and informs Sousa that he has received an SOS from Agent Carter, and he fears she may be in some trouble at the Griffith Observatory. Sousa says he’ll meet him there.

Dr. Wilkes and Peggy find a phone booth, but they don’t have any change, so they go inside a nearby bakery to get change. Not approving of Dr. Wilkes’ skin color, the baker says they’ll have to buy something. They do, and get change, but the phone isn’t working. While in the phone booth, a car drives up, and the two come into close quarters while in the booth in order to avoid the men. However, it’s not the men. Peggy and Dr. Wilkes kiss. She then says she has an idea – they’re going to steal that car.

Sousa and Jarvis return from the Griffith Observatory and report their findings to Rose. Sousa goes into his office and loses his temper, then puts his agents into action. Sousa and Jarvis head to Isodyne.

Meanwhile, Dr. Wilkes and Peggy arrive at Isodyne. They hear some men arrive. While Peggy goes to distract them, Dr. Wilkes transfers Zero Matter into a portable container. Just then, Whitney Frost enters, and Dr. Wilkes is surprised to see her.

Outside, Peggy has put on a lab coat, and uses an American accent to tell the arriving men that they don’t have clearance to be there. Then she attacks and fights them.

Inside, Whitney Frost pulls a gun on Dr. Wilkes and demands the Zero Matter. He knocks the gun out of her hand. They have a bit of a scuffle, during which the Zero Matter falls over the ledge, and the container bursts open, releasing the Zero Matter, which explodes and consumes the matter around it.

Peggy rushes into the area, where she sees the destruction, and doesn’t find Dr. Wilkes (or Whitney Frost, though Peggy hadn’t known she was there).

Sousa and Jarvis arrive at Isodyne, and Sousa is relieved to see Peggy alive. He sends her home, and Jarvis gives her a ride.

The next morning, when Sousa gets home, Violet is waiting on his porch. He apologizes for last night. However, she’s proud of him for catching bad guys, and is confident he’ll make it up to her. He asks her to call him when she gets off of work. They kiss, and they tell each other that they love each other. Then she gets into her car and drives to work.

Ana brings Peggy some whisky. Peggy wishes she had the chance to get to know Dr. Wilkes better.

Chadwick knocks on the door of Whitney’s room, telling her that there was an accident at the lab, and the Zero Matter is all gone. She is sitting on the floor, shaking. She pulls back her hair, and we see a black mark on her forehead.

Scenes from Agent Carter, Season 2 Episode 3: Better Angels

Here are scenes from the next episode of Agent Carter, titled Better Angels:

Scenes from Agent Carter, Season 2 Episode 3: Better Angels

What did you think of the Season 2 premiere of Agent Carter? Let us know in the comments below!