Agent Carter concluded its first season last week, tying up most of the plot’s loose ends. Disney and ABC haven’t announced if they’re going to renew Agent Carter for another season, but I certainly hope they do.
Peggy Carter is a strong hero who can go toe-to-toe with any man. I appreciated Peggy’s strong character and dedication to her values. I would love to see more of Peggy’s adventures with the S.S.R., especially since the finale hinted at Hydra’s growth within the S.S.R.
Here are some thoughts I had while watching “Valediction.”
Guilt
After one of his inventions was stolen and led a Russian army to tear itself to pieces, Howard Stark was wracked by guilt. Even though he didn’t release his Midnight Oil gas on the Russians at Finow, he felt responsible. Guilt is a difficult emotion, but also an effective one. We shouldn’t allow our guilt to cripple us, whether it’s the result of intentional or unintentional choices. Jesus Christ died on the cross so that we could be free of the guilt of our sins. We should always be mindful of feelings of guilt, though, because they may be legitimate. If I have sinned and continue to sin, then I’m going to feel guilty. Experiencing that guilt could push me to repent and change my ways.
Credit
Peggy really is an amazing person. Not only did she help clear Howard Stark’s name and avert a major disaster in New York City, but she also didn’t take any credit for what she had done. She was more than happy to allow Thompson to take the credit for saving the city. Peggy understood that she doesn’t do what’s right to earn praise, but simply to do what’s right. We could benefit from following Peggy’s example. As Christians too often we want to take credit for how God is using us in this world. Instead we should defer all credit to God, since any good work we do is only possible because of his grace.
Moving On
One of the most moving scenes showed Peggy moving on. Jarvis stole Captain America’s blood from Howard and gave it to Peggy. Instead of holding on to the vial of blood and her past, Peggy dumped the blood into the East River. This symbolized Peggy’s decision to move on from Steve and embrace her future. Whether we make some grand gesture or not, we may need to follow Peggy’s example. God doesn’t give us a future so that we can live in the past. God wants to use our pasts to better shape us in the future. We need to acknowledge our pasts and how they’ve impacted us, but release them so that they can’t hamstring our futures. Peggy was able to get over Captain America so I should be able to get over the kids who made fun of me for liking Star Trek in the sixth grade.
I enjoyed the first season of Agent Carter. Hayley Atwell completely carried the series and I would love to see her get another chance. The short series was also an ingenious way to fill the airwaves during Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s hiatus. Now we’ll just have to spend our Tuesdays with Colson instead of with Peggy.
What did you think about “Valediction?”
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