Agent Carter Season 2 Episode 10 Review: “Hollywood Ending”

Should Agent Carter Episode 10: “Hollywood Ending” be the final episode of Agent Carter… it surely went out with a bang… or rather, an implosion.

Read on for our review [with SPOILERS] of Agent Carter’s Season 2 finale!

“Hollwood Endings” seemed to get certain characters back on track. Returning from a long absence was a humorous version of Edmund Jarvis. After several weeks showing off his acting chops (due to the storyline of his wife being shot – not exactly comedy material), Jarvis returned to his happier self. Perhaps this character revitalization was due to the fact that Jarvis’ buddy and the man himself returned to the show. That’s right… Howard Stark was back!!!

Agent Carter is a great show, but it reaches bigger heights when Dominic Cooper returns as the Howard Hughes clone. We saw his charm and charisma when he was interacting with the tough-as-nails Rose. We also saw the selfishness when his friend Jarvis was being held at gunpoint, but all Stark really cared about the mustard for his sandwich. It should also be no surprise that Stark has a long history with mobster (and love interest of Whitney Frost) Joseph Manfredi. Simply put; should Agent Carter get a season three, we’ll definitely need more Howard Stark!!!

So “Hollywood Ending” came to an expected conclusion. Thanks to the minds of Dr. Jason Wilkes and Stark (with an assist from Dr. Samberly), the good guys built a device to export the Zero Matter back to the Dark Dimension; they did this by creating a black hole that almost took SSR West Coast Chief, Daniel Sousa, with it. Of course, it worked… and after serving as a host for the Zero Matter, Whitney Frost lost her mind and wound up in a mental hospital. We’re thinking this leaves the door open for Frost to serve as an antagonist in a future season (fingers crossed).

It was in the final recap where the show really gave the fans what they were wanting. There were references to the MCU (Howard Stark setting up a Malibu office to work on a secret project – perhaps to build an arc reactor?) There was Jarvis and Peggy sharing a fond moment, knowing it could be their last… which was very meta. Then it happened… Peggy and Sousa finally got together.

Two seasons were building up to this moment. We had to get through the awkward moments in season one. Then in season two, both Sousa and Carter were flirting with separate romances. However, by the end… Carter brought Sousa in close and planted one on him (she literally has to do everything). The show fades to black… an Agent Carter slate… and it ends on a perfect note.

Oh, no… it fades up. Chad Michael Murray’s SSR Director, Jack Thompson, is opening a door. HE’S SHOT!!! A mysterious figure grabs a file on Carter… and now it’s over!!! No… not a cliffhanger… NOT A CLIFFHANGER!!!

Sadly, the mysterious figure (who, let’s face it, is clearly Carter’s brother who was thought to have died in WW2) may never be solved. According to TVLINE, “Hollywood Ending” saw the season’s final episode continue the downward ratings trend with only 2.35 million viewers. With borderline abysmal ratings, Agent Carter‘s future is in jeopardy. There’s also the issue with Haley Atwell getting ready to star in a new series on ABC. So, it appears the doors of the SSR might be closed for good.

If that’s the case, then it was a fitting ending. Carter gets the guy, Jarvis returns to his old form and we got one more Howard Stark appearance. We also still have plenty more Marvel on television thanks in part to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D (returning next week) and the recently announced Most Wanted (release date TBD). However, both those shows may not capture the same joy in seeing a 1950’s femme fatal kick ass and take names. Other shows can try to emulate it… but there will truly only be one… Agent Carter.