“Life of the Party” is episode six of season two of Marvel’s Agent Carter.
At the end of the previous episode, “The Atomic Job”, Dr Wilkes faded out of existence. This episode opens from Wilkes’ view; he’s in another dimension with the real world all distorted and Peggy’s voice barely audible. He starts reaching out to something black, then snaps back into the real world. Wilkes is worried; he says that he can’t fight it anymore, whatever is calling to him. He seems to be panicking when Peggy interrupts. She says that at Isodyne Wilkes was doing containment research on the zero matter, and asks Wilkes if he couldn’t do something similar for himself. Wilkes replies that it won’t work. He has no mass, no material form to contain. If he did, they wouldn’t be having this conversation. Peggy wants to know if Wilkes was restored to his tangible state, even briefly, could he build a containment chamber for himself. He says yes, but they need more zero matter. And all of that is currently in only one place.
That place being Whitney Frost. Whitney appears to be muttering to herself and her husband asks if she’s okay. Short answer: no. Whitney blames Peggy for ruining everything. Chadwick replies that everything will work out fine, as he has arranged for the council to meet with her – he contacted them whilst Whitney was asleep. Chadwick claims he realises he hasn’t been giving Whitney the proper support. She says that the council never meets with outsiders, let alone women but Chadwick replies that she is important. And that she should address the council, as she understands the matter more. Oddly, his call to the council didn’t seem quite so helpful for Whitney.
Jarvis is dressing Peggy’s wounds, as rebar went through her when she fell of something in the Roxxon facility whilst fighting Whitney. Ana is watching and asks if Peggy isn’t in pain. Only when she does, well, anything. And this was better than the alternative. Once her wound is dressed, Peggy is going to dress herself and head to the lab. Yes, in a perfect world, she would be resting. But it’s not perfect.
Sousa is in the lab and Peggy greets him by saying he looks terrible. He comments that this is coming from the woman with a rebar hole through her abdomen. Peggy wants to know if anything is wrong and Sousa avoids the question – after Rose treated Peggy’s wound she told Sousa that he was in love with Peggy. The conversation probably didn’t get any better.
Peggy says that they have a problem, as Dr Wilkes has lost his foothold. They need to anchor him in the world because, amongst other things, he is the centrepiece of their case. Wilkes has designed a containment chamber to stabilise himself, but they need a sample of zero matter. Which they will have to get from Whitney Frost.
Whitney will be attending her husband’s fundraiser – when she will be addressing the council as well. Stark gives money to all political candidates so that they will owe him a favour no matter who wins. Jarvis has two tickets to the fundraiser. Sousa thinks Peggy is making it sound very easy. When she is in no fit state to try and infiltrate an event and get close to a woman who not only would recognise Peggy but also tried to kill her. They also can’t trust the SSR. Sousa says they need a highly skilled unknown face who can blend in with the glamour and throw down in the gutter, and he doesn’t know of anyone else. Peggy says she has a terrible idea.
Said terrible idea being Dottie Underwood. Peggy goes to see Dottie posing as a psychiatrist. She tells Dottie that nobody in the Soviet Union is asking for Dottie’s release. Dottie has hope though – for Peggy is in disguise. Which means this isn’t an official SSR visit. Back at the lab, Ana is being Wilkes’ hands. He is fretting and explains how everything needs to go right at the do. Which Jarvis is attending. Jarvis is excited but Ana is now worried as well. She may have words with her husband at some point.
Peggy has the pin that Dottie attempted to steal in “The Lady in the Lake”. Dottie claims she was hired to steal the pin, which she claims will unlock the secrets of every major decision in the country. Peggy tells Dottie that they both want something from the men who wear the pins. She will break Dottie out if Dottie agrees to help. Which she does. Peggy gives Dottie something, and some instructions on what to do. Peggy will deal with the guards. After Peggy leaves, Dottie examines what she’s been given. Which is a pair of electromagnets. Which she uses on the door to unlock it. Outside, the guard is asleep in a chair with lipstick on his mouth. Dottie says ‘Sweet dreams,’ clearly recognising Peggy’s lipstick that Dottie stole and used against her in “A Sin to Err”. The guard’s gun is also gone. Dottie leaves the building and doesn’t go right as Peggy told her, instead going left. Right into Peggy and Sousa. Sousa fires a net over her which looks totally unimpressive. Except it’s electrified.
When Dottie comes around, she is tied to a chair, wearing a dress and under a hairdryer. Peggy explains and also gives Dottie a diamond choker, which contains a tracking device and a neurotoxin that will kill Dottie in 35 painful seconds if she tries to remove it. Dottie promises to give Peggy a choker of her own to return the favour (Dottie has some great lines in this episode). Jarvis wants a gun; Peggy tells him no and demonstrates why. Jarvis wants something and he and Peggy have an animated discussion in front of Dottie whilst the hair dryer is on. Jarvis gets nothing. In the lab, Peggy shows Dottie a picture of Whitney, saying that is her target. She has to get a blood sample, but not let Whitney touch her. Dottie tries grabbing Dr Wilkes and, though she denies it, is clearly surprised when her hand passes through him.
At the event, Sousa and Peggy are in the van – when Jarvis tells them that Thompson has arrived. Which is awkward. Given that Thompson will recognise both Jarvis and Dottie. Who offers to kill Thompson. Which is turned down. The plan, of course, does not go to plan. Dottie finds out rather more than she might have expected about what’s going on, as do the council. Things get shaken up a bit. And how will Thompson jump? Masters is trying to get Thompson to turn on Peggy, but will Thompson put his potential ambitions ahead of doing his actual job? He knows by now that Masters is associated with men who are up to something. Such as rigging the senatorial election.