Warning: The following information is classified. Spoilers  for Agent Carter: “The Edge of Mystery” and “A Little Song and Dance” lie ahead.

Can I just fall asleep and have a dream where Enver Gjokaj and Reggie Austin serenade and woo me? No? Fine. Then I guess I’ll get to the recap of the latest episodes of Agent Carter, “The Edge of Mystery” and “A Little Song and Dance,” instead. As you probably noticed with your astute observation skills, Tuesday night offered another two hour block. We’re in the next to last week of season two–insert sad trombone sounds here–and the release format makes it feel like they’re burning through episodes. On one hand, it suits my greedy desire to get two episodes at the same time, but on the other hand, it may not mean great things for  the future of the show.

Regardless of the reasoning for these back-to-back airings, the process doesn’t hurt the story. I’m not sure if they knew how the season would be broken up when they wrote it, but the plot is paced as if they did. Last week wrapped with the Ana cliffhanger, and it paid off in a big way in “The Edge of Mystery.” Ana made it through surgery, thank god, and Jarvis kept watch.

James D’Arcy was a powerhouse throughout both episodes. We’ve seen him display his comedic chops over and over again, but he got to dig deeper here. Watching Jarvis transform into a devastated and worried husband was heartbreaking, obviously, but also tremendous because D’Arcy showcased such skill. He presented a completely different side of Jarvis—a side we knew was there because his love for Ana was apparent but not a side we’ve had the opportunity to see. It was stirring to get a look at his despair, followed by his anger with Peggy, and finally his coldness towards Whitney Frost. Jarvis has experienced events in recent episodes that have changed him—I hope we get a third season in order to further explore this new direction for him.

As Ana recovered, Peggy and company made a plan to get Wilkes back from Whitney. Peggy and Sousa were briefly detained by Jack, but like in season one, he showed a glimmer of hope. Though not exactly easily manipulated, Jack does put on blinders. He was at least capable of seeing clearly once Peggy peeled away the corners to show him the truth. I’m always so eager to believe in Jack. He’s written in such a way you always think the next time is the time he’ll be the better man, but it never quite pans out.

Jack did help Peggy and Sousa for a minute. Unfortunately, their attempt to get Wilkes back failed for various reasons, including Zero Matter and Whitney affecting Wilkes in a negative way. God, the raw and painful look on Peggy’s face when Wilkes threatened her. (Hayley Atwell does wonders with those small moments.) Does this woman never catch a break?

Peggy’s poor luck continued when they failed to stop Whitney and Wilkes from opening a Zero Matter rift in the desert. The experiment didn’t work out so hot for Whitney either. The Zero Matter stopped calling to her and chose Wilkes, if you can imagine how that made her feel. We’ve seen Whitney’s history. We know she’s been overlooked and overruled by men throughout her life. With Zero Matter, she’d found her place. Then, in the crucial moment, it called to Jason. A man. As if Whitney needed another reason to be a villain.

If you thought Jarvis has been acting colder and more and machine-like, your beliefs were supported by him shooting Whitney without blinking an eye. It’s not a move I would have expected from the character but not out of line considering what he went through. It was a slap in the face to us and to Peggy. Jarvis’ actions got him and Peggy caught which led to the most bizarre Agent Carter scene ever.

Knocked out cold, Peggy experienced a musical dream. Lyndsy Fonseca appeared as Angie, and many of Peggy’s pals and co-workers were there in elaborate costumes. Sousa and Wilkes sang and danced with Peggy, not so subtly playing upon the way her affection is torn between the two men. Was the dream a necessary diversion? Probably not. In some ways, it was jarring. But do I care if it was a bit out of place? Heck. No. The interlude was an entertaining few minutes of levity in between dire circumstances, and it was a goddamn delight to watch the cast get to play around.

We got knocked out of the happy place by a necessary argument between Peggy and Jarvis. It’s been a long time coming. Peggy pointed out how Jarvis treats her work as an adventure when it, in fact, has had very real consequences. Jarvis fought back by saying just the right words to wreck Peggy—friends have that kind of power. He pushed her vulnerable guilt buttons and reminded her everyone around her dies. Ouch, Jarvis. I understand where he’s coming from, but he went a hair too far.

Eventually, with everyone back in the SSR and with Vernon on their side, Peggy and co. worked on the next plan to stop Whitney. Time was of the essence, and I respect how they went back to the drawing board without hesitation. Dr. Samberly’s skills came in handy once more, but at the end of the day, they were all tricked by Thompson. Again. He didn’t trust the system to take care of Vernon so he came up with an alternate method to dispose of Vernon and Whitney and Wilkes. Sigh. Thompson’s idiocy almost made me forget the glorious scene earlier in the episode when he and Sousa yelled, “Do as Peggy says” in unison. Still, there was some realism to Jack’s reasoning, and I think Peggy could use a dose of cynicism to balance her idealism.

Agent Carter’s season two finale will have quite a few points to wrap up in an hour—weirdly, the finale isn’t a two-hour event—but they’re poised to nail it. But if there’s not a Peggy and Sousa kiss in there…

Favorite quotes:

• “I think you’re a mass murderer of rats.” – Wilkes
• “I promise I will protect you to my dying day.” – Jarvis (no, you’re crying)
• “What’s happened and what’s true are two different things.” – Vernon
• “Do as Peggy says.” – Thompson and Sousa

How do you feel about Agent Carter being shown in these two hour chunks? Do you think it’s helping or hurting the story? What do you think about Jarvis’ development? Talk to me about all of it in the comments.

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IMAGES: ABC