I don’t
know if the uptight, possibly-tweedy Brit who can throw down surprisingly well
when necessary is an actual archetype for genre shows or if it’s mainly Whedon
and Whedon-adjacent shows that make me think that (see also, to varying
degrees, Rupert Giles, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Adele DeWitt, and Jemma
Simmons.) Regardless, Jarvis is a
top-shelf example of this potential archetype – my love for him is strong and
abiding (a few Jarvis-related spoilers.)
The
long-suffering butler of Howard Stark, Jarvis is essentially gifted to Peggy
when Howard recruits her to find his stolen inventions and clear his name. He’s offered up as a tireless gopher for
Peggy, the extent of his services knowing no bounds. Having spent years in Howard’s employ,
tidying up after the genius playboy’s assorted scandals and sexploits, Jarvis
comes by these intentions honestly and is ready to do anything and everything
Peggy needs him to.
The
slight hitch, of course, is that Peggy is in full-on lone-wolf mode and doesn’t
want him for anything. Her first
reluctant foray into asking for his assistance isn’t really helped by his
desire to keep up his usual domestic routine with his wife, leading Peggy to
question whether Jarvis is really committed and/or cut out for this. To be sure, there are a few early-stage
scheduling conflicts along these lines, and Jarvis tuts a bit when the secret
spy stuff gets in the way of laundry, cooking, or the wireless program he and
his wife enjoy in the evenings, but really, any objections on his part are
short-lived.
The
truth is, however much it inconveniences him, Jarvis is incredibly eager to
help Peggy in any way he can. Not that
he doesn’t mend Howard’s zippers and wash the sexy costumes worn by Howard’s
overnight guests – with consummate professionalism but a witheringly-dry
world-weariness. But he wants to do
more. He wants to do something exciting
and complicated and dangerous, he wants to help keep the world safe from the
unsavory people who’ve gotten their hands on Howard’s weapons, and he wants to
support Peggy in her mission.
And
once she begins to let him in, Jarvis very willingly obliges in his
oh-so-British way. Whether he’s called
on to drive a getaway car, handle volatilely lethal materials, or back Peggy up
in a fight, he gets the job done. What’s
more, he’s a wonderful source of emotional support for Peggy, encouraging her
to allow herself to lean on others when she needs to. I love how much he admires her for her
strength, ingenuity and bravery, but that he’s also aware of how human she is
and isn’t afraid to speak up when he sees her going down a needlessly-reckless
path; even knowing that she’s likely to brush off his concerns, he still makes
himself heard.
And
finally, Ana, in addition to be a fab character in her own right, tells us so
much about Jarvis. I love that she’s not
a “female Jarvis” and has such a different temperament than him – and that,
rather than be stuffy about it and fret about decorum, he loves that about
her. I love that he risked his (former)
military career to get Ana out of German-occupied Europe, doesn’t make excuses
about the treason charge that resulted from it, and puts up with Howard’s
antics in part because of his gratitude for Howard’s help in saving her. When he’s relating these events to Peggy, who
realizes, “She was Jewish,” I absolutely love the quiet, utterly sincere smile
he gives as he replies, “Still is, I’m happy to say.” What a beautiful moment.
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