Skating and Agent Carter

I think I've finally made peace with my toe loop. At least, I'm not as weirded out by having to cross my leg behind myself to pick. Counter-intuitively, it is more stable, though I'm still at the point where I kind of pick and turn on that pick before hopping off rather than doing a full revolution, but eh.

The test session is a week from Friday. I'm definitely doing Pre-Bronze Moves, and 90% sure I'm doing Pre-Bronze Freeskate. I just wish I were a little more confident that I can get the three revolutions for the 1-foot spin on command. They usually take most of a practice session to show up with anything resembling consistency. And did I mention this is at 7 in the morning? I'm not exactly at my best that early.

I've actually been watching some current TV recently--amazing, I know. I struck out on Galavant (it was like watered-down Monty Python; I just couldn't get into it), but I surprised myself by getting into Agent Carter. I've never seen anything else Marvel-related and am vaguely sour on superheros and their canons as a rule, so I watched the first episode almost entirely because I love Art Deco. (Also because it's a series with a female lead, which is, you know, hard to find.)

I was not disappointed on the Art Deco front, and the show was surprisingly good on its own merits. Not amazing, but not bad. I wish these characters were better at secret agenting. At least Carter and Jarvis have something of an excuse--Jarvis in particular is new to this, and I get the impression Carter is as well? Maybe she did something different during the war?--but the other agents are really kinda not that bright. Oh well. The show is not exactly about brains.

I like the focus on a war vet trying to fit back into civilian society, and in particular the unique place Carter has, trying to fit back in to a society that had a brief taste of something like gender equality and is now enthusiastically wrenching itself back to the status quo. This happened in American film, too, incidentally, something that has fascinated me since I ran up against it in a film class in college.

I do wish one of the three female characters had not kicked the bucket in the very first episode (Colleen was so sweet; I could definitely have shipped her and Carter), but I do like Angie, and the women's hotel has promise. I also like sweet Sousa quietly being the most competent of them all even while catching flak from the other agents about his disability.

Anyway, it has an agreeably pulpy feel (superweapons!) without being too dumb (stupid agents aside). I approve.