Marvel's new show hasn't even started yet and I'm already noticing a pattern. While the pilot bears the name "Now Is Not The End," the next two episodes in the ABC miniseries are called "Bridge and Tunnel" and "Time and Tide." What do these Agent Carter titles mean? Also, is their syntax going to be a repeated thing? Will every episode following be called "_____ and _____"? Maybe I've been watching too much Friends on Netflix. Anyway, "Bridge and Tunnel" seems pretty self-explanatory. The phrase refers to the outer boroughs of New York City, and Captain America himself is famous for living in Brooklyn. Agent Carter will find Peggy moving to the City after the Second World War, and I would not be surprised if she took up in BK in his memory. Plus, the secret Strategic Science Reserve facility that turned Steve Rogers into a Super Solider was hidden around those parts. So, what does "Time and Tide" mean?
According to the official ABC Press release for the episode,
"As Agent Carter closes in on Howard Stark’s stolen technology, Peggy’s secret mission could unravel when the SSR arrests Jarvis and a secret is revealed."
Airing on Jan. 13, this is the third episode of the series out of its total eight this season. Surely, we are reaching the end of this first mission arc, meaning that Agent Carter is running out of time. What else could the title mean?
The Proverbial
The title must be, at least in part, referring to the old saying "time and tide wait for no man." You know who else waits for no man? Peggy Freaking Carter!
The origin of the proverb is unknown. It's meaning has also been twisted over the years. To a modern ear, it sounds like a nautical or maritime saying. You would associate this proverb with someone who, like Danny Castellano, respects the ocean out of fear and delights in a red sky at night. After all, you can't control the tides, unless you are the Moon. However, the word "tide" used to refer to the seasons. You know, like how we sometimes say "tidings of comfort and joy" or "good tidings" at Christmas. So it's kind of a redundant little proverb, but the sentiment stands.
Strangers In The Night
Not to bum you out, but Peggy really can't wait for Steve Rogers. She has to move on and let Captain America be an example. She doesn't know that one day, when she's a senior citizen, her first love is going to wake up and be just as spry and sculpted as the last time she saw him. That's rough.
Feminist Lit Crit
From the 1920s to the 1950s, there was an English literary magazine called the Time & Tide, founded by suffragette Lady Margaret Rhonddha. It began as a feminist political publication, but also featured creative pieces and criticism. Contributers included Viginia Woolf, C.S. Lewis, Vera Brittain, Nancy Astor, and George Orwell.
Though the magazine never sold many copies, it's possible that Peggy Carter was aware of and possibly subscribed to Time & Tide. It's definitely her kind of magazine.
Images: Kelsey McNeal/ABC; Giphy (3)
