We’re through the second episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (FWS) and you can check out our recap below – with spoilers!
To set the scene – FWS takes place about six months after the events of Avengers: Endgame. So, the world is still very much dealing with the impact of having billions of people who had been gone for five years, suddenly reappear, with no memory of what has happened. The series, more than WandaVision, really wants to explore the incredible upheaval these two huge events (first the disappearance of half the world’s population and then their sudden return five years later) would have on society. Spoiler alert – it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
When we left our heroes – Sam and Bucky (aka The Falcon and The Winter Soldier) – they were both dealing with finding their place in this new world. Remember that both characters have been absent the last 5 years. For Sam, this means his sister and her kids have gone on without him. For Bucky, it’s not so much the five missing years, but the fact that he is trying to discover his purpose with no immediate battles to fight.
Sam had chosen to give up the shield that Steve Rogers (the real Captain America) had given him. He was dealing with financial issues with his family and working on a government mission to stop a group of terrorists called the Flag Smashers. The last episode ended with the revelation that the government had no intention of letting the shield sit idle and instead named a new Captain America.
Let’s jump in.
#NotMyCap
We get to meet the new Captain American (John Walker) and our feelings about him are mixed. He seems to be a good guy, military hero, patriot, etc. But, as he interacts with Sam and Bucky, we can’t help being just a little ticked off at some of his attitudes. While it might be earned (3 time Medal of Honor winner and all) New Cap has more than a bit of an ego. After making a persuasive speech to get Sam on his side, he can’t help but add in that he would really like to have “Cap’s windman” on his side. That last bit just pokes Sam a bit and both he and Bucky say they have no interest in working with New Cap to find the Flag Smashers. Cap then warns them to “stay the hell out of my way.”
It is definitely not clear where the character of New Cap is headed. Will he stay a ‘good guy’ but someone who has issues with Sam and Bukcy or will he turn into some type of villain? The show is laying the groundwork for this to go either way.
Couples Therapy
We do get a very funny scene of Sam and Bucky in ‘couples therapy’ that shows the tension between the characters. Basically, Bucky is frustrated that Sam gave up the shield. He believes Sam should have been Original Cap’s successor and that’s that. It’s a funny scene, with the two of them forced to engage in an exercise in relationship building.
Despite their issues, they make a strong team once they stop bickering. We get to see a bit of that in their first battle with the Flag Smashers. While they get their behinds handed to them, we also see how they can pair up to be a formidable duo. Expect to see a lot more of that as the episodes continue.
The Big Three
Sam mentions a hilarious fan observation that the Avengers are always fighting one of three things – Androids, Aliens, and Wizards. There is some fun banter about the difference between Wizards and Sorcerers between Sam and Bucky – and later New Cap – but it’s a funny observation that pretty much rings true for the big Avengers films. But, we’re in a somewhat more grounded story, so we’re dealing with super soldiers and terrorists – at least as far as we know for now.
The World is a Mess
As mentioned above, the world is messed up. We learn that there is a growing terrorist movement that wants to abolish all governments. These are the Flag Smashers that are the bad guys during at least the beginning of the series. Basically, there are a lot of people who found that they liked some of the changes that happened during the five years when people were gone and don’t want to go back to ‘normal’ now that everyone is back.
The Super Soldier Serum is Back
It was teased in the first episode, but we learn for certain during the fight between the terrorists and Sam and Bucky (along with New Cap and his sidekick), that the bad guys are making use of the Super Soldier Serum. This is what made Captain America a superhero and turned Bucky in the powered Winter Soldier. So, having a bunch of super strong terrorists around can’t be a good thing. As an aside, we learn that New Cap is not a super soldier, which is going to make it tough for him to go toe-to-toe with the Flag Smashers. Although, Sam isn’t a super soldier either. So, maybe that’s something they will bond over.
What’s Next?
Sam and Bucky are headed to a German prison to visit Zemo, the Hydra villain from Captain America: Civil War. This should be good…
