Sam and Bucky were supposed to take back the shield. Not my whole lacefront and wig *looks into the camera* cap.The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has continued to wow me week to week in ways I never expected it to. I thought this was gonna be a cute lil’ buddy action adventure which was basically 6 episodes of The Winter Soldier, and it kinda is. But it’s also SO much more.
One thing about The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is that it pretty much telegraphs what’s going to happen in each episode. There is always a foreshadowing in the dialogue. But also, in the ‘Previously On’ segments. Because of WandaVision, I’ve now been conditioned to not skip these. Disney+ doesn’t give you the option to anyway. WandaVision’s Previously On’s would usually show shots from an MCU movie or two (usually Age of Ultron...because, obviously) and be a case of filling in context in terms of how WandaVision links to the MCU. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier instead gives you a Previously On which links directly to what the upcoming episode will touch on. The Previously On’ segment for episode 5 featured Sarah, Isaiah and Zemo talking about the Sokovia memorial, which was a clear sign this episode was going to touch on all 3, and it did. In fact, this entire episode was a case of circling back.
Now, I didn’t think we were going to get any type of showdown between Sam, Bucky and John until the end of this episode, or maybe at some point during the next. But episode 5 went in hot, picking up pretty much straight after John bludgeoned that Flag-Smasher to death in front of ERRRRBODY. Now, Bucky doesn’t need a reason to beat John’s ass. But Sam being the considerate soul that he is, tries to talk John down. But as soon as the shield gets mentioned, that’s it. John makes like a rubber band and snaps. Even in the midst of the tussle which ensues, with John having kicked Sam about 12 times, he STILL tries to talk John down, with the whole ‘This isn’t you John’. Sam. Sweetie. This is absolutely John. We know you're doing the Captain America thing, but there’s nothing more that we really need to from you to convince us you are the right man for the job. But I guess the show has to really hammer home the differences between Sam and John. Whilst John is always looking for a reason to fight, Sam only does so as a last resort.
The Falcon and Winter Soldier showed us from the very first episode that it can nail a great movie level action sequence, so it should come as no surprise that this is another great display. My only gripe with this fight scene was that there was a lot of really noticeable use of CGI character models. When you freeze frame certain shots it’s like looking at screenshots from the Avengers video game. It’s crazy to me that a better job wasn’t done to hide the frequency or even the use of the CGI models, because there are instances where it’s really fucking obvious. I get using CGI models for Falcon when he’s flying, and when somebody is punched and sent flying half a mile. But a character being kicked down or just grabbing onto a shield? Then again, this is Marvel Studios. Wonky VFX is part of their MO. I really want them to step their shit up, but if they ain't done so after 12 years, 23 films and 2 Disney+ shows, then... *Shrugs*
This is still a great fight sequence. And as with the scuffle we saw between the Dora Milaje and team whiteness, there’s a story being told in the fight itself. We really see how unhinged John is. He also clearly has a taste for killing now, because at every single opportunity where he has Sam or Bucky pinned down, he goes in for kills with the shield; which is still smeared in blood from when John went Kung-Lao on the Flag-Smasher.
The scene also does a great job of showing how formidable John is; a far cry from when we saw him being shamed by the Dora. It’s one thing for the Flag-Smashers to be juiced on the serum as they aren’t trained killers. But John Walker is a decorated soldier who always knew how to fight, and now he’s juiced up. He makes Sam and Bucky WORK for that shield; knocking Bucky clean out, causing his arm to malfunction, and ripping off Falcon’s wings. The way the fight was going, I genuinely thought it was going to end with Sam and Bucky K.O’d and John getting away. But nope. Bucky and Sam finally realise that they can only beat John and get the shield if they (wait for it…) WORK TOGETHER. And in another shocking moment of brutality, Bucky and Sam break John’s arm to get the shield. That’s what the fuck it took for them to get it. Heroes snapping an arm is some brutal shit that I wouldn’t think twice about happening in a DC Comics show like Titans or a movie. But A MARVEL PRODUCTION!?
Gah damn.
The great thing about this sequence isn’t just the action, but the emotion in it. All three of these men are fighting over a damn frisbee, but for different reasons. As the show had signalled from the very beginning, the shield means different things to different people, and there’s an attachment or detachment that some people have to it. For Bucky, the shield represents somebody that meant everything to him. For Sam it represents a symbol of an America that he loves, but one that doesn’t love him back. For John, it represents power. The fact that Sam gave the shield away in the first place was the first sign we should’ve clocked that he’s perfect for Captain America. Because most people woulda been like ’PFFFFFT! I’ll take it!’. But Sam didn’t, because it didn’t feel right. It’s not just a responsibility that you have when you carry that shield, it’s an expectation. An expectation which differs greatly for a white man to that of a Black man - which this episode clearly lays out.
Whilst the shield has always been a focus of this show, this episode makes some things clear in regards to it. The first is that nobody refers to it specifically as ‘Steve’s shield’ or 'Captain America's shield'. The closest we get is Isaiah calling it 'Dat white man's shield' which is what I will be referring to it as from now on. By this point, the shield has taken on a whole life and existence unto itself.
The shield a symbol. It represents a status. It represents a legacy which goes far beyond just Steve wielding it as Captain America. To Bucky it's a reminder of family, of who he was. To Tony, it was a piece of his father. To one of the Dora in episode 4 she felt it was the rightful property of Wakanda, hence why she was ready to take it. And the one person who gave the shield away is the one most affected by seeing it in blood.
As a Black man, there was a part of Sam that wanted to believe in what it represented, and I think he underestimated how much the shield actually does mean to him. Seeing the shield used to kill somebody, and then seeing it covered in blood was the realisation to Sam that not only is THIS America, but the frivolousness to which others see the shield altogether. Because somebody that truly cared about the shield’s legacy and what it represents would not just hand it off to anybody, and that anybody wouldn’t then go and just kill somebody with it. Sam realises that as long as white people stay in possession of the shield, it will continue to be a symbol of an America that doesn't respect people like him and his family.
This is still a great fight sequence. And as with the scuffle we saw between the Dora Milaje and team whiteness, there’s a story being told in the fight itself. We really see how unhinged John is. He also clearly has a taste for killing now, because at every single opportunity where he has Sam or Bucky pinned down, he goes in for kills with the shield; which is still smeared in blood from when John went Kung-Lao on the Flag-Smasher. The scene also does a great job of showing how formidable John is; a far cry from when we saw him being shamed by the Dora. It’s one thing for the Flag-Smashers to be juiced on the serum as they aren’t trained killers. But John Walker is a decorated soldier who always knew how to fight, and now he’s juiced up. He makes Sam and Bucky WORK for that shield; knocking Bucky clean out, causing his arm to malfunction, and ripping off Falcon’s wings. The way the fight was going, I genuinely thought it was going to end with Sam and Bucky K.O’d and John getting away. But nope. Bucky and Sam finally realise that they can only beat John and get the shield if they (wait for it…) WORK TOGETHER. And in another shocking moment of brutality, Bucky and Sam break John’s arm to get the shield. That’s what the fuck it took for them to get it. Heroes snapping an arm is some brutal shit that I wouldn’t think twice about happening in a DC Comics show like Titans or a movie. But A MARVEL PRODUCTION!?
Gah damn.
The great thing about this sequence isn’t just the action, but the emotion in it. All three of these men are fighting over a damn frisbee, but for different reasons. As the show had signalled from the very beginning, the shield means different things to different people, and there’s an attachment or detachment that some people have to it. For Bucky, the shield represents somebody that meant everything to him. For Sam it represents a symbol of an America that he loves, but one that doesn’t love him back. For John, it represents power. The fact that Sam gave the shield away in the first place was the first sign we should’ve clocked that he’s perfect for Captain America. Because most people woulda been like ’PFFFFFT! I’ll take it!’. But Sam didn’t, because it didn’t feel right. It’s not just a responsibility that you have when you carry that shield, it’s an expectation. An expectation which differs greatly for a white man to that of a Black man - which this episode clearly lays out.Whilst the shield has always been a focus of this show, this episode makes some things clear in regards to it. The first is that nobody refers to it specifically as ‘Steve’s shield’ or 'Captain America's shield'. The closest we get is Isaiah calling it 'Dat white man's shield' which is what I will be referring to it as from now on. By this point, the shield has taken on a whole life and existence unto itself. The shield a symbol. It represents a status. It represents a legacy which goes far beyond just Steve wielding it as Captain America. To Bucky it's a reminder of family, of who he was. To Tony, it was a piece of his father. To one of the Dora in episode 4 she felt it was the rightful property of Wakanda, hence why she was ready to take it. And the one person who gave the shield away is the one most affected by seeing it in blood.
As a Black man, there was a part of Sam that wanted to believe in what it represented, and I think he underestimated how much the shield actually does mean to him. Seeing the shield used to kill somebody, and then seeing it covered in blood was the realisation to Sam that not only is THIS America, but the frivolousness to which others see the shield altogether. Because somebody that truly cared about the shield’s legacy and what it represents would not just hand it off to anybody, and that anybody wouldn’t then go and just kill somebody with it. Sam realises that as long as white people stay in possession of the shield, it will continue to be a symbol of an America that doesn't respect people like him and his family.
In an act of rage and impulse, the entire legacy of the shield was made even more complicated, and Sam feels responsible for that, even though he shouldn't. But isn't this in itself the existence of being Black? Shouldering responsibility and accountability in ways that white people simply refuse to.
Naturally, John faces repercussions for what he did and faces the music in court. But the senator (the same white man in episode 1 who told Sam ‘You made the right choice’ when he gave the shield to the Smithsonian) is less concerned about John killing somebody and more about how he made America look. Little is mentioned of the fact that John actually murdered somebody. The focus is completely on the mockery that John made as a representative of America AS Captain America, something that John Walker still believes that he is and refuses to let go of.
Now, whilst John clearly flew off the deep end, and is still flying off the bitch by the looks of what we see of him this episode - he wasn’t completely in the wrong. The person he killed was an accomplice to terrorism and was absolutely fine to pin him down whilst Karli slid her ginger ass over a table with a knife, ready to slit Johns’ throat.
When John pleads his case he makes very accurate points. The government did MAKE him. He DID do what they asked him to do. And now they’re punishing him for it because it makes THEM look bad, not necessarily because the act of what he did was wrong. There is zero accountability being taken by the senator or anybody in the hearing for the part they played in what happened. It's all being put on John.
If that damn Dr. Robotnik looking-ass man had kept the damn shield in the Smithsonian and picked the right person to be Captain America, NONE of this, including the death of Lemar, would have happened. It’s one moment where I actually...dare I say it...agreed with all that John said.
John is not blameless though. His shunning of all responsibility, shows how he has zero remorse about what he did - which was still wrong. Everybody in this damn courtroom is wrong. But this is white people and America for you in a nutshell. No justice. No accountability.
The government’s response is absolutely a commentary on America on various levels.
Naturally, John faces repercussions for what he did and faces the music in court. But the senator (the same white man in episode 1 who told Sam ‘You made the right choice’ when he gave the shield to the Smithsonian) is less concerned about John killing somebody and more about how he made America look. Little is mentioned of the fact that John actually murdered somebody. The focus is completely on the mockery that John made as a representative of America AS Captain America, something that John Walker still believes that he is and refuses to let go of.Now, whilst John clearly flew off the deep end, and is still flying off the bitch by the looks of what we see of him this episode - he wasn’t completely in the wrong. The person he killed was an accomplice to terrorism and was absolutely fine to pin him down whilst Karli slid her ginger ass over a table with a knife, ready to slit Johns’ throat.
When John pleads his case he makes very accurate points. The government did MAKE him. He DID do what they asked him to do. And now they’re punishing him for it because it makes THEM look bad, not necessarily because the act of what he did was wrong. There is zero accountability being taken by the senator or anybody in the hearing for the part they played in what happened. It's all being put on John.
If that damn Dr. Robotnik looking-ass man had kept the damn shield in the Smithsonian and picked the right person to be Captain America, NONE of this, including the death of Lemar, would have happened. It’s one moment where I actually...dare I say it...agreed with all that John said.
John is not blameless though. His shunning of all responsibility, shows how he has zero remorse about what he did - which was still wrong. Everybody in this damn courtroom is wrong. But this is white people and America for you in a nutshell. No justice. No accountability.
The government’s response is absolutely a commentary on America on various levels. Casualties of war always refer to physical injuries and losses by default, but there’s no real support for soldiers who suffer from PTSD and all sorts of mental health issues as a result of what they experience - a thread which is carried through from Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The government said ‘John looks fine on paper, so let’s make him Captain America’. Then he does something which makes them realise maybe he isn’t right for the job. And rather than take accountability that they chose wrong and their criteria method is completely wrong, they blame John and take pretty much EVERYTHING away from him. But we all know that if the government knew John had taken the serum, things would play out very differently, and they wouldn’t be so quick to persecute him. But unfortunately for them, the investigative work that they didn’t do was done by somebody else. Because Elaine from Seinfeld knows that John took the serum and sees the value in John that the senator did not. He's probably gonna pay for that. Watch John kill his ass. 
John’s story now weaves itself into other parts of the story in ways it didn’t before. Surprisingly it now shares parallels to that of Isaiah. Both were created to be tools of the government, and then discarded. Both have taken a variant of the super soldier serum. Both lost somebody dear to them. But then there’s the stark contrast in terms of the fates they faced for what they did as Captain America. John killed somebody and still gets to walk free. Isaiah saved lives, and was jailed for 30 years.
Seeing the government’s flippant handling of John and the power they have to just decide the lives and futures of not just one person’s fate, but that of millions is shown in the final moments of this episode. The VERY same senator who shat on John is shown to be in favour of the Patch act and doesn’t give a damn what happens to the refugees - circling back to the Flag-Smashers and that what they’re fighting for is born out of compassion for others. I’mma sidestep their methods and the raggedy way in which the Flag-Smashers are being written for now...just to make this point. Because in the final moments of this episode when they take over the Patch act senate, you don’t feel sorry for any of the people in that room. You feel a sense of ‘They gon’ get what’s coming to them’ which is what’s gonna make the Karli and John showdown so interesting, because they actually have common enemies: the government and the GRC. But both Karli and John are too consumed by vengeance, which you could say is another call-back to Civil War, as vengeance is what caused the fallout back then. A mess of such proportions that it made T’Challa fall back and decide not to kill Zemo; ‘Vengeance has consumed you. It’s consuming them. I’m done letting it consume me’.
Meeting Isaiah Bradley was one of the most impactful and gut wrenching moments of episode 2, because it made it real clear that race is absolutely a theme in this show, and that there is no dancing around it. And episode 5 reminds everybody very clearly and succinctly of that, with yet another Isaiah Bradley moment, where he fills in gaps of the story he told before, and makes his stance on how he sees America very clear, and homie don't stutter ONCE.
As soon as Sam got the shield back, I knew he was going to give it to Isaiah or show it to him. It just made sense. But this is yet another example of how what one person feels the shield represents is different to somebody else. Sam reaches for his lil’ cap carrying case, and Isaiah is pretty much like ‘Fuck that shield, I ain’t wanna see it’ before Sam even touches the zip.
Isaiah is of a generation where Black people were seen as expendable. Blemishes. Things to be wiped out and erased from history. White people hated, and continue to hate our existence, despite continually needing us and the contributions we make to culture and the world at large. Isaiah tells Sam how Black soldiers went off to fight the war for the land of the so-called ‘free’, only to return home with crosses burned on their lawns.
Sam was naïve to think that Isaiah would be glad to see the shield, but he isn’t stupid; Just woefully optimistic, something that Karli highlighted in episode 4. But Sam completely understands Isaiah’s disdain for America after the way it treated him, because Sam has experienced it in part by just simply existing as a Black man from the South. It’s a huge reason as to why he gave up the shield in the first place. But the more Sam speaks to Isaiah, the more he realises that he can’t allow himself to be caught in the same cycle in believing that things can’t change. As Isaiah rightly says, not much has changed in regards to how white America see’s Black people in the past 500 years. But whilst there is an experience of being Black in America that Isaiah and Sam both share, their experiences aren't the same and have shaped them differently. Falcon got to fight alongside Captain America and exist in the world as an Avenger and a hero, where a Black man was the director of the organisation of which Steve Rogers worked for. There is a great deal which hasn’t changed, but so much also has, and Sam has been able to do extraordinary things in his life without persecution because of those changes.
This entire conversation between Isaiah and Sam is really pointed, because it clarifies something that I feel got missed in episode 2. Many viewers interpreted Sam’s first interaction with Isaiah as a defining moment that could make Sam realise that he should’ve kept the shield and taken up the mantle of Captain America. But that wasn’t it. Sam hearing Isaiah’s story was a reaffirmation of Sam’s choice to give the shield away, because the US had a Black Captain America that they didn’t want. This second interaction with Isaiah IS the moment that makes Sam realise that maybe he should keep the shield. And that the legacy he should carry on is not Steve’s, but Isaiah’s.
But Sam thinking he can just hand the shield to Isaiah, and create this new legacy would be Sam doing to Isaiah what the government tried to do with John Walker. You can’t force a legacy. And replacing one is even harder. The best way for Sam to honour Isaiah is to be the change he wants to see in the world, and be the Captain America that America denied Isaiah from being. But Isaiah tells Sam’s straight, with a line I NEVER thought I’d hear spoken in the MCU. ‘They will never accept a Black man as Captain America. And no self-respecting Black man would want to be.’
I clutched the air and then let off a single clap.
It's a pivotal moment which highlights another struggle that white Captain America’s don’t have to think about. A Black Captain America will not only have to deal with white people who won’t accept him, but Black people who won’t accept him either. There will be Black folk who are disgusted that in spite of all America has done to suppress them, that a brotha could parade around in a stars ‘n’ stripes onesie with a matching shield. But if Sam doesn’t want himself or others to be what Isaiah has become, then he has to be what Isaiah should have been. America’s Black hero.
The Flag-Smashers continue to be the absolute weakest of links in this story. But thankfully they’re barely in this episode. And the writing of other elements of the story are so strong in this episode, that the Flag-Smashers don’t drag the entire thing down. But it still highlights that Marvel Studios have a real issue with how they write their villians. When we see Karli, it’s at the GRC camp we saw in episode 4, but the camp has been completely cleared out by the GRC itself, as a result of the mess the Flag-Smashers had caused.
Karli at NO point ever seems to ever process that her actions are what is making things worse. She just throws a tantrum and says ‘LoOk At WhAt ThEy ArE dOiNg To Us?’. No bitch. Look at what YOU are doing. Karli’s actions have gotten two Flag-Smashers killed, had the Flag-Smashers branded terrorists and rightly so. To date they have bombed a building which killed innocent people, and killed a government agent.
I’d honestly like the Flag-Smashers more if they were like ‘Meh, we just wanna fuck shit up’. But this whole thing the show keeps doing by trying to show Karli cares, and giving us slight moments of remorse at her actions just feels so shoddily handled, because you can’t figure out what Marvel are trying to do with the Flag-Smashers, or the narrative they are pushing with them. At this point everything is so clear with Sam, Bucky and John. But there’s just a question mark above the Flag-Smashers. Any nuance and layering that there appeared to be in episode 2 is just gone now, and it’s a shame. I liked where I thought the Flag-Smashers were going. But nope. They are just a petty bunch of terrorists.
I don’t get how the writers could do such a good job of everything else, but fuck up the Flag-Smashers so badly. Something which was reported quite some time ago is that the story in this show included a pandemic storyline, which got chopped when the world actually ended up in a damn pandemic. This could explain why The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’s release was swapped with WandaVision’s - because, rewrites. There are YouTube channels which dive into this and highlight what they think are remnants of this plot - such as the Flag-Smashers stealing vaccines in episode 2 and Donya’s cause of death perhaps not being tuberculosis. It’s interesting stuff and it’s all believable.
But even if there was a pandemic plotline, there are key moments in this story that I feel are fixed. Karli was always going to bomb a building of people. Karli was most definitely always gonna kill Lemar. The issue with the Flag-Smashers isn’t so much what Karli does, but the lack of remorse for these things. This makes the tag-a-along Flag-Smashers look even worse, because what are they even fighting for!? In this episode we see Karli team up with Batroc the Leaper, the guy who kidnapped the general guy in episode 1, who Steve Rogers also fought on the Lemurian Star in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. And one of the only other Flag-Smashers that gets lines in each episode is like ‘Oh, so we’re working with criminals now!?’ Like he wasn’t there when the crew stole medical supplies, when Karli bombed the GRC, when Karli tried to kill Cap, and when Karli then killed Lemar. The Flag-Smashers storyline is sloppy as fuck.
The only interesting thread is seeing Karli and John go down similar paths, despite now being enemies. But I wonder if this will be addressed or made an example of.
Zemo has been a pretty interesting character in this show. Initially I felt that he was underused, that his inclusion didn’t really make the most sense. That Marvel Studios were really hanging onto how good and charismatic Daniel Bruhl is in this role to mask how paper thin his plot line in this show is. But despite only featuring in this episode for all of 20 seconds, completely separate from everything, Zemo’s purpose in this story suddenly clicked. I thought Karli was the representation of the grey zone, but it’s Zemo.
Every MCU production always has to have a character as clear coded villain, so Zemo was painted as such for Captain America: Civil War as to make it obvious who the antagonist is. But part of what Civil War was trying to show is that heroes and allies can be their own worst enemies. I mean, it’s in the title of the film. Civil War had him be a one sided, ‘You took something from me, I’mma take from you’ kinda villain. But The Falcon and The Winter Soldier exposes Zemo’s viewpoints on superheroes to be explored in a way where it re-contextualises some of what he did in Civil War to a point where you’re like ‘He’s a piece of shit...but he’s not wrong’.
Zemo isn’t just a bad guy fucking shit up for no reason. He has a world view and principles on superheroes, and he's not completely wrong. What we saw transpire in Civil War kinda proved it, and Age of Ultron before it also proved it. Superheroes think they are above law and order and can act of their own will. And even if they do something with the intention to mean well, the power they wield can be destructive and cause more damage than good. We’re seeing this play out in this show. A serum which was created to make a superhero and defeat the Nazi’s was weaponsied to make The Winter Soldier, and has since been weaponised by The Flag-Smashers and John Walker - both of whom set out to use the serum with good intentions, but got drunk on the power and did bad things. It once again circles back to what Dr. Tucci Erskine said in Captain America: The First Avenger and what Lemar reiterated in episode 4; the serum doesn’t just make you physically stronger, it brings out who you really are. It’s a really easy and lazy way of saying ‘Karli and John were always bad’, but whatever. It works for the story.
But Zemo’s stance on the serum and those juiced on it would mean that he wants Bucky dead, and yet he doesn’t kill him - because he sees that Bucky is trying to make amends for what he’s done. Zemo has a code, and is...dare I say it...reasonable. Spending time with Sam and Bucky made him see that not all heroes have complexes and desires to be seen as gods and Martyrs. Some people just have it in their heart to want to help and be the best version of themselves they can be for the sake of others. After all, something that gets forgotten, that episode 1 subtly nodded to with the lingering shot in the Cap exhibit, is that Bucky fought for his country in the war alongside Steve and the Howling Commandos. He was always good. It was Hydra who turned him bad.
And Zemo also isn’t completely heartless. He apologised for killing T’Challa’s father in Civil War. He made amends with Bucky, and he willingly let the Dora take him off to prison because he knew killing their king was wrong and something he has to atone for. Zemo knows what it's like to lose family.
Zemo represents somebody who had ideals and isn’t beyond rehabilitation. He’s a sign of a path that Karli and John could have gone down, but instead they’re proving Zemo right on why powers shouldn’t be something just given to people. It’d be interesting to see how Zemo would respond to the likes of mutants.
The heart of this episode however is Sam figuring out the person that he wants to be, separate from the shield and the heroics, but just in general. And in a real heart warming moment, the first thing Sam does after leaving Isaiah’s house and being told (and I’m paraphrasing) ‘They ain’t never gon’ let a nigga be Captain America, and why yo’ Black ass even wanna be!?’ is phone his sister and tell her that he’s returning home.
Lots of people shat on this section of the episode being too long, and being too montage heavy (we get a boat repair montage and shield training montage) but I really enjoyed it. Sam returning home and just being out of doing hero shit was necessary for the story, because Sam has to confront certain things in his life separate from the Avengers and Falcon in order to know to move forward. This has been the theme of the show from the very beginning for both Sam and Bucky, and one which was present in WandaVision: How do you find your place in the world and discover who you are, when the things that once made and defined you are gone? And in true superhero tale fashion, the answer is almost always closest to home.
Sam and Sarah don’t always see eye to eye, but it’s clear they have nothing but love for one another and that Sam looks up to Sarah. Sarah is the heart of this story, and in many ways the voice of Black viewers; making it clear that life is no picnic, that she’s had to hold shit down whilst Sam was off being an Avenger. Many white viewers took it as though Sarah was being ungrateful. But the purpose of Sarah busting Sam’s chops was to show him that superhero shit doesn't pay bills, keep a roof over heads and keep the boat on the water. Quite literally. Because we saw Sam wasn't being paid shit for being an Avenger.
Whilst superheroes are saving the world, the world itself doesn’t stop. Life goes on for everybody. Showing this comparison highlights that sometimes being a superhero is the easy part. When Sam is Falcon, everything is easy to him. It’s effortless. He has one mission. Take out the bad guy. But when he’s on the ground, things are different. His finances are a mess. His family’s business is on the ropes, and he himself can’t fix it. He isn’t in love with his job. He’s a little lost without Steve. There’s the whole deal with the shield. Then there’s Bucky.
Sam forgot the regular life shit of being a ‘civilian’ and Sarah had to school him real quick. But Sarah also made it clear that she is a Black woman in this world and that the government doesn’t care about HER world. She has zero interest in a Captain America. He’s just a white man with a shield. But, she knows how much Steve meant to her brother. And whilst Sarah made her stance on the world clear, she’s not immovable on it. And of course she’d be willing to bet chips on her brother making a change; a change which she also desires, because it would be a better future for her kids. Her youngest son is infatuated with the shield, and plays with it and looks at his Uncle Sam holding it with stars in his eyes. He hasn’t yet experienced the same America as Sam and Sarah, and together they hope he never has to. THIS is what pushes Sam to take ownership of the shield and try to change the world, so he doesn’t become an Isaiah, and never becomes a person who tells his nephew that he could never be a Captain America. It also sets an example for Elijah Bradley, who may go on to become a Cap of his own.
The show even does subtle things such as changing Sam’s wardrobe palette to show his progression to becoming Captain America. Sam’s attire has always been brown and green, but once he gets the shield, he starts wearing red and blue.
As with the setup of John, the show is clever and subtle in how it frames Sarah and her view of the world. She and Bucky flirt; which is sure to start all kinds of memes and jokes about how Bucky got a taste for Black women during his time in Wakanda. But as cute as the moment is, it serves a bigger purpose. Whilst Sarah has little faith in America, this isn’t directed into her not liking white people. The same way that the show gave John a Black wife and a Black best friend, to show that whatever fuckery he ends up doing and any hostility he shows towards Sam and the Flag-Smashers, none of it is rooted in racism. An important distinction to make in a story where supremacy was brought up.
Sam being able to come to the realisation of what he has to do and the kind of person he has to be, is a potential foreshadowing of what it’s going to take for Sam to fix the mess with Karli, John and the GRC. Reminding everybody that they have a job to do and that they need to do it and do it properly. Reminding everybody that forcing a situation doesn’t always breed progress, but can set things back. To be mindful of the legacy that you leave behind. Karli thought she could strongarm the GRC to get her way, and now they’ve fast-tracked the one thing she was fighting against. And her legacy will be that she was a terrorist. John thought taking the serum would make him a better Captain America, just for him to fuck up and be stripped of everything. His legacy will be that he's a murderer.
Sam returning home was also a moment for him and Bucky to have the conversations that they were always too preoccupied or pig-headed to have with one another. And Bucky finally gets why Sam gave away the shield, by acknowledging that he didn’t even think about the weight of what taking the shield and being Captain America would be to a Black man. This was a really powerful moment and a necessary one. Throughout the show, Bucky has made jabs and wise remarks about ‘We coulda done with the shield’, ‘You shouldn’t have given away the shield’, ‘Why did you give it away’. Bucky acknowledging that he was oblivious and that he was wrong was needed here, because Bucky represents all of the white viewers who didn’t get why Sam handed off the shield. My Black ass knew IMMEDIATELY. But white folk wouldn’t necessarily know, which is why having Bucky spell it out was important. It gives white viewers their ‘OH, I GET IT NOW’ moment, whilst Black folk sip their drinks and say ‘We been knew’.
The whole Sam back at home thing was great, because it provided a full circle moment compared to where things were left the last time Sam was home. Before, the boat was fucked, business was bad and Sam, Sam and Sarah were disagreeing on everything, Bucky was ignoring his texts and Sam watched the shield he handed to the Smithsonian be given to somebody else. NOW, the boat is fixed, business is doing aight, Sam and Sarah are on the same page again, Bucky is there and Sam has the shield. But it also circles back on things for Bucky too.
Bucky being at Sam’s hometown also provided a sense of calm for him. We see Bucky give a genuine smile for the first time in this show, enjoying doing regular shit, getting some sleep, and actually opening up and being honest about the demons that he’s facing. It’s all circling back to what Bucky’s therapist said in episode 1. He has to build friendships with people in order to move forward, and he’s finding a friend in Sam. Bucky is able to be himself and let his guard down with somebody in a way he hadn’t done since Steve. He opens up to Sam in ways in he refused to with his own therapist, which leads Sam to telling Bucky what he needs to hear on how to cross through names in his book in a way that’s actually meaningful and provides true closure - which means we’re absolutely gonna see that old man from episode 1 make an appearance in the finale.
Sam knows all of Bucky’s shit and doesn’t hold any of it against him. It’s another sign that Sam is destined to become Captain America. It also shows how far both Bucky and Sam have come. They’re choosing to be around each other now, as opposed to being together out of circumstance. Sam is seeing why Steve and Bucky were good friends. And Bucky is seeing what Steve saw in Sam for them to become friends.
Episode 5 was a great episode, which actually provided a lot of closure and tied up a hell of a lot, leaving the final episode to just be a big ol’ fight and for us to marvel at whatever Shuri put in that briefcase for Sam. The only other loose end is who the Power Broker is (it's still looking like Sharon), and how things will end with Karli, John and also Bucky. I’m really hoping they don’t kill off Bucky, but I’m prepared for Marvel to do it, and for it to be some ‘Y’all see how Sam didn’t go crazy and kill somebody how John did when his friend died!?’ They better not do it. It’s bad enough that Lemar is dead. I actually liked that dude. It would’ve been cool to see him react to who John has become and how he’d handle it. Lemar was always diplomatic and saw Sam’s point of view on things, so I do wonder whether he’d switch sides. But, I guess we’ll never know.
But THE question. Will we see Torres in those wings Sam left him?
I would also like to take this moment to acknowledge how amazing the directing and cinematography is in this show. So many gorgeous shots and standout freeze frame moments in this shit. Kari Skogland. You did amazing sweetie.
John’s story now weaves itself into other parts of the story in ways it didn’t before. Surprisingly it now shares parallels to that of Isaiah. Both were created to be tools of the government, and then discarded. Both have taken a variant of the super soldier serum. Both lost somebody dear to them. But then there’s the stark contrast in terms of the fates they faced for what they did as Captain America. John killed somebody and still gets to walk free. Isaiah saved lives, and was jailed for 30 years.Seeing the government’s flippant handling of John and the power they have to just decide the lives and futures of not just one person’s fate, but that of millions is shown in the final moments of this episode. The VERY same senator who shat on John is shown to be in favour of the Patch act and doesn’t give a damn what happens to the refugees - circling back to the Flag-Smashers and that what they’re fighting for is born out of compassion for others. I’mma sidestep their methods and the raggedy way in which the Flag-Smashers are being written for now...just to make this point. Because in the final moments of this episode when they take over the Patch act senate, you don’t feel sorry for any of the people in that room. You feel a sense of ‘They gon’ get what’s coming to them’ which is what’s gonna make the Karli and John showdown so interesting, because they actually have common enemies: the government and the GRC. But both Karli and John are too consumed by vengeance, which you could say is another call-back to Civil War, as vengeance is what caused the fallout back then. A mess of such proportions that it made T’Challa fall back and decide not to kill Zemo; ‘Vengeance has consumed you. It’s consuming them. I’m done letting it consume me’.Meeting Isaiah Bradley was one of the most impactful and gut wrenching moments of episode 2, because it made it real clear that race is absolutely a theme in this show, and that there is no dancing around it. And episode 5 reminds everybody very clearly and succinctly of that, with yet another Isaiah Bradley moment, where he fills in gaps of the story he told before, and makes his stance on how he sees America very clear, and homie don't stutter ONCE.As soon as Sam got the shield back, I knew he was going to give it to Isaiah or show it to him. It just made sense. But this is yet another example of how what one person feels the shield represents is different to somebody else. Sam reaches for his lil’ cap carrying case, and Isaiah is pretty much like ‘Fuck that shield, I ain’t wanna see it’ before Sam even touches the zip. Isaiah is of a generation where Black people were seen as expendable. Blemishes. Things to be wiped out and erased from history. White people hated, and continue to hate our existence, despite continually needing us and the contributions we make to culture and the world at large. Isaiah tells Sam how Black soldiers went off to fight the war for the land of the so-called ‘free’, only to return home with crosses burned on their lawns.
Sam was naïve to think that Isaiah would be glad to see the shield, but he isn’t stupid; Just woefully optimistic, something that Karli highlighted in episode 4. But Sam completely understands Isaiah’s disdain for America after the way it treated him, because Sam has experienced it in part by just simply existing as a Black man from the South. It’s a huge reason as to why he gave up the shield in the first place. But the more Sam speaks to Isaiah, the more he realises that he can’t allow himself to be caught in the same cycle in believing that things can’t change. As Isaiah rightly says, not much has changed in regards to how white America see’s Black people in the past 500 years. But whilst there is an experience of being Black in America that Isaiah and Sam both share, their experiences aren't the same and have shaped them differently. Falcon got to fight alongside Captain America and exist in the world as an Avenger and a hero, where a Black man was the director of the organisation of which Steve Rogers worked for. There is a great deal which hasn’t changed, but so much also has, and Sam has been able to do extraordinary things in his life without persecution because of those changes.
This entire conversation between Isaiah and Sam is really pointed, because it clarifies something that I feel got missed in episode 2. Many viewers interpreted Sam’s first interaction with Isaiah as a defining moment that could make Sam realise that he should’ve kept the shield and taken up the mantle of Captain America. But that wasn’t it. Sam hearing Isaiah’s story was a reaffirmation of Sam’s choice to give the shield away, because the US had a Black Captain America that they didn’t want. This second interaction with Isaiah IS the moment that makes Sam realise that maybe he should keep the shield. And that the legacy he should carry on is not Steve’s, but Isaiah’s. But Sam thinking he can just hand the shield to Isaiah, and create this new legacy would be Sam doing to Isaiah what the government tried to do with John Walker. You can’t force a legacy. And replacing one is even harder. The best way for Sam to honour Isaiah is to be the change he wants to see in the world, and be the Captain America that America denied Isaiah from being. But Isaiah tells Sam’s straight, with a line I NEVER thought I’d hear spoken in the MCU. ‘They will never accept a Black man as Captain America. And no self-respecting Black man would want to be.’
I clutched the air and then let off a single clap.
It's a pivotal moment which highlights another struggle that white Captain America’s don’t have to think about. A Black Captain America will not only have to deal with white people who won’t accept him, but Black people who won’t accept him either. There will be Black folk who are disgusted that in spite of all America has done to suppress them, that a brotha could parade around in a stars ‘n’ stripes onesie with a matching shield. But if Sam doesn’t want himself or others to be what Isaiah has become, then he has to be what Isaiah should have been. America’s Black hero.
The Flag-Smashers continue to be the absolute weakest of links in this story. But thankfully they’re barely in this episode. And the writing of other elements of the story are so strong in this episode, that the Flag-Smashers don’t drag the entire thing down. But it still highlights that Marvel Studios have a real issue with how they write their villians. When we see Karli, it’s at the GRC camp we saw in episode 4, but the camp has been completely cleared out by the GRC itself, as a result of the mess the Flag-Smashers had caused.Karli at NO point ever seems to ever process that her actions are what is making things worse. She just throws a tantrum and says ‘LoOk At WhAt ThEy ArE dOiNg To Us?’. No bitch. Look at what YOU are doing. Karli’s actions have gotten two Flag-Smashers killed, had the Flag-Smashers branded terrorists and rightly so. To date they have bombed a building which killed innocent people, and killed a government agent.
I’d honestly like the Flag-Smashers more if they were like ‘Meh, we just wanna fuck shit up’. But this whole thing the show keeps doing by trying to show Karli cares, and giving us slight moments of remorse at her actions just feels so shoddily handled, because you can’t figure out what Marvel are trying to do with the Flag-Smashers, or the narrative they are pushing with them. At this point everything is so clear with Sam, Bucky and John. But there’s just a question mark above the Flag-Smashers. Any nuance and layering that there appeared to be in episode 2 is just gone now, and it’s a shame. I liked where I thought the Flag-Smashers were going. But nope. They are just a petty bunch of terrorists. I don’t get how the writers could do such a good job of everything else, but fuck up the Flag-Smashers so badly. Something which was reported quite some time ago is that the story in this show included a pandemic storyline, which got chopped when the world actually ended up in a damn pandemic. This could explain why The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’s release was swapped with WandaVision’s - because, rewrites. There are YouTube channels which dive into this and highlight what they think are remnants of this plot - such as the Flag-Smashers stealing vaccines in episode 2 and Donya’s cause of death perhaps not being tuberculosis. It’s interesting stuff and it’s all believable.
But even if there was a pandemic plotline, there are key moments in this story that I feel are fixed. Karli was always going to bomb a building of people. Karli was most definitely always gonna kill Lemar. The issue with the Flag-Smashers isn’t so much what Karli does, but the lack of remorse for these things. This makes the tag-a-along Flag-Smashers look even worse, because what are they even fighting for!? In this episode we see Karli team up with Batroc the Leaper, the guy who kidnapped the general guy in episode 1, who Steve Rogers also fought on the Lemurian Star in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. And one of the only other Flag-Smashers that gets lines in each episode is like ‘Oh, so we’re working with criminals now!?’ Like he wasn’t there when the crew stole medical supplies, when Karli bombed the GRC, when Karli tried to kill Cap, and when Karli then killed Lemar. The Flag-Smashers storyline is sloppy as fuck.The only interesting thread is seeing Karli and John go down similar paths, despite now being enemies. But I wonder if this will be addressed or made an example of.
Zemo has been a pretty interesting character in this show. Initially I felt that he was underused, that his inclusion didn’t really make the most sense. That Marvel Studios were really hanging onto how good and charismatic Daniel Bruhl is in this role to mask how paper thin his plot line in this show is. But despite only featuring in this episode for all of 20 seconds, completely separate from everything, Zemo’s purpose in this story suddenly clicked. I thought Karli was the representation of the grey zone, but it’s Zemo. Every MCU production always has to have a character as clear coded villain, so Zemo was painted as such for Captain America: Civil War as to make it obvious who the antagonist is. But part of what Civil War was trying to show is that heroes and allies can be their own worst enemies. I mean, it’s in the title of the film. Civil War had him be a one sided, ‘You took something from me, I’mma take from you’ kinda villain. But The Falcon and The Winter Soldier exposes Zemo’s viewpoints on superheroes to be explored in a way where it re-contextualises some of what he did in Civil War to a point where you’re like ‘He’s a piece of shit...but he’s not wrong’.
Zemo isn’t just a bad guy fucking shit up for no reason. He has a world view and principles on superheroes, and he's not completely wrong. What we saw transpire in Civil War kinda proved it, and Age of Ultron before it also proved it. Superheroes think they are above law and order and can act of their own will. And even if they do something with the intention to mean well, the power they wield can be destructive and cause more damage than good. We’re seeing this play out in this show. A serum which was created to make a superhero and defeat the Nazi’s was weaponsied to make The Winter Soldier, and has since been weaponised by The Flag-Smashers and John Walker - both of whom set out to use the serum with good intentions, but got drunk on the power and did bad things. It once again circles back to what Dr. Tucci Erskine said in Captain America: The First Avenger and what Lemar reiterated in episode 4; the serum doesn’t just make you physically stronger, it brings out who you really are. It’s a really easy and lazy way of saying ‘Karli and John were always bad’, but whatever. It works for the story.
But Zemo’s stance on the serum and those juiced on it would mean that he wants Bucky dead, and yet he doesn’t kill him - because he sees that Bucky is trying to make amends for what he’s done. Zemo has a code, and is...dare I say it...reasonable. Spending time with Sam and Bucky made him see that not all heroes have complexes and desires to be seen as gods and Martyrs. Some people just have it in their heart to want to help and be the best version of themselves they can be for the sake of others. After all, something that gets forgotten, that episode 1 subtly nodded to with the lingering shot in the Cap exhibit, is that Bucky fought for his country in the war alongside Steve and the Howling Commandos. He was always good. It was Hydra who turned him bad.And Zemo also isn’t completely heartless. He apologised for killing T’Challa’s father in Civil War. He made amends with Bucky, and he willingly let the Dora take him off to prison because he knew killing their king was wrong and something he has to atone for. Zemo knows what it's like to lose family.
Zemo represents somebody who had ideals and isn’t beyond rehabilitation. He’s a sign of a path that Karli and John could have gone down, but instead they’re proving Zemo right on why powers shouldn’t be something just given to people. It’d be interesting to see how Zemo would respond to the likes of mutants.
The heart of this episode however is Sam figuring out the person that he wants to be, separate from the shield and the heroics, but just in general. And in a real heart warming moment, the first thing Sam does after leaving Isaiah’s house and being told (and I’m paraphrasing) ‘They ain’t never gon’ let a nigga be Captain America, and why yo’ Black ass even wanna be!?’ is phone his sister and tell her that he’s returning home. Lots of people shat on this section of the episode being too long, and being too montage heavy (we get a boat repair montage and shield training montage) but I really enjoyed it. Sam returning home and just being out of doing hero shit was necessary for the story, because Sam has to confront certain things in his life separate from the Avengers and Falcon in order to know to move forward. This has been the theme of the show from the very beginning for both Sam and Bucky, and one which was present in WandaVision: How do you find your place in the world and discover who you are, when the things that once made and defined you are gone? And in true superhero tale fashion, the answer is almost always closest to home.
Sam and Sarah don’t always see eye to eye, but it’s clear they have nothing but love for one another and that Sam looks up to Sarah. Sarah is the heart of this story, and in many ways the voice of Black viewers; making it clear that life is no picnic, that she’s had to hold shit down whilst Sam was off being an Avenger. Many white viewers took it as though Sarah was being ungrateful. But the purpose of Sarah busting Sam’s chops was to show him that superhero shit doesn't pay bills, keep a roof over heads and keep the boat on the water. Quite literally. Because we saw Sam wasn't being paid shit for being an Avenger. Whilst superheroes are saving the world, the world itself doesn’t stop. Life goes on for everybody. Showing this comparison highlights that sometimes being a superhero is the easy part. When Sam is Falcon, everything is easy to him. It’s effortless. He has one mission. Take out the bad guy. But when he’s on the ground, things are different. His finances are a mess. His family’s business is on the ropes, and he himself can’t fix it. He isn’t in love with his job. He’s a little lost without Steve. There’s the whole deal with the shield. Then there’s Bucky.
Sam forgot the regular life shit of being a ‘civilian’ and Sarah had to school him real quick. But Sarah also made it clear that she is a Black woman in this world and that the government doesn’t care about HER world. She has zero interest in a Captain America. He’s just a white man with a shield. But, she knows how much Steve meant to her brother. And whilst Sarah made her stance on the world clear, she’s not immovable on it. And of course she’d be willing to bet chips on her brother making a change; a change which she also desires, because it would be a better future for her kids. Her youngest son is infatuated with the shield, and plays with it and looks at his Uncle Sam holding it with stars in his eyes. He hasn’t yet experienced the same America as Sam and Sarah, and together they hope he never has to. THIS is what pushes Sam to take ownership of the shield and try to change the world, so he doesn’t become an Isaiah, and never becomes a person who tells his nephew that he could never be a Captain America. It also sets an example for Elijah Bradley, who may go on to become a Cap of his own.
The show even does subtle things such as changing Sam’s wardrobe palette to show his progression to becoming Captain America. Sam’s attire has always been brown and green, but once he gets the shield, he starts wearing red and blue.
As with the setup of John, the show is clever and subtle in how it frames Sarah and her view of the world. She and Bucky flirt; which is sure to start all kinds of memes and jokes about how Bucky got a taste for Black women during his time in Wakanda. But as cute as the moment is, it serves a bigger purpose. Whilst Sarah has little faith in America, this isn’t directed into her not liking white people. The same way that the show gave John a Black wife and a Black best friend, to show that whatever fuckery he ends up doing and any hostility he shows towards Sam and the Flag-Smashers, none of it is rooted in racism. An important distinction to make in a story where supremacy was brought up.Sam being able to come to the realisation of what he has to do and the kind of person he has to be, is a potential foreshadowing of what it’s going to take for Sam to fix the mess with Karli, John and the GRC. Reminding everybody that they have a job to do and that they need to do it and do it properly. Reminding everybody that forcing a situation doesn’t always breed progress, but can set things back. To be mindful of the legacy that you leave behind. Karli thought she could strongarm the GRC to get her way, and now they’ve fast-tracked the one thing she was fighting against. And her legacy will be that she was a terrorist. John thought taking the serum would make him a better Captain America, just for him to fuck up and be stripped of everything. His legacy will be that he's a murderer.Sam returning home was also a moment for him and Bucky to have the conversations that they were always too preoccupied or pig-headed to have with one another. And Bucky finally gets why Sam gave away the shield, by acknowledging that he didn’t even think about the weight of what taking the shield and being Captain America would be to a Black man. This was a really powerful moment and a necessary one. Throughout the show, Bucky has made jabs and wise remarks about ‘We coulda done with the shield’, ‘You shouldn’t have given away the shield’, ‘Why did you give it away’. Bucky acknowledging that he was oblivious and that he was wrong was needed here, because Bucky represents all of the white viewers who didn’t get why Sam handed off the shield. My Black ass knew IMMEDIATELY. But white folk wouldn’t necessarily know, which is why having Bucky spell it out was important. It gives white viewers their ‘OH, I GET IT NOW’ moment, whilst Black folk sip their drinks and say ‘We been knew’.
The whole Sam back at home thing was great, because it provided a full circle moment compared to where things were left the last time Sam was home. Before, the boat was fucked, business was bad and Sam, Sam and Sarah were disagreeing on everything, Bucky was ignoring his texts and Sam watched the shield he handed to the Smithsonian be given to somebody else. NOW, the boat is fixed, business is doing aight, Sam and Sarah are on the same page again, Bucky is there and Sam has the shield. But it also circles back on things for Bucky too.Bucky being at Sam’s hometown also provided a sense of calm for him. We see Bucky give a genuine smile for the first time in this show, enjoying doing regular shit, getting some sleep, and actually opening up and being honest about the demons that he’s facing. It’s all circling back to what Bucky’s therapist said in episode 1. He has to build friendships with people in order to move forward, and he’s finding a friend in Sam. Bucky is able to be himself and let his guard down with somebody in a way he hadn’t done since Steve. He opens up to Sam in ways in he refused to with his own therapist, which leads Sam to telling Bucky what he needs to hear on how to cross through names in his book in a way that’s actually meaningful and provides true closure - which means we’re absolutely gonna see that old man from episode 1 make an appearance in the finale.Sam knows all of Bucky’s shit and doesn’t hold any of it against him. It’s another sign that Sam is destined to become Captain America. It also shows how far both Bucky and Sam have come. They’re choosing to be around each other now, as opposed to being together out of circumstance. Sam is seeing why Steve and Bucky were good friends. And Bucky is seeing what Steve saw in Sam for them to become friends.
Episode 5 was a great episode, which actually provided a lot of closure and tied up a hell of a lot, leaving the final episode to just be a big ol’ fight and for us to marvel at whatever Shuri put in that briefcase for Sam. The only other loose end is who the Power Broker is (it's still looking like Sharon), and how things will end with Karli, John and also Bucky. I’m really hoping they don’t kill off Bucky, but I’m prepared for Marvel to do it, and for it to be some ‘Y’all see how Sam didn’t go crazy and kill somebody how John did when his friend died!?’ They better not do it. It’s bad enough that Lemar is dead. I actually liked that dude. It would’ve been cool to see him react to who John has become and how he’d handle it. Lemar was always diplomatic and saw Sam’s point of view on things, so I do wonder whether he’d switch sides. But, I guess we’ll never know.But THE question. Will we see Torres in those wings Sam left him?
I would also like to take this moment to acknowledge how amazing the directing and cinematography is in this show. So many gorgeous shots and standout freeze frame moments in this shit. Kari Skogland. You did amazing sweetie.