Hey All! I am GT Rebirth frequent co-host of the Major Issues Podcast and proud member of Comicbook Clique! As a big fan of the MCU iteration of Captain America I thought it would be cool to break down some episodes of Falcon and the Winter Soldier!

Yes, I know there wasn't a double premiere for Falcon and the Winter Soldier like there was WandaVision. I'm just a little late because sometimes when given just a bit of responsibility, I crumble like Ryback under Mark Henry (look it up).

And sadly, that’s the very first thing we see when we get our first glimpse of Sam Wilson in episode one of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. That long shot of him looking at the shield for what he believes is the last time, haunted by the echo of his words when he first held it "... like it's someone else's". Join me as we follow his journey and I tackle FIVE TAKEAWAYS from each episode…starting with this double header.

Freelance Avenger?

Seems like Sam Wilson is doing freelance operations for the military I’m not sure how I feel about this after being on the outs with the government after Civil War, but maybe that's being a hero. You help where you can, and say “damn the grudges”. It couldn’t have been easy for Falcon as a fugitive and his heroics here might be the best foot forward.

We get an introduction to a new MCU character, Joaquin Torres, who works alongside Sam in his missions. This is interesting because Torres initially made his debut in the Sam Wilson: Captain America Series as the “new” Falcon in one of Marvel’s…more colorful iterations on the character. I doubt they will go this route on the show, as it would be hard to portray in the series, but I’m psyched to see him come for the ride. Finger crossed that he’s a huge wrestling fan like in the comics. This episode also reintroduces popular Captain America: The Winter Soldier villain Batroc (played by the incomparable George St Pierre) to the MCU. Seeing both of these characters immediately put a smile on my face.

We also hear through Torres about the ‘”Flag Smashers” an anarchist group, hoping for a world that resembles things before everyone returned from “the blip”. While their mantra sounds peaceful they are just a few steps away from being a terrorist organization, something our heroes should keep an eye on.

A (Winter) Soldier Without A War

Our boy Bucky Barnes is struggling with day-to-day living and seems to have no real direction without a fight to…well fight. He is very combative in his court mandated therapy, one of several terms of his pardon after years of operating as the mind-controlled “Winter Soldier”. As a way of making amends for his dealings in the past, he has kept himself busy doing keeping tabs on former hydra agents. It's a lonely place of living for SGT James Buchanan Barnes, and the reality is that Steve and Bucky seemingly never got to spend much time together after their heated reunion in Winter Soldier. After Civil War it became about both of them being on the run from their enemies and the government.

Knowing his one true friend is gone is likely heavily sobering, and while there are members of the Avengers that clearly care about him in some way or another, he is for the most part, a stranger to them. In his eyes he will always be "Steve's Friend". After his years of combat, Bucky is staring down a life of solitude, which is a terribly frightening place for anyone in recovery. I'm happy to hear Bucky got pardoned, because I'm happy to see anyone who has put in the work to change, being given a second chance.

No one who is working hard on changing for the best should be punished forever no matter what their, especially compromised, past was.

The World Moves On

Steve represented the best in all of us. Courageous, righteous, hopeful. And he mastered posing stoically. The world has been forever changed. A few months ago, billions of people reappeared after five years away, sending the world into turmoil. We need new heroes. Ones suited for the times we're in. Symbols... are nothing without the women and men that give them meaning, and this thing... I don't know if there's ever been a greater symbol, but it's more about the man who propped it up, and he's gone. So, today we honor Steve's legacy, but also, we look to the future. So, thank you, Captain America, but this belongs to you. - Sam Wilson

It was tough to see Sam dedicate Captain America’s shield to the Smithsonian museum, especially after Steve himself handed it to him. The world has changed in the last 5 years and it's here where we get our first real boots on the ground look at life after the blip was reversed. Rhodey, who attended the ceremony mentions to Sam privately that alliances between nations were severed. Trust is coming at a premium as nations that were allies are now at odds. The global disarray is significant, as are the resources for those returning after years away. While the government does it best to accommodate everyone they can, you can’t help but feel some will fall through the cracks of bureaucracy.

“Uncle Sam”

We meet Sam Wilson's sister and get their perspective on life after the blip, with how much small businesses have suffered from re-adjustment of everyone returning. Also that bank scene? Watching the bank teller so willing to bask in the company of a hero, but not lift a finger to actually help them is painful. There's a distressful moment where the bank teller is highly excited to entertain Sam Wilson as a popular celebrity and as a serviceman, but can't do anything to aid him despite knowing the situation. It’s no secret as to his lack of income being that he was gone for 5 years and he should have been able to bypass qualifications that he applies for.

It's also revealed here for the first time, that the Avengers operate on donations and good will, which is very interesting. The idea that the kindness of strangers is seen as a "dependable" source of supporting income is mind-boggling. While I'm sure Stark's money played some part in keeping people afloat in the past, he wasn't supplying them personal stipends like in the comics. This also absolves Stark of any particular liability when things with the Avengers went sour. I very much enjoyed seeing family man Sam though. It's a side of Avengers you so seldom see, that you'd be forgiven for believing they don't have any friends and live their lives fighting baddies 24/7. Maybe Sam's new dedication to his family situation played a part in rejecting the shield, but I believe it's much bigger then that.

#NotMyCap

We meet the “new” Captain America on the news along with Sam and Bucky as he enters the scene to a corrupted rendition of the Captain America theme. The theme works now as a painful melody, reminding us that the spot Steve held for so long is now filled. I was immediately reminded of the scene where "Government Official" (seriously, that's how his credit shows up as of this writing) tells Sam he did the right thing giving it up, only to immediately transition it to the new Captain America. This feels incredibly shifty and manipulative and as a black man myself, it's truly hurtful to see him get strung along like that which is absolutely the idea. They want you to feel bad about Sam. Way to get get heat "Government Official"!

One of the more interesting choices is the obstruction of John Walker's face, not just under the mask, but even in the ending credits, they cover his eyes when his face appears, somehow preserving the image of him more as an idea then a person. The idea of government sponsored heroics is a frightening one but
you know what's interesting..... there's a lot of people that would prefer that.

Prediction: I imagine John Walker will become a bit overcome by the pressure of the role, but also frustrated with the government interference with the job. Eventually, he will soon find that he's less a super soldier, and more a pro-government figurehead for political leverage. Before you know it, Walker will end up a radicalized independent soldier fighting brutal wars where he sees fit; a political monster of their own design.

Now on to Episode 2…..

Corporate Cap

The Star-Spangled Man with a plan is back! The government control of the “Captain America” brand is evident in making him a bigger public figure as a more manufactured celebrity. The show continues to lean into the Captain America music you recognize being used for John Walker which just forces you to hate it, and subsequently him, a little more. (At least me anyway.) This also introduced Lamar Hoskins as Battlestar, a character I only just now heard of. One could accuse the team up of Walker and Hoskins of being a manufactured copy and paste of Cap and Bucky, with the WOKE lever turned up to 100, but it does appear Walker and Hoskins have some history. They also seem to have a genuine friendship.

So far John Walker isn't really the outright heel of the series, just a dude that made a decision that very few fans agree with, although the government seems ecstatic with the change. Walker will likely gain a level of underdog sympathy for the backlash, but I'm not sure it'll be enough to sell any "Walker Did Nothing Wrong" merch. None of that sympathy will be coming from Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes either. While Sam did his best to be flexible, he makes it clear he gets to do as he wants without that governmental license and this gets under Walker's skin. Bucky has no time for any of it, seeing Walker for the tool he is, even if Walker doesn't, and constantly ready to take the Shield back by force even though that would violate his rules. The jury is still out on Faux-Cap but he doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon.

One World, One People

The Flag Smashers goal is revealed, as they seek to return life to as it was prior to the “vanished” people returning, where borders seemingly came down and there was a collective unity among all the remaining survivors of the snap. Nothing like shared trauma, am I right? That very shared trauma is what has bonded these Flag Smashers to not only to their cause, but to each other, as well as inspiring a ground swell of people as a support network. Their message is so effective, they have regular civilians who keep touch with their movements and manifesto on the internet, which to be fair is not too unlike the citizen support the Avengers receive.

These Flag Smashers are willing to trade lives to preserve the mission, but only their own? For how long is a plan like that sustainable? In some ways it's hard not to sympathize with the Flag Smashers' message. Especially if there is something to a worldly unity during the Blip, and the return of the vanished put bad people back in their positions of power. Regardless I don’t thin the ends justify the means. The big mystery coming out of Ep 2 is that these Flag Smashers are also super soldiers. How can this be? What we do know is that Erskine's formula was lost with him, but the project continued for some time after. We're led to believe that Zemo murdered the other Winter Soldiers we saw in Captain America: Civil War, but even that isn't even what it seems...

“Maybe he was wrong..”

Bucky's deeper frustrations come to the surface this episode. He doesn't understand why Sam doesn't understand what Steve bestowed on him. And if Steve, the greatest man Buck has ever known was wrong about Sam, he has to have been wrong about the good he sees in Bucky too. Sam seems to have a hard time truly expressing what having the shield made him, and how he felt burdened by everyone's expectation of him. I genuinely believe he's mentally struggling with holding it up the mantle. It isn’t just all the pressure of not being the embodiment of Captain America, but also being a black man as Captain America, and the extra expectations that will come with that role.

We should also remember that each of their lives have been closely knit to Steve Rogers. Sam Wilson is only in this lifestyle because of Steve, who essentially inspired him to re-enlist to a life of service. Bucky Barnes is a free man because Rogers was willing to make himself a fugitive to prove Bucky isn't who they thought he was. While the world saw a murderer, Steve stood by Barnes because to Steve it was simple; "he's my friend". Their attachment to what that man did for them has caused them both to be deeply entangled in properly honoring the memory of their fallen friend in different ways. Myself, I'd probably crumble under the weight of the Shield as well, but I'd wanna say I’d hold on to it. If he'd wanted it in a museum, it'd be there, but he gave it to me, right?

The Secret Super Soldier

When they realize that they are facing off with Super Soldiers, Bucky reveals "Isiah" to Sam, a secret he seemingly kept from everyone. Isiah Bradley is black super soldier from decades ago that Bucky encountered as the Winter Soldier, something he never told Sam and Steve. Seems like they are going with the Isiah Bradley from the comics as one of a few other Captain Americas. Is Eli Bradley close behind? While the idea of a secret black super soldier is a new idea for Sam Wilson, the suppression of black war heroes is nothing new at all. Names like Bessie Coleman & Jessie Leroy Brown often go unsaid. The many forgotten black soldiers in WWII remain nameless to much of our youth, so this commentary is apt.

Isiah asks Bucky, "You think you can just wake up, and choose who you wanna be?"
For Sam this is a luxury only for for white people, knowing full well he doesn’t have that option. For Bucky, this means Hydra, and means he can’t simply be forgiven for his years under mind control. For me, it's an idea. The inability to change who you are is something Sam is fast reminded of and Bucky must learn as the Baltimore Police drive up to speak to Sam, even asking if he's bothering Bucky. It’s a bleak reminder that even when Barnes reminds the authorities that Sam is an Avenger, they only see a potentially dangerous and upset black man. Bucky stands up for his friend but shows his ignorance to the situation by suggesting he simply give the officer his ID. This was never about the ID Bucks.

Finding Zemo

Sam and Bucky make the obvious choice to go after the only man who knew anything about the remaining super soldiers in the last few years; Zemo. Helmut Zemo is something of a unique bird for Marvel Villians. When we last saw the villain, it didn't exactly end in a “punch ‘em up”, because Zemo isn’t a physical threat. He is a relatively normal person. He is however an incredibly intelligent strategist and a skilled manipulator.

He is a man that takes no joy in his work, but simply believes it is work that must be done. Is Zemo's revenge against the Avengers unfinished after Civil War? Are there any Avengers left with Stark and Natasha dead and Rogers off the table? Hawkeye retired back to his family, Rhodey seems to be working with the military, so maybe Zemo sets his eyes on a new target.

We will soon enough.

In conclusion…

…this was a very good 2nd episode. The secrets of the super-soldier program have been thrown into disarray. Who gave it to them? What makes it work? So many questions I can't wait to have answered. The reveal of the Isiah secret super soldier was very enjoyable and leads to 2 harrowing instances of the treatment of black people.

Prediction: In time, John Walker will discover just how much of his role as Captain America is a pro-government publicity stunt and lose faith in them. Also Leah, Bucky’s date will turn out to also be a Super Soldier. Join me next week as we tackle episode 3! Also don’t forget to leave your comments and predictions below!

On Your Left: A Falcon And Winter Soldier Review (Ep 1/2)