The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: The Star-Spangled Man (1x02)

Oh boy. Things are getting juicy.

Cons:

Can we be done with the joke of "wow, I'm surprised this incredibly strong fighter is a woman"? Like, at first it didn't bother me that Bucky thought the woman was a hostage, but then it turns out she's the head of the Flag-Smashers. That could be a commentary on Bucky's outdated way of thinking. But then later, during the fight, Sam says "that girl beat you up!" like a fun banter joke, and I'm just... sick of it. Sam, aren't you an Avenger? I know there's a dearth of ladies over there, but you've met Wanda, right? And Natasha? They were part of your little family unit along with Steve, weren't they? Jeez. You know there's no reason why a woman can't be a dangerous criminal just as much as a man. #feminism. (But in all seriousness, that was a disappointing joke.)

I will repeat my concerns from the first episode, about how we're positioning our good guys and our bad guys. See, the bad guys don't want to let the same people have the power, the way it all was before the snap (or the "blip", as I guess it's known). They want to redistribute power, to break down these harmful systems. And then you've got Sam, getting denied at the bank, being harassed by the cops, showing that he too is victimized in this current system. So... is the ultimate solution really supposed to be Sam-as-Captain-America, taking on the mantle of a system that has rejected and hurt him and other people like him, for as long as (and long before) there even was an America? I want them to take this to a different place, an unexpected one, but I'm nervous about the optics.

Pros:

God, let's talk about Bucky and Sam, though.

So, first of all, and I want to state this super clearly: Bucky does not have any right to tell Sam what he was supposed to do with the shield. His behavior was entitled. It was also coming from a place of deep trauma and grief. The only thing you need to see to prove this, is the look on Bucky's face when he's watching John Walker being interviewed on Good Morning America. He's hearing this man who didn't even know Steve, calling him a brother. And he runs to Sam. Sam describes how he also felt "heartbroken" seeing this stranger being called Captain America. They are so united in their grief, and so surprisingly willing to talk about it, to let it into the air between them... but at the same time, there are resentments that run deep, and they can't quite bridge that gap.

Sam is right, and also Bucky is not entirely wrong. It's done beautifully, and reminds me a bit of why I liked Captain America: Civil War so much, because even though I had complicated thoughts about who was behaving poorly and who was in the right, I completely understood everyone's motivations. Why they were defending what they were defending, what they were fighting to preserve and protect.

Because I think, honestly, there's a very visceral part of both Sam and Bucky that wants to be partners, wants to be united and fight side by side. There's a hole in their hearts, and it's not just Steve, it's all the people they've lost over the many battles they've fought. There's an affinity between them, and you can see these glorious moments where they banter and joke and actually enjoy each other's company. And these moments of unity, like when they look at each other, silently agreeing to accept Walker's ride, or when they're united in turning away from him and saying they'll work alone, thanks.

That therapy scene was excellent, the way they slip into needling each other like brothers, to trying, at least for the sake of saying they tried, to do things sincerely... and then they hit a wall. I loved Sam saying "thanks for making it weird" to the therapist, because... yeah. Clearly they're not in a place to connect, to be in the same place emotionally, but they do have a job to do, and so they'll put the rest aside, like soldiers. (Side note, I appreciated the lack of a no homo joke when the therapist said they should use some couples' therapy techniques.)

The Isaiah scene, and then the scene with the cops stacked right up on top of it... man, that was brutal. I know it's Marvel, I know it's Disney, and far be it from me to pat them on the shoulder for delving into this subject matter, but I am glad it's being treated seriously. There's a real subtlety to the ways in which Bucky is a good guy, but he can't quite understand it, right? Like, during the scene with the cops, Bucky wants Sam to just hand over his ID so there won't be a fuss. He then says "don't you know who this guy is?" basically counting on Sam's fame and hero status to get them out of a spot of trouble. Bucky's instincts are to help, but it reveals his lack of understanding. Same with Isaiah. Was Bucky right to never tell anyone, not even Steve, about the way the super serum was being used? Well, we could debate about that. But his instinct to protect a man who had already been through so much... it's a compassionate instinct, if nothing else.

Let's talk about John Walker. I don't have a lot of respect for the armed forces, truth be told, but I want to be clear that individual people who operate within a system I despise, can still believe they're doing it for good reasons. I like that they didn't make Walker an obviously slimy villain. We see his high school, we see his friends, we see how nervous he is, and I believe that he has good intentions, by and large. And at the same time, every time he says "Bucky" like he fucking knows him, like he has any right to address him with familiarity? Or when he says he wants Sam to be his "wingman"? Man, I want to punch the guy right in his chiseled jaw. I'm ready to hate him entirely if he makes the wrong move, and I'm also prepared to cut him some slack as a more sympathetic character, depending on which way the wind blows.

In a strange way, I think the final moment of the episode, when Bucky has his idea to go talk to Zemo, was my favorite. He has this plan, to go talk to a man who literally knows the code words for his brainwashing with Hydra. He talks about going to him for information, and Sam just says... "so, the plan is for you to sit across the table in a room from that guy?" Bucky hesitates, then says "...yes". And Sam just says "okay." To me it speaks so much of their shared history, shared trauma, and that under the bedrock of all the issues they have between them, there's definite trust. I can't wait to see how that all plays out.

I'm already sad this is only going to be six episodes... do you think I should hold out hope for a season two?

8.5/10