The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Power Broker (1x03)

I think this is my least favorite of the three episodes thus far, but by no means did I think it was bad or unworthy of its place in the series.

Cons:

Honestly, the reason it wasn't quite as strong for me is... Sam Wilson felt like a side character. The first two episodes felt more or less evenly split between Sam and Bucky as the drivers of the action, the ones with the complicated emotional stakes. In this episode, Bucky was definitely the lead, and Sam definitely took a more supporting role. I guess, at the end of the day, I hope Sam gets an episode before the end that feels like his moment to shine.

I'm predictable in saying this, but the thing I care about the least so far is the actual plot. So the time we spend with Karli Morgenthau is not really inclined to hold my interest. Similarly, the stuff with John Walker isn't as gripping to me unless it's butting up against Sam and Bucky. Really, I want the focus to remain on those two and their relationship and the big questions they're facing moving in the world given their unique positions.

Seeing Sharon was great (more on that later) but I will say that she's a character who never really got to make a foothold in the movies, and here they gave her a personality that is basically similar to every other character's personality. Quippy, a little angry, a bad-ass. I'm just hoping we see enough of her in the remaining three episodes to really get to know her as an individual. Justice for Sharon Carter!

Pros:

The highlight for me is always going to be on the Bucky and Sam relationship, and I liked the subtle check-ins that Sam gives to Bucky throughout.  Bucky is going into an extremely triggering and challenging place in order to find more information on the super serum, and Sam is well aware of that. Sam is so compassionate and thoughtful in the way he keeps checking up on Bucky. I also like the signs that Bucky's actually willing to stay calm and do what he can to interface safely with society. When Sam does these check-ins, Bucky doesn't brush him off or get even more angry, he accepts them in the spirit they were intended.

And of course there's that moment when Bucky asks Sam to trust him... oof, that really did a number of me. More intense staring and dramatic declarations of loyalty, please!

Great action in this one, very gritty and down to earth and not as fantastical and superhero-ish as the fights in the first two episodes. I liked the shootouts, the running around the shipping yard, all the tight, restrictive spaces. It made for some great tension. Also, Sharon is a total bad-ass and it was undeniably cool to see her taking down all those people outside while Bucky, Sam, and Zemo got what they needed from the scientist in the hidden lab.

And let's talk about Zemo, too. I was a little wary of him becoming a character here and I can't say he was my favorite part of the episode, but at the same time, he added this incredible tension and weight of history to every scene he was in. The minute he started saying code words to Bucky I got shivers. Not because I thought it would work, but just because... there's something so chilling about a zealot to an evil cause. And then later, making Bucky play the Winter Soldier as part of their cover... the second that music came in I was just dying with the tension and the banal evil of the whole situation.

Speaking of banal evil... well, maybe that's too strong, but John Walker sure is a weird character. I kind of like that they're playing the middle with him, so you can't be comfortable saying he's the scum of the earth and I want to see Sam and Bucky beat him up... but also yeah, I kinda want to see Sam and Bucky beat him up. There's that moment when he says "do you know who I am?!" and you can see that the title and all of his many accomplishments and accolades have gone to his head. Can you picture Steve ever saying that? No, no you cannot. He wouldn't.

But we shouldn't put Steve on a pedestal, as this episode reminds us. I continue to be impressed with the complexity of the argument around the shield and what it represents. Sam talking about destroying it makes sense to me, as does Bucky saying he wants to take it from John and protect it. Does Bucky think he should take up the mantle? No, I don't really think so. But that shield means a hell of a lot to him, and he's not in a good place thinking of the way it's being used currently.

One last shoutout Sharon Carter. I like that she's pissed off, I like that she doesn't really pull back on being pissed off, even as she agrees to help. I can't really tell where her character is going to go for the remainder of the series, but I'm excited to find out!

That ending, though... I'm really hyped about whatever comes next. This whole TV show is like Captain America: The Winter Soldier & Civil War: The Consequences, and I am entirely about that.

8/10