Falcon And Winter Soldier

[responsarbre]

This doesn't quite have the slick look of CA:TWS or the espionage thriller atmosphere, though it's clear they tried that they tried to approximate that grey-toned Russo brother look in parts.

Turning Redwing into an armed drone is so sad and gauche that it's actually pretty funny. I don't think anything else better sums up the MCU and modern superhero comics tbh. I know this Redwing been a thing since Civil War but it's so hilariously upsetting seeing Sam Wilson drone strike terrorists in the Tunisian Sahara.

Having Batroc show up again should make me happy as a Cap fan but all I could think about was how Markus and McFeely made him "Algerian" despite him being white, working for the French special forces(!!!), and speaking Quebecois the whole time lmfao. And having him be in Tunisia just made it worse!!!! Why did they do that!!! Francophone countries are not interchangeable.

Sam trying to speak Tunisian Darja was the most painful moment of the whole MCU. I rewound what he said like ten times to try and make out a single word. It's especially jarring bc the extra he's talking seems to be actually Tunisian and not some random Arab, so I'm just imagining that guy walking Anthony Mackie through that line over and over.

A lot of the slow-paced character beats in the middle actually worked pretty well. I'm on record as mostly disliking MCU Bucky since they've pulled away a lot of what made him interesting, but actually having him talk and reflect on his feelings and do things and TALK is pretty great stuff. His one therapy scene is more than he got in all the movies he's been in. And I think it looks pretty bad for Wandavision that we have a clearer view of both Bucky AND Sam's mental state and motivation in this one episode than we did for Wanda after nine of them.

Honestly I was very scared of how this would turn out, but this is nearly everything I wanted of the third Captain America movie and didn't get: screentime, characterization, and interaction for Sam, Bucky, Zemo, and Agent 13 (hopefully). We actually know a little bit about how they feel about being heroes and what their lives are like. I still don't like the bleak militarism and it never really gets as ambitious as Wandavision or even CA:TWS in terms of switching things up, but the leads do feel like real characters, more or less.

My biggest qualm is making the Flag Smashers the villains, but I'll give it a few episodes to see what they do. The way that a world without borders was even described in negative terms for a second was stomach-churning, and it also raises a lot of questions about Blip society that I doubt they'll bother to answer in depth. This could very easily end up being the most reactionary Marvel has ever put out, and that's saying something.

[ZeroBG82]

Honestly even if he and US Agent come to good terms, Sam may still not want the shield

I think that's ultimately the point. The reason Sam is the perfect Captain America is that he doesn't think he deserves it. He'll constantly be trying to earn it, to do the right thing, to be certain he's worthy. It isn't just a suit, a job, or a symbol to Sam. It's not just the legacy of his best friend, and probably the best man he's ever personally known. It's a symbol of the best of an entire nation, an ideal to rally behind, a leader to unite behind. That's a big ask, and I don't blame Sam for hesitating. But realistically he's the best choice, because he was Steve's choice. And he's presumably going to see that at some point.

I don't think Sam will be comfortable with it. He'll never want it, not in any kind of ambitious way. But I think he'll see it's necessary and answer the call of that duty when the moment comes.

I can see this series ending with Sam still as the Falcon, and the Captain America identity retired with Steve. But that will be a disappointment to me unless the story really executes something special to justify it. Sam should be Captain America. Unless they try to pull off some kind of ending where both Bucky and Sam wear the colors, but then I have no idea how you pull that off given how publicly Bucky was exposed as the Winter Soldier during Civil War.

[CosmiComic]

I honestly prefer Sam as Falcon. Unlike US Agent, who was created based in Captain America's template, like War Machine was to Iron Man, Falcon is his own hero with his own powerset. I think it would be more poignant for him to say he doesn't need to be Cap to carry that legacy.

[Marvell2100]

This was really good. I loved the opening action sequence, and the set up for the two titular men was excellent. My bias may be showing, because the Cap corner of the MCU has always been my favorite corner, and these two are probably my favorite MCU characters with Steve out of the picture. But it feels like both actors are really digging into this material and going for it.

I absolutely love that we have one man utterly haunted by a past he can't run from, and the other running from a future he doesn't think he's ready for/worthy of.

I was genuinely surprised by the motivations for the Flag Smashers. But it makes a lot of sense, in retrospect, to use the five year gap in a meaningful way like this. It's fascinating to see an exploration of a little of what it meant for someone like Sam to be gone for 5 years, and the impact that might have on a life.

Also, bonus points for the Uncle Sam gag. I somehow never put that one together myself, and given the logical expectation of where certain pieces end up it made me chuckle.

spoilers:

I wonder how the Nori(the old dude) will react when/if he learns that Bucky killed his son? I don't know how long they've been friends but it would pretty much devastate him. Also, I hope they allow Bucky to develop a relationship with sushi bartender

end of spoilers.

[Marvell2100]

Great show, the pacing is more traditional so i can definitely watch this one on a weekly basis, it really does depend on the show. The only wtf moment for me was a small one and i'm pretty sure just me, when Redwing cut through the door and there was no sort of pressure until the person got close to the door and i was like "oh there it goes." lol. But fun show. And i agree with Sam sister, he be doing the most sometimes but i love it.

I'm glad that they're showing that Sam has a close relationship with his sister and nephews.

[Frontier]

Having Batroc show up again should make me happy as a Cap fan but all I could think about was how Markus and McFeely made him "Algerian" despite him being white, working for the French special forces(!!!), and speaking Quebecois the whole time lmfao. And having him be in Tunisia just made it worse!!!! Why did they do that!!! Francophone countries are not interchangeable.

My problem is that he has none of comic Batroc's personality or charm. He's just a generic thug in purple. Batroc could be so much more than that.

But I guess at least he probably survived?

A lot of the slow-paced character beats in the middle actually worked pretty well. I'm on record as mostly disliking MCU Bucky since they've pulled away a lot of what made him interesting, but actually having him talk and reflect on his feelings and do things and TALK is pretty great stuff. His one therapy scene is more than he got in all the movies he's been in. And I think it looks pretty bad for Wandavision that we have a clearer view of both Bucky AND Sam's mental state and motivation in this one episode than we did for Wanda after nine of them.

Well, with Wanda they were deliberately obscuring her mental issues and grief through reality-warping, but I guess she didn't have a government-mandated therapist after she came back.

spoilers:

I wonder how the Nori(the old dude) will react when/if he learns that Bucky killed his son? I don't know how long they've been friends but it would pretty much devastate him. Also, I hope they allow Bucky to develop a relationship with sushi bartender

end of spoilers.

spoilers:

I wonder if Bucky will try to tell him or Zemo will do something like expose Bucky Barnes as The Winter Soldier to the public. Sushi girl was cute but I don't see it going anywhere. I know they're not going to pair Bucky with Natasha for obvious reasons but I don't see the point of him dating some random, normal, OC.

end of spoilers

[ZeroBG82]

My problem is that he has none of comic Batroc's personality or charm. He's just a generic thug in purple. Batroc could be so much more than that.

But I guess at least he probably survived?

Well, with Wanda they were deliberately obscuring her mental issues and grief through reality-warping, but I guess she didn't have a government-mandated therapist after she came back.

spoilers:

I wonder if Bucky will try to tell him or Zemo will do something like expose Bucky Barnes as The Winter Soldier to the public. Sushi girl was cute but I don't see it going anywhere. I know they're not going to pair Bucky with Natasha for obvious reasons but I don't see the point of him dating some random, normal, OC.

end of spoilers

Bucky was outed as the Winter Soldier during Civil War, after Zemo framed him for the Geneva bombing. He was referred to by his name, his code name, and with a picture on the television news during the course of that film, which even specifically labelled him a HYDRA agent.

spoilers:

The old man doesn't know the Soldier killed his son, just that his son was murdered. And he clearly doesn't recognize Bucky, which is not at all surprising, Geneva was 7-8 years ago at this point.

end of spoilers

[CosmiComic]

I don't think Bucky should really end up with anyone. Nobody could really know what he goes through

[Frontier]

Bucky was outed as the Winter Soldier during Civil War, after Zemo framed him for the Geneva bombing. He was referred to by his name, his code name, and with a picture on the television news during the course of that film, which even specifically labelled him a HYDRA agent.

spoilers:

The old man doesn't know the Soldier killed his son, just that his son was murdered. And he clearly doesn't recognize Bucky, which is not at all surprising, Geneva was 7-8 years ago at this point.

end of spoilers

spoilers:

I forgot it wasn't just the government who knew. Kind of surprised Sushi girl doesn't recognize him then but I guess he probably looks different now compared to the photos they used.

end of spoilers

I don't think Bucky should really end up with anyone. Nobody could really know what he goes through

Well, there was Natasha, but that ship sailed.

[CosmiComic]

spoilers:

I forgot it wasn't just the government who knew. Kind of surprised Sushi girl doesn't recognize him then but I guess he probably looks different now compared to the photos they used.

end of spoilers

Well, there was Natasha, but that ship sailed.

Tbh I didn't want Nat with anyone either. I like these characters to be single generally

But Bucky and Nat would have been wya better than Bruce and Nat

[SecretWarrior]

Bucky and Nat are too similar to be interesting.

Steve and Nat would've be a more interesting, growth-oriented pairing.

Bucky would be fine with a Jane Foster/May Parker/Maggie Lang-type normie to pull him out of his own headspace.

[Marvell2100]

I don't think Bucky should really end up with anyone. Nobody could really know what he goes through

That's the point of a relationship though, to have someone to talk to(besides a therapist) about things that you're dealing with and to share a life.

[Godlike13]

I waited to binge Wand Vision, but I just couldn’t wait with this one. So far, so good. Opening scenes was very cool. It’s cool to see them exploring the things we don’t see in the movies with these characters. Poor Bucky. The Therapist was harsh LoL, but it’s cool to see him trying to be normal. We get to see the actor do more then just the bad ass fight scenes. I almost forgot how he was in the first movie, and this reminded me about that guy and not just the Winter Soldier.

[Hypestyle]

spoilers:

spoilers totally cool first episode. great introductory action sequence. I have been watching this on repeat. What is the college pennant on Sam’s bedroom wall? Hmm. glad to see a character from recent years’ comics.. intriguing to see Sam’s family dynamic (and a new geographic setting.. Louisiana instead of Harlem, NYC. I wonder if it was purely for storytelling purposes or the film incentive tax credits that Louisiana offers. Either way, intriguing). the hint of the new villains (and Batroc comes back).. and of course at the end of the episode.. uh-oh.. heh.. (sidebar: someday, it would be cool if Sam and Jim Rhodes could meet a surviving Tuskegee Airman. it would be a nice way to pass the torch.. Systemic obstacles to black people finding business loans, check. Sam’s sister says she’s a widow. No word on if it happened before or after the Snap/Blip. I just know that when it happened, anybody inside a vehicle where the driver/pilot was snapped, or in the path of said vehicle was immediately at risk of crashing/death/maiming. THAT in particular is one aspect that the returning people would not have fixed. I also thought that Bucky’s elderly friend might be Jim Morita at first, but, not remembering his last name, I had to watch the sequence a second time. I also note that this episode premieres in the aftermath of the terrible events in Atlanta. Pure coincidence of course, but it was vaguely off-putting to see an Asian-American character to be casually murdered, and at first it isn’t clear what the context is (flashback during Bucky’s assassin days)

end of spoilers

[CosmiComic]

That's the point of a relationship though, to have someone to talk to(besides a therapist) about things that you're dealing with and to share a life.

yeah, but a relationship shouldn't have to be about saving someone.

Plus, I'm not interested in seeing romance in this