Falcon and The Winter Soldier

[ZeroBG82]

So Steve and Nat got pardons for failure?
Pretty sure the worship for killing Thanos they could have gotten Sharon a pardon. Guess Steve cared more about curing his blue balls in the segregation era than helping a person whose life was destroyed for helping him.
Also won't change the fact that they had abandoned Sharon for the two years they were on the run. Any sympathy or excuses you can come up with for their douche behavior toward Sharon in Endgame falls apart when you look at how they treated her post-Civil War.

Given the last scene we see of Sharon in this episode, I'm not sure how much of her anger is necessarily truth and how much is a cover. Assuming she doesn't turn out to be a villain in this series (either working with Karli or Power Broker. Unless she turns out to BE the Power Broker, but that would feel awfully small world in addition to being character assassination of the highest order), it sure looks like she's undercover in Madripoor to me. Which means she may be play acting a fair bit, using her justifiable feelings of resentment to mask whatever work she's actually doing.

It makes total sense to use her actions in Civil War and her fallout with the government as a cover, if she was brought back in. It's a story that anybody would believe, if they did some digging.

It was great to see her again, I hope she shows up again before this is all said and done.

[Frontier]

Walker is veering dangerously close to being a government thug, which is the one thing Cap should absolutely not be. But he knows their best bet for finishing this case is Sam and Bucky, so he and Battlestar are going to tail those two to the bitter end because he needs that win.

Turns out it's as easy for Supervillains to break out of prison in the MCU as it is in the comics.

An army of Super-Soldiers would be pretty scary, but Zemo realizes the Avengers only really had one of those, right?

Who would have thought that this series would be necessary to make MCU Zemo more like his comic version? More sophisticated, Machiavellian (natch), always a step-ahead, and he's even a Baron! I mean, you'd have thought that would have been mentioned in Civil War, but at least now we can properly call him Baron Zemo. Now all we need is for Karl Mordo to reveal he's inherited a baronetcy to make him Baron Mordo.

Madripoor! I wonder if they could've always used the region despite it's significance to the X-Men franchise, but either way it was cool to see it adapted as the wretched hive of scum and villainy it is in the comics, complete with Hightown, Lowtown, and the Princess Bar soon to be owned by Patch AKA Wolverine (if he doesn't already).

Sam in that pimp suit is probably the closest they're going to get to referencing "Snap" Wilson (for good reason). Anthony Mackie made it look good though.

Is Sharon Carter the character who has suffered the most from being adapted in the MCU? Her entire significance was basically supplanted by her aunt, who wasn't as relevant in the comics, she ends up helping Steve and co. when she barely knows them and then gets turned into a wanted fugitive who hasn't been able to contact her family for years, Team Cap apparently completely forgot about her even after everything she did for them and when they were low on manpower, Steve gets together with her aunt (why even kiss him?), and now she's apparently running a black market art operation in Madripoor. She even ends up having to face down most of the goons on her own while the trio have a pleasant conversation. I hope this isn't the end for her role in the story, but what did she do to deserve this, other than not be Hayley Atwell?

Zemo dancing. I just...Zemo dancing.

I guess the Blip ended up saving the world from an American army of Super-Soldiers.

What's the significance of Zemo's mask? He looked at it fondly and then just randomly wore it for a cool action sequence before taking it off. Is that the only time he's going to wear it?

The Flag-Smashers seem like they're out to help refugees or people suffering from having returned from the Blip...but resorting to actual terrorism to carry out their message is probably not helping their case.

It's nice to see Wakanda actually reacting to Zemo's escape considering what he did to T'Chaka, so they are addressing that, even if the only Dora they could spare was Ayo. I guess we're going to see how far Bucky's pull with Wakanda gets him.

[CosmiComic]

The problem was building up Peggy too much in a doomed romance yet doing little for Sharon

[The Cool Thatguy]

Who wants to bet that it was Walker who shot the Power Broker's henchwoman?

[Frontier]

Who wants to bet that it was Walker who shot the Power Broker's henchwoman?

I don't know how that would make any sense. Walker still seems like he's a huge step-behind Sam, Bucky, and Zemo.

[Midvillian1322]

T'Challa didn't forgive Zemo. He he turned from vengeance, and prevented Zemo's suicide so Zemo could be punished ("...justice is coming...the living are not done with you yet"). No, I don't know what the Dora Milaje have in mind for The Baron, but I'm pretty sure he ain't gonna like it.

They for sure would punish him but like I said i don't think Tchalla would approve him being executed.

[Gaastra]

I'm not sure how much of her anger is necessarily truth and how much is a cover.

Wonder if she is undercover for nick fury or maria hill and they showing up messed up her cover?

[The Cool Thatguy]

I don't know how that would make any sense. Walker still seems like he's a huge step-behind Sam, Bucky, and Zemo.

Walker knows he's a step behind, though. When he talked to Lamar after Zemo's escape, he suggested that they follow Sam and Bucky, as they 'had a better hand'.

He kills the henchwoman, and they become motivated to find the Power Broker.

The Flag Smashers didn't do it and I don't imagine that Power Broker had any reason to kill his own second in command

[ZeroBG82]

Wonder if she is undercover for nick fury or maria hill and they showing up messed up her cover?

Risked it, certainly. I'm thinking if it had just been Sam and Bucky showing up they might have seen a different Sharon. But Zemo still has connections that could burn her HARD. So she had to stay in character. Exactly like Zemo told Sam and Bucky they had to while in Madripoor.

And I'm betting whomever she is working for is keeping tabs on the Power Broker. It's no coincidence that she was in that club. So unless she IS the Power Broker (which would suck), then she's watching his assets. She ducked when Sam and Bucky showed up so that they wouldn't accidentally reveal her connection to them, but stayed close to bail them out when they got in trouble. Because they always get in trouble.

The only thing that worries me is this: how did Karli know the doctor was dead? Only a handful of people knew that (including Sharon). There may be a piece to the puzzle we don't have yet. Both Sharon and Zemo remain suspects, for now.

Walker knows he's a step behind, though. When he talked to Lamar after Zemo's escape, he suggested that they follow Sam and Bucky, as they 'had a better hand'.

He kills the henchwoman, and they become motivated to find the Power Broker.

The Flag Smashers didn't do it and I don't imagine that Power Broker had any reason to kill his own second in command

Why, though? His target is the Flag Smashers. Why would he assassinate a mid-level player in a foreign state to protect people he doesn't like? Not to mention the win he'd score by bringing in Zemo, so why is he letting them go?

You could be right, but then they need to justify some personal beef between Walker and the Flag Smashers or Karli to justify him going all in like that. It doesn't feel right to me, at this point.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

The problem was building up Peggy too much in a doomed romance yet doing little for Sharon

I'd say it's more Natasha's presence in Winter Soldier. She had a real bond with Steve and felt like a better alternative than Sharon.

[CosmiComic]

I'd say it's more Natasha's presence in Winter Soldier. She had a real bond with Steve and felt like a better alternative than Sharon.

Yeah, apparently two main female characters was too much for Phase 2

[ZeroBG82]

I'd say it's more Natasha's presence in Winter Soldier. She had a real bond with Steve and felt like a better alternative than Sharon.

Natasha was NEVER a romantic consideration in that film. Their chemistry was simply as coworkers and friends. The film was more interested in binding Steve in the present day with meaningful relationships with Sam and Nat than having him move on from Peggy. The problem comes with Civil War, when they have to send Steve into hiding for years to set up their Avengers plans. Their just wasn't time for a Sharon romance. She becomes more somebody inspired by him, than a romantic partner.

Which honestly just makes the turn here feel sudden in some respects. Earned, maybe, if it ends up being what it looks like. But I don't think it's what it looks like.

All I know for sure is the MCU needs more Emily Van Camp.

[CosmiComic]

Natasha was NEVER a romantic consideration in that film. Their chemistry was simply as coworkers and friends. The film was more interested in binding Steve in the present day with meaningful relationships with Sam and Nat than having him move on from Peggy. The problem comes with Civil War, when they have to send Steve into hiding for years to set up their Avengers plans. Their just wasn't time for a Sharon romance. She becomes more somebody inspired by him, than a romantic partner.

Which honestly just makes the turn here feel sudden in some respects. Earned, maybe, if it ends up being what it looks like. But I don't think it's what it looks like.

All I know for sure is the MCU needs more Emily Van Camp.

Couldn't they have still built Sharon up without making her a romantic partner?

[ZeroBG82]

Couldn't they have still built Sharon up without making her a romantic partner?

They started to, in WS. Civil War derailed it. Blame the need to set up the Avengers films.

[CosmiComic]

They started to, in WS. Civil War derailed it. Blame the need to set up the Avengers films.

That's true. Still, I kinda feel she was an after thought. CA2 still could've made her into more of a distinct character