[Editor’s note: The following containsspoilersforThe Falcon and the Winter SoldierEpisode 2, “The Star-Spangled Man."]
Say this forThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier— it’s two for two when it comes to delivering quality fight scenes. In general, Episode 2 is a nicely paced episode, with a good balance of character, story, and action; its primary flaw is that it remains just another chapter in the story as opposed to actual episodic storytelling. But hey, at least our titular heroes are in the same room together! For at least half the episode!
A good portion of this apt-titled installment is focused on introducingWyatt Russellas John Walker, AKA our “new Captain America,” who seems like a genuinely decent sort based on the intimate sequence featuring him, his wire Olivia (Gabrielle Byndloss), and best friend/partner Lemar Hoskins (Clé Bennett), getting ready for aGood Morning Americaappearance. Oh, and while he doesn’t have superpowers he is basically a golden god of a physical specimen, who certainly seems to know his way around that shield.
But the announcement of America’s new hero (posters proudly proclaiming that “Cap is back!” become omnipresent over the course of this episode) isn’t happy news for Bucky, who goes to confront Sam about his decision to hand over the shield to the U.S. government instead of carrying it himself. This is the first time the lead characters of this show are talking to each other in this context, and there’s a part of me that appreciates the casual nature of it — it’s not like they’re meeting for the first time, after all, and certainly you don’t get all verklempt when that annoying guy you know from work drops by to bug you. But it’s also kind of an odd choice, given that the show put it off this long?
Whether or not it should have been a bigger deal, Bucky’s arrival at the base leads to him tagging along with Sam on Sam’s mission to Germany, to further investigate the strange group of super-powered folk Sam’s pal Torres identified in Episode 1. The sequence consumes a good chunk of the episode, but that’s for good reason as it includes:
Karli and the Flag Smashers escape with the goods they were after — vaccines and medicines they’re bringing to displacement camps — and afterward, Sam and Bucky metaphorically limp away from the fight until getting picked up by Walker and Lemar (AKA Battlestar). Walker tries to connect with Sam, saying that it’ll be easier for him to fill the role of Captain America with Sam by his side as his “wingman.” That doesn’t go over great with Sam.
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Karli and her gang, meanwhile, continue to move, finding a safe house of like-minded people who also want life to go back to the way things were during the Blip. Despite the threatening text messages she’s getting, Karli is committed to the cause, with foot soldiers equally devoted to “one people, one world” — so much so that they’ll sacrifice themselves to the cause, to enable the group’s escape.
Flying away from Germany, Bucky mentions to Sam that “there’s someone you should meet,” which brings the two men to Baltimore, and the home of Isaiah Bradley, played byCarl Lumbly, whose long and versatile acting career includes starring in the short-lived but quite memorable ’90s superhero showM.A.N.T.I.S.But here, he’s the live-action debut ofan equally memorable character created byRobert MoralesandKyle Bakerin 2003— an early participant in American super-solider experiments who first met Bucky, while Bucky was under Hydra control, in 1951.
Since those days, Isaiah says, he spent 30 years in prison being experimented on by the government — he has no insight into how the super-serum that gave him abilities might have gotten out there. But the encounter is understandably pretty upsetting to Sam, who had no idea Isaiah existed: “You’re telling me there was a Black super soldier decades ago and no one knew about it?” Before they can get any further into it, though, the cops show up and start harassing Sam, because some horrific elements of reality cannot be escaped even in our superhero stories. Once they figure out that they’re Avengers, the tension is off — that is, until Bucky gets arrested for missing his court-mandated therapy.
It’s Walker who gets Bucky out of lockup, delivering him to the tender mercies of Dr. Raynor the therapist — who demands a session not just with Bucky right then, but also Sam. The couples counseling games she puts them through are a cute opportunity to seeAnthony MackieandSebastian Stanbicker like the old married couple Dr. Raynor is treating them like, while also providing legions of fanfic writers plenty of inspiration for their work. Not that fanfic writers need the help, but seriously, having Bucky and Sam sit across from each other with their legs literally interlocking? AO3 users should send flowers to everyone involved with that scene.
Point is, said therapy session doesn’t really solve any of their problems, with Bucky confessing the big reason why Sam rejecting the Captain America shield bothers him so much: if Steve was wrong about Sam being the right man to take up the mantle, then Steve may have been wrong about Bucky being worthy of salvation. That leaves both men at an awkward impasse, not improved by leaving the station to find Walker and Lemar waiting for them — once again offering to work together. When Bucky and Sam say no, Walker smiles as he delivers a warning to “stay out of his way.” Not a very Steve-ish sentiment there, Walker.
So what are Bucky and Sam going to do next? It’s an idea that neither of them seem that excited about, but doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been following the casting on this show: They’re going to go see Zemo, the man responsible for so much pain, but who might have answers.
And that’s this week’s cliffhanger! Again, the pacing on this show is pretty solid so far, perhaps in part because, with only six episodes available, there’s not a lot of room for dilly-dallying. Even though some of that dilly-dallying, especially in the moments featuring Stan and Mackie getting to be pretty loose with each other, is where the show is at its most enjoyable.
Some Thoughts That Flew By
The Falcon and the Winter Soldieris streaming now on Disney+.
KEEP READING:‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Episode 1 Recap: We Need New Heroes
