The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) Review

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier follows Sam and Bucky who must enlist the help of Zemo in order to take down a group of super solider eco-terrorists, while dealing with loss of Steve and his new replacement.

So much of this series hinges on Dr. Erskine's speech to Steve in The First Avenger—reiterating the point that Captain America need not be "a perfect soldier, but a good man". This is why he gave the shield to Sam instead of Bucky, and precisely why the new Captain America, John Walker, should have never been given the shield (or taken the super soldier serum).  Because good becomes great, and bad becomes worse. He is a perfect solider, but also a man flawed by ego and lust for power. Whereas on the reverse, we get Sam, who knows no power but is a great man, something that is a crucial part of his growth and shift towards feeling worthy of the mantel of Captain America. Growth is a key part of this show, not only occurring in Sam, but also within Bucky, Zemo, and the primary villain, Karli Morgenthau, the leader of the Flagsmashers. It’s a series of legacy and how the past does not determine one’s future. 

I must say, it started off pretty standard for me, but with context to the Captain America movies, it stands out as a stellar show that tackles issues like race, immigration, and really blurs the lines between what’s good or bad, given perspective. The Flagsmashers fight a good cause, but the wrong way, which is what makes Karli so dangerous. The Flagsmashers however never really seem to pose much of a threat and Karli's arc is very convoluted because she only regresses as a character, practically becoming another no-name member of the Flagsmashers, though without a reluctance to kill.

They even managed to make Zemo relatable in a way that makes you care about him (something I couldn’t say in Civil War). His character is the most in line with what we've seen up to this point and Brühl's performance goes a long way in making him a sympathetic (anti?) villain. Sharon, on the other hand, deviates the most and her reveal as the Power Broker was a weirdly rushed and on odd choice, as it goes against everything we've seen up to this point. Lastly, I wanted to touch on the inclusion of Isiah Bradley, as I found him to be one of the coolest deep cut, additions to this show. Using him to inspire (in a reverse way) Sam to accept the shield was really neat and I hope we get more of Carl Lumbly's 50's era Cap at some point.

We get a some top notch performances, starring Emily VanCamp, Daniel Brühl, Carl Lumbly, Erin Kellyman, Wyatt Russel, Sebastian Stan, and Anthony Mackie. Mackie has really come around for me as Falcon/Captain America and this show did a huge part in that. You fully why he was chosen as the heir, and his journey to feeling worthy is the heart of this show. I also really loved Brühl on Zemo, with him taking that character to new heights in such a small amount of time. 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, directed by Kari Skogland, is an incredibly heartwarming and action packed spinoff series that really captures the essence of the Captain America movies for the small screen, really taking Sam and Bucky a long way from co-workers, to friends, carrying on the stars and stripes for a new era. 

8.8/10