Following the success of “WandaVision”, Marvel continues to churn out new TV shows on Disney+. This time it’s “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”. The show follows The Falcon (Anthoney Mackey) and the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). The show has one main group of antagonists but hints at more for the future.
The show starts a few months after the events of “Avengers Endgame” and we quickly see how Sam and Bucky have adapted to life after Thanos. Bucky is still filled with regret from all the lives he took as a part of HYDRA and still has nightmares about his actions. Sam returned to his home in the South and spent time working on his family boat, reflecting upon the shield of Captain America which was handed down to him. Sam decides to release the shield to a museum which doesn’t last long since the government believes they need a new Captain America, which is where John Walker (Wyatt Russell) comes into play. The main goal of all three of these characters is to stop a terrorist group called the Flag Smashers, who want the world to return to what it was before half the world returned.
The strength of this show falls on the connection between Sam and Bucky, both of whom work well together on screen and their chemistry grows in each episode. Also, seeing Bucky at rock bottom was a powerful set of scenes, and with all the good he has done, he can’t escape his past. The show had a surprise appearance by Zemo, who was most notably in “Captain America Civil War”. He isn’t the same antagonist as he was before since this time he helps Sam and Bucky find the leader of the Flag Smashers, but he still brings a mysterious presence that benefits the show.
Although the show had some bright spots, it also had some very forgettable and lackluster scenes. First of all, having anyone else besides Steve Rogers in the Captain America suit is jarring, and while he developed well in the last episode, it wasn’t enough to salvage the character. Another weak point of the show was the antagonists. The Flag Smashers never felt like an intimidating group, and the leader of the group reflects the indecisiveness of the group.
Overall, the show did a good job with adding to Marvel’s success and gives a good insight into the world after “Endgame”. The show is nowhere near perfect, but for all Marvel fans, it’s a show that can provide a great connection between the Falcon and the Winter Soldier and helps progress Marvel’s story.