The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (1.5): Stories Untold

From the closing moments of the first episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, I have been waiting for this past week’s episode. Though It far less action-heavy than the episodes so far, much more laden with exposition, it finally gives both audience and Sam Wilson time to slow down and process the situation. So much of Marvel’s storytelling mechanisms function with exclusively forward propulsion. In fact, one could argue much of modern filmmaking and storytelling takes this approach. It is especially prominent in action films. This makes sense too. Often the moments in between action sequences function with the primary purpose of getting us to that next action scene. Of course, this is also reductionist and stated hopefully obviously with reservation of judgment. One of my favorite moviegoing experiences in recent memory is seeing John Wick 3 in theatres. What this approach can neglect though is just how rich the potential of the stories in between two action scenes are. When I found out that Marvel was going develop multiple miniseries centered on some of their universe’s secondary characters, I hoped that each project might explore those scenes between action sequences to see what worthwhile laid there. While WandaVision explored this remarkably different direction, it still spent a lot of time closer to the margins of a reality that featured a villain who snapped half of the universe away. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has done that in its own way. Despite the fact that there wasn’t a lot of action in this week’s episode doesn’t mean there is not a whole lot to unpack, because whatever “this just got real” moments you experienced throughout the course of the show don’t compare to this episode.

In one of the most brutal fight scenes I can remember across Marvel movies (second perhaps only to Captain America and Iron Man’s fight in Captain America: Civil War), this episode started with showdown between Bucky, Sam, and John Walker. As his journey in this story continues to show, Walker has lost control. He’s desperate to regain that control and with each passing moment, he grasps at it. Even when it comes from lying to Lemar’s parents about their son’s death. As soon as he became Captain America, he lost control of his own story. Through his own decision-making once he obtains the shield, he spirals more. Eventually, he is stripped of the moniker and left with nothing. Not even his pension. The machine that trained him to be who he was and fight the way he did spit him out and kept churning. He isn’t the only super soldier whose story is further illuminated in this week’s episode either.

Sam returns to Isaiah in hopes to hear his story. As Isaiah tells – and lives – it, his is a story that the history of the United States has worked to erase not unlike the real-life analog for his story. That real-life story that mirrors Isaiah’s is commonly referred to as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. If you haven’t read about this, I would highly recommend it. It is one of the grossest examples of medical malpractice and institutional racism that has happened in this country’s history. It’s also important to remember not just the horrific details but the stories of these men beyond the experiment. The pain that runs through the dialogue between Sam and Isaiah illustrates that point even further. That pain rightfully embittered Isaiah against much in his life, but it still is not the only part of his story. Though the conversation between the two sets up a dichotomy of idealism against cynicism, Sam resists that conclusion in his conversation with Sarah later in the episode. In my first recap of the show, I wrote that Sam was going to have to learn that he can’t win every battle. He knows that now. Hell, he even literally says as much in this episode. Sometimes battles fought are not simply about winning and losing. The more The Falcon and The Winter Soldier embrace this dictum, the stronger its characters and storytelling have become.

There is still so much more to unpack from this week’s episode, but I would be remiss if I didn’t touch on Bucky at least a bit. He doesn’t get as much screen time this week, but when he does, it’s rich. He (presumably) as a final showdown with Zemo where he resists the urge to punish him, signaling yet another step in his journey toward freedom. However, his most powerful moment in this week’s episode comes with Sam in New Orleans. They are discussing Steve again, but the topic circles back to Bucky and making amends. Sam tells him that going to someone and just telling them you’re sorry or even punishing the ones on his list who hurt people only assuages Bucky’s guilt. It does not necessarily give those people what they need. He advises Bucky to go to them and instead of just saying sorry, be of service to them. Not only was it a wonderfully poetic line from Sam, it summed up his entire ethos. It was also exactly what Bucky did for Sam. He didn’t just come to New Orleans to apologize for treating Sam the way he did, he came in service. He helped him rebuild his family boat. I expect that won’t be the last time we see Bucky being honest with both himself and someone else on his list before the show rolls credits next week.

While Karli Morgenthau and John Walker did not play as prominent a role in this episode as in the past, this episode set them both up for critical decisions in the finale. Bucky, Sam, and Karli are certainly going to face off. I have no idea where John Walker might fit in, but you can better believe he will be there (if not just to once again scream that he is definitely Captain America). As this last episode is going to feature all of our heroes, antiheroes, and villains converging for a big battle, I still find myself yearning for more of those moments in between and look forward to The Falcon and The Winter Soldier delivering on them.