The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (1.6): An Uneven End and Another Beginning

As The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has progressed, I have noted that it feels like it starts one episode with clarity of the direction of its story and then completely loses it by the following episode. The series finale presented no better example of that within the course of a single episode. The finale starts with the showdown that has been building since we were introduced Karli Morgenthau and the Flag Smashers. We also got a continuation of the fight between Sam and Batroc from the first episode. The spectacle was certainly entertaining, but its charm wears off quickly. Especially as John Walker joins the fight.

It’s abundantly clear he wants revenge on Karli from the moment he shows up (and no, unfortunately, he does not yell that he is Captain America in this episode). However, after they fight for a few minutes, he is forced to decide between saving a truck full of people from falling off a ledge or chasing after Karli. He chooses to save the people in the truck. While it’s not this decision that’s confusing, it’s the show’s treatment of this moment that felt rushed to say the least. The show shoots this scene as though it’s a revelatory moment for John, but there is almost nothing about the way he has been written up to that point that would indicate that. His years of service certainly dictate that he would save people when he can, but the show’s attempt to neatly tie up his story in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier with this moment betrays the time they spent on his character in episodes before. It was hard not to see Karli’s story in a similar light. While the show makes it clear that the Flag Smashers are not going anywhere, their plan and ideology gets so wrapped up in Karli’s personal battles with Sharon, Batroc, Sam, John, and Bucky that it feels toothless and diluted by the time it’s revealed that the captured members have not actually been captured. All of this muddled writing and direction is to say nothing of the performances though. Wyatt Russell elevated John Walker’s story at every turn. At moments, Anthony Mackie demonstrated a command of the screen that I have rarely seen from him, especially in the show’s fifth episode. Sebastian Stan continues to make it even more difficult to see anyone else as Bucky Barnes. Hell, uneven writing couldn’t keep Erin Kellyman (Karli Morgenthau) from captivating when she was on screen. Though we did not get much of him in the final episodes of the show, Daniel Brühl (Baron Zemo) frequently stole scenes in those first couple episodes. This is not even to mention some of the smaller delightful performances from Florence Kasumba (Ayo) and Adepero Oduye (Sarah Wilson). The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’s cast was strong from top to bottom, which means its problems ran deeper.

In recapping the WandaVision finale from earlier this year, I wrote about how watching Marvel movies and shows becomes an exercise in parsing out the singular story with each Marvel property’s insistence on setting up the next show or movie. In the case of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, it was nearly impossible. The series certainly set up Sam Wilson taking over the Captain America mantel from Steve Rogers for future movies (and in some spots, quite well!). It also introduced us to Sharon Carter’s villain arc, sure to stick around a while after she is reinstated with security clearance at Sam’s behest. It also flirted with the idea of Torres taking over the wings for the Falcon (as imagery flashes of him watching Sam’s speech with the wings). Finally, it even introduced John Walker’s new identity as U.S. Agent. The problem isn’t that all of these things happened, but the way in which they happened. It made these strung together moments at the end of this show feel like easter egg platitudes. Nods to fans of the comics who will recognize the new suit John Walker is donning. Or those who already know that Torres does take the Falcon mantle in the comics. Where WandaVision succeeded is that it found itself even within the parameters of this continued universe of MCU properties. That show demonstrated that it is absolutely possible to do that. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was not without those moments though, especially in regards to Isaac’s story. Though his ending did feel like the writers were again trying to neatly clean up the side stories, it is hard not to recognize its remarkable catharsis. Sam gave Isaac something he yearned for long before the two ever met: recognition and respect of his existence. That Sam offers him that did feel like a wonderful bookend for his own story throughout The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Part of that story is Sam learning to treat himself with the same care that he treats others. Part of it also has to do with accepting reality for what it is, what it was, and what it will be, all while finding a way to make yourself of service. In that moment, he did just that.

Unfortunately, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier rarely felt like anything other than a long Marvel movie. When it did deviate from that, it started to find its own identity. However, it ended by getting stuck in limbo between the two opening itself up to the potential of just being a stepping stone from one Marvel movie to the next.