‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Recap: ‘The Star-Spangled Man’

Written by Shae Rufe

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Two of ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’.
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​I have to be honest; I was not expecting this show to be as amazing as it is. Yes, I knew it was going to be fantastic, I knew I was going to love it, but I was not expecting it to be as astonishingly real and good as it is. Which, shame on me, especially after WandaVision, I should have known better. This show gets better with each and every episode so far and I cannot wait to see what they do with the remaining episodes.
 
So, spoilers? Spoilers. You’ve been warned.
 
Alright, did I stay up until 2 a.m. to watch this episode right as it dropped? Yes. Yes, I did. I am that hooked on this show. Now, I have not had the chance to catch up on all the comics, so I am totally blind on who John Walker is and what his story entails. What I do know is I hate him with every fiber of my being. But that’s because Wyatt Russell is an amazing actor and to see him tackle this role is going to be fun.
 
Right! We open with a full intro into John’s character with a Morning News Show style intro and interview and we learn that he’s probably not just a normal human. They glaze over that pretty quick with the reveal that John has a high IQ, won some outstanding metals in military service, and overall seems to handle the shield pretty well. All in all, we get the gist that he’s more than just some random dude. Is he likable? No... I really do not like him at all. Are we supposed to like him? Also, no. The show is setting him up to be problematic and really, that’s alright. They could surprise us, however, as Marvel is apt to do. 
 
Bucky finds this out the same way Sam does, by watching it happen on TV. He promptly confronts Sam about giving up the shield and ends up joining him on a mission where things don’t go as planned. While it was hinted that Crossbones might be making a return, it’s actually just 8 people who happen to somehow be super solders. Bucky gets his ass thoroughly kicked, while John and his friend show up mid fight. The action in this show is really well done, but John’s fighting is just... irritating. Maybe it’s just me, but I genuinely do not like the guy. Sam and Bucky end up walking away when the baddies escape. The banter between these two is not only natural but amusing, and if they aren’t best friends by the end of the show then I really will be shocked. 

Still the “new” Captain American attempts to get them on his side, offers them a ride to the airport, and basically tries to sweet talk them into working alongside him. Bucky declines in the most Bucky fashion ever, by just leaving. Honestly this whole scene reaffirmed my theory this whole time. Ever since we learned they were bringing in Walker as Captain America, I have been making jokes about Bucky wanting to kill him (John can attest to the thousands of texts I’ve sent him about it), and the Jeep scene proved me right with how much Bucky hates him. With the mission unsuccessful, a new Captain America ruining things, and Bucky’s irritation at Sam for giving up the shield, we think this whole episode might just be this. It’s the formula. Sam doesn’t feel worthy, even though he is. Bucky is struggling to find himself and failing. And the new Captain America is just an affront to everything Steve stood for.

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​And then this episode takes a turn. At the end of my last review, I touched on the racist undertones of having a White Captain America, well in case we missed the whole point of the first episode, with Sam unable to get a loan and even through he’s well recognized; the Baltimore scene slaps us violently in the face with the whole theme of this show. With Sam irate and having an argument with Bucky in the middle of the street, cops of course show up to escalate the situation. They blatantly ask Bucky if Sam is bothering him. They blatantly treat Sam completely different than they do Bucky. It’s a great commentary on institutional racism and how many Black Americans are treated VS White Americans. This entire show is a commentary on how Black people are still viewed in America. Sam is a superhero, he saved the world, fought Thanos, is more than qualified to pick up the mantle of Captain America. But he can’t get a loan and he almost gets arrested for having an argument with another person, who happens to be white. Eventually Sam gets recognized for who he really is, and the situation de-escalates. The irony is Bucky is the more dangerous of the two. Which they emphasize by arresting Bucky at the end of the scene. 

Guess those Therapy appointments were not optional in the slightest. Enter the best scene ever written. Sam and Bucky basically have to have couples therapy, and do not get me wrong, this scene is priceless, but this therapist should be fired and prosecuted. Having a psych degree, myself, I can’t tell you how bad his therapist irritates me. She is unprofessional, wrong in her approach, and above all she should have her license revoked and be thrown in jail for how bad she is. If this representation of government issued therapists is accurate, no wonder there is a mental health crisis. Regardless, it’s a good scene because we finally get to learn why Bucky is so upset at Sam for giving up the shield, and as most things do, this stems back to Steve.
 
I’m not saying that Steve is the worst best friend in the history of best friends, but he’s the worst best friend in the history of best friends. Bucky basically feels that if Steve wasn’t right about Sam, then he’s definitely not right about Bucky. In the end, both of them feel inadequate when it comes to the shield for different reasons. With Sam it is racially driven. Not feeling worthy despite being overly so, probably from a lifetime of being seen as less because he’s been treated differently just for the color of his skin. And Bucky feels like he’s not worth the trouble for all the bad things he’s been forced to do, he doesn’t know who he is. Nothing is a simple answer. Sam should be Captain America, but he’s been conditioned to not accept his rightfully won gains. Bucky doesn’t know how to have a life of his own.

At least he doesn’t have to do these horrible therapy sessions anymore.

Downside, Walker is there when they leave the police station for his final ploy to get Sam and Bucky to join him and threaten them when they decline, once again. Not that they’re deterred in the least. Bucky makes a final call for a meeting with Zemo, because who knows more about Hydra Super Soldiers? Sam isn’t so keen on the idea, but it’s not like they have a lot of options at the moment.

Really, I am impressed with this show and all the tones and themes it is pulling in. The overarching dichotomy between the superhero world and real-world issues is something that’s new and fresh for the MCU. Considering they’ve skated around the race issue this long, it’s about time that they’re addressing these real-life issues that many People of Color face daily. Systemic Racism is a problem. The Mental Health Crisis is real. It’s going to be interesting to see how they tackle these issues in the rest of the series.

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