‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ Recap: ‘The Whole World Is Watching’

Written by Shae Rufe

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’.
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​In case anyone missed the memo, this show is my whole life now. I literally just live here. Am I hoping it leads to more? 100% yes. Am I hoping that there's a season two? Also, yes. But I would probably settle for a few movies, because I could watch a solid two-and-a-half-hour movie of Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan just chatting and I’d be thrilled. It’s not a problem... I’ve only sent John a gif of Zemo dancing twice... in the last hour.

Spoiler warning!

Alright, I really want to hammer home that this show is tackling racism, trauma, and socio-economic disparities, and really doing it well. We have the constant duality between Bucky and Sam that balances each other out while also showcasing the different worlds they clearly live in. Hell, in the last episode, Zemo even commented on how the ‘Trouble Man’ album was a commentary on the African American Experience, and he’s supposed to be an untrustworthy bad guy. Well, this episode has a lot to say about how much more in touch Zemo is, than either of them. We left with Ayo showing up at the end of the last episode, well she’s not the only Dora Milaje here, but she’s willing to let Bucky keep Zemo, for now. She warns him before leaving. Bucky surprisingly shares that information with Zemo and Sam, and I really don’t think that was a good idea.

Either way, they do go and check out the camp, Karli supposedly was in, and while our heroes don’t find anything, Zemo does. Listen, it’s really important to never take candy from a stranger. Especially one in a large fur trimmed coat. It’s literally a terrible idea. In this case, Zemo managed to find out when the funeral of Karli’s idol is happening and where, by giving candy to kids and talking to them. Which is legit a good way to get information. Kids know things. But don’t take candy from strangers. Like please, just don’t. It works out well, but the darling little sociopath that he is, Zemo doesn’t share what he found out. He’s got leverage, you gotta respect that he’s going to use it. Of course, Walker and Hoskins show up. It’s funny, I really don’t mind Hoskins’ character. But being Walker’s super macho friend when they're together... just bugs me. But Walker’s arrogance is enough to spill over into anyone around him, and it speaks to how well his character is written. They do agree to go with Bucky and Sam to find Karli, and even wait while Sam talks to her. He actually makes really good headway, but that’s the thing with Sam, he’s a great person and really able to connect with people. We’ve seen him throughout the series so far, slowly bond with Bucky and get him to even open up out of his shell.
 
He starts getting through to Karli, just a bit, because who better to understand the socio-economical disparities between the capitalist wealth and average people, than a Black superhero who can’t even get a loan to save his family's business? Sam is also a former soldier. Sam literally understands what she’s feeling, he agrees with her and what she’s doing. He just doesn’t agree with how she’s going about it. It almost looks like they’re going to come to an understanding, until Walker storms in and literally ruins everything. Karli of course runs, but she doesn’t make it far before Zemo finds her. I can’t tell if I should like his character or not. But I do. I adore him. He shoots Karli several times, she drops the extra vials of super soldier serum, and he breaks them. All but one. One single vial that rolled just out of sight. Zemo would have killed her had he not been knocked out by the shield.

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​When it’s all said and done, Karli is gone, and they retreat back to Zemo’s. The Dora Milaje showing up at the same time? This might actually be my favorite scene ever. Walker and Hoskins really don’t fight well against the Dora Milaje, although I’m not sure anyone really does since these women are fierce, well trained, and loyal. They’re here to collect Zemo, and they’re not leaving without him. Bucky and Sam eventually join the fight, but not before Bucky taunts Walker a bit. I’m also not convinced with Bucky’s attempt to stop them is genuine since it seems way phoned in. The betrayal both feel is real, however, when one of them hits something on his shoulder and it detaches his vibranium arm from his body. By then, it’s all over. Zemo has escaped and the Dora Milaje leave. It’s sad, because Bucky is close with Ayo. Before the Blip she’s the one who helped him test the trigger words to make sure they were really gone. It’s complicated, though, and Zemo killed king T’Chaka, they want him to pay, but Bucky and Sam need Zemo to help them find Karli. Now? It’s all for naught, since he vanished.

This scene does push Walker over the edge. That missing vial of serum? Walker took it. Literally and actually, took it. The question is asked throughout the episode, if given the chance, would you take it? Zemo asks Sam, and he says no immediately. Walker asks Hoskins and he says yes right away. Both have good reasons for their answers, but the serum also enhances more than just the body.

Karli calling Sam’s sister and threatening her, and the kids is really just a low blow, but it’s effective. Sam and Bucky show up to meet her and it seems to be going in ‘not the murdering’ kind of direction, until Walker and Hoskins show up. Then it’s definitely a fight for life kind of thing. Walker is doing a lot better now that he took the serum, Hoskins isn’t. Even Sam is holding his own. It’s truly sad, the end of this episode. Hoskins was fighting the good fight and then he was dead. There is a theme with Captain America always losing his best friend. When Steve lost Bucky on the train, he continued to fight but he didn’t let his rage take over or blind him. Walker on the other hand uses the shield to beat a Flag Smasher to death in front of a crowd of people.

This story helps to remind us, that the shield is a symbol of many things, it’s just a matter of which angle you’re looking at.

Sadly, we now only have two episodes left... I don’t want it to end!

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