10 Talking points from Falcon and The Winter Soldier Episode 3

As Falcon and The Winter Soldier continues to stream on Disney+, the questions and discussion points keep expanding as the series keeps opening new doors in the story. The fast paced episode 3 was no different and kept us thinking about what could come next. With that in mind we have narrowed these talking points down and have 10 points which deserve to be discussed for both the series and the wider MCU.

Do You Know Who I Am?

Our first point comes from the New Captain America John Walker (Wyatt Russell). At the end of the previous episode there was a tease for Walker to take a darker turn and the episode followed up on this. Even though Walker’s role was limited we begin to see the frustration building within him as he fails to hunt down the Flag Smashers. When he screams “do you know who I am”, something isn’t right and desperation is seen on Walker’s face. This desperation to get the job done is what we think could make Walker take a more brutal and forceful approach.

Moreover, Walker telling his partner Lemar Hoskins (Cle Bennett) that they are going to follow up on Zemo’s prison break without reporting it teases this turn even more. When Walker says he doesn’t care how they get the job done, one again we think this suggests that whatever actions he takes in future episodes they will likely be much more brutal and not fitting with the Captain America fans have been accustomed to from the movies.

Zemo’s Prison Break:

Despite being Marvel fan sometimes there are questionable parts within the content we see. However, as a fan I find it enjoyable to justify what happens when others may think it isn’t right. In episode 3, Zemo’s (Daniel Bruhl) prison break is one of these points people make about Marvel where they do not agree with what they have seen. This time the comments are saying that the escape was far too easy and made little sense considering the history between Zemo and Bucky (Sebastian Stan).

To counter this we have to understand that the full conversation between Zemo and Bucky isn’t shown so as far as I am concerned the pair will have come to some sort of agreement because we know Zemo wants to destroy all super soldiers and will do anything to achieve this. Bucky helping Zemo escape also can be justified as Bucky has always shown tendencies to make drastic decisions in the moment when a better option may be available. Episode 2 showed us this when Bucky wanted to run straight into the Flag Smashers when he would have been outnumbered. As such there is enough evidence to justify the pair working together and the desperation both Sam (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky have helps this even further.

Then when we look at how easy the prison break was we have to remember the abilities of both men. Bucky as the Winter Soldier will have the gifts to make the breakout happen which was shown and then the skills of Zemo are on display. Zemo proved in Captain America: Civil War he is a master of disguise and he proved it again here. Just because the breakout was made to look easy doesn’t take away from the skills that were involved to achieve this which is actually why I enjoyed the breakout because it elevated the gifts of Bucky and Zemo.

The Baron Zemo:

Another aspect to Zemo that is revealed is that he is in fact a Baron, or at least he was before Sokovia became war torn. This explains his riches and how he had the facilities to hunt Hydra and learn of all of their secrets without running out of money or getting captured.

Zemo also explains that he hunted Hydra and destroyed any chance of the super soldier serum being replicated. This tells us that his mission during Captain America: Civil War was much longer than we saw. We know Zemo says he has patience during the movie but hunting down all of those involved with Hydra and the super soldier serum could not have been an easy task. This makes the mission of Zemo seem so much harder and an appreciation for what he done can be found.

Welcome to Madripoor:

In the episode we got our first viewing a Madripoor in the MCU. What we learn about the place is that it is home to criminals of all wealth and stature. High town is the more esteemed area where hustlers like Sharon Carter (Emily Van Camp) live. High Town is also a place where wild nights take place and really gives the city an edgy tone.

Down in the poorer areas of Madripoor is Low town. In Low Town there is much more petty crime and it is normal for people to carry guns and partake in the drug trade. There is also a large array of bounty hunters which roam the city. After our first introduction to Madripoor it’s pretty clear that anything that takes place here will not end well and with the Power Broker running the city we wouldn’t be surprised if we see the city again in the MCU’s future.

A Brutal Sharon:

While visiting Madripoor we got to see what Sharon Carter has been up to. Still on the run after what happened in Civil War she has set herself up in High Town as a hustler selling real paintings. After agreeing to help Sam and Bucky we get to see a new side of Sharon we hadn’t seen in the past. When the bounty hunters come searching Sharon takes them out all by herself displaying her combat skills and her brutality as she guns them down as well as using a blade to cut them. This brutality easily rivalled that of Bucky as the Winter Soldier and just goes to show the type of place Madripoor is.

After Bucky, Sam and Zemo leave there is also a tease that Sharon may be hiding something. She tells her driver that they have a couple of big problems. This raises the question as why she has this problem. I would also like to raise the point about how easy it was Sharon to locate the man they were looking for. So, could Sharon be working for the Power Broker and could helping those working against him could set Sharon up as a future target for Madripoor’s criminal overlord.

Wilfred Nagel:

Visiting Madripoor was all in order to meet the Doctor behind the newest replication of the super soldier serum. Sharon manages to locate the man called Wilfred Nagel. When we meet Nagel he adds more history to the super soldier serum as after the Winter Soldier program failed he was recruited to try and reactivate it. The fact Hydra was still trying to replicate the serum after failures just goes to show the importance of the serum. Also, Zemo didn’t know about this which implies that Nagel’s work was of highest secrecy.

Then when Hydra fell, Nagel began working for the CIA to replicate the serum using the blood of Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly). The fact that Nagel was working for the CIA once again shows the importance of the serum and this information tells us that the US government were still trying to create more super soldiers after what happened in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This is extremely shady due to the horrifying history of the serum and I think there is even more to it than we may assume.

Nagel continues by saying he never got to finish his work for the CIA because he was blipped and the program was abandoned. After he returned he was recruited by the Power Broker who funded his work. My question here is how the Power Broker knew of his work when someone like Zemo didn’t. As such I believe that the Power Broker must have connections to the CIA and a theory I am enjoying is that the connection may be no other than Thunderbolt Ross due to his history with the serum.

Zemo’s Mission:

Staying with Madripoor, I think it is suitable to make bring up the point that Zemo shot Nagel and killed him. This action by Zemo fits perfectly with his character. He wants to remove any chances of another replication so killing Nagel helps his mission even if Sam and Bucky don’t agree.

However, Zemo isn’t naive enough to think he can complete his mission alone and he knows he needs the help of Sam and Bucky. This is why he returns for them before they leave Madripoor. Also, the car Zemo gets in was a nice nod to the one Red Skull drove in Captain America: The First Avenger due to it being an old fashioned classic.

Karli’s Bombing:

Like John Walker, the Flag Smashers were not given as much attention during the episode but when they were on screen we got to see how their actions are becoming more extreme and how they are turning into terrorists. In the past the Flag Smashers were only stealing and would only use violence when someone would get in their way. However, after Karli planted a bomb at the GRC resource centre we are seeing how their actions are escalating and violence is no longer a response it is instead part of the plan.

This was the first time they had purposely killed and the shock on Karli’s (Erin Kellyman) fellow Flag Smasher’s face goes to show how shocked he was. As such it seems to suggest that it is Karli who will make the more terrorist actions as her friend’s death has made her even more angry and desperate for help.

Sokovia is No More:

During the episode we learn about what happened to the nation of Sokovia. Zemo informs us that before the rubble was even cleared away neighbouring countries occupied the nation which resulted in Sokovia being wiped off the map. This means that Sokovia is no longer a nation which is shocking as the likes of Zemo and Wanda Maximoff no longer have a home country.

However, due to Sokovia being in central Europe there has been a suggestion that the fall of Sokovia could allow for the rise of another fictional central European nation, the nation of Latveria. At the head of this nation is the villain known as Dr. Doom. With Marvel finally gaining the rights to the Doom character we are waiting for his introduction into the MCU and this could have just been the first seed that was planted for his existence as well as his nation of Latveria.

Bucky meets Ayo:

At the end of the episode we were left with the cliff hanger that Wakandian and member of the Dora Milaje, Ayo (Florence Kasumba) has been tracking Zemo. Her first words are that she is here for Zemo. If we cast our minds back it was Zemo whom killed T’Chaka, so his escape will have caught the attention of Wakanda especially with the resources they have available to them. Remember the lengths Wakanda went to in order to capture Klaw, imagine the lengths they would go to for Zemo’s capture.

As cliff hangers tend to do we have so many questions about what Ayo will do? However, from what we know about Ayo is that she is loyal to her country and the Dora Milaje. In the Black Panther movie she didn’t act out when Killmonger took the thrown which was a bigger reason to betray her country. This means that it’s likely that she won’t look to help with Sam and Bucky’s mission and will instead be focused on hers. This will through a curveball for the series as more parts to the story begin to converge.

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