One World, One People, Falcon and The Winter Soldier Episode 2 rundown

Despite not teaming up in the opening episode of Falcon and The Winter Soldier, episode 2 titled ‘The Star-Spangled Man’ saw Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) team up to battle against The Flag Smashers. Although the pair hasn’t gotten on the same page yet, the fun buddy cop dynamic was a joy to watch. As well as Bucky and Sam we were also introduced to another team that of the New Captain America John Walker (Wyatt Russell) and his partner Lemar Hoskins (Cle Bennett) also known as Battlestar. Even though Walker at first wanted everyone to team up, it looks that the two pairs will move in different directions and potentially clash in the future.

While setting up the dynamics of the 2 partnerships which have been tasked with taking down the Flag Smashers we also got to understand more of the Flag Smashers origin with the slogan ‘One World, One People’ being the symbol behind their motive.

Moreover, it cannot be ignored the intense scene where we were introduced to Isiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) and his grandson Eli Bradley (Elijah Richardson). Easily the scene with the most emotion the show now looks set to dive into the history of the super soldier serum and the racist stigma that is behind heroes in America.

John Walker, you love to hate him:

Picking up where we left on the last episode we got our first proper introduction to the new Captain America John Walker. Although spending a week being one of the most hated people online, finally learning who John Walker is made him seem much more relatable and not the annoying rip-off of Steve Rogers everyone was calling him over the last week. Taking time to explore Walker’s history and seeing him become nervous about taking on the role of Captain America added so much to his character as now we know that he isn’t doing the job for attention, he is doing it to help people, but what happens when he can’t live up to the expectations?

It was also nice to see Walker appreciate the responsibility of Captain America as he talks about how everyone expects something of him. When discussing the job with his friend Lemar Hoskins we also learn that Walker has a work first attitude and isn’t interested in all the media attention that we expected him to be. As a whole our first introduction was a positive one because unlike what we expected Walker is trying to do his job and it’s hard to criticise him for that.

However, Walker is always going to be in the shadow of Steve Rogers and it’s hard to ignore that it’s really fun to hate him. For example when Walker gives his interview with Good Moring America we are not applauding his achievements which should be recognised, instead we hate him because of how he says Steve Rogers is like a brother to him. If he wanted our love it probably would have been best for him not to mention the man who made the shield what it is.

Disliking John Walker comes very easy and everything he does seems to add to this. When Bucky and Sam are fighting the Flag Smashers, it is Walker and Hoskins who make the save and instead of being happy, we are left annoyed that they are getting in the way of our heroes. Captain America shooting someone was also a huge moment as we begin to see the differences between Walker and Steve emerge.

Walker’s annoying personality then comes across in heaps for the remainder of the episode. Firstly he tries to recruit Sam and Bucky to work with him but he constantly gets shut down, but like an annoying fly Walker keeps coming back. There is also smugness to him when he gets Bucky released from prison as he starts to learn about his new role, something Steve would never have been like. Despite this, Walker still wants to get the job done and discusses the threat with Sam and Bucky. After getting shut down again we then are justified for not liking Walker as he tells Sam if he won’t work with him that he should stay out of his way. For the first time we saw Walker take a darker turn and although being annoying we actually get a true reason to dislike him.

As the series progresses a darker turn for Walker seems to be the trend. One interesting point from the comics about Walker and Lemar Hoskins has been ignored and that is there lack of powers. In the comics they are enhanced by the Power Broker who was mentioned during the episode. As such the darker Walker and Hoskins get could lead to them receiving the powers which they have in the comics.

An emotional Bucky:

For me the most intriguing character in the series in Bucky Barnes. His trauma is something which nobody can imagine and is why his journey in the show will be an emotional one as he tries to find his place in the world. Seeing someone take up the shield that his best friend carried was hard for him as he watches on emotionally. This explains why Bucky is so dismissive of Walker and Battlestar. However, what makes Bucky’s journey so emotional is that all he has left is his connection to Steve and seeing the shield in someone else’s hand hurts him.

Throughout the episode Bucky is annoyed with Sam for not taking the shield and we get to understand why when the pair shares a therapy session. Before this though we see Bucky get arrested in public which is quite an important scene as the reputation of Bucky continues to be in the mud as he breaks the simplest of rules.

During the therapy session Bucky asks Sam for the final time in the episode why he gave up the shield. Bucky bursts out and explains that Steve believed in him and if Steve was wrong about Sam he was wrong about him as well. Such a powerful scene gave context to what Bucky feels inside. Throughout the movies Steve tried to clear Bucky’s name because he felt he could do and be better. As such when Bucky says Steve could be wrong, the doubts he has about himself start to creep back as he cannot escape his work as the Winter Soldier.

Even though we saw a clash between Sam and Bucky the pair agrees to work together to take down the Flag Smashers and we see some of Bucky’s evolution as a character. When the pair recognise they have to talk to the Hydra Encyclopaedia that is Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) there is a sense that this will be a big test for Bucky as it will be his first major mission in the modern world, a big step for him making amends. Without question Bucky will want to make Steve proud and prove to himself that Steve was right about him.

The History of Black Heroes:

When questioned about giving up the shield, Sam doesn’t give a direct answer as to why he did what he did but what is implied is a theme that the show is set to dive into. While the obvious reason for not taking the mantle was because Sam felt he couldn’t live up to Steve there was also the more serious reason that Sam felt due to the colour of his skin that he couldn’t represent America.

Obviously Sam was upset when John Walker was paraded as the new Cap, but Sam is more focused on his work. When Bucky bursts out and asks Sam to answer him, he responds by saying he thought what he was doing was right and that is something Bucky or Steve couldn’t understand. It’s implied that Sam felt it was easier not be Cap because of his skin colour and the response that would generate. Instead it would be easier for Sam to continue as the Falcon and focus on his work which at the time Sam felt was more important.

We expect that Sam’s view on the situation will change and the introduction to Isiah Bradley is one of the reasons for it. When we meet Isiah, we learn that Bucky and he had met on opposite sides during the Korean War and that Isiah bested him by ripping off his arm. But where the history of black heroes comes into it is when Isiah talks about how he was put in prison for 30 years for being a hero. Although we don’t know the context from the show behind this its likely nothing on the level of what Bucky had done as the Winter Soldier. This is where the contradictions begin as Bucky a former master assassin for Hydra was pardoned, whereas American hero Isiah Bradley was given 30 years in prison and his legacy ignored. Sam seeing this may be what turns his attention to the racial issues in the superhero community.

A developing plot:

Everything is connected in the show through the threat of the Flag Smashers and the history of the super soldier serum. Sam is on the hunt for the group and traces them to Munich which is when we start to learn about what the Flag Smashers are doing. The anarchist group are stealing vaccines and medicines which we later learn is to help those in need. While this explains the motives of the group what also has now been on display is that the members have all been enhanced by some form of super soldier serum.

The history of the super soldier serum seems to be the corner stone to the show, as this is what sparked Sam and Bucky to visit Isiah and in the upcoming episode Zemo. We also know about how John Walker and Lemar Hoskins have powers in the comics which could play out in the show because of the serum’s involvement.

Also, the first reference to the power broker was brought up as the Flag Smashers seem to have stolen a form of the serum from the serum overlord. Now that pieces are starting to be put together we have to wait for Zemo to give us the answers to all of Hydra’s secrets regarding previous efforts to replicate the super solider serum. No matter what knowledge we learn we expect the history behind the serum to be a dirty one.

Verdict:

As a whole the 2nd episode of Falcon and Winter Soldier was a fast paced and detailed one. The plot is starting to become clearer and all the characters that were introduced were not only complex but also have so much more to show. As such the episode leaves us wanting more. The themes of the episode were also developed and we are starting to see the politics of the show to emerge. Therefore, as the show continues to build if we keep getting episodes which are so detailed then there is still so much more to come and we cannot wait.

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