The struggles of Bucky Barnes:

Despite the majority of the opening episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier focusing on Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), the scenes where Bucky was the focus developed his character on a level where we now feel for the former Hydra assassin. The struggle which Bucky is experiencing is on full display throughout the episode and we can begin to see the pain behind his eyes.

The History of The Winter Soldier:

To understand what Bucky is going through we first need to look at his history. Like his best friend Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) he served during the Second World War. Bucky was an honourable man and always looked out for his friends. Moreover, Bucky was a hit with the ladies as he was quite happy to go dancing with two girls in Captain America: The First Avenger. This is important as we get a sense of the happiness that Bucky had in the past. This was then ripped away from him as he then worked throughout the 2nd half of the century as a mind controlled Hydra assassin.

While working for Hydra, Bucky although not in control threw away everything he previously stood for. He no longer had loyalty to his country and all of the luxuries that living in America gave him were taken away. Moreover, when completing missions the lack of emotion that Bucky had is what haunts him in the modern era as he remembers everything that he was forced to do.

After the collapse of Hydra in Captain America: The Winter Soldier Bucky went on the run and spent this time trying to live in peace. However, as Bucky states to the therapist in the opening episode of Falcon and Winter Solider he would just move from one fight to another. The reason why Bucky would do this was mainly because of Steve and the loyalty he had for him. Without Steve to help Bucky through life in the modern world it’s clear that Bucky is lost and struggling to keep it together.

Bucky’s nightmares:

Bucky’s horrors and nightmares are what make him such an intriguing character and the fact he remembers every brutal kill is hard to imagine. Now that he has his freedoms and control back Bucky is trying to make amends in the modern world. This is where we get our first glimpse at Bucky’s amendments journal. We see people he wants to take down and then people he wants to make peace with. Every name on that list will mean something to Bucky and we can only imagine how bad things got during the years he worked for the KGB which will be haunting and uncompressible for the average citizen.

The name which was the focus during the episode was that of Yori Nakajima (Ken Takemoto) who Bucky is trying to help. We learn the reason for this is that Bucky, during his time as a Hydra assassin killed his son. This is where we begin to understand why it is so hard for Bucky to live. No matter what he does he will always have guilt for what he has done and that will never leave him. Moreover, the connection he formed with Yori is what makes it even harder for Bucky as he sees the true pain his worked caused.

Being an honourable man at heart it will be devastating for Bucky to see what his work did and is why no matter how hard he tries to make amends he will never be able to find peace. Also, the fact he doesn’t let anyone in helps enhance the true horror he is experiencing and plays into why Bucky is finding it so hard to find his place in the modern world.

Modern World Struggle:

Being over 100 years old it will always be hard for Bucky to find his place in the 21st century because what he is used to is now perceived as old fashioned. As we know, Bucky before joining the army was a good friend and a catch with the ladies. Trying to do this now is hard for Bucky as it is hard to find anyone with a similar life experience. This explains why he has become such good friends with Yori as they will have both lived for a long time.

We learn that Bucky has been trying to enjoy his life like the good old days as he reveals to waitress Leah (Miki Ishikawa) he has tried online dating which tells us Bucky is trying to make steps in his new world. However, when Leah brings up Yori in conversation, Bucky freezes and has to leave. As such, even though he is trying, Bucky cannot escape what he has done in his past. He knows no matter how hard he tries to fit into the modern world, which by itself is a struggle because of his age, he cannot escape his inner demons which means he cannot revert back to the life he enjoyed before the chaos of war.

The impact of Steve:

In my opinion the loss of Steve will have been one of the hardest things Bucky would have had to deal with and the series hasn’t yet explored this. We know that Steve was Bucky’s best friend before the war and this is something which Bucky will obviously miss.

However, Steve was always there in the fights Bucky was involved in. Steve was the one constant in the lighter side of Bucky’s life and that is why Steve’s ageing will have removed a part of Bucky that kept him stable. Now Bucky will be more alone than ever and without Steve and like the therapist says to Bucky he will be in his own personal hell.

Overview:

Without question the trauma and horror that Bucky is experiencing rivals any character within the MCU because it is so unimaginable. There is nobody that has any similar experience and those who Bucky was attached with are gone and he doesn’t want to anyone new in out of fear for him being seen as a monster. Therefore, the journey Bucky will go on through during series should highlight the struggles of Bucky like we have never seen before and we hope by the end of the show, Bucky can find some level of peace and finally find his place in the modern world.

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