The Falcon and the Winter Soldier came to an end this weekend with some expected results.
1) Karli Morgenthau, super powered leader of the Flag Smashers, does not survive. Her final fatal fate seemed sealed since we first met her. Sam Wilson's efforts to talk her down from her destructive path, even as he empathized with her ideals, were doomed despite expertly finding the cracks in her facade. Karli was too committed to her cause to completely waiver to Sam's empathy and logic. In many ways, Karli was always more prepared to die for her cause than live for it.
2) John Walker's descent into rage was a foregone conclusion ever since the government cluelessly conferred on him the mantle of Captain America. As in the comics, the loss of the Captain America identity doesn't stop Walker as he takes on the mantle of U S Agent.
OK, this was unexpected: Julia Louis-Dreyfus enters the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Contessa, Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine
Casting Julia Louis-Dreyfus has the Contessa is a bold choice and one that I really enjoyed. Julia's brief scenes in episodes 5 and 6 were funny and wicked at the same time, kind of like the energy Kathryn Hahn brought to Agatha Harkness in WandaVision. I wish we had more time with Julia as the Contessa.
Also unexpected: Baron Zemo is a very quirky character. Daniel Bruhl's performance as Zemo is surprisingly charming and funny. Oh yeah, he's still a sick murdering son of a bitch but he's also a good dancer.
Back to the expected: the 6 episodes end with Sam Wilson as the new Captain America. But while the destination was expected, watching Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson make that journey was fascinating. Wilson turns the shield over to the Smithsonian, not feeling ready for the responsibility of it. Watching what happens when the shield is in the wrong hands (John Walker) goes a long way to disavowing him of that notion.
And learning about Isaiah Bradley gives Sam a lot to think about. Bradley was one of several African American men experimented on to replicate the super soldier serum and the only one to survive. Bradley's refusal to be silently complicit in the government's activities led to Bradley be stuck in prison for 30 years and subject to more experimentation. Bradley has no love lost for America or anyone in the Captain America suit, even if it is a black man.
Eventually Sam with the classic shield in his possession and a spiffy new flight suit from the Wakandans takes of the mantle of Captain America and effectively sums why he is the one to have the shield: "Every time I pick this thing up, I know there are millions of people out there who are going to hate me for it. Yet I'm still here. No super serum. No blond hair or blue eyes. The only power I have, is to believe we can do better."
The series is retitled onscreen as Captain America and the Winter Soldier at the end of the sixth episode.
And yes, the other guy in the title has his own journey. Bucky Barnes, the erstwhile Winter Soldier, goes from former assassin with a tortured soul to former assassin with a slightly less tortured soul. Sebastian Stan subtly guides Bucky from an isolated man to one with strong support from Sam Wilson and by extension, Sam's family. Bucky has a book with a list of names of people he has wronged in his time as the Winter Soldier that he needs to make amends to. By the end, he's crossed off every name on the list. Bucky is not completely healed but he is more on his way to becoming someone he can live with.
In the aftermath of episode 6, Marvel announced there will be a Captain America 4 movie.
While lacking the trippy headline grapping narrative of WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was a solid 6 episodes of television. Sometimes the Flag Smashers were merely straw men for Sam and Bucky to fight. The series was strongest when focusing on the character moments as Sam and Bucky struggled to accept themselves and their roles in the world.
Next week, the Tuesday TV Touchbase catches up on another super hero series, Invincible.
Until next time, remember to be good to one another and to keep it down, would ya? I'm trying to watch TV over here.
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