Falcon and the Winter Soldier (***)
It’s not bad, but it definitely felt like a step down from WandaVision in almost every way.
Captain America’s always been my favourite hero of the MCU, so hearing that we were going to get a spinoff show about his two top sidekicks was exciting. And after the fun that WandaVision turned out to be, I was doubly anticipating this series. But as the first episode came and went, I was underwhelmed. Sure, it was apparent where the show was going. Bucky and Sam were going to be a reluctant duo stopping this super-powered terrorist force while simultaneously being at odds with the ‘new Captain America’, who everyone on the internet positively hated. I wasn’t opposed to any of the decisions made, but none of them were surprising. I wasn’t desperate to watch the next episode, because I felt like I had a pretty good idea of what was coming next. More than that, I think I felt too familiar with Sam and Bucky. They hadn’t really changed at all from when we last saw them in Endgame – and as a result, I didn’t feel like there was much to learn. Sam felt inadequate about taking up the mantle of Captain America. We already knew that. Bucky felt guilty about his life as the Winter Soldier. We already knew that. But we also already knew that Sam would eventually get over it and become the hero that Steve Rogers called him to be, just as we knew that Bucky would be able to crush his inner demons. When you can see every turn in the road, there’s not much to put you on the edge of your seat.
That’s not to say that this show isn’t worth the watch. Bucky and Sam have their moments of humour, although I gotta say that some of their banter moments fell flat for me. The fight scenes throughout the show range from competent to genuinely impressive – in particular, the fight against John Walker in episode 5. This show didn’t hold back on action, which was great. To top it off, we got to have a fight with Wakanda’s Dora Milaje. That was a welcome surprise.
Zemo, the bad guy from Civil War, makes a return in this show – although to be honest, I don’t think he added a whole lot. Sure, his dance sequence became the stuff of internet legend, but he never seemed to have the drive that he had back in his first appearance. He seemed mildly amused to be in the show, but never more than that. Pairing up with an old enemy in order to get a unique job done is a good idea, but you’ve got to make sure your bad guy has a trick or two up his sleeve. Zemo seemed a bit empty here – and the mask they advertised so heavily barely played a role at all.
And what was with Sharon becoming a bad guy? Did anybody really care about Sharon in any of her other appearances? Why are we elevating her to a position of bigger prominence if we don’t care about her to begin with? I’m not saying the actress isn’t any good – or that Sharon can’t kick butt. Her fight scene in episode 3 was great stuff. I’m just saying that her character’s never been relevant enough to the plot to merit the attention she’s been given. We all remember how weird it felt when Cap and Sharon smooched in Civil War. Why can’t we just ditch her and move on?
If it feels like I’m ragging on this show, I guess I am – but again, it’s not bad television. Falcon’s final outfit is awesome, as are the themes of racism and tolerance that are tackled throughout the show. The action is great, and I also loved the musical motifs that reference earlier Captain America films. I guess I just expected more from this show, which is why I’m as disappointed as I am. If you’re an MCU fan, this is right up your alley. But in my opinion, you’re in for a much wilder ride if you start with WandaVision.