Revisiting The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
I’ve recently had a mini crisis, upon realising the Marvel TV shows I still label as “new” are actually two years old. Granted, two isn’t a particularly high number, but it’s disconcerting to have blinked and somehow time travelled from 2021 to 2023. Coincidentally, I’ve recently rewatched The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the second series released in 2021. I wanted to give it another viewing, not only because people don’t talk about it as much as other MCU shows, but I wanted to see if my own thoughts had changed.
Generally, it’s a good idea to rewatch series and films. Once the hype has calmed down, you can enjoy it properly and pick up on things you potentially missed before. This is particularly important for something like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier when you consider the biases it faced:
- It was unfairly compared to WandaVision. It was the start of Phase 4, our first MCU content since mid-2019, and WandaVision was perfect. So, despite The Falcon and the Winter Soldier being good, some felt disappointed by comparison.
- 2021 was hectic, so it was easy to get lost in the mix. This series wasn’t aggressively bad or particularly outstanding, so people paid less attention.
- It wasn’t as whacky as other MCU series. When Wanda is playing with reality and Loki is dabbling in time travel, a guy with mechanical bird wings seems tame. Other series pushed boundaries and expanded the universe, whereas this gave more of what people expect from the MCU.
I like to like things, so I’ll always give films and series a fair chance. I feel mean because in my 2021 Marvel review I ranked this series as mid tier. So, it’s time for another attempt! I’ve rewatched, I’ve noted the positives and negatives, and I want to see if my verdict has changed.
Positives
- Central performances - Across the board this show boasted some fantastic performances, and in particular more people should talk about how great Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan were. They were side characters previously, so this was their first chance to take the spotlight and they were both terrific.
- Wyatt Russell - This was the guy you love to hate. A complicated character who is deeply flawed, and at no point are they undersold. Hats off to Wyatt Russell for such a great MCU debut.
- Daniel Brühl - Zemo is one of my favourite characters in this show. I really like the way they’re written, and Daniel Brühl’s performance is a delightful blend of pomposity, charm and scheming. The way he plays people like chess pieces is classic comic book Zemo brought to life.
- Emotional moments - There are several points throughout which needed to hit the audience like a frying pan to the face, and it worked every time. Whether it was the gut-wrenching tragedy of John Walker using the shield to kill someone, the emotional tale told by Isaiah Bradley, or the excitement of seeing Sam in his Captain America costume for the first time. The key emotional moments land really well, and it’s the result of superb writing and pacing.
- Sam’s suit - The new Captain America costume was lifted directly from the pages of a comic book, and it was absolutely worth waiting for. The costume is bold, unabashed, and retains key functionalities of the Falcon suit. Sam Wilson can trade punches at ground level, whilst still engaging in agile, graceful aerial combat, all of which is rendered spectacularly on screen. They’re essentially a better Captain America and better Iron Man rolled into one.
- The score - An often underappreciated component in MCU projects is the score, which is a huge shame. Just as Nina Holt did a fantastic job with Loki, Henry Jackman provided a great score for this series. The track titled ‘Louisiana Hero’ is the perfect theme song for Sam Wilson.
- The dilemma - One aspect which needed to be executed perfectly is Sam’s internal conflict, and the show absolutely nails it. If he’d suited up immediately it would have removed a significant moment for the character, so they saved the reveal of Sam properly becoming Captain America until the last episode. The audience went on that journey with Sam and understood his perspective and his inner turmoil, so his decision has a huge impact. This mirrored the comic books, which explore the reasons why Sam is either picking up or putting down the shield. Seeing him use the shield is significantly less important than exploring WHY he picks it up, and this show understood that.
- Bucky’s healing - I’ve wanted justice for Bucky for so long, and this series provided it. The moment in Wakanda where Bucky is finally free from Hydra’s mind control is overwhelmingly emotional. It touches on themes of regret and guilt, and is a sincere exploration into mental health, an endeavour the MCU has previously made poor efforts towards. There’s a sense of progression with Bucky. The character has come so far but still has a long way to go. The creators understand and appreciate that self-healing and self-forgiveness are both a journey, and this series was a really important part of Bucky’s journey.
- Isaiah Bradley - I’m really glad they explored the history of super soldier serum and told Isaiah Bradley’s story. It not only builds on the legacy of the mantel, but it mirrors real life history and the stories which are hidden and forgotten. I didn’t expect an MCU series to go so deep, but I’m happy they did.
- Worldbuilding - Growing the presence of Wakanda as a nation made the MCU feel more vibrant and expansive. Having characters interact is good, but building relationships and connective tissue makes the universe feel more alive. The relationship between Bucky and Ayo was fascinating, and I hope creators capitalise on the potential for further exploration. Also, as a Wolverine fan, adding Madripoor to the MCU made me extremely happy.
- Valentina Allegra de Fontaine - It was a small detail, but this was a great addition to the series. Julia Louis-Dreyfus gave a fun performance, whilst planting the seed of mystery and distrust. I can’t wait to see more.
- It’s accessible - One of the best achievements of this series is it understands Captain America. If anyone didn’t understand or like the character, this gives the perfect entry point. Whether that’s because Sam is the right choice for the title, or John Walker is a terrible choice, or both. This series paints a great picture of not only what it takes to be Captain America, but why the character is so important. It shines a light on Sam and Steve and embodies the core messages that words are more powerful than fists, and the one thing a true hero needs is kindness and compassion. By the time Sam delivers his epic speech in the finale, it’s clear why the world needs Captain America and why Sam is the perfect person to take up the shield. Say what you like about this show, the writers clearly understand and appreciate Captain America, and they make it easy for anyone to do the same.
Negatives
- Balance - I don’t mean to be pedantic, but as much as I love the title of this series, I don’t think it’s evenly weighted. This is more of a story about Sam than Bucky, and I wish it was a little more evenly balanced. Ideally this would be a couple of episodes longer, explore more of Bucky and then explore more of their dynamic as a duo, as befits the title.
- The tone - For me this series felt a little unsettled at times and was unsure of itself. The inconsistent juggling of an apprehensive buddy cop comedy and a tense, semi-realistic espionage thriller was quite distracting. Although the key moments work, it feels like the series struggles to find it’s true voice because it’s torn between covering familiar territory and trying to cover new ground.
- Microwaving - There are times when the series rushes itself. Whether it’s a relationship between characters or events in the story, some elements are microwaved to speed things along, and it stood out. I appreciate they’re limited to six episodes, but the rushing could have been hidden better.
- Batroc - I didn’t understand the reason for Batroc’s return. I appreciate he held a grudge against Steve, but the series has to force a separate grudge with Sam in order to warrant Batroc being in the finale. Personally, I would’ve put Batroc in the first episode as a fun call-back, then moved on. There were already too many loose ends to tie, so adding another strand for the crook from The Winter Soldier wasted what little time they had.
- Sharon Carter - It was great to see the character return, but I didn’t totally buy their new image. The forced sidestep into an underground crime lord was already a brave choice, but the eventual reveal of Sharon being the Power Broker was predictable and underwhelming. It might be they were building towards something bigger, but we still haven’t seen the payoff for this.
- Rhodey - I have no issues with Rhodey appearing, in fact my problem is I wanted to see more from him. It would have been great to not only foster a friendship between Sam and Rhodey, but to see them talk about losing their best friends, and the pressure to step up now their friend is gone and there’s a mantel to be taken. There was a great opportunity for development, but the creators didn’t seize it.
- It’s too crowded - When you consider everything this show tried to achieve and the various strands of the story, there’s way too much going on. Granted, this is a series about Sam’s journey to become Captain America and Bucky’s story of healing, but it’s also about Zemo’s mission to destroy the new super soldier serum, John Walker’s failed attempt to become the new Captain America and his fall from grace, Sharon Carter’s scheming, Karli Morgenthau and the Flag Smashers, Isaiah Bradley’s story, the Wakandans wanting to recapture Zemo, the politics surrounding misplaced people after The Blip, Batroc wanting something (presumably) - it’s too much. When there’s so much going on, and such a limited amount of screentime, it makes it easy for characters and plot points to be underdeveloped and less consequential.
- The finale - The last episode is bittersweet. On one hand there are some great moments, which help punctuate the key messages of the series and bring character arcs to a satisfying point. On the other hand, there’s also a lot of “stuff” going on and a lot of messy mopping up, which means there’s less time for good elements. Don’t get me wrong, the key moments absolutely shine through and aren’t overshadowed, but it’s a shame the finale felt so rushed and hectic.
So, have I changed my mind? Dare I admit any possibility of me being wrong? Absolutely! I have no issue admitting when I’m wrong, especially when it means finding more reasons to like something. If I were asked now, I would change my ruling. Placing The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in the mid tier was perhaps too harsh. If I broaden the boundaries of my categories, I’d say this is upper middle tier, if not creeping into lower high tier. There are negatives, however they are outweighed by the positives. Even if it’s hectic and a bit muddled, it’s still a great blend of bombastic big screen action and delicate character moments.
The one criticism I can’t escape is how crowded this show is. Every MCU series has multiple plotlines, character arcs, layers and themes, but when there’s too much happening in the story it means some points don’t break through properly. There are some fantastic moments of writing, but not all of them get attention because there’s so much going on. For example, there’s a lot happening in WandaVision, but they never lose focus of the fact it’s Wanda’s story, whereas The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has too many moving parts competing for the spotlight. When a show is so dense, it’s harder for the audience to fully appreciate everything on display.
What I found great about this experience is it strengthened my thoughts about rewatching TV shows and films. Quite often when the hype has died down and you’ve had time to let your thoughts settle, your second viewing is quite different. Your expectations are levelled, you can relax and enjoy yourself more. I think we need more of this. The MCU is rushing and constantly trying to move our focus to the next big project, so it’s definitely worth taking time to enjoy and appreciate what they’ve already given us. I may even go back to rewatch other Phase 4 series and films, in the hope of finding more reasons to like things!
If you’ve enjoyed this article, please check out my other recent Marvel articles:
