Directed by: Kari Skogland
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell, Daniel Brühl, Danny Ramirez, Erin Kellyman
Release date: 9th April 2021
No of Episodes: 6
Available on: Disney+
Marvel Studios’ newest series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier starring Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/The Falcon, and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier follow the two much-loved characters in dealing with the fallout of Avengers: Endgame. Bucky and Sam are an unlikely duo already known to dislike each other, who were brought together towards the end of phase three in Endgame. Now they team up over six episodes to take on a global adventure seemingly built to test their ability and their patience!
“It wasn't just one community coming together, it was the entire world coming together. And then, boom. Just like that, it goes right back to the way it used to be.”
This post contains some major spoilers for Marvel Studios' The Falcon and The Winter Soldier so if you haven't caught up on episodes one to four yet this is your warning to stop reading!
This week’s episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier got dark. The show has taken a serious turn and we’ve seen some truly horrifying revelations come to light regarding characters who previously haven't been doing much. The episode is called The Whole World Is Watching and is possibly the most fitting title yet, the whole world really is watching and it’s not necessarily a good thing, at least not for those involved. After an emotional flashback to six years prior when Bucky realised he was free, no longer The Winter Soldier and no longer at risk of being under Hydra’scontrol, episode four picks up in Zemo’s safehouse and we learn that the Dora Milaje has given Bucky and Sam eight hours before they come for Zemo themselves - wanting justice for his murder of King T’Chaka back in Civil War.
The three-track down Karli Morgenthau and learn that she and many more of the Flag Smashers will be attending a funeral that afternoon. Their plan is simple, Sam will reason with her which with his understanding of her cause and his experience with helping returning soldiers before becoming an Avenger, is an effective solution. He, Bucky and Zemo are ambushed by an impatient and aggressive John Walker, however, who insists that their rogue hero behaviour has gone on long enough. Inserting himself and Hoskins into the situation, it becomes clear that Walker is insecure about the fact that he will never be Steve Rogers.
While Sam is talking to Karli and getting somewhere, Walker takes it upon himself to take over the situation despite Bucky’s protests and the situation goes downhill from there. The Flag Smashers fight back and in the end, escape, taking any trust Karli was building for Sam with them. Bucky, Zemo and Sam head back to the house after Zemo destroys the remaining super-soldier serum - or so he thought. One vial escaped him and was picked up by Walker unbeknownst to anyone else. After storming into Zemo’s house and threatening everyone inside, the Dora Milajereturn to take their prisoner. Walker is less than respectful towards them and his attitude causes him to end up on the floor with the shield pinned to the table. The distraction means that Zemo has a perfect chance to escape and he doesn't waste it, nobody even notices while he slips through the bathroom floor and out of the building.
Karli needs to know whether she can trust Sam or not and to make sure he knows she's serious, she threatens his sister and nephews. She tells her to pass on coordinates for a meeting and tells him to come alone. Sam and Bucky go together and are soon ambushed again by Walker. This causes the Flag Smashers to fight back again and, a major spoiler alert, Hoskins is killed by Karli which sends Walker into an uncontrollable rage. We learn that he’s taken the serum as he tracks down one of the super-soldiers with the strength he didn’t possess before. The super-soldier is Karli’s second, Nico, who admitted to being a Captain America fan when he was young earlier in the episode. Walker doesn't seem to care that he wasn't the one to kill Hoskins and decapitates him with Cap’s shield.
The episode ends on a dark and twisted shot of a bloodied shield, something the MCU has never shown before. Despite all the violence and fighting over the course of the last twelve years, that shield has never been seen in this light and it’s not something that many of us will unsee anytime soon. The whole world was watching Walker murder the soldier, which he did in the middle of a public place. Sam and Bucky are both horrified by what he’s done and frankly, so were most of the audience. But as Erskine said way back in The First Avenger, when you take the serum, “good becomes great; bad becomes worse.” We saw good become great with Steve and now I think we’ve seen bad become worse in an entirely new way.
There are only two episodes left in the series now and next weeks is said to be emotional and have a visit from a surprise character. If you haven't already, check out the first four episodes of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier to make sure you’re caught up in time for next week’s episode - and prepare yourself, it can only get more intense from here.
“It wasn't just one community coming together, it was the entire world coming together. And then, boom. Just like that, it goes right back to the way it used to be.”
Words by Chloe Pollard.