We are now a third of the way throughThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Funny how time flies, huh?
For one thing, we just went throughWandaVision.
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For another, the antagonists of this show so far are alarmingly down to Earth.
I was only kind of kidding with the “antifa super-soldiers” reference because the Flag-Smashers are literally super-soldiers!
This episode’s action setpiece involves a brawl with a bunch of them on top of two moving trucks.
It’s like something out of Stirling Archer’s wildest dreams.
But whatever one thinks of Captain America’s gun, it doesn’t really make a difference.
All four of them get their butts kicked, and the Flag-Smashers get away.
How are there a bunch of super-soldiers running around that nobody knew about?
It’s a great question that leads to what is easily my favorite scene in the episode.
It’s Isaiah Bradley, the Black super-soldier.
Unlike Bucky, he had no idea that a Black super-soldier existed.
Yet there’s a living legacy that he can inherit.
The question is, why would he want to?
Look how they treated Isaiah.
What is the point of dedicating your life to a system that constantly treats you like dirt?
Maybe the Flag-Smashers have a point.
In Marvel comics, Eli Bradley is Patriot, a founding member of the Young Avengers.
Who else are founding members of the Young Avengers, you ask?
Well, there’s Kate Bishop, who will be played byHailee Steinfeldin the upcoming Hawkeye show.
There’s Cassie Lang, who exists in theAnt-Manmovies.
If the upcomingLokishow ends with Loki getting de-aged to being a kid or teenager I will lose my mind.
I can’t wait for the Young Avengers to form!
Anyway, what was I talking about?
Oh right, the rest of this episode.
There’s a bit of a clever reversal to that scene with Bucky, Sam, and the cop.
This therapist is no joke!
Like Christian, I thought the Isaiah Bradley scene was the highlight of the episode.
Hearing about how Isaiah’s government-endorsed heroism was rewarded with his imprisonment and inhumane Tuskegee-like experimentations was truly heartbreaking.
A little time in Wakanda and you come out White Panther.Bucky:It’s actually White Wolf.Sam:Huh.
