Amph Marvel's Falcon & Winter Soldier [Disney+]

One last glimpse of a real C-130 for a few seconds, behind Torres. It's in a hangar and up on jacks, possibly in the ISO phased maintenance/inspection flow. Crew entry door is removed, side escape hatch is still installed, Auxiliary Power Unit panel is off (I'm not sure what that rectangular panel is, hanging down over the APU), left main landing gear forward tire is off but brake and strut still installed, the nose landing gear is either retracted (unlikely) or removed, and maintenance stands are in place for working on the left wing and engines. And why in the world is there a pilot seat sitting right outside the crew door? For some reason, Torres is watching his laptop on a table under the stands. When I worked maintenance, I'd be POed at some dumb LT getting in the way right there. Also, underneath the stands is a hard hat required area. Torres, you and Sam both need helmets.

Almost got enough to buy my own Herk now.

 

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No Karli didn’t win through violence. The GRC members were ready to vote the amendment in even after the Flagsmasher attack. Captain America is the one who convinced them and he did it through using nothing but his words. His way was proven right and Karli’s wrong by the end of the show.

 

You’re correct IMO, but Sam made a point

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not to use violence against Karli and show her and the world, you can change it through listening and dialogue. I think the way Sam refused to fight Karli, and how he negotiated to initiate change on live television was the most important takeaway.

Oops @Darth Chiznuk answered too.

 

I think the most well remembered part of the show will be

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all the Bradley bits. That’s was by far the best subplot of the show. Maybe not even subplot as I think the only reason Sam became captain America was because of Bradley

 

Possibly but I think we've already got the winner from "what happened in Falcon and Winter Solider"

 

Yeah, that scene was shot to frame Walker as a murderer as it closed out episode 4. However, I do feel the show noted that Walker's actions were "properly" investigated and so we get that scene where he was stripped of the Captain America mantle and discharged for the military without rank or benefits.

I'm reminded that after Walker's run in with the Dora Milaje, he felt a sense of powerlessness.


Certainly, Lamar's death left Walker without a moral compass.

It was somewhat ironic that in the room where John Walker's identity as Captain America died, it was...

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the same room where John Walker, US Agent was born. Black uniform to go with his black ops missions, I'm sure. And I was thinking that Val would give him shield made of adamantium.

 

No I think Walker wouldn’t try to steal the spotlight. I got the feeling at the end he accepted that Sam was cap and maybe even the right cap for the moment

 

It takes the pressure off Walker.

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He’s not pushing himself to live up to Steve Rogers’ legend. He can be his own Super Soldier now that is different and new from Captain America. And he can drop the theatrical side of being Cap. What he really wanted more than fame was the missions. Now he can focus completely on being a soldier. For all his flaws, weaknesses, and anger issues - Walker never once wanted to break rank with the military and his commanders. It looks like he pretty much will have a license to kill in his new position. Ultimately he may be more like the US equivalent of the Winter Soldier. He’ll do great as a ‘villain’ for the good guys so long as he doesn’t developed a conscious or ambitions to use his new powers for himself.

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I liked the ending. For the most part the last act in MCU movies aren’t my favorite part of the story. A lot of the interesting plot points are walked back and the story usually wraps up through fighting. (especially in phase 1 & 2) The story still moves forward, but not as dramatically as it could. Captain America and the Winter Soldier had the fighting but didn’t walk back the story so much. Phase 4 is setting up this universe anew after End Game. I like where it’s going.

really like Sam as Captain America. Also like his more Iron Man technology approach to being Captain America. Anyone else get an American Sniper vibe with Sam trying to counsel Karli and her pulling a gun? Buck was great in the final. Sharon is potential a villain who is also an alie. She might also be starting her own Hydra like infiltration of the government.

Where is the thread to talk about Might Ducks the series?

 

I think Walker despite his flaws definitely has a conscious and that will eventually bite him in the ass in his new position. Eventually. Chances are we see him in Captain America 4. I do hope he sticks around for a while as I said marvel lacks in morally grey characters. They have had like 4 total. Karli although she became straight evil near the end. Loki by Thor 3 and John. Zemo kinda. The rest have been pretty black and white. Maybe if they play the cards right Aharon can also be morally grey, but right now she seems to villainy.

 

I really like the overall message of equality and persevere of this series, but WandaVision really captured the Marvel spirit through laughter, tears, and a better story that made you want more after it ended. I wish this series wasn't quite as serious.

Re: Sharon Carter

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I really don't think the writers did enough or gave us enough to justify her being the Power Broker. We could have used an episode just to bring us up to speed on what she's been dealing with all these years and not just a throw away sentence that she hadn't gotten a pardon or something.

 

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we're either due for a deep dive flashbackery to say why. Or she's working for Fury (messy but doable). Or she's a Skrull. last option is easiest to explain sudden heel turn.

I'm fine with any option but if they're going to commit to Evil Sharon we definitely need more than just "I didn't get a pardon so I went psycho waaahhhh"

 

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Agreed about WandaVision. For me the MCU struggles in movies like this to strike the right balance between Super Hero story and Spy Thriller. Still I thought the series was great. Just overall it was more in keeping within tradition genre story telling. WandaVision was so uniquely unexpected.

I think we only got Sharon’s introduction so far. The back story and motivation will follow. The MCU has lots of time now to tell these stories and expand on characters.

Like WandaVision - Falcon and Winter Soldier is another origin story. We get established characters taking on new personas for Phase 4 and new characters introduced.

 

That’s the first thing I thought during the scene, and he brought something.

 

So what's the consensus on this show in here? After Wanda Vision I figured it was a high bar to reach but both shows are totally different I love both shows!

 

I mean...

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I'm glad my wife looks at me the way Sarah looks at Bucky...

 

@Jedi Merkurian @dp4m (The sneakers and the suit case)...

and as a result of @dp4m ‘s post:

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Why do I see Redwing consigned to active spy duty on Sarah and Buck?

 

Overall, a really satisfying series. I'm not sure why, but I find myself enjoying superhero action that is set a notch or two below the "world shaking" level more - maybe because it feels like "fantastic reality"? In other words, characters at the power level of Cap, Winter Soldier, Cable, Falcon, Deadpool, the Flag Smashers, US Agent, etc? And this series delivered that with movie-level quality. The story was interesting and compelling and while I don't think they nailed it 100%, I think they managed to do what the comic books RARELY manage, which is to give some nuance and complexity to a somewhat political story versus setting up straw-man characters and scenarios for the "righteous" characters to lecture and easily overcome.

As to some particular thoughts...

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BATROC - I loved seeing Batroc again. Part of my affection for the character comes from nostalgic enjoyment of his (somewhat goofy) comic book version, with his OUTRAGEOUS "French accent" (1960's Marvel Comics style) - but this Batroc is bad@ss and his fight scenes were first rate. I am hoping he recovers from those gunshots in true comic book fashion.
ISAIAH BRADLEY - Loved his arc. He warmed to Sam very gradually, which was so much more real than the usual scenarios where a character flips an attitudinal switch. Loved him being incorporated into the Cap exhibit at the end -- wish there were some shots of him, on the background screens at least, "in costume".
US AGENT - I had more sympathy for the character than many here did, in that I felt he was set up to never have a chance. Terrible idea to have a "Captain America 2" to begin with, virtually everyone hated him from the start, etc. I mostly like what they did with him although I feel his story was one that felt pinched/rushed... they only had so many episodes and he wasn't part of the titular duo but things (for me) happened a little too fast after he killed the Flag Smasher and was "fired". Still, I liked that he showed flashes of heroism in the finale, to go along with his decidedly negative traits, and I suspect he may be part of a Thunderbolts type follow on (as has been much discussed all over the Internet).
ZEMO - FANTASTIC arc for him, and love the little smirky moment he got after his evil-Alfred blew up the remaining Flag Smashers! Hope we see more of him.
KARLI: I like how she became increasingly violence-prone and ruthless, and the moment where her Flag Smasher super soldiers paused when she suggested killing the hostages was a great illustration of the dangerous road she was on.


NITPICKS: Sharon/Power Broker? Meh. Yet ANOTHER "the government is EVILLLLLLLLLL" storyline? SHIELD? Evil. SWORD? Evil. Those behind the Sokovia accords? Okay, not EXACTLY evil, but.... huge jerks and kinda evil. The guy making weapons for the US military, Justin Hammer? Evil (and incompetent). Its kind of a Marvel trope and cliche at this point -- any hero who works for the government apart from Rhodie will be evil, and odds are pretty good that any law enforcement agency will be corrupted. At this point it would be a bigger twist if the government liaison WASN'T a double agent...... Sam's Suit: Looks great, doubtless gives him protection and maybe some strength boosts, but where is he going to get tech support? Seriously, who is going to maintain/repair that thing? Do the Wakandans have an extended warranty agreement to show up and repair it? ......

 

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Yeah Sharon's turn was the most mystifying thing about this show. "What about my pardon?" "The guy I liked dumped me to go back to my aunt." Knowing that skrulls are a thing in this universe and that a Secret Invasion series is coming really makes that the only plausible explanation. Nothing else really works.

 

This video does make some sense. No only does it provide all the clues, but it gives evidence that this has been going on for quite a while.

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