The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is the MCU’s second show and keeps the story going in Captain America-style action and characters! The series is created by Malcolm Spellman and directed by Kari Skogland. Spellman wrote and produced episodes of Empire. Skogland directed episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale. This is the pilot episode and the name of the show has hints of the real life spy thriller, The Falcon and the Snowman (1985). It opens with Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) ironing a dress shirt. He puts on his jacket and then eyes Captain America’s shield on his bed. Sam puts it in the carrying case that we saw in Avengers: Endgame (2019). He hears the conversation he had with Steve Rogers in that film. This shifts to the clouds where we get a transport plane, it appears to be an Airbus A400M Atlas.
Onboard, The Falcon, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), is getting briefed on the criminal organization LAF that is threatening one of their liasons, Captain Vasant. The Falcon has to stop them without the military being directly involved. Mackie was of course in Avengers: Endgame, but he one of his last films was the action movie, Outside the Wire. He is informed that Lt. Torres will be his contact. Sam opens the cargo bay and drops out of the plane! The Falcon unfolds his wings and jet engine. Torres (Danny Ramirez) is following his flight from military transport on the ground. Ramirez is in going to be in the upcoming film, Top Gun: Maverick. His character was introduced in Captain America: Sam Wilson #3 (2016). Sam flies over to the transport plane and finds that pilot is killed. The hijacker pilot points out that he saw someone to Georges Batroc (Georges St-Pierre). The character was last seen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). Sam can see with his visor heat signature that two hijackers have Captain Vasant.
He sends out his drone, Redwing, which we first saw in Ant-Man (2015). It uses lasers to cut through the plane’s hull. The Falcon goes into action taking on the hijackers. One of them uses a machine gun, Sam’s wings act as a shield, the ricochets strike the hijacker pilot. The plane starts to go down, The Falcon checks on the soldier, Captain Vasant (Miles Brew). He is taken on by Batroc who also fought Captain America. The hijackers put on wingsuits and take along the bound captain. The Falcon flies after them. This is a harrowing pursuit through a canyon. Two helicopters join the chase. The Falcon takes care of them with the help of Redwing. Batroc and the other hijackers have reached another helicopter. The Falcon takes them on and Batroc takes away Captain Vasant. Torres warns Sam that he is approaching Libyan airspace. The Falcon has to go after the helicopter with Captain Vasant as another armed helicopter fires missiles at him! A difficult situation, but The Falcon is a hero!
This picks up at a hotel, an Asian man leaves his friends to go work on his session, a teacher? A guard is ripped through a wall by a cybernetic arm. The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) starts killing a team of an official. Stan who was also seen in the MCU with Avengers; Endgame and his last film was the romance, Monday (2020). He catches the man with his cybernetic arm this is front of the Asian man trying to get into his room. The Winter Soldier says, “Hail Hydra” before the man is killed. He turns to see the Asian man trying to use his room key. The Winter Soldier takes out his gun. The gunshot wakens James Bucky Barnes at night in his apartment. He is asked about his nightmares by Dr. Raynor (Amy Aquino). She was in the series Picket Fences. It is a condition of his pardon for his progress to be monitored by a therapist. This is seen in some close-ups of the characters’ faces. Dr. Raynor starts writing in her notebook and James admits he crossed off a name in his notebook, Senator Atwood (Rebecca Lines). He says that she was in Hydra and he had helped her as the Winter Soldier.
Bucky places a device in her car under the tire hub. He hears her corrupt conversation of wanting to “silence” Congressman Lockhart to an associate. Dr. Raynor goes over her rules for Bucky, but he sort of bends them. He took control of Atwood’s car. Bucky explains to Dr. Raynor that he only gave evidence to convict her. He harshly takes care of the associate. Bucky goes over Dr. Raynor’s last rule and tells Senator Atwood it with a smile. He crosses off her name in his notebook. Armed soldiers surround the senator’s car. Dr. Raynor asks for his phone and sees that he ignored texts from Sam. Bucky admits, “I had a little calm in Wakanda.” On the street, he meets up with Yori Nakajima (Ken Takemoto). He was also on the action series, Hit. Bucky isn’t alone, but he is friends with Yori. At dinner, Yori sets up a date with restaurant worker, Miki Ishikawa (Leah). She was also in the show Hit. Yori has memories of his son. I didn't make the connection that his son was the man the Winter Soldier assassinated. We haven’t gotten to how the friendship between Yori and Bucky started, maybe later.
Delacroix, Louisiana, Sam is driving in his truck to the shrimp docks where he meets his family. This is his nephews, who call him Uncle Sam(!), and also his sister, Sarah Wilson (Adepero Oduye). Her film credits include the film, Geostorm (2017). The character first appeared in Captain America #134 (1971). She tries to tell him that she has to sell the family boat, Paul & Darlene, named after their parents. Sarah mentions that her brother was missing during the Blip and she was busy trying to keep the business going. Sam wants to keep the boat since it means family to him. Later, they are working on the boat, and Sam brings up the loans she made for the boat. This brings up the question that even though Sam is the hero, he was missing, it is a prisoner of war situation. We also get into how the Avengers get paid, I’m sure Sam could ask James to tap into Stark funds and save the boat. Sam offers his sister to help set up a bank loan. The situation is real world more than super hero. Bucky has to deal with the awkwardness of his date, he is an hundred years old! The duo is apart for the episode, but this is just the setup, there are characters to be brought in later, but this is only the pilot. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier shows some MCU action, but has the time to develop its heroes as people!
Four Redwings out of Five!
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