Re-Porter Blog: The Porter Report #8 (The Falcon and The Winter Solider Retrospective)

 

By Brandon Porter 

"The legacy of that shield is...complicated."

    Who knew those words uttered in the first trailer for this show back in December would set such a precedent for what I and so many fans would be experiencing. Marvel's Studios' follow-up to Wandavision was high on my list of most anticipated MCU properties to launch this year. As enjoyable as Wanda Maximoff's emergence as the Scarlet Witch was, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was the big MCU property that I most looked forward to seeing in 2021. Though I expected a fun-filled buddy cop action adventure with Steve Rodger's most trusted partners, showrunner Malcolm Spellman and director Kari Skogland were not satisfied with just doing that.

Make no mistake, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is still very much Sam and Bucky going on an explosive adventure together. But the show also brings so much more to the table. The show's unapologetic takes and topics presented within the narrative give the show a grounded fiber not seen in the MCU in some time. The incredibly pointed and hard-hitting commentary on race, legacy, and what it means to wield the shield create an experience that delivers visceral emotional impact in addition to the fireworks that were promised. All the while giving actors Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan a chance to rightfully shine on their own stage. 

The show begins with Bucky and Sam in two totally different places emotionally with neither of them sure where to go. Sam is still doing his part in maintaining peace and order in a world still reeling from Thanos' snap. He is also grappling with the burden of being literally handed the mantle of Captain America by Steve Rodgers and what that means not just for him but to a world still picking up the pieces post-blip. Though he reassures Steve that he will do his best to uphold his legacy and honor the shield, his apprehensiveness on whether or not he is worthy enough to hold that mantle keep him from truly taking ownership of what is rightfully his. As a result, he chooses to cement Steve's legacy by giving it to the Smithsonian. This begins an arc of Sam learning more about what that shield represents to other people unconnected to him and Steve and what it truly means to be Captain America. More on that later.

 As for Bucky, while fully purged of the Winter Soldier programming, he is still struggling with the
baggage that has piled up as a result of him being a puppet for Hydra for over half a century. Whether it's meeting old colleagues to make non-violent amends or his mandatory therapy sessions with his ballbusting therapist, Bucky is struggling to make sense of the world around him without anyone to help him get through it all. It also doesn't help matters when people who have tried to get in contact with him, like Sam, he ignores any attempt at connection. That sense of loneliness and isolation coupled with nightmares that constantly link him to his dark past put him in a place of scary uncertainty with no sign of things improving. 

Sam also seems to struggle to regain his footing in his own post-blip/avengers life. Now able to reconnect with his family in Louisiana, Sam deals with the baggage that's been waiting for him since he joined earth's mightiest heroes. His sister and his two nephews are getting by as is, but the blip has put a strain on things financially including the potential of losing the boat that belonged to their late mother and father. It also doesn't help that despite him being a recognizable and integral member of the Avengers (which is an unpaid occupation may I add), he still somehow is passed up for a bank loan for "reasons". This is just one of the shows many moments of pointed racial commentary that add a bit more of an emotional punch to the narrative. Believe me, we'll get to the others in a minute.  Despite the setbacks, Sam is still determined to fix the situation he and his family are in despite his sister's increasing cynicism and frustration. But soon, Sam now has to deal with a whole other set of problems in the form of a backhanded betrayal by the government. And his name is John Walker.

Who knew a simple smile, wink, and nod would make you the most hated character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? And yes, even more hated and reviled than the guy who literally snapped half the universe into oblivion. With his prestigious medals, boy next door charm, and a star-spangled suit that has been roasted by fans since its first appearance, John Walker was presented as the government's answer to "Who will be the next Captain America?" Unfortunately for him, he wasn't the answer we were looking for. Not even close. Despite the story's attempts to humanize and make him grounded and relatable, his overall being feels severely in contrast with that of Steve's. Don't get it twisted, nobody can truly live up to the legacy of the humble kid from Brooklyn. Not even the guy he chose to take his place. However, his aura has a real manufactured essence to it with a hint of deep sinister energy bubbling just beneath the surface. That is made more apparent as the ego, the arrogance, and the long-buried psychological cracks start to show as the series progresses. Walker does have some people in his life to keep him grounded like his partner Lamar and his fiance. But they can only do so much to keep the inner beast tamed before he leaves the cage for the slaughter. 

With Walker now the "new" Cap, Bucky and Sam have an uneasy tension around the two of them as Sam tries to explain his actions to an irate Bucky but to no avail. With both convinced that Walker is unfit to uphold Steve's legacy, they and the show commence a deeper dive into the history of America's attempts to create another Captain America. This puts them on a collision course with possibly one of the MCU's most tragic characters to date. Isaiah Bradley. Isaiah's story within the show is pretty on par with his comics counterpart. Introduced in the infamous 2003 Marvel Comic Truth: Red, White and Black,  Bradley was dubbed the first black Captain America after he became the lone survivor of underground government attempts to replicate the super-soldier serum that made Steve who he was. The plot of the comic took obvious inspiration from the inhumane tuskegee experiments that killed hundreds of innocent black soldiers during the 1940s and 1950s. As you might have guessed, this drew strong controversy from Marvel Comic fans thanks to the subject matter and the "supposed" tarnishing of Steve Rodgers' legacy. Despite the shocking content, showrunner Malcolm Spellman made the bold choice to incorporate Bradley and his history into the show. This decision speaks to the boldness of not just the show's production team but to Kevin Feige's willingness to allow such a dark story that the MCU barely acknowledged being brought to the forefront of a series of this scale and importance. 

As for this version of Bradley, he is living in anonymity with his grandson Elijah in Baltimore when Bucky and Sam come to visit him. Seeing Bucky again given their previous encounter which resulted in Bradley ripping Bucky's arm off, Bradley is very much against giving them any information about Hydra and their connections to the super-soldier serum. Especially given the fact of what he went through as a result of being the lone soldier that successfully became what Steve was. And the revelation is downright heartbreaking. Despite Bradley's obvious heroics and service as a result of his new powers, unlike Steve, who was honored and given rightful recognition for his actions, Bradley's reward was a brutal and cruel polar opposite. Imprisoned, tortured, experimented on, and cast aside with all records of his existence removed, Bradley became the Captain America that the government erased from history. This is obviously a gut punch to Sam who was already having doubts about picking up the mantle. This enhances the conflict within him and presents more serious questions in his mind. Not just if he is worthy to live up to the Captain America mantle and Steve's legacy but should he even attempt to given what this country did to a Captain America that looks like him? It is a saddening and tragic commentary that is only enhanced even more with the following scene of policemen racially profiling Sam despite the fact that he's standing next to a literal super-assassin with a body count dating all the way back to the mid-1900s. As the real world still grapples with the long-ignored systemic racism that has hurt and killed thousands of black and brown people, seeing the show bring that into the narrative was a huge risk but one that enhances the emotion and the stakes of both Sam and Bucky's arcs. 

Throughout the next few episodes, Sam, Bucky, John Walker, and flagsmasher leader Karli Morgenthau start to come into their own as characters. Starting with Karli, her story is one of sadness and frustration at a world that has turned its backs on the ones who have suffered the longest. While her reasoning and motivations are pure and noble, her methods and actions are far from justifiable. From apprehending hoarded supplies one minute to killing unarmed hostages the next, she is a mixture of complexity and her spiral into destructive radicalism is tragic and relevant to the times. The one who seems to understand her the most is Sam which in turn shows us even more why he was picked to take the mantle. His approach is one of empathy and sympathy while still condemning her actions. Given his current grappling with being chosen as the new Cap, he understands her motivations as to why that shield is both a symbol of hope and a symbol of things America tried to hide in its pursuit of chasing Steve's legacy. It is a far cry from John Walker's impulsive and reactive approach that manifests more problems than solutions. 

Speaking of John, once the series gets to the midway point, it becomes scarily clear that John Walker is not the man to hold the shield. It goes far beyond his ego or impulsive actions. It is apparent that by episode 4 that deep-rooted sinister energy mentioned earlier is reaching a fever pitch and his monumental decision to take the serum is the tipping point that turns Walker into the unstable loose cannon he was doomed to become. All culminating in one of the most horrifically iconic shots of the show and possibly the MCU.

In mourning after the death of his friend Lamar and psychologically unhinged, Walker manifests into the antithesis of what being Captain America means. Of course, Sam and Bucky are able to retain the shield, but there is a heaviness that is more apparent as we return to visit Isaiah Bradley. Hearing the story of how he saved his comrades from an enemy camp to keep them from being killed off by the people that see them as nothing more than test subjects is hard to stomach. Especially since the people who wanted them dead was the regime they served. If this sounds a little too familiar, it should. That's because it's the exact same act of bravery and selflessness that Steve Rodgers did in Captain America The First Avenger when he rescued Bucky and over 300 US soldiers from a Hydra research facility. But instead of being hailed as a hero, Bradley was jailed and experimented on as the Government tried to figure out why the serum worked for him and not others. It's a heartbreaking scene to watch as you see two black men with two different ideologies try to convince the other to see their point of view. It is clear that Sam has nothing but respect for Bradley given everything he's done in service for his country despite what his country has done to him. But Sam is still optimistic that the world they live in is different from the one Bradley was in. But given Bradley's experiences, his cynicism and justifiable bitterness are a solid contrast to Sam's optimism that can be looked at as naive. 

Thankfully, Sam still believes the shield and the mantle of Captain America can have meaning and instill hope in others despite the bloody baggage associated with it. After accepting the risk and embracing the storm of what is to come, Sam Wilson emerges as the man he was destined to be since the day Steve handed him the shield... 

With his Wakanda-made suit complete with new alloy wings and the shield in hand, Sam Wilson finally embraces the mantle of Captain America. Despite not being a supersoldier, Sam takes on the Flagsmashers and greatly holds his own in saving the members of the GRC. The thing that I love about Sam's official turn as Captain America besides that awesome comic book accurate suit and how he uses his abilities in combat is how his approach to situations doesn't change despite his new look. 

One example is found when he catches up with Karli near the end of the finale. Despite her insistence for him to fight her, Sam chooses to continue to try to reach the real her. Before the serum, before the blip, before her radicalized ideals began to corrupt her spirit. The Karli he always hoped and believed was and is still there. This is a near-identical mirror of Steve's final fight with Bucky in Captain America The Winter Soldier. Despite Bucky brutally beating Steve, Steve attempts to reach his best friend that is buried deep beneath the hydra-infused brainwashing protocols through non violence. This act was instrumental in placing Bucky on the path of reclaiming who he was before. Unfortunately, Karli doesn't get the same salvation as she is gunned down. As she lay dying in Sam's arms, a small glimpse of her old self comes forward as Sam witnesses the product of a world that has failed to prioritize the people that matter even after an event that wiped out half the population. Sam then solidifies his stance as the true successor to Steve Rodgers. He laments to the council that labels like terrorist, radical, or thug are all diversion tactics that keep the GRC from asking the real question: Why? Why did Karli and so many others like her feel like it was so important to stop a vote even going as far as to take lives? The question goes deeper when you apply that question to the current landscape of today's current climate. So many people, particularly those on both the conservative far right and the liberal far left side of the spectrum, love to label each other without really asking the important questions. Why do they feel this way? Why are they so angry? Why do they do the things they do and say the things they say? Why do they march? It's these types of questions that start discussions that help crete a better understanding of one another and begin the process of moving in the right direction. Of course in this scene, the US senator ignorantly suggest that Sam dosen't understand how hard the world is right now. And to be honest, Sam says it best....

Think of the position he has put himself in. The burden he has partaken as a black man carrying a shield and mantle that was held by somebody white for nearly a century and come back and tell me he doesn't grasp the hardship of the world he inhibits. Sam may be optimistic but he is nowhere near naive to the fact that while many people will celebrate the fact that he is Captain America others will despise and hate him for it. But despite the venom, despite the inevitable threats he could receive, despite those saying he has no business carrying the shield, he is still here. No blonde hair, no blue eyes, no super soldier serum. Just a humble man from Louisiana who wants to do the right thing. Much like a certain kid from Brooklyn. It speaks volumes to the perserverence of thousands of people of color who fought and died for a courtry who would beat them, verbally abuse them or shoot them dead in the street for just being black. Despite the storm, they face it head on and show strength comes in not how you recieve power but in how you wield it. It's the foundation of every single hero in this cinematic universe and it is shown again here. Much like Steve before him, Sam knows that the price of freedom is high. Maybe even higher for men and women who look like him. But it's a price he's willing to pay to try and get the world back on track. It truly shows that Sam displays all the qualities that made Steve hand him the shield at the end of Avengers Endgame without any hesitation. Sam IS the Captain America the world needs right now and the world is all the better for it.

I don't think anybody, including myself, expected this MCU series featuring Bucky Barnes and Sam
Wilson to be more than a buddy cop action adventure. It was that and so much more. It introduced elements and topics that have largely been ignored in this cinematic universe. That type of boldness of storytelling is what Kevin Fiege and the people at Marvel Studios need to strive to have more of in this ever changing world. To acknowledge the sins of the past and use them as a foundation to build a better furute for all. The scene of Sam bringing Isaiah and Elijah to the Smithsonian is a perfect example. Sam solidfies Isaiah as a true american hero worthy of being in the same conversation as Steve. All the pain, all the heartbreak, all the physical torment, all the racism laced bigotry he endured as the first black captain america, Sam made sure that it was not in vain and gave this man the recognition he was denied and desrved from the start. It's a powerful scene that is just one of the many scenes that make this show so impactful and memorable. It's the reason why I consider this one of the best things to come out of the MCU along with Wandavision. Of course there were a ton of other elemnts that made the show awesome too. From the banter between Sam and Bucky, the epic involment of the Dora Milaje, John Walker's fall as Captain America and emergence as US Agent, Zemo's power moves, and Sharon Carter's emergence as a major antagonistic player in furture MCU properties, the show put pieces in place to really change not just what the Captain America series could be but what the Marvel is capable of doing in future phases.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldi- correction, Captain America and The Winter Soldier chose to be more than what people expected it to be and I am greatful to have it as part of the continually growing Marvel cinematic heroverse. A story full of hope in a time where people that look like me are still fighting for a seat at the table of equality and justice. We can move toward a future with heads held high knowing what our voices can do for a constatly changing world. We should all take heed from our new star spangled man and acknowledge that we have the power to believe we as a country and as a people can do better,  be better, are better. If black and brown people as well as other people of color are the only ones who believe that, then so be it. But this fan is willing to bet they're not.