The Falcon and the Winter Soldier season finale was about as great of a season finale as you could possibly ask for.
“One World, One People” made good on the promises the series made in the previous five episodes. It delivered big action set pieces, captured the patented rousing MCU hero moments, continued its conversation about race without blinking or softening its position, paid off Bucky’s emotional journey, and neatly tied up loose plot points without ever feeling ham-fisted.
The episode also never lost sight of the “endgame” – setting up the future of the Marvel Universe with the reveal of The Power Broker, the unveiling of US Agent, a reminder of Zemo’s (Daniel Bruhl, Inglorious Basterds) influence, and the apparent end of The Flag Smashers.
Yet, the most important thing The Falcon and The Winter Soldier season finale did was give us a brand new Captain America: Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie, Outside the Wire).
Sam Wilson’s journey to becoming Captain America often took a backseat in the early part of the series for The Flag Smashers plot, Bucky’s (Sebastian Stan, I, Tonya) emotional journey, and the gloriousness of Baron Zemo and his outstanding dance moves. However, that all changed in the penultimate episode the moment Sam met with Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly, Alias) and the two discussed the horrifying abuse that Isaiah suffered at the hands of the U.S. government. From that moment forward, the series hooked us – would Sam finally don the mantle?
The series did an excellent job in not only convincing The Falcon to (sorta) drop the wings and pick up the shield, but also in selling the audience on the idea that Sam Wilson is not only the new Captain America, but he is the perfect person to be Captain America. No moment in the finale embodies this better than when Sam delivers his speech to members of the GRC about the treatment of disenfranchised people, how bringing them to the table for conversation empowers them and is a path to peace, and how the GRC has the power to create another Carli Morgantheau or become the mad titan Thanos himself – destroying all hope in front of them with the snap of a finger.
This speech could easily be written off as completely pie-in-the-sky, wishful thinking dialogue, but it’s exactly the type of speech that Steve Rogers would give – and that’s why Sam Wilson is his perfect successor. Sam Wilson, like pre-serum Steve Rogers, may not be the ideal of what the government is looking for in Captain America, but he’s the absolute choice for it because of his heart and soul. Steve Rogers embodied this idea of taking on bullies, fighting for the little guy as well as truth, justice, and the American way. Sam Wilson fights for the same thing, except instead of Nazis, Hydra, and the Crimson Skull, he’s fighting racism, greed, and inequality He, like Steve, serves as a beacon of hope to those bullied by hateful, power-hungry, evil people.
Sam is everything John Walker (Wyatt Russell, Overlord) wasn’t. Walker represents this obsession of Americans, especially those who love wearing red hats, that post-WWII American was this idyllic, perfect time in the country’s history. And in order to attain this “American ideal,” Walker (and those aforementioned people) will stoop to any level of violence and treachery and feel completely justified in doing so. Isaiah Bradley is the eye-opener for Sam and the audience by proxy about how this time was not perfect for him – a character symbolic of generations of Black Americans who were (and still are) treated with disdain, contempt, and hatred by the country they live in. While Walker does get a “come to Jesus” moment in the episode, ultimately it’s evident to both Walker and the audience that Sam is the man for the role and Walker was thrust into a position that neither he nor the government really understood.
The performance from Anthony Mackie in this finale is his best work in the MCU to date. He was able to channel all the positives from Chris Evans’ Captain America while making this new Cap 100% his own. His performance is so starkly different from when we first encounter him in the series and it’s supposed to be. Mackie does an excellent job of taking us on the emotional and spiritual journey Sam goes through in the season and we feel his emotions in every scene, even if we as an audience can’t always personally relate to it.
While this season had a plethora of excellent supporting players, none resonated more than Carl Lumbly’s performance as Isaiah Bradley. In his scant few scenes, he provided the absolute best acting in the series and one could argue in the entire MCU. His weathered voice combined with his broad-shouldered stature only emphasized the anger and sorrow that resonated in all his talks with Sam. Yet, in this finale, you could see the relationship evolve. While the scars will never truly heal for Isaiah, you could see the pride in his eyes when he lovingly cut Sam down with sarcasm. Yet, our final moment with Isaiah is one that should reduce anyone to tears – seeing him immortalized next to the Steve Rogers exhibit. It was truly a wonderful, truly beautiful moment to see a man brutalized by his government finally be recognized and acknowledged for his heroism.
Of course, now that we have a Captain America, we now have a new direction for the Marvel Universe. First, the reveal of the series being renamed Captain America and The Winter Soldier was a really nice touch at the end of the episode and one has to hope this means we’ll be getting a second season of Cap and Bucky taking on…The Power Broker?
Yes, if there was one thing that was a bit “meh” about the episode it was the reveal of Sharon Carter (Emily Vancamp, The Resident) as The Power Broker. Had we not been given the glimpse of her sending Batroc (UFC legend Georges St. Pierre) to help The Flag Smashers in the previous episode, the reveal would’ve been terrific. One could argue that scene set up the suspense of which way Sharon would go in this episode, however, a sudden reveal would’ve worked much better. That aside, having Sharon Carter essentially as the new Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford, The Sting) is pretty amazing. However, that might not be the only adversaries for our heroes in the coming season(s) – we’ve still got Zemo out there and the newly minted U.S. Agent and his boss Val (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep). This gives this series so many options for the future that you’re left wanting more – and that’s the sign of a great finale.
Going into this series, I had low expectations for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. From the trailers, it seemed nowhere near as interesting as Wandavision. It looked like a run-of-the-mill, buddy cop action piece. To an extent, we did get the buddy cop stuff, and we certainly got plenty of action. However, this was all a hook to get us, and what this series really turned into was a further exploration of post-Blip trauma, a necessary conversation about racial equality in America, and the introduction of a brand new Captain America. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier underpromised and over-delivered – bring on Season 2!
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