**Series Review**

I'm tired.

Maybe I'm too critical, or perhaps I should give up on the MCU? The MCU fatigue is real this time, and it's getting old. No, this series isn't bad, and neither was _WandaVision_. But with each new MCU release, the more I'm pushed to the brink. I used to love this franchise, can you believe it? I loved all the movies, and I gave my money to the box office as reluctantly as any other MCU stan. Now, I'm tired. I'm tired of the same old stories, with their important messages, but poor storytelling.

[spoiler] Falcon begins by giving up the shield to the Smithsonian (museum), unknowingly handing the Captain America mantle to Walker. After Walker snaps, he reconsiders his decision. So, he talks to Isaiah Bradley (a black Super Soldier who the government rejected as Captain America), who tells him he won't make it, and becomes Captain America soon after. Was there any revelation here? What did Sam learn? He just went through a training montage, and then he was ready. What a relatable challenge that he went through that I can apply to real life! I just gotta ignore the haters, ya'll! [/spoiler]

In some of these movies, the "character arcs" go like this: I want to do this, I face opposition, the opposition turns out to be wrong because..., I'm right, and I win. No one learns anything; all it says is that you're always right, and people who tell you otherwise are wrong. That's an empowering message, but has Marvel's writers stopped to consider that their audience might be the villains instead of the heroes; what if they're the opposition, and they're just wrong, instead of the heroes who are always right?

But this show does a lot I admire; a darker, grittier tone, better action (than some recent stuff), important themes and attempts at character arcs/development. Whew, I'm still tired, though.

As Cosmonaut Marcus writes,

>"It was whatever." **— Cosmonaut Marcus** (https://twitter.com/CosmonautMarcus/status/1385534378239987712)

**TECHNICAL SCORE: 7/10**
**ENJOYMENT SCORE: 6/10**

Why would a beat cop fail to recognize Sam Wilson literally one of the most famous people on the planet?
Why did Sam need to apply for a bank loan when a single phone call to Pepper Potts would have provided all the money he could ever need?
Why is Selena Meyer in this show, and why does she talk like a 14-year-old with ADHD?
Why did Sam waste time fighting Batroc during a ticking clock hostage situation when he could literally fly right out of there?
Why do the flag smashers put on masks to fight people that have already seen their faces?
Why did the Wakanda's take Zemo to the raft rather than Wakanda itself to face justice for murdering their king?
How can Sam survive a high impact collision with solid steel pipes and lift an armoured truck weighing at least 10 tonnes despite not being a super soldier?
Why does Sam struggle to use Captain America's shield during his training montage despite using it proficiently in his conversation with bucky just minutes earlier?
Why does Marvel keep trying to make Sharon Carter happen?
How are three lightly built women outfitted only with spears, able to subdue a cybernetically enhanced super-soldier with decades of combat experience, a highly trained special forces operative and one of the avengers all at the same time?
Clearly, these questions are meaningless, and if you find yourself asking them, you need to check your privilege and do better.
If this is any indication of where the MCU plans to go in terms of writing quality and social activism, then combined with a year-long gap between movie releases and an absolutely sterling lineup of phase 4 films that everyone's excited about (LMAO), I just can't see this going wrong.

It tries to spin too many plates, and it fails in every sense of the word.
Just for comparison, take a look at Wandavision.
That show consists of 2 storylines, namely inside of Westview and outside of Westview, and both of those storylines belong to the same plot.
Then take a look at this show:
- There’s the stuff with Karli and the flag smashers
- Then there’s all the stuff with John Walker and his storyline as replacement Cap
- It also wants to act as a Civil War sequel by picking up Zemo’s storyline and the Wakandans chasing after him.
- Let’s not forget about Sharon Carter and the stuff in Madripoor
- Oh yeah, there’s also a very ham-fisted and tacked on plotline regarding how Cap was supposed to be black
- And finally you have all of the personal stuff of Sam and Bucky, which also includes the therapist and Sam’s sister

I dare anyone to summarize the plot of this show in a few sentences, you simply won’t be able to because it’s so incoherent.

That’s not even to mention how dumb and poorly thought out this show as a whole is.
It wouldn’t be such a problem if it took itself less seriously, but no, it wants to make a point about how world leaders aren’t uniting us. It wants to talk about what it means to be black in America.
Do I need to remind anyone: this is a show where our 2 ‘heroes’ broke a criminal mastermind out of prison in return for ... intel.
It’s a show that thinks it’s morally justified to have the protagonist throw terrorists out of planes, and then have that exact same character confront someone else about the implications of killing.
And so on, and so on, even to the smallest things.
There’s this scene in the final episode, where a random UN employee just hands Bucky her phone and she’s like: “here’s Karli, she wants to talk to you”. Like, how did she get that phone number? Why didn’t you just write a direct confrontation between Karli and Bucky? They were already in the same building.

There are two things that keep it watchable: Kari Skogland’s direction is very good (loved the first action set piece) and the acting, for the most part, is solid. Erin Kellyman is by far the weakest link, and she lacks any kind of real presence as a terrorist leader. Wyatt Russell, Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan do a lot of the heavy lifting, and I can’t wait to see where they take those characters next.

4/10

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/tv-reviews/the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-spoiler-free-review

"The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is definitely a less enthusiastic, slower, more grounded series than its magical predecessor, but it accomplishes the main mission of bringing the audience closer to Sam and Bucky. The character-driven show features exceptional dialogues and terrific performances from its leads, but the supporting cast steals the spotlight on several occasions, especially Daniel Brühl. The "Black Captain America" narrative and the subplot involving John Walker and a deep exploration of Cap's mantle are undoubtedly the most compelling, well-developed arcs of the whole series, though I appreciated every second spent with Sam dealing with his family issues and Bucky with his amends. However, the Morgenthau-led Flag Smashers fail to become more than just misunderstood, annoying antagonists, while Sharon Carter just feels like a completely out-of-place, unnecessary marketing strategy. Kari Skogland tries to keep every episode at a high level of quality, ultimately struggling with pacing issues and balance of storylines. In the end, she succeeds in leaving the viewers more emotionally attached to the (new) main heroes."

Rating: B-

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was an enjoyable show to watch for the most part, but there are some glaring weaknesses. From a main hero that sympathizes with the villain over and over again, to an antagonist group that is not fleshed out and seems half baked. This show has some incredible shots and story arches with the new Captain America's downfall under the pressure of the world and the rise of The Falcon.

**Verdict:** _Decent_