Falcon And The Winter Soldier Episode Six: One World One People
3/5
Written by Luke Barnes
Sadly, this review is not positive. With the way the series had gone I was expecting this episode to bring everything together and to make the series better, despite its faults, but really all this episode did was point out how bad the faults of this series are, and the bad finally outweighed the good.
So firstly the positive, I enjoyed the endings that most of the characters were given, they were suitably poignant and impactful, I particularly liked the final scene we see of Carl Lumley’s Isaiah Bradley; it brought a tear to my eye. Likewise I thought Sebastian Stan’s Bucky and Wyatt Russel’s US Agent both get endings that feel earned and that set the characters up for interesting adventures in the near future.
However, arguably the star of the show Anthony Mackie’s Falcon/ Captain America, doesn’t get the ending that he deserves. After all that time deciding whether to take on the mantel and pick up the shield we just see Sam fully dressed in his Captain America costume which takes away a lot of the impact and though the suit itself looks cool it does not make up for seeing him put it on for the first time.
The reveal that Emily VanCamp’s Sharon Carter is in fact the Power Broker was in no way a surprise, it was blindingly obvious, personally I thought they had revealed it last week in that episode but evidently not. It makes no sense from a character point of view why Sharon has taken this course of action, and the post credits scene of her being pardoned only to carry on being evil just makes it worse- it is a baffling decision, she has to be a Skrull.
Moreover, and I have spoken at length about this in the past, like many Marvel projects the biggest issue with this series is the villain. Erin Kellyman’s Karli is simply awful, perhaps the worst villain Marvel has ever had on screen, her motivations make no sense, she switches emotions and her entire personality at a moment’s notice and the final episode has her repeating the same lines over and over again because it doesn’t know what to do with her.
Overall, disappointing and leaves a sour taste in the collective mouth regarding the Marvel Disney + shows.
Pros.
Walker and the Thunderbolts tease
Bucky and Sam at the end
Isaiah Bradley’s ending and the emotion
Cons.
Everything regarding Sharon Carter
Karli was awful
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I think that this may have been the best episode of TFTWS, so far, though not a lot happened in terms of action, which would usually be a complaint for me, the episode was incredibly impactful both in terms of the wider MCU as well as to dissect and discuss real world issues and there implication in this fictional world.
The easily angered sort, who complain about the show every week yet keep coming back, will not be happy with this episode as it is the most ‘woke’, to borrow their phrase, so far. Personally, I think this show has felt far more personally impactful and meaningful because it has addressed these racial issues rather than ignoring them as previous films and tv shows within the same universe have done.
I thought the character journey of Anthony Mackie’s Sam was near perfect, not only do we entirely understand the trouble his character is having in taking up the mantle of Captain America, but we can also see why it is important that he does. I think the scenes between Sam and Carl Lumley’s Isaiah Bradley are perhaps some of the most moving in the entire MCU.
There is a cameo in this episode, that has been hyped up since last week, that really isn’t as big as you would hope or expect it to be. Julia Louise-Dreyfus feels shoehorned in, it feels akin to the Ed Sheeran cameo in Game Of Thrones, awkward and clunky, and I hope they bring her back and use her in the future or this has been a big misstep for Marvel.
I thought the continuing descent of Wyatt Russell’s evil Captain America was fascinating to watch, he truly believes he is Captain America despite everyone agreeing he is not right for the role. I see him heading up a future Thunderbolts team possibly as soon as the end of the final episode.
Overall, though the episode does not push the boat out in terms of action, it is an incredibly moving episode that makes you feel, question and appreciate the world of the MCU and those behind it that bit more. Just ignore the cameo.
Pros.
The history of the shield
Sam and Isaiah
The opening fight scene
The post-credits tease
Cons.
The awful cameo
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Falcon and The Winter Soldier episode 4 The Whole World Is Watching sees Bucky (Sebastian Stan) Sam (Anthony Mackie) and Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) hot on the heels of the Flag Smashers. Moreover, John Walker (Wyatt Russell), is pushed further to the edge.
This was a solid episode; it was better than 3 and probably on a par with 2 (the best episode so far). I enjoyed the action scenes particularly the ones featuring the Wakanda Royal Guard and the final fight between Walker and the flag smashers.
Walker’s arc is given a very interesting twist here, that will have huge universe wide implications. Despite creatives saying things to the contrary, I think you are supposed to hate Walker and this episode goes out of its way to make you do just that.
We see more of Karli (Erin Kellyman) and her turn to full on villainy, and I have to say I don’t fully believe it. The actor is doing her best, but I don’t really see her as a viable threat, moreover her motivations seem too noble for us to want to see her defeated, but this episode did make her a lot less likeable for sure.
Finally, this episode does show us some of Bucky’s time in Wakanda, but it doesn’t give us anywhere near as much as you would like and honestly the flashback creates more questions than answers.
Overall, a very intriguing cliff-hanger, plenty of solid action, but a few familiar issues drag it down.
Pros.
The action
The cliff-hanger
Walker
Zemo is great again
Cons.
The villain is weak and unbelievable
It throws away a side character that needed to be developed more
The Wakanda flashback
3.5/5
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Falcon and The Winter Soldier episode 3 Power Broker is the third episode in the Marvel Disney + series. The plot sees Sam (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky (Sebastian Stan), break Baron Zemo (Daniel Bruhl), out of prison so that he can help them find out more information about the super soldier program and the Flag Smashers.
I thought this episode was on the whole good, not as good as the previous episode however, for reasons we will get to later. I thought it moved the story along and introduced some interesting new elements and locations to the MCU that I hope to see again in other films and Disney + series.
It was nice to see Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) return. Though she did not do a lot, really she was just there to spout exposition and to remind the audience she was alive. However, she did manage to make an impression due to one very graphic, for the MCU, and well-choreographed fight scene.
My issues with this episode are twofold. Firstly, I think the two separate storylines, the boys hunting down answers about the super soldier serum, and the stuff with the fake Captain America (Wyatt Russell) are starting to clash. Personally I think the stuff with the fake Captain America is going in a very obvious direction and I would rather they just get it over with so we can focus on the more interesting matters at hand.
Secondly, and this is linked to the previous point, the idea of Bucky and Sam going rogue and the Government coming for them for freeing Zemo feels very phase 3, very Civil War era and I get that it is a stylistic inspiration for the show, but personally I think the MCU is past it and I don’t really want to see it go back.
Overall, still a strong episode, but some of the tonal and plot issues are starting to show.
Pros. Zemo
Bringing back Sharon
The ending
Cons.
They do use Sharon for anything interesting
The storylines are starting to clash
A bit too Civil War like for my taste
3/5
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The Star-Spangled Man is the second episode of Marvel’s Falcon And The Winter Soldier. The episode revolves around the introduction of the new Captain America (played by Wyatt Russell), as well as further developments with the Flag Smashers, and an exploration of the ideas around the super soldier serum and it’s continuation beyond Steve Rogers (Chris Evans).
I was deeply disappointed with the first episode of TFTWS, but I have to say this episode was a lot better and really got the series going in the right direction.
First off I want to say how excellent the Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) twist was it showed us a whole otherside of the super soldier project, which helped us recontextualise it in our minds whilst also expanding the wider mythos of the MCU to an interesting new dimension.
Secondly, the series is greatly helped by now having Sam (Antony Mackie) and Bucky (Sebastian Stan) on screen together. After watching this episode it only becomes clearer to me that one of the biggest issues with the first episode of this series was keeping its two main men separated. Luckily this episode fixes that and brings them together. Mackie and Stan have terrific on-screen chemistry together and really make the show what it is, their easy banter and shared pains make you want to watch the show and give a damn about the characters.
Thirdly, I enjoyed how this episode showed us the new Captain America in a wider light, we get to see him as both a villain to Bucky and Sam (the former takes an immediate dislike to him), as well as a hero in his own right. The ending of the episode teases us with bigger things to come and no doubt the new Captain America will have his character explored in further depth, but this is a nice start.
My only issue with this episode is that despite marking a quarter of the series being over, (as it is only 6 episodes), it still feels like it is arranging the pieces, which really should have been done in the first episode. An example of what I am talking about is that Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp), was said to have a large role in the series yet now we are a quarter of the way through it, and she is yet to appear. The pace should either have been quicker or there should have been more episodes commissioned to better fit this slow style.
Overall, a much, much stronger episode, however pacing still remains an issue.
Pros.
Bringing Bucky and Sam together
The reveal of Isaiah Bradley
Zemo
The new Captain America and his character work
Cons.
The pace is still too slow
4/5
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Hey Guys! A little something different today, I have decided to write a list of my seven Marvel predictions for the upcoming films and Disney + shows. How I have structured it is, one project one theory. Some stuff in my entries will have been assumed from leaks, rumours and set photos, and the rest is my own wishful thinking; so take it all with a pinch of salt. I hope you enjoy.
7 Marvel Theories For Upcoming Projects
1. Falcon and The Winter Soldier + Black Widow
Yes despite the fact that Falcon and the Winter Soldier is coming out before Black Widow, I very much believe they are tied together. That connection will be Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. It seems very much from some of the rumours we have been hearing that Phase 4of the MCU is introducing the Thunderbolts, which is basically Marvel’s equivalent of the Suicide Squad, and is often led by or feature prominently Baron Zemo- who will also have a large role in this show. Moreover, General Ross will appear in both projects and he too is a major part of the Thunderbolts line up even serving as a leader when he is the Red Hulk, my theory and this crosses over between both projects is this: at the end of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Pugh’s Belova, who comics wise is a far more vicious Black Widow will appear as a member of the Thunderbolts to recruit Zemo, with her storyline in Black Widow serving to explain how she got there. Most likely with Ross recruiting her and Taskmaster in the post credits scene of that film.
2. Shang Chi and the Ten Rings
By all accounts Shang Chi is going to be a very real world Marvel flick focused on the terrorist group the Ten Rings from the Iron Man films. However, my theory goes right the other way with it, I think this will be the first MCU film to explore dragons, yes dragons have already been teased in the MCU with Iron Fist and the Defenders, but I think this film will take it a step further and actually bring in a character like Fin Fang Foom, possibly to act as a secondary antagonist throughout the film, or set up to be a threat later down the road. Moreover, and this was not the major theory for this one as I believe it is almost guaranteed, but I think this will be the film to see White Tiger enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe though it remains unclear which version of the character it will be.
3. Loki
My theory for Loki is really rather simple, I think it will be in this show that we actually start to see the multiverse unravel. Yes, Wandavison began the process, but this will be the show to expand on it. From what we already know, this project will explore time and possibly alternate dimensions, so what would be a better place to show off the damage Wanda has done to the universe then here? I think it will slowly creep in over the course of the show, possibly made worse by the actions of Loki himself, but things will start to go wrong here, and rifts will start to appear.
4. Hawkeye
I think everyone and their mum knows that Jeremey Renner’s days as Hawkeye are numbered, they have had him retire a good few times now, and now that he has his family back I think he will do just that. I think quietly this might be Renner’s last appearance in the MCU, obviously I don’t know his contract details so maybe not, but it does seem like a legacy show to me. From what I have seen this show is going to take heavy inspiration from the Matt Fraction run on the character and will see Hawkeye train Kate Bishop to replace him, and by the end of the series she will. I think that this show will also serve as a backdoor into the Young Avengers with the team being assembled over the next few films and shows. Also, and yes I should have led with this, I think the target that Hawkeye and Kate will be trying to hunt down over the course of the show will be Yelena Belova.
5. Miss Marvel
Again this will be another set up series very much like Hawkeye, however, this show will set up the introduction of the Inhuman Royal family to the MCU, further establish the Kree and also introduce Hulkling to the MCU- for the Young Avengers show. I also think Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel will feature into the series in some way and that she will appear, and the two will have scenes together which will most likely lead into Secret Invasion and the events of Captain Marvel 2.
6. The Eternals
Of all the Marvel projects on this list, this is probably the most mysterious. I have a feeling they will borrow from Neil Gaiman’s beloved run on the characters, and feature the characters living life in a modern city without knowing who they are, and then slowly having flashbacks and remembering. I think this will be the start point of a fairly grand, and epic trilogy that will have a lot of ground to cover, I also think this film will massively expand the cosmic side of the MCU. Expect Galactus.
7. Spider-Man No Way Home
I am going to go big with my theory for this one. My theory is that Morlan, the villain from the comic book Spider-verse arc, will be sending villains through the multiverse to kill various Spider-Men. The surviving Spider-Men will flee to our Marvel World and will hold a final stand with our, Tom Holland Spider-Man. There will also be the fall out from the ending of Far From Home, and yes Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock will be there to represent Peter and when the time comes fight along side the Spider-Men.
Wandavison is a superhero TV series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe directed by Matt Shakman. The plot follows on from the events of Avengers Endgame that saw Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), lose the love of her life Vision (Paul Bettany), in the fight against Thanos. This makes things odd when government agency S.W.O.R.D starts picking up reports of a town that has been turned into a sitcom, with Wanda and Vision at the centre of it- what is going on?
So this was the big first series of the Disney + Marvel era, how was it? Well for the most part it was solid and just what you would want out of the MCU, however, there was also a tinge of disappointment as I finished the series. Now as I am writing this series review, I am torn.
First things first, the opening few episodes won’t be to everyone’s speed. They are very different from the wider MCU, and instead focus on being a faithful homage to different classic sitcoms, with Marvel easter eggs being thrown in to keep people invested. If you are a lover of classic American sitcoms then you will definitely get more out of this show. However, with episode 3 things start to progress quickly, and crazy shenanigans begin.
That brings us to my first little issue with the show, so for the most part these shenanigans are good, and they nicely feed that MCU itch we have all had for over a year now. However, the series has far too many characters, and can’t balance its cast at all. This becomes an issue when you have the return of Kat Dennings’ Darcy, who yes, has a few moments in the lime light but for the most part feels relegated to a bit player when she could have been so much more.
This is contrasted with the main performances from Bettany and Olsen, who both benefit from more screen time and a wider focus on their characters. Olsen and Bettany really make the show as good as it is, and the final scene they share is a testament to both of them as actors, a dry eye will not be found in the house.
The ending of the show poses, a few interesting questions about where Wanda is going in the MCU, and what we might see from her in the future. With the final post credits scene (there are two), being particularly interesting. Also the new costume is rad as hell.
I found myself disappointed by the finale, not because like many I had read theories online and expected all kinds of crazy nonsense to happen, but rather because I was expecting the finale to be bigger to feel more impactful. Yes, the ending we get is intimate and personal and serves as great character work, but I really thought the ending of the first Disney + Marvel series was going to end with more of a bang. Maybe my expectations were too high.
Overall, as long as you realise that for the most part this is atypical MCU fare, and don’t read articles online about wild character reveals, there is plenty to like here especially if you are a fan of American sitcoms or the wider MCU.
Pros.
The intimate love story
The crazy mystery
Olsen
Bettany
Peters
Cons.
The ending doesn’t have as much of a bang as you would want or expect
Gotham By Gaslight is a straight to DVD superhero film directed by Sam Liu. The plot is an Elseworlds Batman tale set in a Victorian Gotham City that see the Caped Crusader go up against Jack The Ripper. This leads to a fight atop a burning ferries wheel and a traumatising reveal.
I have been looking forward to this for quite a while, but I have to say it was not good.
My main issue with this film is that it managed to make Batman fighting Jack The Ripper, an insanely cool premise, be boring. The pacing of this film is so poorly done that it becomes infuriating after a while, you just want to see the two of them fight, but they just keep padding it out and padding it out.
The characters lack any kind of charisma, they just feel bland. No new ground is tread here the only character that is slightly furthered is James Gordon (Scott Patterson), and that is in a very Elseworlds way; he is Saucy Jack.
The two things I enjoyed about this film are they don’t make Joker Jack, which would have been incredibly obvious, and I also love the characterisation of Selina Kyle aka Cat Woman (Jennifer Carpenter). I thought Selina in this was pitch perfect she was very take charge and was at the forefront of the fight back. I also loved how this film handled her relationship with Bruce.
Overall, not doing the obvious and having a good Bruce Selina dynamic is not enough to make up for the fact this film could not hold my attention.
Hellboy (2019) is a superhero film directed by Neil Marshall, based on the Dark Horse comic character of the same name. This film entirely ignores the Del Toro films that came before it and instead acts as a reboot of the series, moving away from family friendly territory and into Deadpool esque R-rated waters. The plot sees Hellboy, (David Harbour), try and stop a centuries old witch Vivienne Nimue (Mila Jovovich) from unleashing Hell on Earth.
I know this film was a bomb and a lot of people didn’t like it and the Del Toro films are better in a lot of ways, but I actually enjoyed this film; controversial I know. Before I get into why I liked it, I just want to say yeah I know this film has a lot of problems, the CGI ghost people that come out of Alice’s (Sasha Lane), throat are terrible and look like a child made them on After Effects and yes the plot line that Hellboy knew Alice as a child, but now she is kind of like his love interest for some reason, is creepy. That aside this is why I liked the film.
I like how this film sets up a larger world, you feel like there is more at play here than meets the eye, I like how it brings fantasy to a 21st century version of London. I am also a massive Hellboy comics fan as well as the B.P.R.D so to see characters and elements of that world that the Del Toro films didn’t cover on screen was a blast for me.
I liked the fact that we got new characters rather than seeing the same team from the previous films, made up of Liz, Hellboy and Abe Saipan. Daniel Day Kim’s Ben Daimio is so cool, and the scene when he turns into a Werejugar is easily my favourite scene of the whole film, Alice is also a cool character, even if her powers look terrible.
Moreover, though it might sound heretical to say I like David Harbour as Hellboy. I think the film overdoes it with the jokes and the quips, trying far too hard to be like Deadpool, just like a certain superhero film that came out in 2020, despite this I like his take on the character and I would have liked to see more of him. Harbour plays the character with a lot of charm and warmth, he isn’t as brooding as Pearlman was with the character, but I think it is a good thing that this film tried to take the character in a new direction.
Finally, the practical effects on Baba Yaga were great, this was another highlight of the film for me. I am not going to get into the Pig monster thing: because I think the whole character was needless and the film could have done without that sub-plot.
Overall, this film is nothing like the Del Toro films, but I think that’s the point. If you can appreciate it for the dumb, schlocky fun that it is then there is a lot to like about this film. If not, you can take comfort in the fact their most certainly won’t be a sequel.
Watchmen is a superhero drama series created by Damon Lindelöf, it continues the narrative of Alan Moore’s acclaimed graphic novel, rather than trying to remake it. Watchmen tells the story of Angela Abar (Regina King), a costumed detective of the Tulsa police department, who tries to stop the evil plans of far-right terrorist organisation the Seven Cavalry. Whilst doing this there is a wider mystery at play, that involves some of the original characters from the graphic novel.
First off, I just want to say that yes, this show is political, but unlike a lot of other entertainment shows and films it doesn’t ram it philosophy down your throat, the writing is far too subtle for that.
I think this show was criminally under watched when it was on, as someone who is a huge fan of the graphic novel, I have often wondered what life would be like in a post-squid world and this show scratched that itch for me. It was fun seeing Silk Specter (Jean Smart) and Ozymandias (Jeremy Irons) again, I liked what the show did with there characters and thought that all of the Ozymandias scenes when he was off world were really intriguing.
What the show did with Doctor Manhattan (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) was good, I liked the romance angle between him and Angela, my only issue with his character was that we didn’t really get a good look at his powers, but that is probably because it was confined to a TV show budget. My other little gripe is, because the show brought back all these classic characters the new characters they introduced really needed to standout and in the case of Angela this was a detriment. Though Angela had some interesting scenes a lot of the time I was begging the show to return to Ozymandias or show me more of other characters as I found her to be a bit dull.
However, the best character on the show was one of the new characters, Looking Glass (Tim Blake Nelson). Looking Glass or Wade, is a fascinating character to watch on screen, as he has been emotionally and psychologically scarred by the events of squid night and watching him deal with that over the course of the season and then seeing him learn it was all one big plot is one of the best things I have seen on television recently.
Overall, this is a masterpiece of a show, it successfully follows up the great graphic novel in a way that feels new and fresh, adding something to the world overall. I am glad it is not coming back for season two as it works better as a one of thing. Must See TV!
Pros.
Looking Glass.
How it deals with returning characters.
The world it sets up.
Fascinating character work.
Cons.
Angela isn’t the best lead character and is often out shadowed by others.
Another Millennial Reviewer 
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