The Falcon and The Winter Soldier TV Series Review

Spoilers Alert for those that have not watched the TV series!

Racism, Justice, and Power surely belong to the most trending topics worldwide. The Marvel Cinematic Universe recently stems its root from these global issues which is portrayed through a mini TV series called The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (TFATWS). Therefore, I will be writing a review on this mini TV series which, is more than just a superhero movie.

TFATWS is composed of 6 episodes, the series as a whole is a sequel to Avengers: Endgame that came out in 2021, where Sam Wilson, a.k.a The Falcon, and Bucky Barnes, a.k.a The Winter Soldier, team up in a global adventure that examines their abilities, their patience as well as their friendship. As Sam gives up the shield given by the old Steve Rogers after the events of Endgame, the U.S. government decides to elect John Walker, a U.S. Army veteran, to become the new Captain America. Shocked by the news, Bucky finds himself confronting Sam about his decision and how he denies Steve’s title as Captain America.

After the ‘blip’, when Thanos wiped out half of the population of the universe, people were brought back to life after five years, leading to them being displaced and creating refugees around the world. This led to the creation of the Flag Smashers, a terrorist group composed of members being amplified by the super-soldier serum. Throughout the journey, Sam was introduced to a Black super-soldier during World War II named Isaiah Bradley, who was cast away, forgotten, and discriminated against that cost him forty years in prison. As the show progresses, John Walker finds himself helpless after the unfortunate death of his best friend and ends up using the last super-soldier serum. Obtaining a new power, John decides to abuse it and kills a Flag-Smasher member with everyone witnessing. John’s story does not end there. He catches up in a fight with Bucky and Sam to take the shield that is rightfully theirs. This costs him a broken arm and an impeachment of his position as Captain America.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is a different wave of ideas coming from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which they have highlighted the ongoing global issue that has been so prominent. Before watching this TV series, my expectation was not that huge as I tend to think that Marvel is just making another TV series about pure science-fiction genre with all of the fight scenes. However, this TV series talks about how dangerous and conflicting the world can be when it comes to racism, justice, and power.

The authorities with all the power decide to commit selfish acts which only benefit themselves, neglecting the rights of the refugees and diasporas, also known as the anti-immigration movement. This detail can be shown through the actions of the Global Repatriation Council (GRC), an international council that reactivated status and managed resources for refugees displaced by the Blip, in episode 6 of how they are forcing the relocation of the displaced people after the ‘blip’. Racism is also prevalent throughout the series, from the introduction of the character of Isaiah Bradley, being forgotten and unfairly treated due to his skin color. Power can be seen through the title of Captain America, John Walker upheld it, however, does it mean that he can use it to his own benefit of avenging his childhood’s best friend’s death? This is further amplified through the use of the super-soldier serum. In episode 4, through the conversation between Zemo, Sam, and Bucky, the super-soldier serum also has the side effect of worsening the user’s personality. This resulted in John abusing his power and misusing it. Compared to other MCU films, and TV shows, the global issues were there; however, they were not as prominent as this one. As the plotline escalates, these global issues follow an upward-sloping line making this series very unique and interesting.

Personally, this series is a 9 out of 10 due to the fact that there were some questionable scenes where it can be misleading and the lack of linear storytelling. However, this series is a must-watch for Marvel fans and those who are interested in the global issues themselves.