Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Episode 3: Power Broker

Hope you like infomercial-feel-goods because that's how episode 3 of Falcon and Winter Soldier begins. The Global Repatriation Council, or GRC is a unified front dedicated to repairing everything that was lost after the Infinity War snap.  Several scenes are shown of people doing various fun activities, while a calming yet commanding announcer voice details all the GRC is doing and why they are the good guys.  Immediately the next shot is of Walker aka New Cap and Lamar aka Battlestar breaking into a Flag Smasher cell and holding its inhabitants hostage at gunpoint. Oh yeah, and they did this after jumping out of black GRC vans.  Walker questions one of the terrorists, who then spits in his face. Walker loses it exclaiming “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!” The flag smasher says he does, and he doesn’t care.  Tense. Without any clues, the duo decide to try another approach.

Too bad that other approach is already being used by Bucky and Sam. In Berlin sits one Baron Zemo, the Secret Intelligence Agent turned Super Villain thanks to his part in Captain America: Civil War.  Rising metaphorically and literally from the shadows of his cell, we are introduced to Baron Zemo, played by actor Daniel Bruhl.  Bucky decides to go to the cell alone, fearing Sam’s presence would incite the Baron.  The two have a short ‘heart-to-heart’, recalling the actions of Civil War and Zemo apologising, saying it was never personal.  Bucky tells him the Super Soldier Serum has been recreated, which shows a shocking reaction from Zemo.  The scene cuts to a random garage with Sam yelling loudly his concern of hearing that Sam wants to break Zemo out of prison.

After a bit of back and forth, Bucky asks Sam if he can explain a ‘hypothetical’ to him. That ‘hypothetical’ turned out to be a miniature prison break montage that Buck started to help Zemo out of prison. Once the montage of Zemo escaping is over, the ‘hypothetical’ turns out to be true as Zemo appears in the garage once Buck is done explaining the Baron’s escape attempt. With some moral massaging by luck, Sam eventually agrees to let Zemo help them with conditions set.  Zemo agrees. Oh yeah, and the book was reading in his cell? Machiavelli, by the way.

The trio are in not just any garage, but Zemo’s personal collection of classic, extremely expensive vehicles. He had a hidden cache of supplies and a change of clothing hidden away in the cars. Once dressed we see a callback to the classic Zemo, he grabs a purple balaclava and wears a trench coat with a massive upturned white fur collar.  Afterward they go to an airstrip and board a private jet: Zemo’s jet to which the heroes learn Zemo is extremely rich and was Sokavian royalty before the AVengers  blew up his country.  

The trio are on their way to the infamous island of Madripoor, picture night time Singapore with more drugs and crime and lawlessness.  But before we get there a scene occurs where Sam asks Bucky if he listened to “Trouble Man” by Marvin Gaye to which Zemo comments the album “captures the African American experience.” Sam gives him a look but agrees. Zemo says another comment later on about being Black in America, that when in order to infiltrate Madrippor Sam must disguise himself as a Black criminal known for outlandish ‘pimp-like’ attire, Zemo says “Only an American would assume a fashion-forward Black man looks like a pimp.” This show keeps staying woke and I’m here for it.  

We do get to see the Flag Smasher head honcho, a woman named Karli Morgenthau, played by Erin Kellyman.  She’s playing soccer with some kids outside a hostel and is told a woman is about to die on her deathbed. Karli visits her, and begins to cry.  Later on Karli forces her compatriots to blow up a building with people still inside so if that crying scene was meant to create sympathy, the act of terrorism blew all of that out the window.

Through a series of hijinks at Madripoor the trio run into Cap Vet Sharon Carter, played by Emily VanCamp,  who after Civil War has been a wanted woman and has made a life in Madripoor. She agrees to help the team find the maker of the new serum which they do, but through their stay on Madripoor get bounties on their heads. So while the men are infiltrating the lab of serum, Sharon becomes overwatch and multiple, and I mean MULTIPLE bad guys come after them for the bounty. She single handedly takes all of the mercenaries out, and it was a sight to behold.  

We find out more about the serum, and the scientist and with a random explosion Zemo takes advantage of the chaos and kills the scientist. Buck and Sam escape looking for Sharon and get stuck in a shootout with more mercs.  Stuck with no way out, Zemo appears behind all the baddies and gets his moment to shine, killing all of them while wearing his signature purple balaclava. The sinister look he gives the team made me think he was going to turn on them, but instead he runs off and appears later with a getaway car. Sharon doesn’t come, waiting for a pardon promised by Sam to come back to the States. 

Overall the episode had its moments. Returning characters had extended moments to shine and showcase their bad-assery, and more plot developments occurred. The question of icons and heroes as a necessary virtue of humanity is put on display, and Buck and Sam are still at odds of what the Shield of Cap really means. All the while Walker comes to a realization of what he must do to succeed even if it isn’t ‘right.’ Score: 8/10.