The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 6 recap: an emotional and inspirational finale
Huge spoilers ahead
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- Episode 6 (of 6), ‘One World, One People’- Written by Malcolm Spellman and Josef Sawyer- Directed by Kari Skogland★★★★
SpoilersforThe Falcon and the Winter Soldierfollow.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s title may have been misleading.
Despite all the efforts made to ensure Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes were equal players – even going as far as swapping around who gets first billing in the closing credits every week – this series finale leaves you in little doubt where the show’s focus lies.
With Bucky’s journey to redemption largely sidelined – and somewhat over-simplified – it becomes clear the show was an origin story for the new Captain America all along. In fact, the series’ biggest legacy is elevating a popular supporting Avenger into one of theMarvelCinematic Universe’s most important heroes.
From day one, the key themes of the series have been the importance of symbols, and what people do when presented with a platform to make a difference. It’s appropriate, then, that Marvel Studios – creator of the most lucrative movie franchise in history – should use their own position of strength to deal with some serious real-world issues.
From the moment Sam Wilson swoops into action in his new-look Captain America uniform – it was worth waiting to find out what was in that Wakandan case, after all – it’s an episode packed with punch-the-air moments. And even though its messages sometimes lack dramatic subtlety – such as Sam carrying Karli’s body, his wings spread like an angel – there’s no denying that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier isn’t just a superhero action show. Marvel’s latest offering has becomeimportantTV.
Sam Wilson may not be Earth’s mightiest – no Super-Soldier Serum is running through his veins – but he makes the most of everything he has in his arsenal. A weaponized shield mixed with a state-of-the-art flying suit – not to mention a friendly drone sidekick – make for a powerful combination. As he swoops through New York with new-found purpose, it’s easy to see why the assembled crowds are giving him such a rousing ovation.
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Yet Sam’s real trump cards are a sense of decency and the courage to say the right thing. Even the noble Steve Rogers would struggle to make a speech with enough power to sway a bunch of politicians eager to return the world to the pre-Blip status quo. In a franchise where superheroes are frequently blamed for breaking things – see Captain America: Civil War, WandaVision – it’s refreshing to see a hero raising some uncomfortable truths, while also trying to bring people together with words, not action. In fact, Anthony Mackie’s performance is so convincing that it’s a shame he’s saddled with the occasional clunker of dialogue, such as a tired cliché about French terrorist Batroc eating baguettes and French fries.
If there’s a downside to the increased focus on Sam Wilson it’s that the other characters are generally underserved. John Walker’s appearance as the self-appointed alternative Cap fails to deliver on the threat suggested by last week’s mid-credits tease, and his (partial?) redemption never feels earned. Sharon Carter, meanwhile, has an uncanny knack of popping up exactly where she’s needed. And in a franchise where we’ve learned to expect the unexpected, the confirmation that she’s thePower Brokeris way too obvious to be anything but disappointing.
Even the Winter Soldier is relegated to the shadows. While the character is probably happy to keep things that way, it feels unsatisfactory in a show that bears his name. Bucky Barnes is one of the most tragic characters in the MCU, a good man forced to do terrible things against his will. On many occasions the show’s alluded to the fact his HYDRA past has left deep emotional scars, but his journey to redemption feels like an afterthought. Is sending his notebook to his psychiatrist with all the names crossed out enough to stop the nightmares? It all seems a little too neat.
But the prize for the least satisfying story arc goes to Karli Morgenthau. Having started out as a genuinely complex antagonist, she completes her descent into one-dimensional zealot territory in ‘One World, One People’. Where Karli’s egalitarian motives once made her sympathetic, her ‘at all costs’ mentality – setting fire to vans of hostages, not caring who lives or dies – ensures she’s just another clichéd MCU villain. Her one-way journey to the dark side also pushes the credulity of Sam’s refusal to fight back against her. Surely even an idealist like him must reach a point where the benefit of the doubt is no longer a given?
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s failure to give all its characters satisfactory arcs has arguably been its biggest failing. Its extra storytelling time should be a point of difference with the MCU’s movies, but where WandaVision fully embraced its TV format to make something that would never have worked on the big screen, the latest show feels more like a six-part movie with intermissions – indeed, from a narrative point of view, the two final episodes would have worked much better watched in one go.
That said, this episode’s action sequence – particularly Sam’s aerobatics – prove once again that the most spectacular set-pieces are no longer confined to the big screen. When TV is delivering superhero spectacle like this, theater owners must have legitimate concerns about whether audiences will come back as Covid-19 restrictions relax.
The positive for cinemas is that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier leaves the MCU in such a good place, with the Power Broker and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine pulling strings behind the scenes, and the sense that the world might be moving on from the ‘Blip’. Who would have believed when John Walker stood over a dead Flag Smasher that the show could have such an unashamedly happy ending? Now we know for sure that the shield – or, more importantly, the person who wields it – is important after all.
Look back on the mission files of Sam and Bucky’s previous adventures with our recaps onThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 1,The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 2,The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 3,The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 4andThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 5.
Verdict:
While it’s disappointing to see Bucky Barnes relegated to the status of supporting player, Sam Wilson’s epic debut as Captain America makes sure you barely notice. As superhero origin stories go, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has been among the most complex and nuanced – and all the more satisfying for it.
Still, you can’t avoid the feeling that the show could have been tighter, several of its narrative threads better handled. Ultimately it’s fitting that a show that’s flirted with inconsistency throughout shouldjustmiss the mark with its finale.
Marvel-ous facts
Every episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is now available on Disney Plus.
Richard is a freelance journalist specialising in movies and TV, primarily of the sci-fi and fantasy variety. An early encounter with a certain galaxy far, far away started a lifelong love affair with outer space, and these days Richard’s happiest geeking out about Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel and other long-running pop culture franchises. In a previous life he was editor of legendary sci-fi and fantasy magazine SFX, where he got to interview many of the biggest names in the business – though he’ll always have a soft spot for Jeff Goldblum who (somewhat bizarrely) thought Richard’s name was Winter.
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