Did anyone else feel that the Power Broker was closer than we were being led to believe in this episode? Obviously, the run-around is kind of typical when it concerns finding out anything of importance, but when Sam and Bucky, and Baron Zemo no less, head to Madripoor to meet this mysterious Power Broker, following Zemo’s aided escape from prison, of course, their gamble fails to pay off when it comes to meeting the Power Broker, but they are discovered by Sharon Carter, who is still in exile thanks to the events that led to her being a fugitive after aiding Captain America in the Civil War movie. Needless to say, she’s not too happy to see Zemo or to be reminded of why she’s unable to go home. But at the very least she’s helpful since she knows that Sam and Bucky were on Cap’s side, which means that she can trust them a little bit at least. The four of them do manage to find what they were looking for, the professor that was responsible for replicating Dr. Erskine’s super-soldier formula, but what they find is that Karli Morgenthau and the Flag Smashers have taken the last of it. More and more it’s becoming possible to sympathize with the Flag Smashers if only because those they’re going up against, apart from Sam and Bucky, appear to be ready to divide the world and go back to the way it was before the blip was reversed. It becomes easier to root against them however when Karli mentions that naked aggression is all the people they’re against understand, right after bombing a building with people still in it. So to be fair, she’s not entirely wrong, but she’s far from right.
Sam and Bucky are still wrestling with the moral implications of not taking up Cap’s shield when Sam had the chance, but the more pressing concern is finding the super-soldier serum, since allowing such a thing to be kept in the hands of those that are all for using it to terrorize others isn’t an option. In the meantime, it would appear that John Walker, aka Captain America, and Hoskins are hot on the trail of Sam and Bucky, which should be an interesting development when they finally catch up. To say that things get a little confusing when Sam and Bucky have to trust Zemo is putting it lightly since upon being introduced to someone that’s not the Power Broker but can get them to where they need to be, the trio is ambushed and the individual trying to help them to move forward is killed, and they have to go on the run again.
So far the series has been a little slow in some areas but has been exciting since the Flag Smashers are proving to be a formidable group that is running circles around those that oppose them, while Sam and Bucky’s need to work together is still a work in progress but is getting better. Their continual issue over whether Sam should accept the responsibility that Steve gave to him definitely needs to come to a head, but the development of the issue and its resolution are likely going to be taken care of in time, and not before. On top of that, the new Captain America, John Walker, is hopefully going to be a character that will continue forward but will need to be repurposed since at this moment he’s not exactly the shining example that Steve Rogers was, nor is he the type that’s bound to foster a lot of goodwill and instill trust in those he deals with. The hope is that once the series is over, whether there will be another season or not, Walker will transition into US Agent, or will become a disgraced Captain America since it’s kind of obvious that the character doesn’t have the right temperament for the job. Captain America was known to get mad at times when he was pushed, but Walker doesn’t appear to need a lot of prompting to lose his temper, which obviously doesn’t help as it’s shown in the episode. His time as US Agent could hopefully be happening at some time, but it’s a desire really and not rooted in fact since there’s not a lot of talk of it happening just yet.
In comparison to WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier definitely has plenty of action, but it’s an entirely different story and it’s fair to say that it might or might not be just as intriguing given the content. But like WandaVision it’s important for the continual world-building that the MCU still needs in Phase 4 and beyond. So far the show is headed in the right direction, but it’s a big hope that we’ll see Sam take up the shield again, if only because seeing another Captain America is still unsettling.
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