The Falcon and the Winter Soldier flies (I’m sorry) onto screens tomorrow under a lot of hype, thanks to the success of WandaVision. Critics were only sent one episode so I am going to give my general thoughts today and then come back on Friday with some more specific notes.
Overall, my initial impression of this episode is that it was…average. I can see the tendrils of where the plot is planning to take us but the episode kind of just moves along. It opens with some high flying action and then settles but kind of doesn’t quite know what to make of itself, and ends up feeling like part 1 of a long movie. There is definitely room for them to expand and grow, you do kind of wish for a stronger opening statement.
The toughest thing this show is going to have to do is to make audiences care about Sam and show us through his actions why he deserves to potentially be the next Captain America, if that’s where the story is going. I like Sam and I think that Anthony Mackie is a good actor, but the MCU has not given that character much in the way of standout moments that truly make you want him to step into the very large void filled by Steve. And maybe the show will get to the end and not have anyone step into the role, instead carving out a new place for Sam. Show-wise though, it’s tough to focus on him when even the story beats that feel the most compelling for him are infinitely more compelling for his sister played by Adepero Oduye.
It’s also tough because Bucky so clearly has the more interesting story in the pilot as the former assassin trying to reenter the world. You can even tell this by how the cinematography and editing changes when his scenes are up. It’s a simple way to show the different world views of the characters, but I am looking forward to when The Falcon and the Winter Soldier levels out a bit and shows why both of these characters deserve to grace our screens.