Episode 3 of Falcon and the Winter Soldier brings us some familiar faces, new places, and some dazzling action. Let’s dig in.

Disconnects – I wanted to start with the fact that while I enjoyed this episode, after last week’s sterling outing, it was a bit of a let down compared to that. There’s lots of fun stuff and great moments, but once again that creeping part in the back of my subconscious that this could have been a film have jumped back up. I guess it’s cause this is such a short series but the various moments haven’t felt like episodes of tv as much as chunks of a story. Still, this episode had some really great action beats and beautiful costumes.

John and the No Good Very Bad Day – It’s very clear that I do not like John Walker, though I do think Wyatt Russell is giving a good performance in the role. In this episode they’ve sent Captain America and Battlestar to Germany to investigate the leads they have. Not only does the mission flop but John gets spit on (!) and the guy who spit on him does even more disrespect to him during this exchange:

John: “Do you know who I am?”
Man: “Yes I do. And I don’t care”

Y I K E S!

Also adding to his day is the fact that Bucky and Sam have broken Zemo out, and he is forced to come to terms with the fact that he might have to go outside the law.

The Zemo Affair – Daniel Bruhl is another fun actor and Zemo is gonna wear out two heroes OUT psychologically. From his beautiful coat to his propensity for talking, he definitely brings a different energy. You never quite can tell what his motivations are and I definitely understand why Sam would be against thee plan. Him taking Bucky and Sam around, giving them new outfits, and just being nuisance, just fun beats all around.

Sharon. Sharon Carter – I have changed my opinion on who should get the shield. It should so clearly be Sharon Carter after she was fucking these bad guys up left and right by herself. Sharon’s exile to Madripoor has turned her into something resembling Emily Van Camp’s character Emily Thorne rather than the SHIELD operative we used to know. Loved seeing her more morally ambiguous side as much as her kicking ass, but it was also nice to see Emily show us that there might still be a good person under that exterior.

As a treat, enjoy the nicknames my good friend Aaron and I came up with for the show:

Aaron
Blacky and Bucky
Trouble Man and the Barns

Terence
Bird Man and the White Man
Steve’s Two Boyfriends Go On Adventures