The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere recap: New World Order

Another new Marvel TV show has made it to our screens! The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere is a character-driven slow-burn. But where is this story going?

It’s great to have more Disney Plus content following the critically-acclaimed, and fan-favourite WandaVision that concluded a couple of weeks ago. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a far cry from the quirky and heart-breaking romance that was WandaVision, but it’s definitely more Marvel.

Interestingly, the premiere does not bring the titular characters, Sam Wilson/ Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and James Buchanan Barnes/ Winter Solder (Sebastian Stan), together. They have very distinct arcs in this episode.

Considering this mini-series is only six episodes long, they’d better team up soon. Seeing Captain America’s best friends fight side-by-side is pretty much the main reason why folks are watching this show.

So, what happened in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere? We break it down for our readers.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere – Five Years Later

Like billions of other people in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sam and Bucky were snapped out of existence by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, only to be snapped back by Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame.

During those five years, a lot of things changed. And now with all those billions of people back, the world is trying to adjust. Not always in very good ways.

When Sam was snapped, he left behind his sister, Sarah (Adepero Oduye), and his little nephews, in their hometown, Delacroix, Louisiana. Now that he’s back, he wants to take on his half of the family legacy. Sam and Sarah’s parents made their lives and livelihood off their boat, Paul & Darlene, which they named after themselves and left for their children.

For five years, Sarah, who is a widow, has been taking care of the boat, running the family business, and taking care of her children, without any help. It’s been too much to handle and she wants to sell but now that he’s back in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere, Sam isn’t having it. He believes a new loan will help them consolidate their dwindling finances and carry on their parents’ legacy.

But the bank manager, who is very excited to get a selfie with an Avenger, says otherwise. Sam has no finances—apparently Avengers save the world but don’t get paid. He’s been missing for five years, so there have been no transactions. In other words, no loan.

Sarah doesn’t say it in as many words, but this is racism. How does somebody turn down a loan to an Avenger? Because they don’t see the avenging. They just see a Black family and they say no. The MCU doesn’t always keep it real, but this scene will feel familiar to a lot of people. What a way to kick off The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere – Making Amends

At the other end of the USA coast, Bucky Barnes is waking up from a nightmare. It’s more a memory than a dream, an incident from his past when the Winter Soldier killed some officious-looking people, but also took down one innocent young man just doing his job.

Of course, Bucky doesn’t tell his therapist, Dr Raynor (Amy Aquino). Then she brings out her notebook, and Bucky gets all flustered and spills something.

Turns out Bucky has been spending the months since his return making amends for the Winter Soldier’s crimes. Much of Bucky’s arc in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere is about his remorse but he has some interesting ways of going about it.

He learns about a Hydra senator who the Winter Soldier helped install. Bucky takes it upon himself to advertise her crimes to the right authorities. He does so by using tech to hijack her car, terrify her aide and the senator, and then disappear. That’s kinda creepy, Bucky.

When Bucky isn’t going after corrupt officials, he’s hanging out with his friend, Yori (Ken Takamoto). What appears to be Bucky’s attempt at reconnecting with an old friend quickly takes on a sinister undertone.

Yori lost his son a few years ago and he’s never recovered from the loss. Mainly because he never found out what happened to the boy. Viewers will quickly put two and two together—the boy the Winter Soldier murdered was Yori’s son and Bucky is making amends by being there for him.

I’m sure Bucky is well-intentioned, but this is a really weird way to comfort someone. What happens if Bucky tells Yori he killed his son? This is another Captain America: Civil War situation except Yori doesn’t even have a suit of armour to protect himself with. Bucky should have left Yori well alone.

However, Bucky does end up getting a date during his lunch thanks to Yori. The lovely waitress at the restaurant, Leah (Miki Ishikawa), seems taken by Bucky and is quite understanding of his eccentricities.

But Bucky is a man out of time, who has just lost his only connection to his old life, has years of brainwashing to overcome, and a ton of blood on his hands. He is a terrible date and marches out halfway through—without even saying goodbye—because he’s overwhelmed by remorse for Yori’s plight.

Bucky is clearly having a terrible time in this new world of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere. Can things get better for someone like him?

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere – The Symbol

When Sam Wilson isn’t trying to convince his sister to keep their parents’ boat, he’s protecting his country. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere opens with Sam packing up the shield that Steve Rogers/ Captain America had given him. Sam’s on a mission, but not with the shield.

Instead, Sam dons his Falcon suit and flies out to find a kidnapped Captain. During the briefing, Sam learns that a group known as the LAF have taken the Captain. What the briefing doesn’t include is that the LAF is being run by a familiar face—Georges Batroc (Georges St-Pierre).

MCU fans will recognise Batroc from Captain America: Winter Soldier, and he’s just as strong and unstoppable in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere. Sam has his work cut out for him, but Avengers don’t give up that easily.

With the assistance of his on-ground point-man—and major Falcon fan—Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), Sam manages to save the Colonel, make a huge dent in the LAF’s force, and avoid crossing any borders he shouldn’t. Batroc, however, manages to get away. Slippery guy.

The heart-pumping action scene is followed by quieter moments. Redwing is damaged in the fight, and while Sam fixes it, Torres shares some interesting updates with him.

Most of Torres’ time is spent tracking the Flagsmashers online. This is a group that believes Thanos was right for snapping half the universe. They also think that borders between countries should be obliterated. But are they dangerous? Torres soon finds out.

Sam suggests Torres keep an eye on the Flagsmashers’ posts online but Torres finds himself in the midst of a Flagsmashers meeting in Switzerland. The meeting soon turns into a frenzy when the leader leaps out of a building with bags of cash. The ‘meeting’ is actually a distraction for the guards.

Torres tries to take down the leader, but that guy is super-strong—literally. He makes short work of Torres. Though badly injured, Torres at least survives, and he gets video footage of the man, albeit with a mask. He shares this with Sam, who isn’t sure what to make of it yet.

Besides, Sam has more pressing concerns in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere. Having returned from the LAF fight, Sam made the decision to yield the Captain America shield and title. As honoured as he felt to be given the shield, Sam believes it belonged to Steve. Without Steve, the shield belongs in a museum.

Colonel James Rhodes/ War Machine (Don Cheadle) is in attendance at the ceremony. He’s lived through the last five years and knows how much the world has changed. As Rhodey says, “the world’s broken. Everybody’s just looking for somebody to fix it”. Rhodey thinks the world needs a Captain America, and that Sam is the right man for the job.

Sam should have listened to Rhodey. No sooner has he given up the shield, than Sarah turns up the news. An announcement is made about USA needing a new kind of hero to protect the country and be a symbol in a new world. Who is that hero? Not Sam Wilson, but some white dude in a knock-off Captain America suit, holding the shield that rightfully belongs to Sam.

That sound you hear is the sound of a million hearts breaking for Sam Wilson. That other sound you hear is those million people crafting their own shields to fight Captain Knock-off. Give Sam his shield back, dude!

Final Thoughts – The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere is not what we expected

I’ll be honest: I wasn’t enthused by the trailers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The dynamic between Sam and Bucky definitely has me interested but the trailer looked too much like a dude-bro fest.

Having said that, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere has changed my mind. I loved Sam’s story in the opener. It felt relatable and relevant. His dynamic with his sister was a bit too reminiscent of family discussions about legacies and properties. The loan manager scene was painfully real and frustrating.

That final scene with the reveal of the new Captain America really got me. How many opportunities have been taken from Black communities, and communities of colour, and handed over to white people without qualifications? If Marvel and Disney Plus can explore that angle with this show, I will be impressed.

I was less enthused with Bucky’s story in this episode. I don’t understand how him making amends—especially the way he’s going about it—actually helps his psyche or the people he’s hurt. The date with Leah didn’t work for me at all. I’m not sure if the show is trying to tell us that, like Steve, Bucky can never fit into the present time frame. But how does that get resolved without a time machine?

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere was surprisingly solid, despite the missteps with Bucky. I do hope that Sam will get the shield sooner rather than later, though. And I’m interested to see how these two characters actually function as a team without Steve Rogers. Also, give us more Rhodey, Marvel. Maybe in subsequent episodes? We’ll have to wait and see.

What did you think of the The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is airing weekly on Disney Plus.