The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4 recap: Bloodbath

In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4, “The Whole World is Watching”, Falcon tries the diplomatic option, the Flagsmashers are put to the test, and America’s new mascot is found wanting.

So far, the Disney Plus show has been coasting on the chemistry between its leads. But this episode ups the ante. The stakes are high, and Sam and Bucky will have to pull out all the stops to bring peace. Or there will be blood.

This episode really plays with viewer’s emotions. We get a flashback to six years ago, back when Bucky was in Wakanda—before Thanos and the snap. He was being deprogrammed in Wakanda but didn’t believe it would work.

Ayo of the Dora Milaje was sent to activate the Winter Soldier. Bucky waits for Hydra’s brainwashing to overpower him and when it doesn’t, he is overcome with relief and joy. Sebastian Stan emotes brilliantly here, making for a great start to the episode.

There’s going to be plenty of emotion later—strap in for a bumpy ride.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4 – The Dora Milaje

Zemo may be annoying, but he’s got connections and information. Sam and Bucky are going to need him in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4 if they want to find Karli Morgenthau and stop the Flagsmashers.

Which is fast becoming a priority because Karli blew up a GRC depot in the previous episode. Karli was trying to make a point—the GRC withheld food and medicine, leading to the death of her mentor and mother figure, Mama Donya.

The problem is, Karli injured and killed GRC employees who were just doing their job. One of them was a father and at the job for only a week.

It seems like Karli and her fellow Flagsmashers don’t really care for these losses. Especially since their actions are actually getting more people interested in the Flagsmasher cause. Karli’s doing something right.

Sam, Bucky, and Zemo find the GRC camp where the Flagsmashers have made their home. Of course, nobody wants to talk to Sam and Bucky. Their faces are too recognisable, and the camp residents are used to people not helping them.

Zemo, on the other hand, entices the children with Turkish Delight and finds out where Karli will be—Mama Donya’s funeral. He refuses to share the location of the funeral with Bucky and Sam.

In Zemo’s defense, the man needs some leverage. Once Karli’s found, Sam and Bucky don’t need him. And that’s a problem, because someone’s coming for Zemo.

Ayo is in Latvia to get Zemo. Let’s just say, Ayo’s disappointment in Bucky is palpable. Zemo killed Wakanda’s King T’Chaka—the Dora Milaje will not stand for him walking around a free man.

But Ayo is a reasonable woman. When Bucky tells her that Zemo is a means to an end, she gives him some leeway—eight hours and then the Dora Milaje will take Zemo.

Bucky, also being reasonable, tells Zemo the Dora Milaje are after him. Well, obviously Zemo is going to hold on to any information he has.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4 – The Diplomat

But there are more complications in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4. As Zemo leads Sam and Bucky to Mama Donya’s funeral, the group are accosted by John Walker and Lemar Hoskins, aka the new Captain America and Battlestar. Took them long enough.

Of course, in typical John Walker style, he decides to get in everyone’s face instead of following the plan so they can actually find Karli. Walker wants to go in all guns blazing. Sam has a different plan.

MCU fans will remember that Sam used to run support groups for soldiers with PTSD back in Captain America: Winter Soldier. Steve Rogers was inspired by Sam to do the same thing post-snap in Avengers: Endgame. Those skills are going to come in handy.

Sam has been helping people like Karli for years, and now he’s going to speak to her like she’s a person and not a target. So, Walker should just stand down and let Sam do his job. Can Walker do such a thing?

While Walker and Battlestar handcuff Zemo, Bucky guards the entrance to the funeral so Sam can do his thing. Sam does speak to Karli, and makes her see some sense. She’s far more violent than even she realises, but she tries to put the blame on Sam for twisting her words.

We can see where Karli is coming from—she started with nothing and has seen the world just keep taking more and more from people like her. But does that justify murder? That’s what Sam tries to explain to her.

Of course, Sam’s brilliant plan is completely derailed by Walker barging in trying to arrest Karli. He makes a complete mess of things, but that’s not the worst part.

Zemo escapes his handcuffs and finds Karli before the others. He even gets a good shot in—the serum ensures that Karli doesn’t die but she can’t fight with a bullet wound.

In the meantime, Zemo destroys all the remaining vials of the serum. Karli wanted an army, but that’s not going to happen now. Zemo doesn’t believe super-soldiers are good for the world. He practically equates them, even the Avengers, to the Nazis and Ultron.

Unfortunately, Zemo misses one vial and Walker has his eye on it. What are his plans for the last of the serum?

With Karli gone, Sam and Bucky regroup. Zemo, despite escaping, returns to hang out with them. What is this guy’s deal? Of course, Walker makes a grand entrance like Sam and Bucky ruined his plan instead of the other way around.

But Walker’s in for a pointed surprise when the Dora Milaje arrive to take Zemo. Walker, who is either stupid or has failed to read up on the Dora Milaje, decides to be patronising? Condescending? Who knows!

Let’s put it this way—when the Dora Milaje walk into a room, you shut up and stand back. Walker doesn’t do that and he gets his derriere handed to him. Unfortunately, Battlestar, Sam and Bucky also get pulled into the fight.

In their defence, the Dora Milaje were this close to lopping off Walker’s head, so they did have to step in. But it puts Sam and Bucky in the Dora Milaje’s bad books. Ayo even detaches Bucky’s arm to stop him. There’s no going back to Wakanda after this.

Walker’s stupidity gives Zemo the perfect distraction to escape. As if the Dora Milaje didn’t have enough reason to be angry. But the Dora Milaje have left a lasting impression on Walker.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4 – The Serum

Throughout The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4, Walker has been chafing against super-soldiers. He’s had to work hard to be Captain America, all without a serum to power and protect him. But the Dora Milaje? They’re pure skill. They took everyone down without an ounce of chemical.

This sends Walker into an existential crisis. With the serum burning a whole in his pocket, he asks Lemar if he’d take the serum if offered. Lemar says yes without a moment’s hesitation—in direct contrast to Sam, who’d said ‘no’ when Zemo asked him the same thing.

Walker at least thinks about it but he doesn’t destroy the serum. Lemar may not have access to the serum but he knows what it’s about. He tells Walker that the serum enhances what one already has—this is exactly why Dr Erskine chose Steve for the serum back in Captain America: The First Avenger.

And then Sam and Bucky get another chance to confront Karli—after she threatens Sam’s nephews. Karli’s pushing the boundaries a bit too far. Sarah Wilson and her boys are just people living their lives—Karli had no right threatening them.

Sam and Bucky try to fight Karli, but Walker once again complicates things. Sharon Carter has been tracking him all the way from Madripoor and she informs Sam about his location. So now Sam and Bucky have to deal with the Flagsmashers and Walker.

The Power Broker has been on a rampage since the serum-creating doctor was killed—by Zemo. Sharon needs Karli caught as much as anyone else if Madripoor is to be safe again.

The Flagsmashers being super-soldiers puts Walker and Battlestar at a massive disadvantage. In fact, Battlestar gets nabbed fairly quickly. With his friend in danger, Walker stops thinking clearly. We don’t see it, but Walker definitely takes the serum at some point.

Suddenly, he’s throwing the Flagsmashers around like they’re ragdolls and bending pipes with his bare hands. Walker and Bucky hold their own. Even Sam in his Falcon suit manages to keep up.

For all of Walker’s concern about Battlestar, Lemar manages to free himself all on his own and comes to Walker’s rescue. Big mistake. Karli pushes Battlestar away and right into a pillar. Lemar dies immediately and Walker loses it.

Perhaps the Flagsmashers don’t know the extent of their abilities post-serum or Karli lost the plot in the heat of the moment, but Lemar really shouldn’t have had to die. The shock on everyone’s faces—Sam, Bucky, even the other Flagsmashers—mirrors that that of the viewers’.

Karli and her team try to escape as Walker, Sam, and Bucky recover from Lemar’s death. But Walker’s got the serum now and he races after the closest Flagsmasher, Nico.

Nico (Noah Mills) used to be a fan of Captain America’s. His grandfather fought in the World War and had stories about Cap. Is Nico thinking of Cap as he’s being chased down by the man now carrying the shield?

Walker doesn’t care who actually killed his friend—he just wants revenge. He takes down Nico easily and then Walker uses the shield—the shield that rightfully belongs to Sam Wilson—to brutally murder Nico in front of a huge crowd.

The citizens of Earth in the MCU will surely be seeing #NotOurCaptainAmerica trending on their social media.

Final Thoughts – The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4 Goes from 0 to 100

Well, that was unexpected! The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4 reminds viewers of the legacy of Captain America—not being a great soldier, but a good man.

Walker is a great soldier. He’s been commended for his work in Afghanistan. But even he knows that the things he did to win those medals weren’t good things. That’s why the serum makes him so violent—that violence was always there, and now it’s coupled with his insecurity. That’s a bad combo.

It often felt, in this episode, as though Walker was suffering from undiagnosed or untreated PTSD, or maybe something else. His reactions are extreme—he’s too eager to fight for his honour and far too aggressive. These aren’t standard reactions. How did this man get the shield?

The question is, now that the whole world has seen what the new Captain America is like, what is the USA going to do? Are they going to take the shield and give it to Sam? Does Sam even want it now?

Walker could make a case for himself—that he was avenging Battlestar. Would the government bury this incident so they could keep this asset going?

With just two episodes left, the show continues to generate way more questions that there is room to answer.

What did you think of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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