The Falcon and the Winter Soldier streams on Disney+ Hotstar Premium. (Photo: Marvel Studios) The second episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier amps up the action and it seems we are back in the world of Avengers once more. Consider this a spoiler alert if you haven’t watched the episode yet.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 2 begins by humanising John Walker (Wyatt Russell), the newly made Captain America. Turns out, he is not a bad person as such, and is just struggling to come to terms with the new mantle that has been thrust upon him. He is a decorated veteran and his body is in peak physical condition, but he is not a super-soldier.
And the people love him already.
Bucky (Sebastian Stan) finally meets Sam (Anthony Mackie), and reproaches him for not accepting Captain America’s shield. They engage in banter and it is like the old days of Avengers once again. Among other things, they discuss whether wizards exist or not. Bucky lets it slip that he read JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit in 1937 when it came out. Unlikely, but it is a TV show, right?
Bucky joins Sam on a mission to find out more about the Flag-Smashers, the anarchist group that wants to erase borders and identities and wants the whole world to be one country. Sounds noble until you realise that their aims are wholly violent.
Sam jumps from an aircraft, and Bucky follows, less gracefully. He falls on his hindquarters and Sam claims he got everything on camera. Again, it is like the early days in the MCU.
They find out that the Flag-Smashers have a hostage and engage, until Bucky realises the hostage is one of the high-ranking members of the group. She easily overpowers him and even Sam is not able to do anything.
The new Captain America saves Sam and Bucky. (Photo: Marvel Studios)
The new Captain America arrives and saves Sam and Bucky. The whole action scene is very good, and every bit of it looks cinematic. The Flag-Smashers escape. John Walker tries to convince Sam and Bucky that he does not mean any harm, but both are not impressed.
The Flag-Smashers, we learn, are a motley group formed of marginalised communities from mostly Eastern Europe. They are fanatics, but not exactly villainous.
After the battle, Bucky takes Sam to Isaiah in Baltimore, a black super-soldier who was locked as a criminal. Sam is outraged when he learns that just because he was a black man, he was lodged in jail, while the white assassin (Bucky) roamed free. Isaiah asks both to go away.
Bucky and Sam sort our their differences. Or do they? (Photo: Marvel Studios)
Two policemen confront Sam and asks Bucky if he is bothering him. Both are angry and the cops realise they are the Avengers. Bucky is put under arrest for missing his therapy sessions.
Therapist asks both Sam and Bucky to sit before her and sort it out like a married couple. It is a hilarious scene that was also partly shown in the trailer. The new Cap bails them out and asks again if they will work with him against the Flag-Smashers. They again refuse, and he tells them to stay out of his way.
A Flag-Smasher sacrifices himself somewhere so others could escape.
Bucky and Sam want to learn more about Hydra and the super-soldier concept. And they figure out who they want to meet: Zemo.
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