The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Premiere Early Review

The following review will be spoiler-free

After the phenomena that was WandaVision, the first MCU series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier certainly has a tough act to follow. Suffice it to say that series provides a nice change of pace compared to what came before it while delivering something fans are arguably more accustomed to though still appears to deliver its own mystery. Beyond the action and the spectacle for which it also definitely has, it looks to also reflect where the world stands today through the perspectives of these very different characters which is something the films have yet to do in a satisfying way. Just like what WandaVision did with Wanda and Vision, this series sets the stage for a deeper dive into Sam Wilson/The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) by giving viewers a window into their personal lives following the events of Avengers: Endgame.

As far as this first episode was concerned, it was a little bit of everything as it saw Sam and Bucky deal with their past and their future as they searched for their place in this new world. The responsibility of taking up the mantle of Captain America and what that would mean clearly took a toll on him as the spirit of Steve Rogers still loomed large (as did the rumors) thus putting him in an impossible situation of moving forward while still honoring the memory of his friend. The world was still in need of saving but the issue of how was one that confounded him. Nevertheless, he was still The Falcon and he still had a job to do and this episode saw him at work. Wherever it and a potential new enemy in the form of groups known as LAF and the Flagsmashers, who appeared to have spawned over the course of the blip, ultimately go remains to be seen though it’s safe to say that Bucky will be involved somehow eventually.

Meanwhile, Sam also went home where we met his sister Sarah (Adepero Oduye) and her family. Having to keep their family’s business afloat over the 5 years Sam was blipped away was definitely hard for her but being alone only made it worse. Now that he’s back, he of course offered to help although it wasn’t until then that what has changed over those 5 years and the deeper-seeded issues between them became clear. Essentially being pulled at from multiple sides made for a compelling internal conflict that Mackie handled gracefully though the situation would get much worse for him.

Bucky, on the other hand, was still haunted by the actions of his past as The Winter Soldier whether he wanted to admit it or not. As a means to move on, he set out to right his wrongs and make amends with the people he hurt in the past. After so much fighting, he just wanted peace and to slow down but the stoic and closed-off approach was probably not the best route for him therefore he would be given a chance to open up with one such past experience setting up an interesting arc for him. Stan played the stoic Bucky beautifully while showing some range in the lighter moments where he opened himself up to others. His chemistry with Amy Aquino as the infamous therapist from the many trailers also stood out.

The episode ended with a cliffhanger as one more mysterious character to the mix. Let the fan theories begin!

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.