The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Episode 4: The Whole World is Watching Review

For our review of the last episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, click here.

John Walker was a ticking time bomb from the start and if this latest episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is of any indication, it looks like he will explode sooner than we may think. When it comes to Walker, he has become more of a symbol and the pressure of that symbol may very well be too much for him to bare as he has certainly taken it in a different direction than many of us are accustomed to. Meanwhile, the episode continued the good will of last week’s episode and maintained that tension and suspense while ramping up the action a few more notches as the war with Karli and the flasgsmashers became more of an ideological one.

The episode began by continuing the Wakandan angle as Bucky was indebted to them for deprogramming him. However, they wanted Zemo to pay despite him serving as a means to an end for Sam and Bucky. They were given time while the Dora Milaje backed off for which Zemo was well aware of. From there, it was all about the best way to handle Karli. If anything, the writing and dialog has kept the series just as compelling during breaks in action. Ultimately, the best course of action was to apprehend her during the memorial of the matriarch of the group of refugees which would become the flagsmashers, Mama Donnya (Veronica Falcón). Meanwhile, Karli pondered what to do next with the remainder of her supersoldier serum as a means for the change she was working towards, setting her wars with the United States government and the Power Broker aside in favor of the memorial.

Of course Walkers and Hoskins caught up in Latvia and thus the ideological divide widened as Walker continued to operate under the assumption that he was somehow in control of the mission. To that extent, his impulsive need broke up a major opportunity where Sam tried to talk to Karli down, resulting in what little trust he brokered to be shuddered immediately (though it was clear that she believed he was not like the others which was kind of true). The fighting then broke out, separating everyone throughout a church but leave it to Zemo to be in the right place at the right time to wound her and smash all the remaining vials of serum other than the one Walker found and kept for himself. Though plenty of debate ravaged before and after that moment, the result was inevitable. The change in him was immediate though the full extent of that change remains to be seen. Being schooled by the Dora Milaje later on only reinforced that later decision (Also Zemo escaped during that battle).

Giving Sam another chance, Karli brough Sarah into the equation by giving her a call for some background into him and to further reinforce what she may have already thought about him. However, Walker ruined that too thus leading to one more action sequence where he got to show off his new abilities against the flagsmashers. This battle led to what truly set Walker over the edge which was when Karli killed Hoskins. Chasing after Karli and the escaping flagsmashers, Walker caught one and pressed him a little too hard for answers in front of an onlooking crowd who recorded him as he murdered the flasgsmasher with his shield (hence the episode title).

That’s one way to destroy a symbol but Walkers has let his emotions get in the way at every turn so whatever damage was caused was self-inflicted which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone. Where he takes that rage and new abilities remains to be seen.

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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.