This review contains spoilers for Marvel’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier episode 6, ‘One World, One Peopleâ, now available to view on Disney+. To remind yourself of where we left off, check out our The Falcon and The Winter Soldier episode 5 review.
[poilib element=”accentDivider”]
With its numerous characters, ambiguous antagonists, and heavy themes, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was always fighting against the odds to properly explore everything within its six episodes. And while its dogged determination to be a character study piece has constantly worked in its favour, that has come at the expense of story pacing in its final third. Sadly, the season finale struggles under the weight of the many threads it must conclude, and the result is a messy, unsatisfying hour of superheroics.
The episode does thankfully have a small share of strong moments, rightfully dedicated to Sam Wilson and his ascent to the role of Captain America. His speech to the GRC, witnessed by dozens of inspired New York bystanders, is a cathartic end to his transformation. While the Flag Smashers may ultimately have worked their way beyond redemption, it’s powerful to see the show hold onto the groupâs message, and even reinforce their violent desperation as something to think about in a sympathetic light. Following in the footsteps of his old friend, Sam holds authority to account on behalf of the people they claim to protect. More than any of his shield-slinging antics this episode, this was Samâs shining moment as Captain America.
[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/09/isaiah-bradley-the-vile-history-behind-marvels-forgotten-captain-america”]
But, as they say, not all heroes wear capes (or Wakandan suits). Itâs Samâs actions out of the costume that really resonate here. His establishment of a tribute to Isaiah Bradley at the Smithsonian Museum is a fantastic final statement on The Falcon and The Winter Soldierâs exploration of race. The quiet, painful relationship between the two characters has been this storyâs most important thread, and this was a fitting conclusion. It’s representative of Samâs fight for justice rather than patriotism, which once again reinforces the true nature of Captain America.
Unfortunately, practically everything else in the finale is messy. With many storylines still in need of conclusion, the episode zips from topic to topic with barely any time to dedicate to them. This being the finale of a Marvel project, it naturally has a surplus of action, but frequently it feels as if these elements are getting in the way of important progression. An entire sequence dedicated to Sam saving a group of hostages in a helicopter steals precious moments that should have been exploring more vital issues. We already know Sam is a worthy hero, we donât need to see that. Every second spent dealing with elements like this slimmed down the time spent exploring the headspace of Karli and John Walker, both of whom had underwhelming parts to play.
After building him up as an angry, unstable man over the season, the penultimate episodeâs post-credits threatened a vengeful return from John Walker. Instead, with absolutely no examination of his character at all, the finale has him save some hostages, and even work with Bucky to arrest some Flag Smashers. The guy who murdered a man using Captain Americaâs shield in broad daylight is just accepted by our heroes, no questions asked. Absolutely zero space is provided for an engaging redemption arc, with Walker himself having very little dialogue to convey his changing mindset.
[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-10-comics-stories-you-should-read&captions=true”]
This makes Walkerâs transformation into U.S. Agent all the more confusing. Itâs completely unclear if the character is one to be feared or respected. This is further complicated by the lack of transparency in regards to Valentina Allegra de Fontaineâs morality; we have no idea if sheâs a hero or villain, which further obscures what it means for Walker to become her U.S. Agent. Itâs less a cliffhanger than a missed opportunity.
As for Karli Morgenthau, while it seemed inevitable that sheâd never make it out of the hole sheâd dug alive, her last moments are particularly unsatisfying. Her fight with Sam is full of cliched âI donât want to fight you!â platitudes, and Sam is robbed of the chance to make a difficult, character-defining decision due to Sharon firing the killing shot.
That move was dropped in order to ensure Karli could not alert Sam to the finaleâs deeply unsatisfying reveal that Sharon Carter is the Power Broker. While this was certainly the internetâs dominant theory thanks to her activities in Madripoor, the mystery simply goes nowhere interesting. Episodesâ worth of build-up around the character conclude in just a minute of Mexican Standoff between Sharon, Batroc, and Karli. The post-credits scene does go on to position Sharon as an ongoing big bad for the MCU, but this is a move that – at best – feels thin and unearned.
[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true”]
Similarly unearned is Zemoâs final act from behind bars. After seemingly concluding his story in the penultimate episode, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier grants Zemo one final moment to kill the remaining Flag Smashers. This does at least fulfill his aim to remove Super Soldiers from the world, but no time is dedicated to showing how he achieves this from his prison cell. Itâs ultimately a one-note âschemeâ from a villain otherwise characterized by his ability to twist people to his own ends. That, after all his manipulative talks with Bucky, it wasnât The Winter Soldier that caused any of the finaleâs problems seems a missed opportunity.
In fact, Bucky is afforded very little drama at all. Itâs only natural that he plays second fiddle to Sam in his moment of ascension, but Buckyâs own conclusions feel barely there. Thankfully his best moments of healing were already laid out in the previous episode, but his admission of guilt to Mr. Nakajima felt oddly hollow. Their relationship was such a major part of establishing Buckyâs troubles at the start of the season, and it deserved to be concluded in a similar manner to Sam and Isaiahâs brutally frank conversations.
