Whilst WandaVision was a unique story unlike anything else we've seen before, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is closer to the Marvel films and feels like an extended story.
The premise is that post-Endgame Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) has donated Captain America's shield to a museum but it is quickly assigned to a new Captain America, John Walker (Wyatt Russell). When a group of new super-soldiers appears Sam teams up with Bucky (Sebastian Sam) to take them on, with help from old friends like Sharon Carter and old enemies like Baron Zemo.
The show's biggest issue is it's lack of focus. It knows exactly the point it wants to get it's three main character to by the end but it is never entirely sure how to do so and has lots of small plotlines that don't always tie together especially well. It decides to play around in the Marvel Sandbox which whilst fun doesn't necessarily move the story along. Daniel Bruhl is utterly fantastic as Zemo in the episodes he appears in but I couldn't really work out why the series needed him- the same can also be said of Wakanda's Dora Milaje.
The difference between this and a Marvel film is the time for the characters to be developed much more effectively. We meet Sam's sister and discover the family's financial issues and follow Bucky as he tries to make amends for his time as the Winter Soldier. There's even space to understand the motivation of the villain, Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kelly), though the character is not served as well she might have been.
For me, there are two main reasons why I enjoyed this series despite the lack of focus. The first is the dive into some deep themes. We explore what becoming a super soldier can do to a person and deal with the legacy of a role like Captain America. The best of these is the issue of race with Sam meeting Isaiah Bradley, a black man who was also given the super soldier serum during the war but was shut away for committing the very same actions as Steve Rogers. It's a well-executed MCU reflection of real world issues and how America has built itself on the exploitation of black people but also looks to how we can move on from that.
The other reason the series works is the two leads. Sebastian Stan does largely play second fiddle here but he gets some excellent character moments including to a heart-breaking flashback to Bucky's time in Wakanda. Anthony Mackie is stunning in this show, full of comedic touch when needed but equally able to give some quiet anger and righteousness. I really can't wait to see more of him playing this character. The pair are at their best when they are together and bounce off each other like a comedy double act in the most fun way.
The show certainly has it's issues, the biggest being it's lack of focus, but it's still very watchable and I think contains several of the best moments in the MCU we've seen so far.
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