The Falcon And The Winter Soldier: Every Episode Ranked

As its second episode began, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier made another bold decision by immediately humanising John Walker. In a lesser programme, Walker would have simply been a two-dimensional jerk, existing solely to arouse hatred and receive an obligatory beating. Instead, the show made Walker a far more complicated, interesting character, who truly wanted to do good as Captain America despite his considerable flaws. This made his later actions all the more painful and tragic.

The Star-Spangled Man was also significant for bringing Sam and Bucky together. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan quickly established a great dynamic, as the two heroes tried to score points off each other with hilarious results (Bucky really should have thought twice before jumping out of that plane). The tension inherent in their partnership came to a head in the brilliantly performed therapy scene, thanks to a deeply awkward soul-gazing exercise.

However, the episode’s greatest moment was undoubtedly Sam and Bucky’s meeting with Isaiah Bradley. Carl Lumbly’s portrayal of the betrayed super-soldier was unforgettable, and his story of the obscene treatment he experienced was all the more chilling due to its basis in true events. The fact that it was immediately followed by Sam experiencing racial profiling at the hands of bigoted police officers served as a harrowing, timely reminder of how racist injustices have continued into the present day.