Recap: Falcon and the Winter Soldier Premiere

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is not Wandavision.
It’s the closest Disney Plus will get to an MCU movie.
It’s a super-hero buddy cop movie with bad guys, but it’s also about people determined to live up to someone who was a major part of the MCU. Some will succeed, and one man may or may not.
The first episode helps people catch up with Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes six months after the Blip ended, and points out that recovery is very difficult.
It’s also the perfect time for a new threat to arrive.

SPOILERS BELOW

The first scene says it all

Sam Wilson still has the shield Old Man Rogers gave him at the end of Endgame. He still thinks it belongs to someone else.
Besides, he’s the Falcon, and an Avenger. He’s still in demand for very delicate missions, like rescuing someone from a terrorist group called LAF. Seeing Sam in action is incredible in itself. He has a new drone called Red Wing. Sam may not be Captain America, but even Steve would say Sam is worthy to hold his shield.

Still, Sam decides to retire the shield to the Smithsonian as James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) aka War Patriot looks on. They talk about how things have changed after Endgame, and that the world is anything but calm after seeing half of Creation vanish for five years. Sam says in his speech that the world needs heroes that fit the times, and people who can live up to that.

Meanwhile, James “Bucky” Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is still having a touch time. He has nightmares of his HYDRA past. He’s been seeing a shrink named Raynor (Amy Aquino), who has also seen war. She seems to be the best person to help Barnes shed his Winter Soldier past. She even sets up a three-part plan for atonement, which was used against a pro-HYDRA Senator.
Still, the past still haunts him. He’s been spending time with a guy named Yori. It’s soon clear it’s part of Bucky’s atonement, yet he’s more alone than Steve was. He’s a 106 year old guy who was a weapon for much longer than being a man. It’s safe to say he’ll find a valuable friend very soon.

Sam has own problems, too. He’s trying to save his family’s fishing business, but the fact that he’s an Avenger doesn’t help that much. The loan manager even points out Sam’s vanished for five years because of the blip. Who would have thought that would ruin credit scores?

It’s the perfect time for a new threat to arrive, the Flag-Smashers. They want a world where countries don’t exist, but there is a sense they have even darker goals. They also cause a lot of havoc somewhere in Switzerland.

They also have someone who is very strong. Do they have their own super-soldier?
Sam finds out about this new threat, but also America’s plan to deal with a very unstable and uncertain world.
It brings back Captain America, complete with Steve’s shield.
He’s John Walker (Wyatt Russell), who will be known as U.S. Agent. He may look like Captain America, but it’s too early to see if he can even come close….or wind up being a symbol that doesn’t work.
The government will work very hard, though. As shown in the trailer, Walker will even have a halftime show.

The series is about two men who try to establish a post-Blip future for themselves, and how Mankind’s trying to do the same. It’s also about bad guys who exploit the situation. The premiere is a slow start, but the action is bound to pick up. It’ll also look at what it takes to be a true hero, even if some may not think it fits their definition.
The main cast isn’t complete yet. Daniel Bruhl is waiting in the wings as Baron Zemo, while Emily Van Camp is due to return as Sharon Carter.
Of course, Sam and Bucky haven’t reunited yet either. It’ll be interesting, especially when Bucky’s psychiatrist will be a referee for a while.