spoilers ahead

Marvel just wrapped up “the falcon and the winter solider” adding it to the marvel Disney+ collection. The show is set roughly 6 months after the events of endgame where Steve Rogers (Captain America) now an old man hands over the mantle of Captain America to Sam Wilson (Falcon) and giving him the shield, this idea as supported by James “Bucky” Barnes (Winter Soldier), but the two men from the 40s had no idea what it truly meant to Sam. Steve and James both seemed to over look the struggles over decades they had missed due to being frozen in the ice.  Throughout the 6 episodes we see Sam struggle with choosing what’s right for him and Bucky stuggle with his past of the winter solider.

Sam gives up the shield to the government believing that they were keeping it in the Smithsonian in Captain America’s exhibit. We later find out the government had lied and gave Steve’s shield to John Walker “the new Captain America”. Sam was beyond hurt that the government would lie to him. Along with Sam, Bucky was also hurt with this news. Bucky tells Sam “you shouldn’t have gave up the shield”. In a later episode Bucky reveals the true reason he was hurt during a make quick therapy session, if Steve was wrong in the decision of handing the mantel down to Sam maybe he was wrong about Bucky being saved from his assassin ways. Later Bucky takes Sam to meet Isaiah Bradley, one of the many men to be used and experimented on by the government and hydra for a super solider serum. He tells Sam what he went through and how he helped find soldiers just like Steve did but instead he was punished. Isaiah then tells Sam “They will never let a black man be Captain America. And even if they did, no self-respecting black man would ever wanna be.” causing same to question if he would want to take the mantle even more.

We finally get to see Sam and Bucky team up and fight the flag-smashers. The group was founded after the events of endgame where Bruce Banner (Hulk) brought back the half of life Thanos wiped out. Their leader Karli Morgenthau had a single mission, restoring things back to the way life was five years ago after the blip a world unified without borders. The group then got a hold of the newest super solider serum from Wilfred Nagel in madripor , they took all 20 vials but only 8 took the serum. The group was always on the move making it hard for the government and John Walker and his “sidekick” Lamar Hoskins (Battlestar) to track them down.

While this was all happening Sam and Bucky were also on the case and trying to track down the group having the same problems as Walker and the government Bucky decided to take it into his own hands an breakout Zemo from prison to help find these new super soldiers. The trio (Sam, Bucky, And Zemo) goes out to Madripor with the hopes of finding the person responsible for making the serum, but they run into trouble which later will bring problems. They flee Madripor and go to Lativa where Zemo has a home and finds the Flag-smashers, to their surprise the Dora Milaje and John Walker are there. The Dora Milaje let Bucky know they’ll be taking Zemo in the next few days and Walker with his new found “power” tells them that’s not happening which leads to a fight between them all.

Later the “team” finds the group goes and hides at the funeral for Mama Donna. Karli can see Sam is there but can tell he isn’t there to fight yet. After the funeral he goes and talks to Karli just as he’s starting to get to her and understanding her Walker becomes impatient and runs in causing Karli to be worried and run away. Zemo then finds her and begins to shoot her but becomes distracted by the fact that she had dropped the remaining vials that he promptly begins to destroy but he misses one that rolled into a hidden spot. The Flag-Smashers take Hoskins hostage into an abandoned building where the fight is taking place. We see Walker show physical strength he didn’t have before indicating that he had taken the serum he found. Hoskins then stumbles into the room and crashes into Karli to prevent her from killing Walker angered, Karli grabs Hoskins and slams him across the wall, killing him instantly the Flag-Smashers flee while the team processed what happened.

In the heat of the moment of seeing his best friend die Walker runs after Nico into the town square, Walker pins Nico to the ground and he begins pleading that he didn’t do it. Blinded by the rage and grief Walker begins attacking him with the shield and Sam and Bucky arrive too late, there is now blood on the shield. Walker flees while Sam and Bucky run after him to get back the shield. Later Walker has to face the council in D.C where he is told his Captain America title will be taken and he begins to argue and lose his temper telling them “You built me. Senator, I am Captain America,” before storming off while they demand he returns the shield. After storming out Walker meets Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Val) assuring him that he did the right thing and that she can him him.

Bucky finds Zemo at the Sokovian memorial site where he tells him that he knows what has to happen to Karli to end this. Before Zemo is taken into custody by the Dora Milaje he tells him “I took the liberty of crossing off my name in your book. I held no grudges for what you thought you had to do.”  Ayo tells Bucky “It would be prudent to make yourself scarce from Wakanda for the time being, White Wolf.” He understands but before they leave he has a favor to ask for.

In the finale we see Sam and Bucky fight to stop the Flag-Smashers from causing any harm to the GRC (Global Repatriation Council). This is where we see that favor Bucky asked for and it was Sam’s new Captain America suit. As the fight progresses we can see them start to team up with Walker. As the show ends we are left on cliffhanger and we can only hope that the next Captain America movie clears it up for us.

Overall the show completed it’s mission into diving into the tension of Sam Wilson, a black man in America, becoming the next Captain America. Were all used to using movies or shows to escape real world problems but this show had to touch on these subjects because just like Steve and Bucky we have no idea what it truly means to be a black man in America. After the Black Panther movie it was time to have another POC (person of color) be the main hero.