Written by Ali Grutchfield, Photographs courtesy of Ali Grutchfield and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution
‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ is a miniseries released on Disney Plus that highlights the story and friendship of Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson. The series contains six 50-minute episodes that span from 6 months after “the blip” onwards. It is a cathartic and visceral experience that I, a second-year film and television student and nerd, would absolutely recommend for any Marvel fan.
My favorite aspect of the series is the parallel storytelling of the two main characters before and throughout their entire journey of becoming a dynamic duo. Their stories are told simultaneously, thus helping the audience evaluate each character in reference to one another. It’s an engaging structure that helps buffer some of the boring exposition, especially in the first and second episodes.
Another positive note of this series is the context it provides. Given that this is part of the fourth phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I had prepared myself to not understand all of the easter eggs and plotline. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the extent to which past events, characters and information needed to understand the magnitude of the plot were provided. It allowed for ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ to be an accessible series that is fit for the casual Marvel fan, just as much as it is for the viewers who know everything Marvel under the sun.
Conversely, my least favorite aspect is the very generic outline of the story. Beginning after “the blip,” Barnes and Wilson must deal with feelings of inadequacy and learn how to adjust without their Captain America. This issue causes them to grow both together and apart as they must cope with their own intrinsic issues, financial and mental instability, all while trying to maintain domestic security. Although this plotline is expanded upon to highlight character arcs, action scenes and engaging context, the fundamental concept is basic. Given the intensity of previous Marvel films, I had higher expectations regarding the thematic concepts.
From the first season, my favorite episode was without a doubt the third because of the continuous obstacles Barnes, Wilson and Zemo faced. The series follows the monomyth outline, possibly why it’s been so successful, and I am always a sucker for all being lost. This episode finds the perfect balance between the characters thinking they’re going to die, thought-provoking exposition and violent action scenes. It just had the greatest payoff of all of the episodes in my opinion.
Overall it is a great series, however, it struggles with being underdeveloped and lagging at times. While I will continue to watch, my mind is not blown and I am not counting down the days until the release of season two. But, I loved the production value and really grew to love the characters. Additionally, I’m glad that innovative storytelling techniques were used so this doesn’t feel like a crappy action show.
Now the sole question I’m left with is, what happens next?
