User Reviews

I'm a great fan of all three Captain America movies, especially 2 and 3, but something about this show feels off, they're trying way too hard to turn these characters into comedic goofs, I mean sure the Flag Smashers have been injected with the super serum, but at the same time they're mostly just street thugs while Sam is a trained Avenger and Bucky was one of the best Hydra assassins, you'd expect them to at least put up a fight, instead they were getting their asses kicked and laughing and cracking jokes the entire time, it's like they can't even have one scene without trying to make it funny.

This ain't it chief.

Yes, this is classic MCU but for television. It has action, comedy and heart. This gives me hope for the next phase, both movies and television. The actors really know their characters and are fantastic to watch. I even liked the new Cap (a little) but I'll be surprised if he survives to the end of the series (even if he does live he won't be Captain anymore). It's good to be finally back in the MCU.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier S1 E2: The Star-Spangled Man is good stuff. The MCU is going the way it needs too. This episode's theme is very different, and it's the beginning of a very dark and adult themed storytelling relatable to today's society.

Sam and Bucky show you their friendship growing, and the banter between the two is pretty hilarious to watch. The first time Bucky and Sam meet since Avengers: Endgame (2019) still show you that the friendship shown since then is still generically entertaining, and the action, god the action; Falcon, Winter Soldier, U. S. Agent, and some Flag-Smashers on a loaded truck is great stuff.

8/10.

Good.

Quite a bit better than the first, mostly because of the insane chemistry Anthony and Sebastian have. The action and effects were great. I thought I was going to like John Walker for a minute but by the end of the episode I decided quite firmly that I don't. The flag smashers still have very little in the way of backstory and depth so I'm reserving judgment on them. It was nice to see Zemo again even if it was for the shortest time. Isaiah is great piece of storytelling brought over from the comics and sheds some light on the super soldier serum's past as well as America's values during World War II. Overall a really good episode which is made better by how well the two leads bounce off each other.

Seriously, what's wrong with these writers? The kid on the street calling Sam the Black Falcon, the Isiah character supposedly being the first black super soldier no one heard about because he was in jail, then the cops raising their tone with Sam thinking he's being a menace while talking to Bucky. This kind of s#!t doesn't belong in a superhero show.

The only positives for me in this episode were John Walker as Cap and the truck fight scene, everything else seemed so dull and out of place. Yet another therapy session inside a police station that resolved nothing, Bucky and Sam refusing to work with Walker because of a belief that he's not worthy of the shield yet he, a human held his own far better than a trained Avenger Sam and super soldier Bucky against other super soldiers.

Right when it gets interesting again, we see a glimpse of Zemo and the episode ends. So, again wait another week to see it through. Whats the point of the show being on a streaming service if you're gonna release an episode each week like in a normal tv format?

Jeph Loeb's Marvel tv show run with shows like Daredevil was way better and puts this show to shame.

Marvel is really taking all the risks. First wandavision & now Falcon and the Winter Soldier. 2nd episode was intense with solid action & intense moments. Complicated relationship b/w Sam & Buckybis really interesting. Looking forward to it. Also we got to see more of the Flag Smashers & learned abt their mission. Power Broker is officially called out for the first time & we saw the Black Captain America Isiah Bradley. Marvel is exploring Characters back story and their personal struggles in a good manner. Story build up is good. Can't wait for the next episode.

I don't get the high ratings for this episode. I wasn't impressed by the first episode, and this second one makes me wonder if this show will have any legs. As much as I love the Falcon and Winter Soldier characters, I don't see them as leads. They are great supporting characters. Maybe it's due to the actors. Or the script. Not sure. But I find myself bored while watching the show. There's no chemistry between these two.

Now for my main gripe with this episode. Here's where we get to the spoilers. IMO, Captain America Winter Soldier is not only one of the best MCU movies but one of the best superhero movies of all time. Cap met his equal when he battled the Winter Soldier. So now, a new Cap, that has NO super strength, is the one that comes in to save the day? Falcon and Winter Soldier are getting their respective butts kicked, and it's unpowered Cap with the edge? Bucky, especially, seemed very weak in this episode. Sadly, this happens all too often with superheroes. The writers change their abilities to fit the script.

I'm also not impressed by the new Cap. My prediction is this entire series is a setup for Falcon to take up the shield and be the new Cap. As others have stated, I may wait and binge-watch the final four episodes at another time. Right now, I find it all a bit dull.

Trying to look past all the unnecessary black this, white that, let's have cops profile the main character for being black...ok we get it, Disney loves talking about skin color. Lots of eye rolling for this episode.

This isn't a "New" Marvel. Isaiah has been around in the comics for like a decade. The interaction with the police seems to have been meant to give a narrative connection between Sam and Isaiah. It wasn't overstated.

The most compelling scene for me was Winter Soldier opening up about why he was disappointed Sam gave up the shield. Bucky clearly would have wanted to carry on Steve's legacy (as he did in the comics) if he'd known Sam didn't want it.

Sam's portrayal in the series is more complex than I expected and not all that sympathetic. He's clearly got some unresolved issues over cap's retirement and the blip. However, he's disregarding the feelings of others (his sister, Bucky) while claiming to know what's best for all.

I'm sure this is setting him up for some growth later on. If it isn't it's a very big missed opportunity.

Expands on the characterization in episode 1. John Walker's introduction is well done and the viewers understand the conflicts between all of the main characters.

This show isn't bad, but it doesn't feel unique at all. Compared to the Netflix Marvel shows it is not even close.

Not enough intrigue, no originality, maybe the next 4 will pick up the pace but I doubt it.

This guy is a joke , he is more week then Sam or Bucky, even tho Sam left the shield . The government don't need to give it too this guy . So he is an war hero big deal .

The Star-Spangled Man is certainly an improvement from the scattershot premier and is a pretty good episode but suffers from one of key problem. The showrunners have no idea what to do with Sam Wilson's character. The show treats him as a main character, yet almost every other character in the show has a more compelling storyline than he does. It's strange because you can see that Marvel is conscious of race and is trying to delve into the challenges that a black superhero would face, but the problem is by focusing so much on Sam's race, they've left him without any other defining characteristics or storylines that might be interesting. In short, the show defines Sam by his race alone, to the point where it becomes the single most important aspect of his character. I find that to be very troubling, not because I don't believe that racial issues should be addressed, but rather because it diminishes Sam character to the point where he is almost singly defined by his race, where all his interactions relating to his character are about race.

I think that's why Isiah's introduction works so well compared to Sam's portrayal in this series. Isiah is introduced as a hero, a super soldier who went toe to toe with the Winter Soldier and was the only one who was able to fight him survive. But because of his race, while Steve Rodgers was thrust into the spotlight as Captain America, Isiah was treated as a lab experiment and thrust into the shadows to the point that Steve never even knew he existed. The difference is, Isiah is not singly defined by his race, he's a hero first with his own story, motivations, desires etc. But has nonetheless been negatively impacted because of his race as compared to Steve.

And it's the Sam problem that I feel is dragging the show down. Bucky and Walker have much more compelling storylines, Bucky trying to find his way in the world post-Hydra and Walker trying to fill Steve's shoes as the new Captain America, yet their stories are always interrupted, always pushed to the side because Falcon is treated as the main character of the series. The story is told through his eyes, from his perspective, yet the showrunners have sabotaged his character by making him very generic, very bland, and very static.

The episode was good, but through two episodes, it's concerning to see that Falcon is being failed by Marvel.