The opening episode set the stage for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, making ready for rampant action, some hilarious chemistry between the show’s two leads, and the return of Helmut Zemo, a foe last seen in Captain America: Civil War.
Both Wilson and Barnes are on the trail of the Flag Smashers, tracking them to Munich where they find them smuggling medicine and vaccines. What follows is an awesome fight sequence set on the roofs of two fast-moving HGVs. Add a thumping soundtrack from Henry Jackman, who also delivered musical scores to both The Winter Soldier and Civil War, and it makes it the best sequence of the episode.
Then we come to John Walker, who makes an appearance alongside his partner, Lemar Hoskins (who goes by the alias Battlestar). Despite their impressive efforts in combat, neither have anything on the real Cap, while the entire storyline isn’t paying off.
While one partnership suffers, the on-screen chemistry between Stan and Mackie (Barnes and Wilson) is electric. They’re both a delight to watch, from a staring contest in a mandated therapy session, meeting a Korean War super-soldier, Isaiah Bradley, and talking about The Big Three: Aliens, androids, and wizards.
Sadly, the Flag Smashers, after two episodes, are severely underplayed. Their leader, Karli Morgenthau receives a text message from a private number warning the group of retribution for stealing the medicinal supplies from them, and that’s about it.
It’s best to give these guys some time, but right now, it’s all rather humdrum and predictable. The episode’s closing moments promise the return of Civil War’s lead villain, Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl), who’ll hopefully shed some light on the Flag Smashers.
