REVIEW: 'Falcon and Winter Soldier' Hit Target but Fall for Mission Creep

Seemingly just as quick as Captain America can throw his mighty shield, yet another Disney+ series from the Marvel Cinematic Universe has wrapped. This time, Cap’s fan favorite sidekicks get their chance to shine in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”

There are plenty of familiar faces on this action-packed ride: Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan are back as the titular duo, along with Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter and the super-power hating villain from “Captain America: Civil War” – Daniel Bruhl as Baron Helmut Zemo. All four left big impressions in the ever-more crowded MCU, and here they finally get their chance to shine.

Mackie and Stan’s chemistry has long been apparent, and now that the spotlight is on them, they finally get to take it to the next level. Taking a break from the epic cosmic battles of the Avengers franchise, the series does the welcome favor of returning them to the more hard-boiled, intense action and hard-hitting socio-political commentary of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” It’s a darker, grittier tone that fits this outing and these characters perfectly, and I hope we don’t have to wait too long for Marvel to utilize it again.

In the long run, despite its shorter list of episodes, “F&TWS” ultimately falls into the same trap that its predecessor, “WandaVision” did – failing to keep the story focused all the way through to the end. To unpack all that, we have to put our Spoiler Hats on, so if you haven’t watched yet, hit eject now and start watching – it’s definitely worth the ride.

Joining the familiar faces are two principal new additions:

Wyatt Russell as John Walker is introduced as the U.S. government’s chosen replacement for Steve Rogers. Appropriate to cast the son of all-American stat Kurt Russell as the blonde-haired, blue-eyed soldier selected to carry the shield – a decision that neither Sam nor Bucky are particularly enthused by. Russell excels at portraying a “true believer” product of the military-industrial complex, determined to prove his worth to a constantly watching public, while also being every bit the “love-to-hate” smug usurper the plot requires him to be. His subplot delivers some of the best moments in the show, including a powerhouse speech when the government finally turns its back on him that cements Russell’s arrival as a talent to watch.

Less can be said for Erin Kellyman, the young actress who stole the show as Enfys Nest in “Solo.” Unfortunately, she fails to do the same here as Karli, the leader of a super-powered populist terror cell called the Flagsmashers. In this, the show tries to tackle head-on the ramifications of the prior Avengers films, which saw half of all life on earth disappear for five years before being abruptly dropped back into reality with a snap of the Hulk’s fingers.

It certainly does this better than “Spider-man: Far From Home” did, where the Blip was ultimately reduced to a few punchlines. But the writers never invest enough into the conflict to really make the audience care, or to understand why so many ordinary citizens are willing to back the Flagsmashers’ cause. They never manage to make Karli feel compelling enough to pull this off, which leaves her story feeling like more of an afterthought. The show’s biggest twist winds up being that there is no “Big Bad,” that the Flagsmashers really are the final fight.

By the time Sam’s arc runs full course and he arrives in a truly glorious red, white and blue suit to save the day (Disney+ is so far 2 for 2 on stellar new costume debuts) it’s hard to really care about who exactly he’s saving the day from.

If measured by what works vs. what doesn’t, there’s no contest. “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is a hit. I didn’t even have time to fully unpack Brühl’s brilliant return as Zemo or Carl Lumbly’s powerful turn as Isaiah Bradley – a heart-wrenching character who cuts straight to the heart of all the baggage that comes with the shield – which ought to earn Lumbly some prime awards attention next season. Both are outstanding, as are Sharon Carter’s criminal escapades in Madripoor and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss’ surprise debut as a mysterious new villain.

But any series is ultimately the sum of its parts, and all of these subplots are far more interesting than the storyline meant to be the main plot. The writers either needed to trim some of the extra storylines to focus on the central threat or extend the episode order to give each arc appropriate focus. Instead the side-missions went viral while the Flagsmashers and their cause were quickly forgotten.

For action, acting and handling of heavy themes – “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” definitely earns my recommendation. But Marvel needs to get back to the basics of crafting stories if they want to keep on top of this new television expansion.