Sorcerers are wizards without the hats. So spaketh the Falcon.
I'm almost sure Zemo is the bad guy in this series. They just dropped two new Zemo and Mockingbird recaps on Disney+ (or was it Sharon Carter? not sure if that's her codename because of that dammmm Agent of SHIELDS show now... grr...)
I've watched the recaps but now I feel like I have to rewatch them a few times and read some wiki stuff to fully refresh my memory...
I'm almost ready... I might have to go check out some of the actual movie parts where Zemo was involved... hmmm... (unless one of you here comes up with a nice summary! ;) )
I might have to investigate how he related to Alexander Pierce and HYDRA as well... hmmm... much to consider now... I think I need to re-watch Cap America: the Winter Soldier and Civil War now...
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Blosodriette, that's Sharon Carter, a.k.a Agent 13, who we first met in TWS and also appeared briefly in Civil War. She is a longtime (in the comics) member of the Cap family. While she used to be a SHIELD agent, the show, Agents of SHIELD, has nothing to do with her or her codename, which is unchanged from the comics. It's understandable why she, a blonde SHIELD agent in white with fighting sticks, could be confused with Bobbi "Mockingbird" Morse, but they are and always have been two different people. Also, Sharon already knows Sam and Bucky and it makes a lot more sense for her to be there.
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First episode was good, though slow moving. I was surprised they weren't already together from the beginning; I know they are laying tracks for the two to come together but it felt very much like two different stories. Still it's nice to get to know Sam and Bucky more. I always liked Sam and am glad to see him get more fleshed out. I always felt Bucky was very two dimensional (even in TFA) and so while I'm less attached, I am already glad to see him with more personality and motivation.
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I really enjoyed this first episode. Some good action. Some great character development, with peeks into the non-super lives of both main characters. And some interesting set-ups for the rest of the season.
Creepy that Bucky is being friends with the father of some dude he killed, but I like him trying to go through his Hydra list. The idea of him with some severe PTSD after nearly a century of knowing nothing but fighting and killing is really intriguing. I look forward to seeing if they resolve that, as I think Sebastian Stan can do some real good work with it.
Flagsmashers as group is interesting, but I think I liked it better as one dude in the comics who worked with Ultimatum.
Loved seeing Rhodey again. I hope they have him in a bit more.
Although I recall Sam being from New York in the comics, I like seeing him come from Louisiana (my original home state). That little bit in the bank, about how he made money as a superhero was neat.
I look forward to seeing what they do with John Walker. I kind of hope they keep his story arc kind of similar to the comics. Wyatt Russell is a cool actor, and I'd hate to see him end up as actually being a villain.
Overall, I think this series has a much better chance of building up and introducing us to more of the post-Endgame world than the other series did.
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One thing more....
I finally realized that I think I actually like the cinematic universe better than the comic book universe. And this is for one simple reason. I've long believed the industry would be better served if the companies regularly and permanently retired old heroes and let someone else take up the mantle.
With this series, we have the chance to really see that happen.
That's something I dearly wish they'd have done in the comics. That they were never going to is one of the reasons I never collected the Sam as Cap comics - because I knew it was just a gimmick.
Thanks for the clarifications DQ. This makes more sense. I don't know why I was associating Mockingbird with Agent 13, but I'm now glad they're two different persons and that there aren't any weird retcons at work from Agents of SHIELD's cast.
Aberzombie, I agree with you on everything. I somewhat disliked his
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Aberzombie, I agree on letting characters die/retire. And you either a pass on a mantle and keep it passed on, or you retire it. And/or you create something as a mantle/broad title to begin with, so it's clear from the get-go the name doesn't belong to one person (e.g., anyone chosen by the Ring is a Green Lantern; anyone who survived and graduated the Red Room is a Black Widow). Outside of the "established mantle" however I'd rather more characters who are their own character--they may carry on a legacy, but their own identity. I'm curious as to whether we see Sam and Bucky end up establishing themselves as their own "superhero" identities (the names we see in the title of the show) or laying them down for Captain America/something else.
In general I also prefer dead characters to stay dead... although of course I want the characters *I* like to come back to life/not die. But I think that doesn't mean resurrecting characters you don't want to be dead, I think it means thinking real hard before killing them to begin with. I am okay with the "unrealism" of most characters not dying until the writers are sure they never want to use the character again/actor doesn't want to play them if this is a film/tv series/it truly is in service to that character's story and its end rather than serving as "required casualties" for a particularly dramatic crossover storyline.
Other stuff: I liked the slice-of-life stuff but I can get that is going to be very hit or miss for most people. I like slice-of-life a great deal in superhero stories (my very favorite comic of all time, Vols 1 and 2 of DC's Birds of Prey, some of my favorite scenes are where the characters are just eating takeout and chatting, and this was a comic with plenty of great action), and it felt like this was balanced well. I just think they moved a little slowly overall.
Sam's personal life story I have a feeling has a lot to do with is trying to cope with the fact that he was missing for 5 years and his family was forced to move on without him, and he is trying to find his place in his family again.
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My heart's been broken for Bucky ever since he revealed to Stark that he remembers EVERY Hydra mission he was forced to take. Can you imagine, being trapped inside your own brain like a passenger, KNOWING you're committing atrocities on some level but utterly powerless to stop yourself?Lots of folks say Bucky's character has been fairly 2 dimensional and I agree that the movies haven't given Mr Stan much to work with. But just the first episode alone shows that Marvel has decided to give him the room he needs to flesh things out.
The Bucky stuff, I think, is my favorite so far. The trauma he's working through has some great story potential. Even if they end up making Falcon the new Captain by the end of the series, I dearly hope they keep Winter Solider around for as long as Stan is willing to be paid.
Sam becoming Cap through this series and staying Cap would be far better than the token gimmick it was in the comics. This feels like it might actually be earned. Many different characters wore the role of Captain America other than Steve over the years, so I really won't have a problem with it if it works out that way.
I read that the soldier who is Falcon's liaison has a last name which in the comics is the person who becomes the next Falcon. So if Sam becomes the next Captain America, there's a probably next Falcon there also.
That would be cool!
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I knew from hearsay that Sam took up the mantle in the books but I never realized it was a "gimmick."
The consensus now is that it was a "gimmick," but there now isn't any telling what the original outcome was going to be. There was some very vocal blowback to the idea of Sam as Cap when he took over as Captain America in "All New Captain America". This came from a group of fans who decried it on the grounds of it being "identity politics."
Marvel's launch of the paired titles Sam Wilson: Captain America and Steve Rogers: Captain America had a similar vocal outrcy when its first issue introduced the Cap as Hydra Agent storyline.
Marvel Editorial has stated that in both cases - fan outcry led them to change their plans for the Captain America ongoing title, and the Secret Empire event that was planned to follow Civil War II.
Since Marvel course corrected three times before restoring Steve Rogers can't really say what might have been the outcome as originally intended. For all we know, without the vehement negative reactions we might still have two Captain America books - one featuring Sam Wilson and one Steve Rogers.
I don't even know what "gimmick" means in this context
Weren't you and Feros the two who were calling it a gimmick that prompted the conversation about the nature of that run?
I don't even know what "gimmick" means in this contextWeren't you and Feros the two who were calling it a gimmick that prompted the conversation about the nature of that run?
I ran under the assumption that Sam as Cap was never meant to stick, and that it was just a placeholder until Steve's "triumphant" return. I was actually jazzed about the idea of Sam as Cap going forward, but was suspicious right from the start that it was just a gimmick to shake things up and drum up interest. The writers certainly took it seriously, but I'm not so sure the publishers did.
He is the natural replacement as Bucky has just too much baggage, so if the MCU can pull it off where the comics failed, yay!! :)
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I don't even know what "gimmick" means in this contextWeren't you and Feros the two who were calling it a gimmick that prompted the conversation about the nature of that run?I ran under the assumption that Sam as Cap was never meant to stick, and that it was just a placeholder until Steve's "triumphant" return. I was actually jazzed about the idea of Sam as Cap going forward, but was suspicious right from the start that it was just a gimmick to shake things up and drum up interest. The writers certainly took it seriously, but I'm not so sure the publishers did.
He is the natural replacement as Bucky has just too much baggage, so if the MCU can pull it off where the comics failed, yay!! :)
Considering that actors age and finish contracts and choose to work on other projects, I think it's a certainty that we won't be seeing Chris Evans as Captain America again, etc. (unless for a one-off thing like Secret Invasion, which wouldn't disrupt the successor). The MCU doesn't have the luxury that the comics do of never aging characters in a semi-timeless world.
I only used the term in response to Feros doing so and to highlight that SamCap in the movieverse will likely be no more permanent than in the comics.I don't even know what "gimmick" means in this contextWeren't you and Feros the two who were calling it a gimmick that prompted the conversation about the nature of that run?
Then you would seem to know exactly the context the term was used in previously and would also seem to be implying that it is likewise a “gimmick” in the MCU.
Then you would seem to know exactly the context the term was used in previously and would also seem to be implying that it is likewise a “gimmick” in the MCU.I only used the term in response to Feros doing so and to highlight that SamCap in the movieverse will likely be no more permanent than in the comics.I don't even know what "gimmick" means in this contextWeren't you and Feros the two who were calling it a gimmick that prompted the conversation about the nature of that run?It seems it was being used to mean something other than "not permanent", so I was confused.
But apparently it hadn't. Or maybe it had. I'm still not entirely sure.
I think the usage of the word token in the original post is concerning, so maybe it was originally meant in a different way but I can’t speak to that. As to the continued usage of it to mean a temporary replacement to boost sales, all comic storylines are an attempt to boost sales
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Well, that was interesting.
I'm guessing the powers that be will write it that Walker goes to whomever gave the Flag Smashers their abilities, so he can get the same powers and be a better Captain America.
Speaking of the Flag Smashers. The more I see of them, the more I find them to be annoying little punks. I am curious who sent that threatening text to the chick, though. I did like that little verbal Power Broker nod at the airport.
Bucky and Sam work well together. And they sound like an old married couple, which is always a plus in my book.
I didn't collect much Marvel when the came out with that Isaiah Bradley story, so I'm only peripherally familiar with the character. Interesting that they forwarded him to the Korean War, and made him an old enemy who kicked Bucky's ass. Carl Lumbly was great. I remember him all the way back to Escape from Alcatraz and Buckaroo Banzai. Great actor. I hope we see more of him. I'll be interested to see if the research Hydra did on him is what lead to this current iteration of the formula.
And, it just hit me, but maybe....just maybe....the bad guys behind this new formula will be AIM. That would be awesome if they finally did that organization justice, instead of the crap they used it for in that 3rd Iron Man movie.
All in all, I can see why this seems to have become the biggest hit since Mandalorian.
Yes, impressive marching band at the beginning... Other than that I find this show on the average side of the wow scale so far, and I'm hoping it will get better soon, as my Disney dollars demand it.
Of note, I'm getting real tired of the shrink scenes... I can't imagine how annoyed Bucky would be at listening to her crap with his 100 year old brain...
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** spoiler omitted **
I don't know. I'm gonna keep watching for more moments like when Bucky yelled "And if Steve was wrong about you that means he was wrong about ME!" Dangit if Mr Stan didn't make me choke up a little when he delivered that line.
In the comics...
Ultimately, his becoming Captain A, as well as most of what went on afterwards, was all a plot by the Red Skull. He controlled the Commission (through its head) that made Walker Captain America, then sponsored many of the villains Walker fought (including Flagsmasher).
My own hope is they'll replace Red Skull with Zemo and show that he's been manipulating things from prison. Since Zemo had access to all the Hydra secrets, and the base with the other "winter soldiers" from Civil War, he's in a pretty good position to be behind these MCU Flag Smashers.
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Dear Hollywood: Please, for just once, portray Baltimore as more than a place where racist cops and struggling black people live.
I mean, Baltimore does have racist cops and struggling black people, and that should be acknowledged and addressed, but I just would like to know that there's also much more to the city than is portrayed on television. Just once it would be cool to see it on TV for a reason other than filmmakers showing a place for poor/black people suffering or cops being bags of dicks or gangs fighting.
Like, could we see a vindicated Isaiah Bradley speak about his experiences at the Reginald Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture or something? That doesn't sweep the bad stuff under the carpet but also shows something cool.
Also... I am confused about how that scene ended. Who called the cops? No white Baltimore cop would be wandering around in that neighborhood, and no one who lives in a neighborhood like that would call the cops for any reason other than maybe mass murder. Were they looking for Bucky all along and then got distracted?
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In other news... I am confused. Is Walker superhuman or not? He said he wasn't but then seems to be able to hold his own against the Flagsmashers in a way that seems beyond simply his armor/shield protecting him.
I like the psychiatrist and I like that she's not full of s$!~ and doesn't take other people's. More superheroes need therapists, and more therapists need to be portrayed in action series positively. Superhero stories as they do generally promote extremely poor mental health and self-care practices. (This said, I don't think we'll be seeing much more of her after this anyway.)
So far most of this show is just a whole bunch of people being mean and angry and resentful toward each other. I understand WHY there's all this anger and resentment, but if the whole show is just going to be people griping at each other and refusing to get along, I may struggle to keep watching. "My pain's the most important!" "No, MY pain's the most important!" "No, MINE IS!" "No I'm the ONLY ONE who has EVER felt pain and all of the rest of you don't count!" Guh. You could at least make it more entertaining by acting it all out in sitcom form or something.
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All I ask for is verisimilitude in a story like this.
That’s what you ask for... from Marvel?
If there's a character that needs medical attention it would be Black Widow. She's been mega-concussed more often than two-dozen retired NFL linemen. IIRC there's never been any miracle-tech medicine used on her head and as such her cogitative abilities ought to be nearly as bad as #46's.
Even worse considering in continuity she’s dead.
As for the high school marching band:
Comparatively they made my high school marching band sound like a high school marching band.
I don’t believe they were meant to be the high school marching band. The dancers and band members all looked older than high school age and were wearing red white and blue themed uniforms with big “A’s” on them.
Since this was meant to be a nationally televised intro to the new Cap running on ABC’s Good Morning America there is every reason to believe that the US military used either a professional marching band or one of the branches marching band. Doing that while still having the locale be his high school to play up his “all American” charm tracks with both the fictional US Military that used Steve as a marketing tool in the 40’s and the real US Military marketing tactics of today.
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My god, THEY GAVE SHARON CARTER SOMETHING TO DO.
I feel a wound healing.
I love you buddy, but what kind of moron keeps his cell phone on, with the WiFi operating, when going on a secret undercover mission?
(This derisive comment will assuredly come back to haunt me when I don't think of this for a character in an RPG).
Still, this episode went in some interesting places, and I'm invested in what happens next.
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That was a pretty decent episode. And, by decent, I mean f#~!ing awesome!!!
I recognized the Smiling Tiger name, but I don't think I have any comics with that character.
I'm glad they made Zemo an actual Baron, as in the comics. He's going to make an awesome continuing villain when all this is over. As always, that dude is f%$*ing brilliant.
The action sequences were really top notch. I'm not surprised, however. Derek Kolstad wrote this episode and the next one. His other big success is as the creator of the kick ass John Wick franchise.
All in all, I feel this show is doing a far better job of building up the post-Endgame MCU than WandaVision did. I really look forward to the remaining episodes. I also look forward to what they build off this show.
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I feel like it wasn't Wandavision's place to build up the post-Endgame MCU. It was a story of personal tragedy and we only needed the information we got--as it was we saw some interesting stuff with SWORD and Monica, but I wasn't expecting more since it was so tightly focused on Wanda's internal world.
This series, being the spy-action-political-thriller, is the natural spot to highlight tensions and struggles going on around the world, and I agree they are doing an excellent job of addressing it. But for me it isn't a matter of "better," it's a matter of each show doing its own job well.
I agree with Aberzombie on Zemo--I had almost instant respect for him, and I thought he was largely silly in the Civil War movie. They telegraphed very well how good he is at analyzing a scene and instantly plotting the best way through something, very much a smarts-based villain who is a force to be reckoned with.
Read on Reddit a theory that Sharon is actually either Power Broker or sympathetic to the Flag Smashers and was the one who informed them of Nagel's death. Personally I think she's in deep cover for the CIA (given the meeting with the official-looking lady at the end of the ep), and her bitterness toward heroes was part of her cover, but I'm fascinated by the other options. What do y'all think?
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I love you buddy, but what kind of moron keeps his cell phone on, with the WiFi operating, when going on a secret undercover mission?(This derisive comment will assuredly come back to haunt me when I don't think of this for a character in an RPG).
I know it was rhetorical, but the kind of moron who isn't versed in covert missions, spycraft, etc, and is much more comfortable with commando ops. And also who was already uncomfortable playing the role of a flashy well dressed criminal. It's also such an obvious thing that neither Zemo nor Bucky thought it was remotely possible that Sam wouldn't know that and therefore didn't tell him to turn his phone off.
There are times when the phone ring happens in a show or movie and I ask myself the same question, just how dumb is the character, but it's most often done when it's a character who's used to spying, investigation, etc. This time, it rang true! (Ba da bing!)
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That was a pretty decent episode. And, by decent, I mean f@!*ing awesome!!!
** spoiler omitted **
All in all, I feel this show is doing a far better job of building up the post-Endgame MCU than WandaVision did. I really look forward to the remaining episodes. I also look forward to what they build off this show.
Interestingly, Falcon and Winter Soldier was supposed to have been the first MCU TV show, followed by WandaVision, but Covid and other production issues pushed it back and pushed WandaVision forward onto the first MCU TV spot
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I love you buddy, but what kind of moron keeps his cell phone on, with the WiFi operating, when going on a secret undercover mission?(This derisive comment will assuredly come back to haunt me when I don't think of this for a character in an RPG).
I know it was rhetorical, but the kind of moron who isn't versed in covert missions, spycraft, etc, and is much more comfortable with commando ops. And also who was already uncomfortable playing the role of a flashy well dressed criminal. It's also such an obvious thing that neither Zemo nor Bucky thought it was remotely possible that Sam wouldn't know that and therefore didn't tell him to turn his phone off.
There are times when the phone ring happens in a show or movie and I ask myself the same question, just how dumb is the character, but it's most often done when it's a character who's used to spying, investigation, etc. This time, it rang true! (Ba da bing!)
While what you are saying is fair, but while Sam may not have been trained in espionage, he was living on the lam for awhile before--and moreover, living on the lam on a team that was being assisted by one of the world's most talented spies, Natasha Romanoff--it seems like he would have been given that advice at some point, and would have remembered it. Just seems strange to me. His discomfort playing the undercover role made perfect sense, just the phone bit seemed very... unlikely. I just think maybe it would have made more sense if they had gotten made in another way; for one example: Selby has face recognition software and cameras posted and Sam gets recognized as an Avenger.
Mind you, this is a nitpick in otherwise what was a fairly well-crafted scenario, and many other aspects were well done. I loved the spycraft stuff in general.
You get extra points for the pun though. :)
Interestingly, Falcon and Winter Soldier was supposed to have been the first MCU TV show, followed by WandaVision, but Covid and other production issues pushed it back and pushed WandaVision forward onto the first MCU TV spot
Thanks for that reminder. We have to remember both shows got some serious re-edits too thanks to COVID affecting their production schedules.