The Falcon & The Winter Soldier, fifth episode: all references and quotes
The Falcon & The Winter Soldier, fifth episode
Coming a step away from its finale, The Falcon & The Winter Soldier, the Marvel series available on Disney +, chooses to focus more on characterization of the characters, digging deep into the soul of the protagonists. A high-sounding title, perfect for this emotional tenor, contributes to give greater consistency to this desire: Truth. In a world like the one in which the heroes and villains of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are currently moving, truth is a rare commodity, often buried under the secrets and machinations that begin to emerge in this episode. Compared to WandaVision, the previous MCU series presented by Disney +, the adventure of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes departs from the Marvelian superhero aspect, instead delving into the social and emotional context of the post-Endgame MCU. Choice that is also based on one of the most recent and socially engaged runs dedicated to a bearer of the Shield, whose suggestions deeply permeate the plot of the series. A subtle presence that is enhanced by a synergy between the easter eggs and what is narrated in Truth.ATTENTION: the following contains a series of important spoilers on the fifth episode of The Falcon & The Winter Soldier
Uncomfortable Truths
The focus of this episode is how Sam perceives his role as a hero after he regains possession of his shield. The Captain America he knows was not a political symbol but a living icon of what is right, while the new iteration of the Sentinel of Freedom has proved the exact opposite, plunging Falcon into an emotional mess that leads him to turn to a figure left too long in the shadows: Isaiah Bradley.The Black Captain America, known in The Man with the Stars and Stripes, is a familiar face for the fans of Captain America, who made his debut in a 200th miniseries entitled Truth. Deserved title, given that Bradley's role as an unofficially recognized Supersoldier was revealed, as a black man in an America that is still deeply racist. It is no coincidence that in this episode, when Isaiah tells his story to Sam, the nickname of the Tuskegee Airmen (332) is mentioned, a division of the army composed of black men, a symbol of an era of segregation that has left a profound sign in an entire generation. In Isaiah's story, when we talk about the experiments conducted in an illicit and unethical way, it is a reference to the infamous Studio Tuskegee, a shameful chapter of American medical experimentation, which was also the basis of the creation of another popular Marvel black hero, Luke Cage.
Isaiah reveals to Sam his tragic past as an army scientist's guinea pig, intent on finding out why his physique reacted positively to the experimental version of the Supersoldier Serum. In the Truth miniseries, Isaiah was not treated as a guinea pig, but upon returning home he was sentenced to life in prison for insubordination, living in isolation until this segregation and the degeneration of the Supersoldier Serum caused a mental regression. During the years of imprisonment, Isaiah's blood was taken several times, trying to replicate the success he had with him, arriving after several attempts at the creation in the laboratory of a new black super soldier: Josiah X.
Spy game
When John Walker is dismissed from his role as Captain America, after a far from peaceful hearing, the soldier is approached by a mysterious woman, who tempts Walker by promising to play a role for him. The woman introduces herself as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, a name that made long-time Marvel fans roll their eyes.Contessa's first appearance dates back to Strange Tales # 159, released in 1967. Credits: Marvel The Countess Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, in fact, is one of the most famous double-agent spies in the Marvel Universe. Created by the never too revered Jim Steranko, the Countess, who appears for the first time in August 1967 in Strange Tales # 67, is a noblewoman of Italian origin who enters the S.H.I.E.L.D. where she soon gets noticed by Fury himself. Between the two will soon be born a story, tormented and that will last for years. It will only be discovered years later that de Fontaine, despite having come to cover key roles in SHIELD, has always been an infiltrated spy for Leviathan, a secret Russian spy agency.
Inside the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the name Leviathan has already appeared in Agent Carter, which is why we assume that de Fontain (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) may have a role in this organization. It was originally thought to introduce the character of de Fontaine, also known as Madame Hydra, in Black Widow, but her entry into this Disney + production and her potential connection with John Walker suggests there is a bright future for the eclectic. spy in the new Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Power Broker, I suppose
Previously on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier he often referred to himself as Power Broker, but we haven't seen him. Or so we thought, but what if the criminal had already appeared and we hadn't noticed? After the mission to Madripoor seen in Power Broker, some suspicion about the identity of the crime lord had come to us, and Truth might lift the veil over his identity.During this episode, we see Sharon Carter making a phone call to recruit an agent to carry out a special mission. A man who has been escaped from an Algerian prison and who could be happy to carry out this assignment, animated by revenge. We do not see his interlocutor, but we hear him speaking in French and when the Flag Smasher see Georges Batroc, the acrobatic mercenary seen in Captain America: Civil War and The New World Order, introducing themselves as their support, it is difficult not to wonder if Sharon is not. is the true identity of Power Broker.
Surprising? Let's not forget that Sharon, former S.H.I.E.L.D. and former C.I.A. operative, although she helped Cap and Sam during the events of Captain America: Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, she was forgotten by the heroes during the events of the final chapters of the Avengers saga. What if she used her skills to become a crime mistress? Moreover, even in previous episodes some of his timely actions seem quite suspicious.
The fate of Zemo
After helping Sam stop Walker, Bucky decides to capture Zemo, to close the circle with his past. The Winter Soldier finds the Baron at the Sokovian war memorial during the events of Avenges: Age of Ultron, and chooses to deliver him to the Dora Milaje, the deadly Wakandan female soldiers.Despite their thirst for revenge, the Dora Milaje led by Ajo decide to take Baron Zemo to the Raft, the maximum security prison where the Avengers who refused to sign the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War were also locked up.
Another Shield
After being ousted as Captain America, John Walker appears to have become the exact opposite of the man who preceded him as the Sentinel of Freedom. After seeing the decision to deprive him of his title and his military life as a betrayal, John does not accept that he is no longer Cap, a role he feels he holds by right. After meeting Countess Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and having lied to the Hoskins family about their son's death, Walker decides not to give up his role as a hero, so much so that he decides to create his own shield.Scene that seems to recall the birth of Iron Man, when a Tony Stark prisoner of the Ten Rings created his Mark I, including the rhythmic sound of the hammer. the presence of a flashy metallic star and the metal rings that we see Walker making seem to indicate that the latest episode of The Falcon & The Winter Soldier could see the appearance of U.S. Agent.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: Truth
The narrative tone of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showed how the Marvel Cinematic Universe is not just a story of superheroes, but of men, who face problems that, although increased by their role, are well rooted in current events. The original material from which this series takes its cue was a highly social and political comic, a condition that the writers of the series have adapted to the best within the dynamics in the new MCU.While showing spectacular fight scenes, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier leaves predominance to the emotional construction, which touches every aspect of the human soul. Bucky's quest for inner peace is intertwined with Sam's quest for a new course, just as Walker's anger echoes Isaiah Bradley's bitterness and hatred. In this human definition of the protagonists, beautifully rendered in episodes like Truth, the new identity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes to life, a different heroic dimension, in which being superheroes is not just great adventures. Because with great powers comes great responsibilities.
