REVIEW: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Season 1 Episode Five 'Truth'

 REVIEW: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Season 1 Episode Five 'Truth'

The main theme that has reoccurred throughout these past four episodes of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier is the legacy of the shield. It is undeniable that Steve Rodgers left a major mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with his stoic attitude towards enduring hardships and sheer determination in the face of approaching evil. It's a hard image to live up to, and episode six - entitled 'Truth' - continues on that trajectory to great effect.

The episode picks up from the immediate aftermath of the previous episode, as John Walker (Wyatt Russell) tries to come to terms with his actions in the previous episode. It's clear that beating the Captain America fanatic to death with the legendary shield in the previous episode left its toll on him, and this establishes one of the most interesting aspects of John Walker. Unlike Red Skull or Ronan The Accuser, he's not an out-and-out baddie. He's a broken man who started out wanting to do the right thing, and who has been mentally drained by a mixture of the super soldier serum and the events he has witnessed during his duties as Captain America. It's his experiences rather than his beliefs that have sent him down the wrong path.

He certainly doesn't want to give up the shield easily however, and the opening fight between John Walker and Sam/The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky/the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) is one of the most thrilling action sequences in the MCU to date. It's stunning to watch, and a great way to further establish early on into the episode why Sam has the right skills for taking up the Captain America mantle. That's not to say we needed any proof (we didn't), but it's always nice to get a demonstration of the abilities that these heroes possess.

Even when John's lost the shield and he's stripped of his Captain America title, he still seems determined not to give up. He's a villain with real drive, and Wyatt Russell plays the part so well. He imbues John with a sense of grit mixed with these flashes of derangement on his face that show the serum has affected his mental state, and I really like that this is a villain who isn't going to give up easily. It means he's going to pose a significant challenge for Sam and Bucky; imagine facing someone who has that same sense of resilience as Steve, but without the level-headed approach that stopped him from making a horrendous mistake.

The Marvel Comics character who was teased to make her debut in this episode is certainly interesting. This character is, in fact, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who was otherwise known in the comics as Madame Hydra. This is a really interesting development, as if Valentina becomes known as Madame Hydra in the MCU somewhere down the road, she will actually be the second character to take up the mantle within the universe. In Agents Of SHIELD's fourth season, AIDA (played by Mallory Jansen) took on the moniker within the computer simulated world she created called 'The Framework' - which raises the question: did AIDA base her role in the Framework on Valentina? In any case, it will be fascinating to see where they go with this character. So far she seems like a mysterious individual, who appears very keen to help John go against the U.S. court's ruling.

The Post-Credits sequence where John is creating his own shield could perhaps hint at some potential further influence by Valentina. Perhaps it was Valentina who gave him the tools to create his own shield? In any case, it's a great hook to leave the episode on, feeling like a direct mirror of the scene from Iron Man where Tony Stark builds his suit out of scraps. Only unlike Tony Stark, John very much isn't going to become the hero of the hour.

One of the most powerful scenes in this show so far is perhaps the final confrontation between Bucky and Baron Zemo (Daniel Bruhl). These two have a bit of a stand-off in Sokovia, with Bucky appearing as though he is about to shoot Baron Zemo dead. Only, his gun isn't loaded, and he drops the bullets from his hand. This really demonstrates how much the character has grown since his days as the Winter Soldier; this man, who used to be a brainwashed Hydra assassin, cannot even bring himself to kill the man who gave the commands. It proves that what I had previously thought was wrong, where in a previous review I stated my belief that tiny traces of the Winter Soldier programming still existed in Bucky's mind, and I apologise for that. But God, does that confrontation between Bucky and Baron Zemo punch one almighty punch.

Imbued with just as much meaning is Sam's latest meeting with Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), who it's fair to say was treated shoddily by the U.S. government. Experimented on and finding that a loved one had passed during his time in prison is certainly not much of a life for somebody who had every right to be labelled as a new Captain America, and it provides one of the show's most emotional sequences. Especially when you see Sam's face, who is close to tears upon hearing this clear case of systemic racism.

The part which hits hardest is when Isaiah tells Sam firmly that the U.S. government won't let a black man be Captain America; it just seems so unfair, so unjust and so very wrong that these black characters within the MCU should have to face these challenges of acceptance because of their skin colour, and it makes me angry as a white person that this racism towards black people is very much a real world thing, rather than exclusive to this shared universe of super-powered people. Why can't we all just look past such arbitrary factors and judge a person by who they are inside?

It makes Sam all the greater a hero, however, that instead of giving in to this systemic racism, he says 'stuff that' and embraces the shield anyway. This is the greatest hero you can root for; somebody who makes a stand against those who talk people down because of their differences, and shows that below the surface every one of us is made of the same blood. The very fact that Sam doesn't have super soldier serum emphasises the point even further. He doesn't need it. Nobody does, not really. It's not the super soldier serum that made Steve Rodgers a hero, it was the values that he stood for. The fact that he stood up for the little man, and said 'No' to those who sought to undermine him. He was a hero before he was given the serum, he was a hero when he was skinny, because as Steve told those who sought to belittle him, as he fought his ground: 'I can do this all day'.

Overall, 'Truth' is yet another outstanding episode of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. It's a show that demonstrates a deep understanding of Captain America and the legacy that the character left behind in the MCU, whilst delivering with a villain in John Walker who is both complicated and very, very human. It's a neat demonstration of how you don't need the super soldier serum to be Captain America, for the legacy goes far beyond what super strength can provide. To be Captain America, you need to be someone with heart, determination and compassion, and most importantly, somebody who will stand up for the little man in order to show the bullies who the boss really is.

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What are your thoughts on The Falcon And The Winter Soldier's fifth episode? Let me know in the comments section.