The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – Truth review S1 E5
Truth completely subverts what you’d expect from the penultimate episode of The Falcon and the Winter Solider.
That’s what makes it such a special chapter in the MCU. Truth starts out like the final climactic battle in a movie, but does the deep dive follow up we could only get from a TV series. And it’s so much more rewarding, fulfilling and captivating as a result.
FAWS started out with Sam Wilson second guessing his friend Steve Rogers’ last favor for him to carry on the mantle of Captain America. Sam was fine being The Falcon, a hero whose identity he sacrificed so much to make just as meaningful as his fellow Avengers. He was uneasy of the prospect of filling Steve’s shoes and in John Walker, Sam saw the consequences of the wrong man holding the shield.
Given everything Sam has learned throughout this adventure with Bucky one thing is abundantly clear — John Walker is no Captain America.
Captain America wouldn’t have run off after killing a man. He wouldn’t hide behind the badge…mask of Captain America and use that to justify his misplaced anger and actions. It’s telling that John had to start convincing himself of the lie he concocted that his victim was the one who killed Lemar. But this isn’t all John’s fault.
He was a soldier doing what he was trained to do outside of the watchful eye of the public. As a soldier, he could blend in the crowd of the military fighting against America’s enemies. As Captain America? He was a symbol of so much more. And that was the truth that was rocking him to the core.
The face off with Sam and Bucky confronting John felt very much like the final battle in Captain America: Civil War. Not just the tag team nature, but the deeply personal aspect of the conflict. Bucky never felt that John should masquerade as Captain America as he wasn’t fit to hold the identity of his best friend.
Sam was more sympathetic and understood the weight of the responsibility. One of the more fascinating aspects of the Captain America MCU story is the mantle and shield has been tossed around between soldiers. Steve Rogers wanted to help others and fight back against bullies be it Hitler or Thanos, making for an ideal superhero. Bucky started off with the height and size, but became corrupted leaving him emotionally tormented. John Walker was a soldier with doubts of being good enough and still weighed down by what he’d done in the name of his country.
Only Sam Wilson was well-adjusted enough to truly succeed Steve as Captain America. After his time on the battlefields, Sam devoted his time to helping his fellow soldiers recover emotionally and readjust to life back home. As an Avenger, Sam did the right thing even if it made him an outlaw. Steve knew this, which is why he didn’t hand the shield to Bucky. It had to be Sam.
The Sam/Bucky vs. Walker fight definitely had a blockbuster feel to it and the ending felt very well earned. Walker broke Falcon’s wings, but Sam beat John with the shield. Bucky makes a point to give the shield back to Sam again.
With Karlie underground, there’s little left for Sam and Bucky to do but go their own way again. For Bucky, that means confronting Zemo again and handing him over to Ayo and the other Dora Milaje. While they didn’t get justice for Klaue, Zemo will spend the rest of his life in prison…until he’s needed again of course. Bucky might not get the VIP treatment on his next visit to Wakanda, but Ayo does come through with him for one more favor.
Sam starts off by trying to make things right with Isaiah. He’s not so annoyed with discussing his past this time and shares that the government told his wife he was dead and never passed on any of the letters she sent. All while he was imprisoned for 30 years so scientists could determine why the serum worked for him.
Isaiah has no love for the hypocrisy of America as he referenced the Red Tails who fought in World War II only to return to find burning crosses on their lawn. We’re in this historical entertainment Golden Age where shows like Lovecraft Country and Falcon and Winter Soldier reference actual historical events to both educate some viewers and add it to the fabric of their fictional characters.
Sam might think times are different, but Isaiah can cite his erased life and history and confidently say “They will never let a black man be Captain America and no self respecting black man would ever want to be.” It cuts Sam deep as he wants to do the right thing, but isn’t sure what direction to take.
Some time with Sara and his nephews helps provide perspective while Bucky arrives with a case from Wakanda featuring you know what. Sam and Bucky spend some quality time and Bucky apologizes for not understanding what it meant for a black man to be Captain America. Sam gives Bucky the tough love advice his counselor wasn’t offering — Bucky was avenging his wrongs instead of truly making amends.
As Bucky leaves this time, their banter might be the same, but Sam and Bucky understand their bond is tighter now and while Steve might be gone they’ve got each other to lean on now. This culminated in Sam putting in that work to truly carry the shield — not as a gift from a treasured friend, but as a mantle he wants to earn in his own mind. Montage segments can be goofy at times, but this felt like an incredible moment and an oddly unique origin point for Sam Wilson Captain America.
Course there’s the matter of the government recognized Cap. John is unceremoniously stripped of the title of Captain America without any rank or benefits. John calls out the government for building him and declares that he is Captain America while telling his wife they don’t know what it takes to be Captain America.
Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) strolls in on their conversation and suggests she’s on his side and reinforces his murderous actions before saying she’ll be in touch. In the comics Val was an agent of SHIELD and Nick Fury love interest before the reveal she was a…Hydra agent undercover. Hail Hydra. As Madame Hydra, Val handled a number of shady operations including one in a particular location Sam and Bucky visited earlier this season.
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The GRC shut down Karlie’s refugee camp and she calls in a favor. There’s a certain degree of shadiness here as Sharon calls someone referencing an Algiers prison. We don’t have to wait long for that payoff as Batroc arrives in New York with a weapons cache for Karlie and Dovich…and her New York squad of Flag Smashers.
Why the field trip? The GRC is about to send all the refugees dislocated after The Blip to their respective countries regardless of their status in the five years. The Flag Smashers make their move and Sam sees the news alert and dramatically opens the case. It’s almost time…
We do get a post-credit scene this episode. John is hard at work crafting his own shield so it looks like Sam might have to contend with Karlie and The Flag Smashers, Batroc and USAgent. Hopefully Bucky doesn’t have his phone on vibrate. Or maybe Torres could do something with those broken wings Falcon left him…
Truth was amazing as it easily transitioned from a movie final act to a personal cool down TV setting just before the big showdown. I’m not ready for this to end, but I can’t wait to see how this wraps up.
What’d you think of the Truth? I’d love to check out your comments.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Photo Credit: Disney+
Grab the comic collection of Sam Wilson Captain America Book 1 on Amazon.