The Falcon and the Winter Soldier S01E05: Truth (Full Reaction)

Truth- Thank you so much for your continued reactions for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Reds! I have been loving your reactions to this show I love overall, and I appreciate you for all your efforts and for watching this show for us to enjoy again through your eyes. :) So, like I've told you... I really love this show as a whole. I love Bucky's and Sam's characters, and I absolutely love their friendship/partnership. Especially the more they finally come together. They are hilarious when they were constantly bickering like an old married couple, but I love seeing them finally come together as close friends and partners by the end of this episode and in the final episode as well. Mostly... I absolutely love, love, love Bucky's overall story arc throughout this show. Just as I've mentioned a number of times. As you know... Bucky is my absolute favorite character throughout the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, followed closely by Steve and Clint (Hawkeye). For one reason... Because I absolutely love Sebastian Stan as an actor. He is a phenomenal actor. But mostly... It's truly because I absolutely love seeing Bucky's major struggles in dealing with all of his pain that has come from the deep hell that Hydra has put him through for so, so many years, and upon losing Steve while being left behind to deal with his pain all alone. Which is exactly how Bucky feels, because until the ending scene between Bucky and Sam shared between them in this episode, Bucky has felt all alone in the world. Because he didn't believe that Sam truly cared enough about him to be able to be there for him in a way that Steve always was. And it's heartbreaking, yet beautiful, because this is exactly what someone who has been put in Bucky's shoes would struggle with. And I love how his character's story is written, and it's exactly the kind of story for Bucky that we should be seeing after everything he's been through throughout all the movies. With all of this being said... This episode is titled, Truth. And therefore... I feel now is the time for me to share with you the whole truth behind how I feel about certain aspects of this show that I am not at all a fan of. However, I am worried to share my true thoughts, because I don't wish for you, or for anyone to believe that I am an awful person for feeling the way I do. Or to believe that I am someone I'm not. Because I am not at all what I know some people may come to believe about me should I express my true feelings, because it's heartbreakingly the way the world is now. Everyone believes the worst about people. Even though they would be very wrong about me. First... I really like, and I very much appreciate that Steve handed his shield down to Sam when he chose to finally live the life that he too deserved to live upon retiring as Captain America. Sam is a good man, and he is absolutely worthy to become the new Captain America. As much as I would love to see Bucky wield the shield as the new Captain America, because he too is a very good man and Steve's closest friend, it's absolutely right that Steve gave it over to Sam instead. And Bucky absolutely understands this and agrees with Steve's decision to give Sam the shield. Bucky's anger towards Sam was never about Steve seeing Sam as a better man than Bucky. Because if it weren't for Bucky's past as the Winter Soldier, then I have no doubt Steve would have chosen Bucky first, because they have been best friends since they were young, young kids. However, Bucky tragically feels like a monster because of all the pain he's caused at the hands of Hydra. Because he is struggling very deeply with his pain and with trying to make amends, even though Bucky truthfully hasn't done anything wrong of his own free will. With all of this being said... If Steve had chosen to give Bucky the shield, Bucky never would have accepted it, and Steve absolutely understood this. While Steve never saw anything but the good man still inside of Bucky, he understood that Bucky sees himself as unworthy and knew that he couldn't force more of a burden on his closest friend. Which is why Steve chose Sam over Bucky. And I love that this show tells this story by showing us this about these three beloved characters. I can also absolutely understand why Sam turns Steve's shield over to the museum, because it is a noble way of honoring Steve and of keeping his legacy where the whole world can come to see who he was, so they too can honor Captain America when they come to the museum. And I understand that Sam too feels unworthy of wielding the shield himself. I just wish his reasons for feeling unworthy comes more from him struggling with stepping into Steve's shoes and his fear of trying to prove himself to the world knowing how much everyone loves Steve. My problem with this story of Sam being given the shield, only to give it up because he feels unworthy, comes from him feeling unworthy because of the color of his skin. Which in my opinion... is the big fault of this show. And no... It's not just a story arc within The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, because it is a story arc that is in pretty much every other show or movie too. I really hate the major focus on racism that runs all throughout this show, and especially within this episode. Racism is very much alive today. It's such a major problem in the world today, because racism is constantly made apparent in every show, movie, in all kinds of music, and in as much as people can shove it into. Racism is constantly being shoved into our faces so that we are constantly reminded of the hate between the colors of our skin. And because of this, our hate is only growing deeper. And so is all the hate that leads to all these killings occurring in our world today. Racism is a problem that is only being fed and fueled by these constant reminders in everything we watch and listen to. And all of this... It breaks my heart. Please understand... I am in no way racist. I hope you can understand my feelings. And understand what I am trying to say. I love Sam Wilson throughout the MCU, just as I love King T'Challa, Shuri, Okoye, and all the Wakandans like Ayo and the Dora Milaje, etc... I love Sam's character, and I am happy to see that he is wanting to take up the mantle as the true new Captain America. He is worthy of taking up the shield. I love that this is where his story arc is being taken within the MCU. I have had friends who are Black, and I love so many other celebrities and musicians who are Black as well. I just hate being constantly reminded of the hate between people because of the colors of our skin. And I hate being told that I am a racist for feeling this way, or being seen by others as a racist, when I am not one in any way. All of this... is why I have to skip over a majority of the Isaiah Bradley story arc, and especially his scenes with Sam within this episode. Because I hate hearing Isaiah's entire speech about why any Black man should feel rotten for taking up Captain America's shield. It hurts me to see someone make Sam, or anyone else feel badly for wanting to become a hero like Steve, and for wanting to be as good as Steve was. I understand that Isaiah is in pain because of his own sufferings as well. And of course, I feel badly for him. No one should ever suffer through such pain. And it's kind and good of Sam for helping him to find peace in the end by offering Isaiah the credit he deserves for the whole world to see. But just because he's gone through all that he has, it gives him no right to try to make Sam or anyone else feel bad too. It doesn't give him a right to treat anyone the way he does. Especially Bucky. Isaiah had no right to treat Bucky so harshly like he does in the second episode. No right to call him nothing but a killer who will never be able to be anything but a killer. Especially when he has no idea of the true hell that Bucky has been through too. This is where my overall disappointment with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier comes in. Otherwise... I still do love this show as a whole. It's why I especially love Bucky's overall story arc throughout this show. My only other problem I have with it, is that because racism is such a drawn out, important story aspect within this show, Sam's story arc does come to overshadow Bucky's story arc by the end of this show. And Sam comes to be the main character, while Bucky has sadly become a secondary character once again, within a show where he is meant to be an equal character to Sam. This show is after all called The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Not just The Falcon, or The Falcon Becomes Captain America. Once again, with all of this being said... I really do enjoy this episode. I love seeing Bucky and Sam working together to repair the boat for the Wilson family. I love seeing these two finally come together and understand one another, and I love seeing all of Sam's and Sarah's hometown come together to repair the boat so the Wilson family can continue to hold onto their own legacy. I love Bucky's confession to Sam about his struggles with his past and his nightmares, and seeing Sam finally come to an understanding with why Bucky has been struggling so much with his past and why it has been hurting him so much to see Sam throw away Steve's shield as if it didn't matter to him, like it matters so much to Bucky. I also very much love the big fight between Bucky, Sam, and John Walker in the beginning of this episode. It's an amazing fight! I love seeing Bucky so protective of Sam during the fight, and vice versa. And I especially love Bucky's face, when he looks down coldly at Sam afterwards once he tosses the shield down next to him on the ground, telling Sam without saying a word that he is not to give it away this time. And of course... I absolutely love, love, love the final moment between Bucky and Zemo in Sokovia, as Bucky proves to Zemo that he is not the killer that he himself, Zemo, and most of the world believes him to be, by choosing not to kill Zemo. I love that Bucky calls on Ayo and the Dora Milaje to come and take Zemo away, as a way of apology to them for setting Zemo free. Even if he had done so only for a short time so they could get his help to take down the Flag Smashers. Bucky turning him over to the Dora Milaje instead of killing him, also shows an apology to Zemo himself, which Zemo understands in the end. Because throughout this whole series until this point, Zemo really believed that in the end of their brief partnership, that Bucky would kill him. I love that Zemo does see how wrong about Bucky he has been, and that Zemo no longer sees him as a threat to the world that he needs to take out. And I love that Zemo holds no ill will against Bucky any longer, including for turning him over to the Dora Milaje so that he can continue to face justice for his crimes. This is one of my favorite scenes and moments throughout this episode, as well as throughout the entire show too. I love Bucky's and Zemo's dynamics all throughout this show! Which makes me love Zemo even more than from how much I already loved him from back in Captain America: Civil War. Thank you so much for your fabulous reaction to another excellent episode, my dear friend! And thank you for hearing me out as I try to share my thoughts with you. I truly hope you won't see me any differently and hold any ill will against me for feeling such as I do. I truly hope you can understand. Thank you, Reds! :) Sincerely, Heidi

Heidi Elizabeth Marcum