In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode three, “Power Broker,” Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) and Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) are seeking to find the source of the super-soldier serum. We finally get some answers about who is creating more super soldiers and run into familiar faces from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
General spoiler warning applies.
“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” episode three opening
First, this episode begins with a commercial of sorts. The “Global Repatriation Council” is supposedly in place to help people who have come back from being erased from existence. This council is in place to get people back on track at home, at work, and to learn how things have changed over the last five years. The commercial was very specific in mentioning how laws, society, and borders have changed as well. From the first episode, we know that there are plenty of people who want things to go back to the way they were before everyone came back.
Once this commercial ends for us, the viewers, we see a police van roll up in Germany. They have the “GRC” label on the side, and John Walker/Captain America (Wyatt Russell) emerges with a team of people along with his buddy, Lemar (Clé Bennet). They knock down the doors of those who are helping the Flag Smashers demanding answers. Walker threatens a man and asks if this man knows who he is. Of course, he knows. He even spits on Walker’s face and then says he does not care that he’s Captain America. You can see in Walker’s eyes that this is a huge blow to his pride. He cannot pin down who is responsible for the Flag Smashers, nor can the U.S. government.
Zemo, we meet again
Last week, Bucky suggested that their only lead would be to talk to Zemo (played by Daniel Brühl). Zemo was introduced to us in Captain America: Civil War and his life mission became destroying the Avengers. He figured out how to control Bucky using trigger words to revert him back to becoming the Winter Soldier. In a German prison now, Bucky goes in to talk to him alone. Sam lets him go in alone, but only because Bucky makes it clear Zemo would likely not talk to an Avenger.
Zemo uses the trigger words the moment he sees Bucky. They do not work, but Zemo is psychotic enough to try anyway. Zemo knows they must be desperate for answers if they came to him. In fact, that is exactly the case. Then, Bucky leads Sam to a garage where we see that Zemo has escaped from prison. Sam questions how, and Bucky calmly explains that “hypothetically” if a fight breaks out and escalates within the prison, it could be easy for someone to slip out. Long story short, Bucky helped Zemo break out.
Someone with answers is located in a lawless island called Madripoor. In order to get the answers they need about the super-soldier serum, Sam and Bucky cannot be themselves. Zemo gives Sam a fake ID of a man named Conrad Mack, also known as the “Smiling Tiger.” Unfortunately, Bucky has to play pretend as the Winter Soldier. If anyone knew who they truly were, then they would be killed on the spot.
Business in Madripoor brings a familiar face
Zemo takes Bucky and Sam to a bar looking for someone named Selby. At the mention of that name, people in the background start shifting along with someone in a hoodie leaving the area. The bartender serves them drinks, and someone then tells Zemo he is not welcomed there. “The Power Broker” is mentioned, and Zemo explains he has no business with the Power Broker. Meanwhile, Bucky is playing intimidating Winter Soldier and Zemo has him attack people in the bar. He takes down a few people, but there is a reluctance in Bucky’s eyes as he has to keep up this act. Those days are behind him, yet here he is pretending to be controlled by someone who once, in fact, had control over him. When the fight is over, Sam looks worried. Zemo tells them to stay in character. Clearly, as the camera pans over to Bucky, there is distinct pain in his eyes. Sebastian Stan’s acting is superb. He brings the uneasiness into Bucky’s face when he is forced to act like his old self. Yet, he manages to switch back and forth between Bucky and the Winter Soldier flawlessly.
The meeting with Selby does not go well. First, Zemo offers the Winter Soldier and the words to control him (all meaningless, at this point) in exchange for information on the serum. She agrees and tells them a man named Dr. Wilfred Nagel (played by Isaiah Bradley) is who they need to talk to. Sam’s phone rings, he answers it, and unfortunately, his sister calls him by his real name. Just as Selby’s guards are about to turn on them, someone kills her. Now, there is a bounty out on Zemo, Sam, and Bucky. As they make their escape, a “guardian angel” takes down the people chasing them. Here, we meet Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) again. She has been living in Madripoor with her head down, staying as far away from the U.S as possible. Sharon brings them into her home, gets them cleaned up, and makes a deal with Sam. Sam says he will clear her name if she is willing to help them.
Super-soldier serum
Now, Sharon agrees to help. They find Dr. Nagel in his lab inside a shipping container. While Zemo, Sam, and Bucky talk to him, Sharon keeps watch outside. Since the three have a bounty on their heads, bounty hunters begin to close in on their position. Sharon holds her own and manages to take down every man coming to kill. It is always refreshing to see a woman kick some serious ass.
Dr. Nagel explains that he was hired to work for Hydra and then the CIA. His job was to take blood from “an American test subject” to create a stable serum. In the last episode, we met Isaiah, a Black super soldier who fought in the 1950s and used as a test subject. It’s a safe bet this is how Dr. Nagel was able to extract the serum to create his own. Dr. Nagel calls his serum “perfect.” His serum didn’t need machines to inject people, nor did it make people’s physical bodies change. Then, we find out that he was also lost to the Blip. When he came back, The Power Broker funded his work once again. After he started back up, Karli, the leader of the Flag Smashers, stole the serum. Karli wanted to use it to help people who were sick. Zemo kills Dr. Nagel.
As they all run out, Sam and Bucky have a moment where they both try to be the leader. Sam claims that in every action movie, the guy in front is the one who gets followed. It was perfect comedic timing to have the two of them banter about who was supposed to follow whom in a time where containers were blowing up around them. Zemo steals a car, and Sharon leaves. As Sam sits in the back seat of the car, he asks if Bucky is going to move his seat up. Bucky says no. This, again, was such a perfect moment of humor. It is reminiscent of their first meeting with Steve and Sharon in Captain America: Civil War when Bucky has to sit behind Sam in a small vehicle. Bucky had asked Sam to move his seat up, and Sam told him no. Well done, writers!
How the episode ends
Walker and Harskins find out that Zemo escaped from prison. There is no doubt in their mind that Sam and Bucky helped him. Walker suggests doing things more like Sam and Bucky, and now he does not seem to care if it is legal or in line with his orders. He is desperate and wants to get the job done.
Karli is on the move. She plans on stealing more from people who have too much to give to those in need. Sam finds out where to find her, and Zemo has them flown to where they need to go.
Then, we see Karli and her team taking the surplus of supplies. As they leave, she blows up the building while people are still inside. Wasn’t this group known as a “Robin Hood” of sorts? It felt out of character for her to do something like this. Even one of her own questioned her for a moment.
When Zemo, Sam, and Bucky arrive at their destination in Latvia, Bucky excuses himself to go for a walk. He finds silver spheres and begins to follow them. Once he’s in an ally, he says out loud that he knows exactly who is there and that he was wondering when they would show up. He turns around, and behind him is Ayo (played by Florence Kasumba). Ayo is one of T’Challa’s guards from Wakanda. She was there when T’Challa’s father was killed by Zemo. Now, Ayo is looking for Zemo. Of course, we assume she is seeking revenge.
Overall thoughts on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode three
While this episode may have seemed slower than the first two, this one seemed to answer a lot more questions. Now, we know who is responsible for the super-soldier serum. Karli stole it for what felt like good reasons, but is this “perfect serum” changing her brain? She seemed to flip to a killer pretty quick in this episode. Also, we learn that Sharon is living life exactly the opposite of what she had when she worked for SHIELD. She is, rightfully, jaded by the whole idea of being a hero. Avengers get pardoned, but she is still wanted for trying to survive. Does she truly want to be pardoned and leave her life in Mardipoor?
Also, we know how John Walker feels about this entire operation. He is desperate and is now willing to do whatever it takes to finish the job. Wyatt Russell has done an incredible job making us distrust, and probably hate, John Walker. Sure, Steve did whatever it took to get things done, but he never carried a gun on his hip…
It will be interesting to see the way the next episode ties a character from The Black Panther into this mission. Will we see more of the Wakandans? Is Zemo still the villain we remember him being from the past?
Plus, we are still left with the question: who is this “Power Broker?” And why is he so invested in super soldiers?
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