MCU: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney+)

crisper57

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This was the best Marvel TV episode they’ve ever made in any series, IMO. The ending was chill-inducing.
 

Covert Rain

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By far the best episode of the mini-series yet. Honestly, the entire series has been a slog until this episode. Man I wish the entire series had been this good. Honestly, if they finish out the remaining two episodes with a bang it's going to save the series for me.
 

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That episode definitely made up for the first three. It was fantastic. The end scene was great.
 

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I wasn't too excited about this based on the previews, but we binged and caught up this last weekend and we really enjoyed it. I agree with above comments that the two mains have a very good chemistry and that should prove to help this series out.
 

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Are Tim Hutton and Sean Penn in this?

I've been avoiding this thread because I only caught up this weekend, but I'm quite proud of this joke that I forgot I made. :self:

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Post credit scene in episode 5

Really enjoyed this episode, probably my favorite so far. Starts strong.

They seemed to have set everything up for the finale next week. That should be good since they'll be able to jump right in.
 

carrrnuttt

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Post credit scene in episode 5

Really enjoyed this episode, probably my favorite so far. Starts strong.

They seemed to have set everything up for the finale next week. That should be good since they'll be able to jump right in.

Totally didn't see...

...Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Madame Hydra (among the Contessa's many names), but I think it's brilliant.

Apparently she was supposed to appear first in the Black Widow movie, but because of the schedule-shuffling, she showed up here first.
 

Cheesebeef

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Totally didn't see...

...Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Madame Hydra (among the Contessa's many names), but I think it's brilliant.

Apparently she was supposed to appear first in the Black Widow movie, but because of the schedule-shuffling, she showed up here first.

shes amazing in everything but Marvel has to stop hyping these “HUGE”moments like they’re gonna pull off the stunner at the end of Mando Season 2. It’s getting kinda annoying.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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Totally didn't see...

...Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Madame Hydra (among the Contessa's many names), but I think it's brilliant.

Apparently she was supposed to appear first in the Black Widow movie, but because of the schedule-shuffling, she showed up here first.
I like her casting
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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What’s interesting to me is that ep 6 is the completion to falcon and winter soldier but it seems like the whole season is leading up to an enormous jump off point. But fir what? I can’t see them taking plot from a tv series into any of the movies. And I thought Falcon & WS was a one season show like wandavision.
 

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What’s interesting to me is that ep 6 is the completion to falcon and winter soldier but it seems like the whole season is leading up to an enormous jump off point. But fir what? I can’t see them taking plot from a tv series into any of the movies. And I thought Falcon & WS was a one season show like wandavision.

I think this series is mostly an origin story for Falcon to become Captain America.

and CAMEO’S NAME ONITTED setting up a new league of bad guys.
 

carrrnuttt

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I think this series is mostly an origin story for Falcon to become Captain America.

and CAMEO’S NAME OMITTED setting up a new league of bad guys.

Yes and yes.

Comic based spoilers (meaning some of them might not be followed through in the MCU):

This whole show is a massive setup for a bunch of heroes and villains:
  • Sam Wilson as Cap - in the comics, his wings were based on Wakandan tech (awesome that the MCU follows up on this) - yes, he is a flying Cap
  • Joaquin Torres - he becomes Falcon after Sam takes on the Cap mantle
  • Elijah Bradley - Isaiah Bradley's grandson becomes Patriot in the comics and he gains his grandfather's strength when he ends up requiring a blood transfusion that only his grandpa could give him - he is also a part of the Young Avengers, which a large group of has already been set up in the MCU, including by the Wandavision show - Torres might even be included in this
  • The Thunderbolts - can be either fake heroes (villains in disguise) or anti-heroes, depending on how the MCU wants them portrayed, as they've been both - check this: https://screenrant.com/mcu-marvel-thunderbolts-movie-cast-possible/ <- they don't mention John Walker, AKA USAgent, but he can easily be added there - comic book forums speculate that the Contessa is setting this up - Baron Zemo was the first leader of this group, and he's going to the Raft that's being run by another Thunderbolts member - General Ross - and no, the group isn't based on Ross' nickname (Thunderbolt) in the comics, but they might change that in the MCU
  • MADRIPOOR has a VERY long history with the X-Men and Mutants in general: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madripoor
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Stout

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I have to tell you, even though it was a good episode, this is a massively disappointing series. In a 6-episode run, you CAN have an episode like this. When you already had 3 sub-par episodes, and only have 1 left, you get a lot less leeway. If the feel of "how in the hell can this be wrapped up in 6 episodes" is down to the show runners opening all these cans of worms only to set up movies, I'll be SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPER pissed.
 

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I think it moved a little slow during episodes 2 and 3 but it had the unenviable task of following WandaVision, which ended each episode with viewers on the edge of their seats. If this came before that, as originally planned, I suspect there would be a lot less complaints of pace. It also was meant to follow Black Widow and I think that would have set this series up some.

Apparently Julia Louis Dreyfus' character was supposed to be introduced in Black Widow. That is why I feel the two would have tied together better. Introducing Madame Hydra is a big deal and I'm not sure what she was meant to do in Black Widow but it would have made her arrival in this past episode carry more weight.
 

WaywardFan

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To make my comment in a spoiler:

I've never thought JLD was anything special at all and I don't find her funny. Again, this was a big build up to a bigger letdown. They also said the character wouldn't have anything to do with the new phase but she obviously does. I'm okay either way if Falcon becomes a new CAP with or without wings. The Wakandan suit will make him able to do stuff without the serum. I just don't know if I like so much white, like the picture spoiled above.

I'm not sure whether I like Bucky with Sam's sister more, or with Ayo. He has chemistry with both I think.
 

Covert Rain

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If the finale goes out with a bang it will be the tale of two halves. The first half a complete slog the second half has been pretty damn good. Overall inconsistent.
 

carrrnuttt

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If the finale goes out with a bang it will be the tale of two halves. The first half a complete slog the second half has been pretty damn good. Overall inconsistent.

We've covered this already, jesus.

It's basically a giant movie in six parts. You have to "slog" through the setup before you can get to the exciting conclusion.

I personally enjoyed all the "slog" through the character exploration and backstory that expanded the MCU during the first parts, but that's me.
 

Cheesebeef

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We've covered this already, jesus.

It's basically a giant movie in six parts. You have to "slog" through the setup before you can get to the exciting conclusion.

I personally enjoyed all the "slog" through the character exploration and backstory that expanded the MCU during the first parts, but that's me.

heres my issue with this... if a movie is good, no act should be a slog, ESPECIALLY the first act. The first and third acts are always the easiest to write and I look forward to most because at first you’re doing all the intros and entering the new world for the first time and by the time you get to the third act you are rolling downhill.

second act is always the beast, IMO.
 

carrrnuttt

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heres my issue with this... if a movie is good, no act should be a slog, ESPECIALLY the first act. The first and third acts are always the easiest to write and I look forward to most because at first you’re doing all the intros and entering the new world for the first time and by the time you get to the third act you are rolling downhill.

That's the thing. It isn't a new world. It's establishing an expansion of an existing and already very expansive world.

It's like a surgeon attaching a new, say, transplanted limb. Said surgeon would have to establish that all the nerves and blood vessels are connected right in their proper places to ensure that the new appendage functions correctly.

Again, maybe it's just me but none of these episodes so far has been anywhere near a "slog" for me, hence the quotation marks around that word.
 

Cheesebeef

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That's the thing. It isn't a new world. It's establishing an expansion of an existing and already very expansive world.

It's like a surgeon attaching a new, say, transplanted limb. Said surgeon would have to establish that all the nerves and blood vessels are connected right in their proper places to ensure that the new appendage functions correctly.

Again, maybe it's just me but none of these episodes so far has been anywhere near a "slog" for me, hence the quotation marks around that word.

every new adventure is a “new world” if you’re telling a good story. Otherwise, you’re just treading water. It’s the new challenge, world conflict that spurs further storylines. If you haven’t jumped into that in a first act and it’s feels slow, it’s because that new world isn’t interesting enough. And that is what was the case here. This show ABSOLUTELY takes place in a new world. It’s a world without Captain America. It’s a world post blip. Those are massive paradigm shifts for our established characters to deal with. The problem for a lot of people was the way they dove into those issues. They just weren’t interesting enough for people to connect. That’s bad story telling. Reality is this is why movies aren’t 6 hours long so if you’re goal is to make a series really as a “movie” that either better be the most interesting and exciting thing ever put to page or you better figure out how to structure a TV season better.
 
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carrrnuttt

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every new adventure is a “new world” is you’re telling a good story. Otherwise, you’re just treading water. It’s the new challenge, world conflict that spurs further storylines. If you haven’t jumped into that in a first act and it’s feels slow, it’s because that new world isn’t interesting enough. And that is what was the case here. This show ABSOLUTELY takes place in a new world. It’s a world without Captain America. It’s a world post blip. Those are massive paradigm shifts for our established characters to deal with. The problem for a lot of people was the way they dove into those issues. They just weren’t interesting enough for people to connect. That’s bad story telling. Reality is this is why movies aren’t 6 hours long so if you’re goal is to make a series really as a “movie” that either better be the most interesting and exciting thing ever put to page or you better figure out how to structure a TV season better.

That's the thing. Everything was interesting to me.

But you're talking to someone who has followed this world in print and drawings as a young child to young adult and now gets to see that world in live action. In that sense, I am in the "easy to please" category for this franchise.

Which also informs you just how BAD Joss Whedon's Justice League was, because short of a spattering of a few good moments, I mostly hated it. The complete opposite of how I felt about his Avengers. BVS was terrible as well.
 

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I don't think the first half was a slog at all. I quite enjoyed the 1st episode and would put it on the same level as episodes 4 & 5. The only issue I've had, and I think why the first half was viewed as slow by some, is that the villains were poorly defined early on and there didn't seem to be big enough stakes at play to push the narrative forward. Had Sam meant with Carly earlier then I doubt there would be any complaints of the show dragging along because at least then the conflict at the center of the series would have been better defined.
 

Ouchie-Z-Clown

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That's the thing. It isn't a new world. It's establishing an expansion of an existing and already very expansive world.

It's like a surgeon attaching a new, say, transplanted limb. Said surgeon would have to establish that all the nerves and blood vessels are connected right in their proper places to ensure that the new appendage functions correctly.

Again, maybe it's just me but none of these episodes so far has been anywhere near a "slog" for me, hence the quotation marks around that word.
I was a comic book junkie and I have to admit the first three were a slog for me. That said, much of the characters that have been introduced during F&WS were past the apex of my comic book career. So they’re not nearly so familiar to me.
 
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