‘The Falcon And The Winter Soldier’ Delivers Heartfelt Message About Racism In Penultimate Episode

The penultimate episode of the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was released on the Disney+ streaming service last week. The fifth episode titled “Truth” served as a character-focused episode following the extremely dark and violent previous entry, “The Whole World Is Watching.” Like all of the episodes in the series, “Truth” was directed by Kari Skogland and written by Dalan Musson. The most recent installment is a much slower episode that has more drama and less action.

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The episode focuses on Sam Wilson/The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) overcoming their personal demons while the antagonists prepare to put their next plans into motion. Karli Morgenthau (Erin Kellyman) and the Flag Smashers are shaken by the murder of one of their members but nevertheless prepare for another attack on the Blip restoration programs with even more followers. Meanwhile, John Walker (Wyatt Russell) is Other Than Honorably Discharged from the military and stripped of his title of Captain America by the government after he brutally used his shield to murder a Flag Smasher in public. Angered by what has happened to him, Walker builds a new Captain America shield and is recruited by a mysterious woman (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to continue his mission.

Bucky makes his peace with what happened to him because Helmut Zemo (Daniel Brühl) and turns him in to the Wakandan security group the Dora Milaje. In addition to moving past his trauma with Zemo, Bucky makes amends with Sam and accepts why he gave away Steve Rogers/Captain America’s (Chris Evans) shield. Meanwhile, Sam meets with Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), an African-American super soldier used during the Korean War who was imprisoned for 30 years experimented on by the government and HYDRA. Isaiah explains to Sam that he never saw his wife again following his imprisonment and torture. Sam attempts to give the Captain America shield to Isaiah but the latter rejects it, believing that a black man will never be allowed to become Captain America nor should they want to. Despite being heartbroken by what happened to Isaiah, Sam decides to take on the mantle anyway and prove everyone wrong.

The episode was met with critical acclaim from fans, who praised the heartbreaking message about racism as well as character development of Bucky and Sam.