It's after Avengers: Endgame. Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) turns down the shield but instead of retiring it, the authorities make American hero soldier John Walker (Wyatt Russell) the new Captain America. Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) can't understand why Falcon turned down the job. Meanwhile, the blip returnees are being marginalized by the world due to legalities and resource limitations. Karli Morgenthau leads a group of revolutionaries called Flag Smashers. Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) is hiding in the underworld of Madripoor.

This is a six episode Marvel TV show and probably a limited series. It's meant to lead to a new Captain America movie with Sam Wilson. It's also doing a lot of other things and they are a mixed bag. First, this is about a black man taking over the symbol of American exceptionalism. It hits on that present-day issue hard. I do wonder if it could turn off some people who like the color red. I also do wonder if Falcon is walking that line correctly. In the end, the writers are obviously trying very hard with his climatic monologue. That speech goes on too long. It needs a rewrite and cut in half. What really hits home more is the museum exhibit of Isaiah Bradley. The other story lines are just as ripped from the headlines. John Walker is the cop who goes too far. Karli is some sort of Antifa. It's all a maelstrom of modern day politics. I can see this being off-putting but comic books have often tackled the politics of its days.

There are undeniable problems with this show. I don't think Sharon Carter works in this role. There may be some rewriting going on and she struggles to go along the journey. Emily VanCamp is fine as Sharon but not the Sharon doing this premise. She is trying to be Hayley Atwell in Peggy Carter but that's not her. The other problem is Karli and her story. Her character needs help introducing her side and her people. The show simply doesn't have the time to fill out her story. The show is about six hours or about three Marvel movies. Even with that space, this show feels jammed together at times especially when a quarter is filled with cinematic action scenes. I have to think that the COVID disruption also caused some of the problems. At the end of the day, it does the main things well. Falcon and Winter Soldier are a good pairing. Falcon's journey to become Captain America is terrific and is given real world meaning.