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So the finale just came out....what did I think?

Sam's new costume is tight. I really liked that at the end, he finished his battle with words instead of fists. Captain America is not about power, its about the symbol that inspires others to do the right thing...and they nailed that piece.

I am glad that Walker didn't go full heel turn on us, that when the choice came between revenge and saving others that he made the right call. That said it did feel a little too neat, he shows up, they all fight together....everything is just cool.

The Flag Smashers were the biggest casualty of the 6 episode runtime. At the end, they seemed to just fade with a whimper. They kept going with this "lets convince Karli that killing is bad".... but at the same time showed her coming to terms with her mission and being ready to die for it. Being a revolutionary....means killing the old order....its not a pretty business, and Karli had gained her conviction. So to see her a bit torn at the end, and even apologize as she died....it just didn't sit right with me. They made these group out to be a massive world spanning "cult", and at the end their master plan was to kidnap a few people and negotiate for more stuff.....that's it?

There is also the oddity with their ending. We got the guard saying "One World, One People" suggesting the movement will live on...but then everyone gets firebombed....suggesting they are really dead, so its unclear what they are going for there.

Shannon Carter as the Power Broker seemed pretty obvious but I do like it. Ultimately why she wasn't taken care of when Cap seemed to help everyone else is a massive plot gap to me....but considering what happened, I think her change makes complete sense, and glad to see the character will stick around for new things in the future.

The fact that we finally get the scene with Bucky and the old Japanese man and then cut that short was an absolute travesty. Did the man forgive him, did he rage out and demand justice... I mean all we got was "why?".....because I had no choice. Sorry Bucky the guy needs a little more than that. That was the biggest character moment for Bucky in the entire show and they cut it in half.

I continue to like Sam's unique style. The moment where he took a super soldier's punch on the shield but sticking his wings into the ground for support was very cool.

Ultimately I think the show was....fine, just fine. We got a little character, not as much as I wanted. The plot and villain was ultimately just there to have stuff happen. I do think Bucky and Sam are a good team...but I didn't get as much "buddy cop" elements as I expected coming into the show. I enjoyed it all things considered, its a fine filler while waiting for the next movie, but its unlikely to be something I rewatch.

And lastly, my man Zemo. So did the Contessa put Zemo in the raft or break him out of it....they never actually say. I will say it doesn't make any sense for Zemo to be in the raft, he's awesome but he's just a good operative, he's not packing super powers or anything.
 

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was decent but wow did this show get so political (felt very 1980s super hero stuff or when the shows end and the stars come out with a message)



stay after credits for extra
 

I was suprised they gave Walker a bit of redemption after last weeks turn, but a more subtle change to the character moving forward is probably a good thing,

Im sad the Carter name has been besmirched but it does set up for all kinds of future plot lines

I was right right about Buckygump (they even throw some shrimp), and Sams new suit does look tight

Even from the Raft Zemo still rocks, though sad about Karli (is she really gone?)

the Captains speech also gave so much feels
 
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Ok, This one I liked a lot. Exciting, emotive, and only slightly in-your-face, 4.5/5 would watch again

The Flag Smashers were the biggest casualty of the 6 episode runtime. At the end, they seemed to just fade with a whimper. They kept going with this "lets convince Karli that killing is bad".... but at the same time showed her coming to terms with her mission and being ready to die for it. Being a revolutionary....means killing the old order....its not a pretty business, and Karli had gained her conviction. So to see her a bit torn at the end, and even apologize as she died....it just didn't sit right with me. They made these group out to be a massive world spanning "cult", and at the end their master plan was to kidnap a few people and negotiate for more stuff.....that's it?
You see:
That is in part the point. It is very easy to believe you are willing to die for your cause, but until you do there is no way to make sure you actually are. Of course Karli said she would die for the cause, she felt practically immortal. Only when she was actually dying she managed to grasp the value of life -the lives she was gleefully taking without a care-. Many times cult leaders end up believing their own hype.

On Sam:
Let me say, I've never cared for Cap Sam, but after this, wow. The suit is one of the coolest translations from page to live action, and he actually sold that he deserves the stripes and stars, let alone the shield.

On Walker:
I'm glad they let him redeem himself on a way. And ironically by letting go of wanting to be Captain America he was actually the closest to being worthy he's ever been. Nice touch that he ended up getting some kind of tumbs up from Bucky

In Sharon
:
I knew it!!
 

Wakanda doesn't seem to have a clear line of succession, given the rites surrounding T'Challa's ascension to the throne. There's an expectation that the king's son (or maybe daughter, we don't know how equal Wakanda is in this regard) is next in line, but the heir apparent still has to defend their claim. Shuri is real competent at what she does, but I do not see her beating up M'Baku at Warrior Falls without any gadgets. Okoye might, though, but she does not seem like a person who wants to rule, and that's kind of demanded by the Wakandan traditions.
Well, it was a big point in the Black Panther movie that Killmonger was from the royal line. Now, each of the tribes were given a chance, and M'Baku was accepted. I wonder if each of the tribes has a royal line that is eligible to be Black Panther?
 

Well, it was a big point in the Black Panther movie that Killmonger was from the royal line. Now, each of the tribes were given a chance, and M'Baku was accepted. I wonder if each of the tribes has a royal line that is eligible to be Black Panther?
I figured that if M'Baku had won, he'd be something other than Black Panther, since his tribe's animal is the gorilla, not the panther.
 

Well, it was a big point in the Black Panther movie that Killmonger was from the royal line. Now, each of the tribes were given a chance, and M'Baku was accepted. I wonder if each of the tribes has a royal line that is eligible to be Black Panther?

The Position of King of Wakanda and the role of Black Panther are not the same thing. Tchalla was already Black Panther when his father was King.

Canonically there are four Cults in Wakanda - the Panther Cult, White Gorilla Cult, Lion Cult and Crocodile Cult. The Black Panther is the Leader of the Panther Cult NOT necessirally the Leader of Wakanda.

Mbaku is chief of the Jabari Mountain Tribe who worship the Gorilla god
(the terms Man-Ape and Gorilla-Man are used in comics for leaders of the Gorilla cult, but I doubt they will ever be used in the movies)

In Wakanda History it was the leader of the Panther Tribe (the second Black Panther) who first discovered the Vibranium meteorite and became the first king of Wakanda and for that reason most Wakanda tribes follow the Panther Cult.
The Jabari tribe however refused to worship the Panther god and instead withdrew to the mountains where they could continue to follow the Gorilla cult.

The Lion Cult tried to win converts in Wakanda without much success and Sekhmet Her/Himself has manifested to challenged the Black Panther.
The Crocodile Cult is all but forgotten, I dont know of any adherents.
 

Overall, I liked this series. There were a few flaws, but I liked the ending and the messages that this show sends.

On Sam:
I really liked Sam's character arc in this show. He really earns the title of Captain America, and his suit is awesome of heck. His style of fighting is unique and really cool, I especially love that he uses his wings to keep his balance and thrusters to help with his attacks and saving others. I wonder if/when the government will officially make him Captain America, which could come up if there's a second season to this series. I love what he does for Isaiah and how he takes his own path. His point on them building the country and being worthy of fighting for it is spot on, but I wish that he didn't have to do the fighting. What kind of a reward is it to have to work for your country in exchange for building it?

On Bucky:
I wish his character arc was a bit better and that we could see the reaction of the old man, but it's enough to know that he's made amends with what he was forced to do and can move on, while never forgetting the bad that he's done. I'm glad that he and Bucky were eventually able to become friends by the end of the series. He's Cap's buddy, both for the first Cap and the third Cap. If there's a second season, I hope that he gets a bit more of a character arc, possibly going more into him being the MCU's White Wolf, but this is a fine way to end the season.

On Walker:
I liked his moment of slight redemption, and I'm excited to see what he does in the future. I'm assuming that they're going to lean more into the "man with good intentions but the wrong actions" in the future. He gave up revenge in order to save some lives, which makes him a "good guy" right now, but his future as a government agent may cause trouble for Sam and Bucky in the future. Especially if Sam doesn't officially become Captain America, which could cause them to go outside of the law a bit. Him giving up the claim to the title of Captain America is a good thing for the character, but I wonder if he doesn't hold a bit of a grudge towards Sam for it. It could make an interesting story for the second season, so I'm intrigued to see where this character goes.

On Karli and the Flag Smashers:
I don't know what to think of her ending. I'm assuming she actually dies and doesn't manage to survive/be revived, but with Marvel you never know. She seemed to be willing to give up other lives in order for her cause, but not her own life, and ends up paying for it. She also doesn't know when to back down. She probably could have survived if she surrendered to Sam, and that could have ended up revealing the identity of the Power Broker, but from a narrative standpoint it makes sense for her character to die. Villains that have a point are typically more drawing to me than pure evil/selfish ones. Zemo has a point about power corrupting and the abuse of symbols, the Flag Smashers have a point about the injustices done to them and those like them, and Isaiah (though not a villain, but certainly antagonistic at points) has a point about not wanting to fight for a country that doesn't fight for you. I wish that Karli had been a bit more idealistic and smart in her plan, but the character had to die for the story and her apology at the end makes up for it a bit.

I think that the Flag Smashers are truly gone, but one can never be sure with Marvel. It was more than a bit anticlimactic for them to just die in an explosion out of nowhere. It seems like most of the people that get sent to the Raft either don't make it there alive, or don't stay there for long. Isn't Zemo basically the only person we know that is trapped there now that we know of? A villain prison facility with only one villain seems a bit strange.

On Sharon:
Yeah, it makes sense for her to be the Power Broker. It sucks for the characters that Karli didn't tell Sam about Sharon before dying, but that's bound to happen for narrative reasons. Sharon will almost definitely be the main villain of the next season, and I hope she shows a bit more of her villainous side in the next season, and hopefully a bit of flash-backs to show how she got there.
 

Okay, I tried going back and viewing this particular scene again, and I'm still not sure, so can someone confirm?

Did Sharon, in fact, shoot and kill Batroc?
 

Into the Woods

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