Walker faces the consequences of his actions whilst Sam contemplates what kind of hero he wants to be.
I enjoyed this episode for the character moments, some strong performances, two good montages and a great fight sequence.
This is one of the more reflective episodes so far, that puts heroism in the spotlight and looks at it from different perspectives. There is a strong racial aspect to it. This could have been written with more subtlety, but in my opinion it makes the story a hundred times more interesting than some bland comic-book action adventure with a clearly defined goodies versus baddies structure.
For me this is the strongest character episode so far for Sam and Bucky. I have been critical in previous episodes of their ability to carry show and some of their 'buddy' dynamic has felt a bit forced. However, in this episode it clicks between them on screen together. The boat sequence went on a bit, but I liked it. You don't see enough of superheroes doing important things that are not violent or visually spectacular, so this for me is a breath of fresh air.
There are a number of memorable scenes. The opening fight sequence is one of the best I've seen in the MCU. All scenes involving John Walker are highly compelling. Sam's exchange with Isiah Bradley is excellent. I enjoyed the two montage sequences.
Most performances are great, but Carl Lumbly and Wyatt Russell easily stand out for me.
