Falcon And Winter Soldier: Power Broker Revealed? (Episode 4 Breakdown)
The Power Broker seems to have already been revealed in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier but, for [...]
The Power Broker seems to have already been revealed in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier but, for now, we have to label it as a theory. This is your official breakdown of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Episode 4, which I rate as an 8.7 out of 10 (the decimal just comes from the heart, okay?) and I think it's my second favorite episode of the series so far. There were really great action scenes, legitimately funny moments, and it had a very dark ending. Really solid work. Now, let's talk the Power Broker, because I think I've cracked this one (and I'm hardly the first). Spoilers ahead!
The Power Broker totally Sharon Carter. Right? Like, it has to be, yeah? A) Sharon Carter somehow has access to satellites. That's not normal, but okay. B) When we see her in Episode 4, she is on the phone while just swerving through body guards all casually. Not to mention in Episode 3, she had a personal driver. She runs shit in Madripoor! And C) She is openly searching Karli Morgenthau and using Sam and Bucky to do that, which is the same goal we see from the Power Broker who only communicates with Karli via text. I do admit.. It's weird imagine Sharon texting something like, "I will end you," but kissing your aunt's ex-boyfriend only for him to abandon your timeline and leave you on the run to go live in a different timeline with your aunt…? That might change a person.
If it's not Sharon Carter, who do you think the Power Broker is?
The episode started in Wakanda with Bucky and Ayo, gaving us a glimpse of how the Wakandans helped clear Bucky's mind of the HYDRA brainwashing after he was left there in the post-credits scene of Captain America: Civil War and before he reunited with Steve Rogers in Avengers: Infinity War. Today, though, the Dora's are pissed. Ayo and others want Zemo because he is responsible for the death of King T'Chaka which we saw in Captain America: Civil War.
The Dora Milaje easily get the best of John Walker which seems to be the turning point for his final decision: he is going to the take the Super Soldier Serum. He gets his hands on the last remaining dose of it when Zemo shoots Karli and smashes all but one vile.
Sam had tried to reason with Karli, and this show is consistently showing us that he is a good person who is willing to go out of his way to help others, even if it's a little risky for himself -- this reminds me of the speech Steve Rogers gives in the comic where Sam is announced as the new Captain America where he just details what a great, selfless man he is. We are really, really seeing that in the MCU right now.
Somewhere off-screen, John Walker takes the serum and then Karli punches his best friend Lemar so hard that she kills him. Lemar seemed like he was sort of John's moral compass, so without that, John is super triggered and this is where the episode title, "The Whole World is Watching" comes into play. John tracks down whatever Flag-Smasher he can, in this case it's Nico, and bashes him with the Captain America shield. In the words of Sam Wilson, "Symbols are nothing without the women and men that give them meaning."
This is a clear contrast between John Walker and Steve Rogers. Steve was in a very similar position in Captain America: Civil War after Tony Stark all but killed Bucky when he learned that brainwashed Bucky killed his parents but when he got the chance to slaughter Tony with the shield -- he didn't. John went through with the kill.
So, with two episodes left, Steve Rogers is watching what's going with his shield from his secret moon base and probably absolutely disgusted… but we do expect Sam and Bucky to get that shield back and bring it down to Louisiana for some target practice as one of them becomes Captain America -- I'm thinking Sam Wilson.
footage of Steve Rogers watching #TFATWS episode 4 eventspic.twitter.com/rtEkN6qapC
— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) April 13, 2021
What Easter eggs and references did you catch in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Episode 4? Drop them in the comment section or send them my way on Instagram!