'The Falcon And The Winter Soldier' episode 5 sets stage for the future perfectly: Review

The penultimate episode of The Falcon And The WInter Soldier, namely "Truth" is here. The second-last episode of the miniseries, as one has come to expect, shows its viewers that Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson is now one step closer to don the shield of Captain America. In addition to the same, "Truth" has set up multiple storylines for the future, something that can very well make up for the bulk of stories that will be told during Marvel Phase 4, and maybe even perhaps the one after that too. Read on to see The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Episode 5 review.

Disclaimer: The text that follows may contain some Falcon And The Winter Soldier Episode 5 spoilers. You may want to see the show and come back or you can venture ahead if the knowledge of spoilers do not deter you.

The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Episode 5 review:

"Truth" picks up where "The Whole World Is Watching" left off; With John Walker's Captain America running away from the crime scene where he acted as a perpetrator and find a secluded location where he can take a moment to consider what he has done. This is when Walker meets the titular duo, who indulge in the fight to near death in the very first scene. During this sequence, Falcon shines once again and shows why he deserves to be the holder of the shield and the wearer of the star-spangled outfit, much more so than Walker, whose mental health has been on a steady decline since the second episode. In one scene, a Super Soldier Serum-induced John Walker conveniently rips the metallic wings of Mackie's Falcon apart, which is symbolic of the fact that now his time as the Falcon may have come to an end.

Post this, the storyline that is at the heart of "Truth" takes centre stage, the viewers are taken back to spend time with Falcon and his family, where they learn that the boat hasn't been sold yet and have been struggling to do so since the beginning of the first episode. But, the Wilson family surely comes closer to doing so, courtesy of the members of Sam's neighbourhood and a Bucky who has now come a step closer to becoming free of the trauma that he is dealing with due to his past. In a parallel storyline, a grief-stricken John Walker gets a dishonourable discharge, which is when he delivers a monologue regarding how living a life full of mandates and orders has truly made him feel as if he has been imprisoned by the government; this is an event that could be considered to be similar to one of the moments in Captain America movies, where Steve Rogers decides to get out of the shadow of the government and work as an independent organization featuring him and the one faction of the Avengers. On the topic of Walker's arc in "Truth", the viewers get to meet Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who, in the comics, is responsible for helping a disgraced John Walker take up the mantle of U.S Agent, the persona that he is ultimately known for.

One plot involves Sam and Isaiah Bradley, whose records and instances of service as a super-soldier of African American origin had been erased from American History. This racially-themed plot tries to communicate as to why will a government that is predominantly comprised of Caucasian individuals will not let a person of colour different from that of theirs hold the shield that has been established as a symbol of America. This is the perfect set of obstacles that have been put in place, which will make the final scenes of the finale episode, where Sam will reportedly take on the Captain America persona, more cheer-worthy. The final 10 minutes or so see Sam preparing for his role as the new Star-Spangled man in secrecy and opening the mysterious package that has come from the Wakandans and delivered to him by Bucky, which is presumably his new Captain America outfit. On the topic of Bucky's arc, the Wakandans can be seen referring to Bucky as the White Wolf constantly, hence consistently teasing his future in the MCU. Overall, "Truth" is high on emotion, drama and humour. It also serves its function well; To prepare the viewers for what is to come in the finale.