The guy that created the serum explains this in the episode where they find him in the shipping containers. I don’t recall the exact words at the moment, but it was something about improving on the original serum, so no need for Vita-Rays or massive muscles - it’s a more subtle serum.

Who gets labeled a “terrorist” and who gets labeled a “freedom fighter” largely depends on perspective and power balances.

Yeah... well... that’s like... your opinion man.

To be fair, if he allowed that girl to get stabbed and she died, this story wouldn’t be news.

I am not trained police officer or trained in deescalation, so I dont know what kind of deescalation is called for in that situation, but from the video it looks like he probably saved the life of the girl in pink or atleast…

“The Falcon And The Winter Soldier stumbled under the weight of Captain America’s legacy” is also a weird story to write the day before the final episode. I mean, maybe give it a day before looking back on what the series did or didn’t accomplish?

The show’s argument, on the other hand, is that John didn’t really become a bad Captain America until he killed a man with the shield in broad daylight.

“The show’s argument, on the other hand, is that John didn’t really become a bad Captain America until he killed a man with the shield in broad daylight.”

So because you know an officer that never had to kill someone in the line of duty, this cop is a dyed in the wool racist cop?

Yeah this one has us divided for real, and I think a lot of it has to do with a narrative that a lot of us can fall into if we aren’t careful. It’s easy to push this into a “racist cop” narrative that fits how we feel about police in general right now. But...

I think they did stop to consider that Steve was wrong. Bucky apologized to Sam because neither he nor Steve understood how much harder it was for a Black man to wield the shield and be accepted as Captain America. It was one of my favorite scenes of the entire series.

Yep, that’s what happened: Sam gave up the shield because he didn’t think he deserved it, the military wasn’t just gonna turn around and offer it right back to him. I could argue that Sam was probably a bit foolish and a lot idealistic to think the military would just let something like that sit in a museum for more…

This. A zillion times this.

The video seems to show why you want an experienced and trained officer, he clearly shot center mass and protected someone in urgent danger. This is why police train, to make the right decisions, not pull out a taser that turns out to be a gun and kill someone. Your average person could never make that shot.

“like why the U.S. government happily handed the shield over to a white guy rather than the Black man who deserved it”

Masks was better than Picard S1.

That's better dialog than anything i've heard on any streaming series so far.

I said when they revealed John was coming on as Q, I’d bet good money that is how they work around the “android!Picard” snafu in the s1 finale.

Q - “My, you have a fine new crew Picard. They are just so... conveniently diverse aren’t they. You find the most interesting broken and lost toys to surround yourself with.”

This was so on-cadence that de Lancie’s voice was in my head.

I’d submit that to John and Patrick directly so that stands the best chance to make it into the actual show dialogue.   That was brilliant BTW...