'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier' Episode 1: Bucky might get redemption arc after villainous past

The introduction all but establishes that Bucky has still been on the mend after being brainwashed by HYDRA
Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes in 'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier' (Disney+)
Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes in 'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier' (Disney+)

Spoilers for 'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier' Episode 1: 'New World Order'

'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier' has all the ingredients of an interesting watch. The new Marvel series hit the ground up and running with ample focus on the lead characters — Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan. The latter was the topic of conversation on social media especially after the gripping introduction he received. The scene sees Bucky dreaming about his Winter Soldier days where he killed people ruthlessly on missions. One of them involves killing an innocent man for witnessing Bucky commit murder.

The introduction all but establishes that Bucky has still been on the mend after being brainwashed by HYDRA. He was treated at Wakanda at the end of the events of 'Captain America: Civil War' and while he played his part in helping the Avengers beat Thanos, he's still shown to be grappling his demons from the past. In addition, the series also contains a scene where Bucky is seen hanging out with a neighbor, Yori (Ken Takemoto). It is later revealed that Yori's son was the innocent victim that Bucky killed.

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This raises questions about whether Bucky is still reeling from his traumatic and guilt-ridden past. Questions about whether Bucky has PTSD have come to the fore as well. To explain what exactly Bucky is going through, we'll have to look back at his past after he was whisked off by HYDRA in 'Captain America: The First Avenger' and then had his brain put in a blender. After being left off at Wakanda for his rehab, things seemed to be inching towards normal for the soldier, but 'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier' quashes that theory.

While there has been no Sam-Bucky reunion yet, it is safe to say the series will offer some sort of redemption for Bucky. He's been officially pardoned for his crimes, and one of them was the killing of Tony Stark's parents. Perhaps, working with the Falcon to combat and put an end to the Flag Smashers, the latest threat to the world, will be a start.

'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier' Episode 1 is available for streaming on Disney+.

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