The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Easter Egg Hunt

Episode 3 - Power Broker

SPOILER WARNING!!! Anything that will be discussed in this chapter will contain Easter eggs that exist in Episode 3 (or prior) of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The material in this chapter could include details that result in accurate predictions for the rest of the series. As always, I ask that you make your comments purely about Episode 3 (or prior) of TFATWS. Comments about future episodes should be posted on each episode's chapter. This is to help people who haven't seen the most current episode we discuss at the time.

I am including specific theories that reference possible character and storyline spoilers, but I will do my best to note these.

THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to this episode! It was awesome and I appreciate all your hard work! Your submissions are peppered throughout with tags. If you didn't get a chance to submit or have any other ideas, please comment!!!

Lastly- this chapter is unedited. I apologize in advance for any spelling errors. If anything doesn't make sense, feel free to point it out in the comments.

You have been warned! Let the hunt commence!

Previously on: Bucky noting that the Flag Smashers are stealing vaccines, before finding the leader (thinking she was a hostage); Walker pointing out that there are eight super-soldiers, (overlaid on the imagine of them loading the supplies out of the warehouse) and Sam saying that the Flag Smasher's goal is to get things back to the way things were during the Blip; Walker saying that the super-soldier serum doesn't have a great track record, before looking at Bucky; Sam yelling at Bucky on the street in Baltimore, MD about how no one knew that there has been as Black super-soldier for decades; Isaiah talking about how people took his blood while he was imprisoned; Bucky saying that he wants to steal the shield, before Sam points out how Sharon became an enemy of the state, and he and Steve were on the run for two years; Bucky telling Sam during their "couple's therapy" how upset he is that Sam gave away the shield after Steve specifically gave it to him, choosing him, and how it makes him question whether Steve was right about having faith in Bucky at all; Walker and Hoskins describing how they are locating the Flag Smashers based on their symbol showing up in displaced communities; and Sam and Bucky deciding to go see Zemo for help on figuring out how more of the super-soldier serum was made.

Global Repatriation Council: This advertisement is in some ways very reminiscent of the ones we saw during WandaVision. For this reason, I think it's really important to pay attention to the language that is used. The first thing they talk about is rejoicing and reuniting. In some ways, the reuniting sounds like a shoutout to the final battle in Endgame, but in the context of TFATWS, the assumption is that the "Blipped" and those who survived will just be able to integrate seamlessly. We know through MANY examples in history that integration isn't simply that easy. This recreates an interesting parallel to the theme of race throughout the series and how racial integration in the United States also has a troubled past and present.

One of the next things said is "The Global Repatriation Council knows that for many it wasn't that easy. So much has changed. But we're here to help you find your way. Helping you back into your homes and jobs. Helping you navigate changes to society, laws, and borders." These all have to do with those who were Blipped, but completely neglect who those who survive were effected by the Blipped returning. Again, as we know in examples throughout history, sudden influxes of people in a new region not only is difficult for the people finding their way in the new landscape, but is also incredibly difficult for those who were there and are often displaced.

The most important part is obviously the line about "Helping you get back to the way things were." Essentially, this completely neglects the challenges faced by those during the Blip and what they had to do to resettle. Instead, the idea is that pre-Blip is the goal. Those who weren't there for the Blip may not understand how challenging that adjustment is, because they just want to get back to their normal lives (sound familiar in the time of COVID).