Chicago Redshirt

I am not so specific. I am pretty much down for any and everyone this side of Battlestar to hand Walker his ass in a fight. Maybe Battlestar too. I want it to be like that scene from Airplane, where the woman is panicking, and someone slaps her to try to get her to snap out of it, and then the next person hits her harder, and there's a whole line of people waiting to smack her. The same sort of sitch for Walker, except for beatdowns.

Do you mean to we the viewers or to Falcon/Bucky or to the MCU public at large? Because the answers probably vary greatly. I suspect that for a lot of fans, nobody but Steve's anointed successor would do as Cap. And even some of them would not be happy with either Cap Falcon or Cap Bucky. I think Sam would have been perfectly fine with Walker if he was worthy, and Bucky would have been wary regardless. I am guessing the public in general is happy enough to have Cap back that they won't care to look too deeply at who John is once they know that enough boxes have been checked.

We don't know how well Sam's superhero contract gigs pay. And presumably, Sam doesn't have the time or inclination to personally run the family business. But the answer is of course "artificial tension," since Sam even if we are to pretend that Sam does not have money and has no immediate prospects for getting sufficient extra money through his work, he could almost certainly get a private loan on the order of the (presumed) $200-500k range from friends or friends of friends like Pepper and Rhodey.

Darkseid was the Big Bad for the final season of Smallville, albeit he himself barely showed up. It's not inconceivable that Supergirl will do something similar -- have a bunch of Darkseid's minions like Granny Goodness and the Female Furies show up. The main thing that would make this seem unlikely is that the various versions of the Justice League movie raising the notion of Darkseid TPTB would want them to deal with him.

As far as we saw, Zemo stayed in his cell and Bucky never entered. So one of several scenarios could have taken place: 1. Zemo had himself procured the key card and hid it in the book. This doesn't really make sense because Bucky would not have known about it, and it's implied he knew about it by asking about it. 2. Bucky was responsible for Zemo getting the key card and gave it to Zemo during the visit. Possible, but it seems like a narrative cheat since it does not seem like from what we saw of the visit that he had an opportunity to slip the key card in the book or to slip the book to Zemo. 3. Bucky was responsible for Zemo getting the key card and set up getting the key card/book well in advance of his visit. I think this makes the most sense. Part of the breakout plan suggests that he did some intel in advance. Choosing which inmates to try to spur into the fight, for example, was probably not just done by chance. The research that fight means at least four guards would respond was something he figured out. I think we just have to accept that he'd worked human angles to a) get the key card duplicated b) arranged through other human failings to get the book and keycard to Zemo.

Selby was saying "kill them" when she got shot. So a couple of possible problems with it being Sharon. 1. If Sharon was killing to save Our Heroes and Zemo,, she would have done a shitty job of it, because Selby wasn't armed or a direct threat, and she didn't bother to snipe the people who actually did have weapons. 2. Sharon would have known that Bucky faced no threat from these guys. 3. Pretty immediately after the shooting of Selby someone put a reward for the people who shot her of 1k in bitcoin, which is $58 million. It seems improbable that someone would put out a reward that big that soon after the shooting for it to be anything but a setup to get Our Heroes and Zemo.

Bucky presumably slipped Zemo the key card. Zemo did not use the key card to get out of his own cell. It seems to me that it was during recreational time where people were able to be out and about, which is why the two people were playing chess. Zemo uses a key card to maneuver around in the prison, but I was under the impression that he was just using the one from the guard he beat up and stole the clothes from. Maybe the key card hat was in the book was a backup, or maybe it allowed access to something on the outside of the prison. Zemo had to figure out how/where to find Bucky after all.

Sharon, who stole the killer story about planting yourself like a tree to tell the whole world to eff off when you know you're in the right from Steve, should not be whining that the world hit back. (Especially if as things appear, that she was able to secure herself a lifestyle of luxury as an ex-pat.) But again, it seems bizarre that while on the run, Steve and co. would leave a person behind. Especially one Steve was romantically involved with. I hope Sharon didn't kill Selby. Seems like she's not the type to a) kill people in cold blood and b) put Our Heroes in danger. I believe at least hypothetically, in the real world, the president could attached whatever strings they want to a pardon. It's just that most of them make them unconditional, because why not? Also, given Bucky's numerous international crimes over the years and his violation of the Sokovia Accords and Civil War/fugitive shenanigans most recently, I would think that there would have to be other nations/bodies to pardon him for it to mean much.

I would say in particular for Zemo, but to a lesser extent Sharon, we never got much chance to see the "real" them. In Civil War, Zemo was mostly playing roles to achieve his goals. The only thing that was really him was when he attempted suicide and got stopped by the Panther. Sharon was role-playing as friendly neighbor for most of Winter Soldier, and in Civil War, we got to see her as niece-in-mourning and helper, but not really that much of a person in her own right. It's certainly possible that there's more to Zemo that meets the eye, but it does seem like it would be a stretch for him to be the Power Broker himself or to really have any connection to the PB's operation. Even if we put aside the implausibility of his running stuff while behind bars, there's the problem of it contradicting his motivation of wanting to avoid the spread of super-powered people for him to be in league with someone recreating the SSS.

It might be wishful thinking, but I'm actually of the mindset that Mary Lou is the most likely to win. She gets the most/best talking heads, she's attractive, and she has generally done well in challenges and in regular services. The show blurs together, of course, but I can't remember any times when she was put up or when she screwed up. Cody and Declan have been I think both put up a few times. Kori hasn't but she hasn't really been given a narrative arc and seems boring AF. Forgot that this season has apparently aired and that the winner is known. My comments were made out of pure speculation.

Maggie is a GOOD detective... 🙂

On the contrary, it makes way more sense that a super-rich person could use his resources to follow the Hydra bread crumbs and orchestrate his elaborate Civil War plan than a random military guy. He is like Bruce Wayne, but evil and with fewer gadgets. His logic in Civil War is akin to Batfleck's logic in Batman v. Superman, except he is convinced that there is a 100 percent chance because of Sokovia's destruction that the good guys will cause chaos as opposed to Batfleck speculating that something must be done if there's even a 1 percent chance of Bad Superman after the destruction of much of Metropolis.

Maggie is a detective so she should be better at figuring things out than the average bear. And IIRC had a number of first-hand encounters with Supergirl. I am spacing on how much Kelly might have seen Kara as Supergirl. Although seems like Kelly might have gotten a head's up from brother James.

I think just about everything here is supposed to be at face value. But now that you mention it, to buy her story, we have to believe that somehow no one gave Sharon a second thought amid all their being on the run and following the Snap. Seems wildly out of character for Steve at a minimum, not to mention Fury. Also that as the show pointed out, Cyborg Staring Machine got a pardon for like seventy years' of crimes, and she did not. Hmm...Setup for a twist, pointed statement on the unfairness of the system, bad writing or what? The comics version of Zemo was always a baron. It's plausible that despite being rich, Zemo worked as a covert ops soldier because he was a patriot, or because he had a sense of noblesse oblige, or because of a jones for power. It's of course not the same thing, but in America, there are rich people who join the military to pave the way for political careers or because of family tradition.

I could see, say, Sarah Michelle Gellar pulling the line off. But Storm is not Buffy, and in particular, Halle Berry Storm shouldn't have been treated as a quipster.

Just because most white people also wouldn't do something does not make an act not white privilege. As a for instance, the notion of knowingly calling the police on an innocent black person and making false claims about them is not something most white people would do. But when someone does do it, it is an example of them consciously wielding white privilege.

That is not the sense in which I mean the possible privilege existing. Most people would not think they were entitled to come to a person's work to lecture them about a personal beef, let alone entitled to embark on an intercontinental trip to continue to lecture them about that beef, let alone when there's a measure of national security issues about all of the above. That Sam could have squashed that at any point is irrelevant to that Bucky felt entitled to act the way he did. By way of example, if a white customer complains baselessly to a black manager, it doesn't matter that the black manager has more power than she does in the situation. The customer's complaints still could be informed and a manifestation of unearned entitlement, or more specifically, white privilege. The source of the entitlement may have absolutely nothing to do with either Bucky's or Sam's race. Bucky's personality may be such that he would have acted the same way if he wanted to get in, say, Pepper Potts' face or Cosplay Cap's or the general that approved of Cosplay Cap. And if Bucky were black, maybe he still would have been just as brash and entitled. But it is at least arguable that if the shoe had been on the other foot, Sam would have known damn well that he, as a black man, could not expect to barge onto an army base uninvited in the first place, let alone insert himself into Bucky's mission. That is where the white privilege would come in: being able able to not have to worry that you're not going to get denied a loan, harassed by cops, thrown off an army base, or suffer adverse consequences because of your skin color.

But you were saying it looks like the only regulars involved were likely Anissa and Grace. It seems like it would be weird if they don't have Jen in it since they were each other's first loves (and I don't remember how things were left between the two of them, since I skipped a bunch of episodes), but it also seems like it would be odd doing the "it's really Jen!" dance as well.

So Jen 2.0 will not be involved? Seems...odd.

I guess we are supposed to conclude that the Crows are more like Brinks -- a security company that operates nationwide. So they may have a large Gotham presence/contract, but they run operations anywhere.

There was the allusion to Loki turning Thor into a frog in the play "Odin" had to mark Loki's passing in Ragnarok. 🙂

I assume that the ceremony at the Smithsonian made it public knowledge that Cap gave Sam the shield and that Sam channeled Indy and said "that belongs in a museum." I doubt people necessarily know the implications that Cap wanted Sam to be Cap 2.0. I would assume the HBCU would still have participated in the event. After all, a) Sam did give up the shield willingly as opposed to the powers that be saying "gotta give it to a white guy" and b) a gig's a gig. I don't necessarily agree with the viewpoint, but it's pretty entitled to think "I'm going to insert myself in your business so I can bitch at you about something on your mind." That is arguably what friends do from time to time, but Bucky and Sam aren't really friends like that. It isn't a crazy take to see the entitlement as a form of white privilege. I'm under the impression Sam donated it to the museum. I guess it's possible that either Tony designed the Falcon 2.0 suit for the government or with government resources. Or the suit is based on intellectual property from the government? Howard Stark made the shield out of vibranium that the U.S. owned. He made a bunch of other types of shields, but there was only one vibranium one. The shield Steve gave Sam was plucked from a previous time and brought to 2023. But that shield was still created from the vibranium the government owned in the 40s. The broken shield was the original version that Howard Stark fashioned from government property. Howard Stark didn't own the metal; the government did. If you follow that line of logic, Sam was never truly in a position to donate the shield to the Smithsonian any more than someone would be to donate a library book they've checked out to another library.

Famous pro skateboarder Tony Hawk has raised numerous instances where people comment to him that he sort of looks like Tony Hawk or see him with skateboards and wonder if he's trying to be like Tony Hawk or things like that. I bring this up because it shows how it's easy to not draw connections in real life to celebrities. There may be a gap in the public's mind between the Bucky who is featured in the Smithsonian exhibit about Cap and the Howling Commandos on the one hand and the Winter Soldier guy who shot up DC a bit ago, the guy who was wanted for blowing up the U;N. and the guy who was part of the Avengers in defeating Thanos most recently. I'd imagine there would be a range of folks, from people who barely know who Captain America is to people who are super-fans of every aspect of the Avengers and could tell you Bucky's favorite ice cream flavor.

A few small changes would have improved Sophie's character and this episode a lot, IMO: 1. Have Sophie independently realize that Jordan was at the scene of the shooting and may have seen something. As things stand the Bat Team and the FFS both figure out Jordan's involvement on their own. The FFS even manages to figure out where she has gone and send thugs to attack her before Sophie has any clue as to Jordan's involvement. Sophie has access to a small army and is a professional investigator. She had every opportunity to see the unfinished tag at the crime scene and to recognize it as her sister's handiwork. She should have been able to put the pieces together at least as fast as Mary. 2. Have Sophie and Jordan plan to meet at Crows HQ. (the Crows' Nest?) It is stupid to have Jordan pop up unexpectedly in the backseat of Sophie's car for a bunch of reasons. First, presumably the parking lot should be more secure. Second, for it to happen, Jordan would have to have either a key to Sophie's car or mad lockpicking skillz, neither of which make much sense. Third, even putting that aside, no normal being in Jordan's position would go across town, wait for possibly hours for Sophie to finish her shift (remember, she is working on the assassination of a police commissioner, which should be a big deal and there could be who knows how much work to do on the case) and then surprise her. It would make way more sense to text/call her, even cryptically to say that she needs help. Plus, it makes Sophie, a professional investigator, look bad that she can be surprised by someone hiding in the backseat of her car. Again. It was just a couple months ago or less that Alice surprised her. Letting your guard down the once could happen to anyone, but getting caught twice is just sloppy. It would be better for the story if the two arranged to meet, preferably with Sophie being the one to set it up. It would show her as proactive, caring and smart rather than this passive character who things happen to. 3. Have Sophie defend herself from wave 1 of FFS goons Again, Sophie does pretty much nothing when the FFS goons shows up. It's fine that Batwoman saves the day and everything. But these goons brought crowbars and such to a gun fight. I get that the show probably doesn't want Sophie shooting and killing people for political or other reasons. (I am trying to remember if, across the various Arrowverse shows, the human cops like Quentin Lance, Joe West, Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer have ever just shot at normal humans and am coming up blank even though it's OK for Arrow or Wild Dog to put holes in people.). But it makes her look really bad if she has a gun, takes it out, and just is kind of there. 4. Have Sophie stand up for the Crows We get it, the Crows have done a lot of shady shit over the years, and basically everybody thinks they are shady. Having Sophie just take all the accusations about how bad the Crows are isn't a good look. Either she agrees with the criticisms, in which case, what is she doing as part of the job? or she doesn't and she's too passive to defend her vocation and herself. It would be more interesting if she at least put up some sort of defense. Not all Crows, or sure there are a few bad apples, but the Crows did all these great things too, or if it weren't for the Crows, Gotham would be an even bigger shithole than it is now. 5. Have Sophie's investigation bear its own fruit It would have been way better if one of the things the Crows were looking into -- say, how the CC footage was fudged to eliminate evidence of the shooting -- led somewhere that the Bat Team didn't already beat them to. Maybe it could be the thing that got Sophie to the Black Mask Lair instead of Luke saying, hey Batwoman's comms are down, can you check it out? 6. Have her try to flip Angelique or get more info out of her or at least do SOMETHING about her false confession Like discussed above at length, just accepting it is contrary to who Sophie is supposed to be (or at least, who I think the writers should want her to be) -- a dedicated, fierce advocate of fairness and justice, a professional investigator of crime, and a person with compassion for others.

The Anti-Life Equation is a pretty long-lived concept from the comics as a motivator for Darkseid.