The following contains spoilers for The Falcon And The Winter Soldier episode 4.
Though Disney+ might be gearing up for a lot of future Marvel content,like the upcomingLokiseries, all eyes are currently onThe Falcon And The Winter Soldier. Four episodes into the six episode series, and the audience might not feel any closer to a conclusion than they did at the start of the season. As the series makes its way to the end, however, the audience can still find plenty of Easter eggs in the fourth episode.
“The Whole World Is Watching” sees Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, and Helmut Zemo on a collision course with the people pursuing them. John Walker and Lamar Hoskins pursue them to get close to the Flag Smasher. Ayo and the Dora Milaje pursue them to get justice for Wakanda’s King T’Chaka. That all comes to a head in the episode, but along the way, fans can spot an assortment of Easter eggs. There are callbacks to previous installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, nods to the comic books, and even some interesting links that fans might miss if they aren’t paying attention.
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The Winter Soldier Is Deprogrammed In Wakanda
The top of the episode features a reminder that Bucky Barnes spent his time in Wakanda being deprogrammed. It wasn’t, however, just Shuri that did the work. Members of the Dora Milaje also helped. In fact, the one member of the Dora Milaje seen in the flashback saying the trigger words to Bucky is Ayo. That’s the same person tracking him after Helmut Zemo’s prison break.
This reveal doesn’t just give the seriesa link to theBlack Panthermovies. It also reminds the audience of just what Bucky went through as the Winter Soldier. In flashback, as Ayo says the words, Bucky is visibly distressed. He also has brief flashes to memories of his time as the Winter Soldier. Those memories include going after Steve Rogers, Zemo previously using the words, and the assassination of Tony Stark’s parents.
That certainly makes the audience empathize with Bucky. The scene also, however, reveals an important detail. While Ayo tests him, Bucky doesn’t yet have his vibranium arm with the Wakandan technology. Shuri and Ayo played it safe with testing him, not giving him the new arm until surehe wasn’t a threat to the people of Wakanda.
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Features Significant Numbers
Comic book fans and Easter egg hunters are likely to spend time analyzing every number that appears on-screen. Sometimes, those numbers are simply coincidences. Other times, they can be nods to comic books. Both could be true in this episode.
When Zemo, Bucky, and Sam enter his apartment, the number on the outside of the building is 23. Some fans might think that references a comic, but it mightmore likely referenceCaptain America: Civil War. The containment module that held the Winter Soldier was also labeled as 23. Some fans believed then that it acted as a nod to D23, a Disney club that gives fans insider information on projects.
When Karli texts Sam later in the episode, the time stamp on his phone is 3:12. It could be a coincidence, but that coincides nicely withCaptain America#312.That particular comic book introduces Flag Smasher.
Baron Helmut Zemo Offers Up Turkish Delight
When Zemo decides to get information out of kids in one of the areas frequented by the Flag Smashers, he has a pretty great plan. He offers up Turkish Delight. The kids get piles of candy after one talks to him. Attracting more flies with honey than vinegar is an old idea, but this is also a nod to another fantasy story.
In C.S. Lewis’The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe, Turkish Delight features in Edmund Pevensie’s story. When he is cold, hungry, and seemingly on his own compared to his siblings, the White Witch offers him Turkish Delight in exchange for information as well. To Edmund, she appears like a benevolent force, but in reality, she has her own nefarious plan. She uses his love for sweets against him,just as Zemo uses what he knowsabout children to his advantage.
The Falcon References Familiar Lines
AsSam and Bucky continue their journeyto find out more about how the leaders of the Flag Smashers became super-soldiers, Sam is the one who gets to do most of the talking. As a result, he has two different lines concerning Karli Morgenthau that reference past events fans might have missed.
Even though Sam has seen just how much influence Karli has over her peers, he calls her, “just a kid.” That same phrase is used by Steve Rogersto describe Wanda Maximoffwhen the government wants her on house arrest while she lacks control over her powers. Despite Steve’s good intentions, Wanda does prove herself to be one of the most dangerous of the Avengers.
Likewise, Sam also tells Karli directly that he doesn’t disagree with the ideas of the Flag Smashers, but he does disagree with their methods. For all of their good intentions, they are, after all, putting people in danger. That idea is right out of the comics featuring the Flag Smasher as Captain America feels the same way during his repeated confrontations with them.
The Government Enacts The Patch Act
The Flag Smashers want to live in a world without borders. Their objective, however, seems farther away when the government enacts the Patch Act. It’s “patching up” holes in the system, accelerating the imposing borders all over the world.
This particular Easter egg could definitely be a coincidence, but considering the seriesintroduced Madripoor in episode 3, that seems unlikely. The Patch Act seems like a nod to a comic book character who frequents Madripoor.
When the X-Men’s Wolverinespends a lot of time in Madripoor, he does it with a different persona to keep a low profile. He wears a patch over one eye and even uses the alias Patch so people don’t know his real name. It’s not a great disguise, but it does the job most of the time.
It’s unlikely Wolverine or his brethren will pop up in the series. Fans can still keep an eye out for more Easter eggs as new episodes drop on Disney+ on Fridays.
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