The following contains spoilers for The Falcon And The Winter Soldier episode 5.
An ending is in sight for The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. "Truth" marks the penultimate episode of the series. As a result, the fifth episode has to do a lot of setup for the big finale and doesn't feature quite as many Easter eggs as fans might be used to. There are still, however, a lot of references to previous chapters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and teases to what's to come, as well as one very big nod to a comic book miniseries.
Picking up right where last week left off, Sam and Bucky give their best effort to get Captain America's shield from John Walker. They succeed, but at the cost of Falcon's wings. The episode also gives some closure for the Dora Milaje in regards to Zemo. John Walker also has to face the consequences of his actions. Those moments do include some Easter eggs for Marvel fans if they're paying attention.
Joaquin Torres Gets The Wings
When Sam and Bucky take on Walker, they seem very much like the new Captain America team-up. The two begin their fight in the same formation as when Steve Rogers and Bucky took on Tony Stark in Captain America: Civil War. They get the shield back, but Walker uses his newfound strength to rip off Sam's Falcon wings.
Sam doesn't take them home. Instead, he leaves them with his military contact Joaquin Torres. It's a moment comic book fans will enjoy because it comes after Sam has the shield. In the comics, Torres becomes the Falcon to Sam's Captain America. Now, he has the means to do so in the MCU.
The Contessa Makes An Offer
This episode introduces another new character to the MCU. Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is a well-established villain in Marvel's comics. Here, she presents John Walker with her seemingly blank business card after he loses the Captain America title.
While she's introduced as a socialite in the comics in the 1960s, she is also revealed as a capable SHIELD agent. As an agent, however, she works as a sleeper for the organization known as Leviathan. Eventually, she has a relationship with Nick Fury and ends up as the highest-ranking female member of Hydra, earning the title Madame Hydra. All three organizations have already appeared in the MCU. Leviathan was a major player in the ABC series Agent Carter while SHIELD, of course, provided the main storylines for Agents Of SHIELD, and Hydra has been a recurring villainous group.
Just where the Contessa's loyalties lie isn't clear yet, but she's clearly being set up to be a major player moving forward.
Zemo Heads To The Raft
Bucky doesn't return to the United States right away. Instead, Bucky takes a side trip to Sokovia, where the audience gets to see the monument erected after the events of Avengers: Age Of Ultron. There, he comes face to face with Zemo and the two have a discussion.
Not only does their confrontation demonstrate that Bucky is trying to play by his therapist's rules again (as he doesn't engage Zemo in a physical altercation or shoot him), but it also gives the Dora Milaje some closure with him. Ayo and two other members of the Dora Milaje come to retrieve Zemo. Ayo and Bucky reach an understanding after their confrontation in the previous episode. She even warns him that he shouldn't return to Wakanda for the time being, but she still grants him the favor he asks for.
What's interesting here, however, is that the Dora Milaje don't take Zemo to Wakanda to serve his time. There's likely a fear of him escaping, so they're erring on the side of caution by taking him to the Raft. The Raft is typically reserved for powered figures in the MCU. Those who violated the Sokovia Accords ended up there in Captain America: Civil War. Trish Walker was also transported there at the end of Jessica Jones.
The Episode Title
Episode 5 is called "Truth." It's an interesting title because Bucky finally understands the truth of why Sam didn't want the shield, but Walker also doesn't tell the full truth about his violent actions in the previous episode. The title, however, references a Marvel comic book miniseries.
That miniseries is Truth: Red, White, And Black. It centers on the story of Isaiah Bradley, who also gets to tell Sam the truth of his history in this episode. For the most part, it's lifted right out of the comics. The major differences in his story are that, in the comics, he actually wore a prototype Captain America costume and carried the shield when he went against the officers in charge. His story illustrates the differences between his reception and that of Steve Rogers. Steve essentially did the same thing in the first Captain America movie, but became a hero instead of a prisoner.
Tommie And Carlos
When Sam returns to Louisiana and begins his plan for helping his sister Sarah with the family boat, there are a couple of family friends who make a brief appearance. Sam calls out to Tommy and Carlos. While it could be a coincidence, those two names have significance in Black American history when paired together.
In the 1968 Olympic games, Tommie Smith and John Carlos placed first and third respectively in the 200 meter race. Wanting to raise awareness for how Black Americans were treated, they wore black gloves and raised their fists with their heads bowed while the "Star Spangled Banner" played. They also wore different items of clothing - or removed them - to provide their own nods to the history of slavery and Black poverty in the states. As a result, International Olympic Committee President Avery Brundage threatened to ban the entire U.S. track team from the Olympics if the duo weren't suspended from the team.
San Jose State University now features a statue to honor them, and Australian Peter Norman, who finished second and stood in solidarity with them.
Sharon And Batroc
There's only a brief appearance by Sharon Carter in this episode, but it does provide for an interesting bit of information. The audience hears her speak with someone, giving them a job. That someone is a person who would be in prison in Algiers if she hadn't helped them out.
Batroc also returns, providing the Flag Smashers with weapons right after that conversation. It certainly appears that Sharon is happy to pay Batroc to work for a group that's considered a terrorist organization. This implies that there's a lot more going on with Sharon, just as the audience suspected. Even if she doesn't turn out to be the Power Broker, she's still pulling a lot of strings. It's worth noting that at one point she led a team in the comics called Femme Force. They worked for SHIELD, and it included Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.
WHiH
The international news organization that is the unofficial news of the MCU makes another appearance. The audience has seen the network in Ant-Man, WandaVision, Agents Of SHIELD and more.
This time around, the news network appears on a broadcast that Sam is watching in his sister's house. He mutes it right before Torres calls him with news that the Flag Smashers are in New York.
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Has Its First Mid-Credit Scene
It's become tradition for superhero projects to feature scenes in the credits. That's due in large part to the MCU. Just like WandaVision before it, however, The Falcon And The Winter Soldier doesn't feature a scene in the credits of every episode.
"Truth" marks the first appearance of a scene during the credits, and it features John Walker. The sound of him hammering metal might call to mind the sound of Tony Stark first creating his Iron Man armor. Walker isn't exactly in the same position. He is, however, creating his own version of the Captain America shield. He's clearly not giving up the mantle without a fight, but whether that fight will end with him captured or on the run as U.S. Agent remains to be seen.
The final episode of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier lands on Disney+ April 23.