When they said Latvia in the show, I got it momentarily mixed up with Latveria in my head and got really freaking excited for a moment.
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Over all, this show is a big yawn.
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Ransom paid in bitcoin.
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Is it because it's such a departure from WandaVision? I'm kind of digging it so far, even if we have to wade through a little bit of the the racial stuff every episode. I enjoyed Zemo more than I thought I would, and they really took a departure with Sharon that I liked (didn't see that coming). And as with WV, I think this show is setting up much to come down the road within the MCU, obv.

I do think they've throttled Bucky, though. I know he's not the strategist Cap is, but he's still an OG super soldier and went toe to toe with Steve (in maybe the best fight scene in the whole damned MCU thus far). Not sure what I'm wanting/expecting from Bucky, it just seems his character is "off" to me.
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There just isn't much chemistry between Sam and Bucky. You can tell they are trying, but it really isn't working.

Zemo in his mask was super cool, and it really picked up with Sharon.

Just way too much talking and not enough action.

I'll keep watching in hopes that it follows the last half of this last episode, and doesn't return to the all the talking
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This had better rock


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Maybe nerfed a bit from the Winter Soldier deprogramming.
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Yeah, point
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There are many problems with TFATWS, from the ridiculous notion that these guys could be "broke" after the saving the world, to the silly and generic plot line of "let's break out the bad guy to help us!" to the general lethargy of the non-action scenes.

But the biggest issue, in my opinion, is that the audience expected an MCU film but instead, got a Marvel TV show.

There's just nothing at stake. Flag Smashers? Really? That's the biggest issue in the post-Endgame world? A few "Super Soldiers" running around that want the world to be like it was during "The Blip"? I mean, half of life in the Universe just returned without any explanation and the remaining Avengers are chasing around a few Super Soldiers? Overpopulation, an immediate lack of resources, including food and suddenly full oceans, forests, farms and homes, not to mention the fact that aliens could invade at any moment, and we're supposed to be concerned about Flag Smashers?

And what's with the absolutely stupid Sharon Carter subplot? She worked for Shield, she's Peggy Carter's niece, she helped Steve Rogers, who in turn helped to save the world against Thanos, yet she's on the run from the governments of the world? This storyline is like a Saturday morning cartoon, not a $150 million dollar, six episode entry into the MCU.

I'm watching it just to watch and I'm hoping that something cool and important will happen but if not, it's most definitely Marvel's biggest and sorest blunder to date, and by a wide margin, IMO.

WandaVision was quirky and interesting from the get go, then BOOM! Blew up into this beautiful, quirky, weird, strange series in which the anticipation of what would happen next captured massive audiences across the globe. My kids and I were so excited to see "What happens next?" each week and I even allowed them to stay up late one Thursday night until Midnight because they didn't have school the next day, and we were not disappointed.

Yet with TFATWS, I have to remind them each week that there's a new episode on Friday and more often than not, I have to remind myself. It's just a huge disappointment on a grand scale for me. Shockingly huge.

When this series is over, will anyone care?
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^ Yeah, the internal consistency with the established Marvel universe (as you said, how were Cap and Natasha leading group therapy sessions in New York in Endgame but Sharon is now on the run post-snap?) are almost Season 8 Game of Thrones "kind of forgot" level oversights/apathy. It's hard because there are times where Marvel works really hard to connect its universe and be consistent in the canon (even in this show -- like, how fast did Wakanda swoop in after Zemo was broken out? A plot point in Civil War many may have forgotten) and then in its same episode it goes back to NOT caring about staying consistent with its canon with Sharon Carter (from events literally a few minutes later in Civil War).

My hope is that the last three episodes are fun enough to make me not really care about these issues -- but the first episodes in a vacuum (even removing the extended universe questions) have merely been "okay" at best.
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It didn't help that it followed one of the best things the MCU has ever done (WandaVision), but this just isn't a good show so far. They've got 3 episodes left to rectify that, but I doubt they will based on what we've seen so far.
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You guys aren't making me feel great about my benefit of the doubt angle, lol
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I think mostly the problem is no one really gives a fuck about Falcon and Bucky as leads.

They're supporting characters. They're only interesting because they serve to support Captain America's story.

Bucky is just discount Cap and Falcon is just a dude with wings. Meh.
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How many people cared about Vision and Wanda before WandaVision?

The purpose of these Marvel TV series to expand the MCU and to date, TFATWS hasn't done that, at all.

There's been no character growth, no tie in to SWORD or to Spider-Man: Far From Home nor the upcoming Loki, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, Dr. Strange 2, Thor 4, Eternals or Captain Marvel 2.

I don't care about the characters because they've given us nothing new to care about. They helped bring back half of life in the universe and yet they're treated like outcasts and criminals.

It's just been lazy. Lazy writing, lazy acting, lazy score. It's like they're just going through the motions.
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I would disagree with that notion.

Vision was incredibly interesting and expanding on him and Wanda had a lot more room to grow.

I'm not sure there's anywhere to go with these characters. But you're right, their attempt has been incredibly lazy, too.
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