April 4-10 “The Whole World is Watching” | The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Sebastian Stan
Sebastian Stan is a fascinating performer with incredible range and the kind of actor whose roles are often easily transformative, which allow viewers to separate each of his characters effortlessly. He’s not just Bucky Barnes, and he’s never been, which in and of itself is incredibly rewarding to see as viewers. Stan is remarkable and in this episode, he’s the most nuanced we’ve seen him as Bucky.
This is the first time I’ve cried and cared about Bucky this deeply and that makes me happier than I can say. Don’t at me, I’ve adored the character, but I haven’t cried the way I did watching this performance. (And yes, I listened to “The Winter Soldier” theme the entire time while writing. You have to set the mood, right?!)
As mentioned in our highlights for “The Whole World is Watching,” this is the one scene where not many in the universe actually saw and yet, it was the most powerful showcase of a rollercoaster of emotions. This is also what made WandaVision so special because moments of vulnerability with the characters who are supposed to be our heroes grounds them so beautifully, it’s almost hard to bear.
Bucky’s freedom has mattered exponentially. The torture, the darkness, the regrets, the burdens, the demons–he’s carried it all with him long after freedom was achieved, but even then, the transition from the Winter Soldier to the White Wolf was an extraordinary sight for us to see with Ayo, and I’m thrilled the series gave it to us.