#JUST WATCHED THE LAST EPISODE OF TFATWS

[sunsetmaidenwrites]

An Essay on SamBucky

Just got back from seeing Captain America: Brave New World and am full of thoughts. The following contains Sambucky-centric thoughts, head canons, and spoilers based on the movie. (I have a separate post that includes my overall thoughts on the movie but this one is solely Sambucky.)

Sambucky nation--we rise! No divorce era for us! (Though it did provide for some awesome, angsty fics). I hope the trend continues with Thunderbolts*. Bucky is obviously looking rougher there than he did in this movie, so we're not out of the woods yet, but I'm feeling pretty good about our chances.

There's so much to say here. Multiple Bucky mentions (Sam alluding to Bucky when he talks about having a friend who was controlled by trigger words.), a picture of SamBucky prominently displayed at Sam's headquarters, Bucky showing up as emotional support when Sam needs him most, the hug, the "Buck" and the "I love you, Buddy." All of these have already been mentioned a lot, though, so for this post (who am I kidding this is an essay!), I would like to highlight a few points pertaining to the movie. I haven't really seen discussed in the Sambucky tag yet.

First, Sam says the following to Bucky at the hospital:

"Joaquin’s in here. Isaiah’s in prison. And Sterns…I had him. I had Sterns right in my hands but he got away." Bucky is given no additional backstory here, which means he already knows who Sterns is and what Sam is dealing with. This indicates Sam and Bucky are in regular contact with Sam keeping Bucky filled in on what's happening. This isn't just a case of Bucky seeing news footage and immediately going to Sam. Bucky is an active part of Sam's life and support system.

Then we have Bucky's line:

"Steve gave people something to believe in, but you give them something to aspire to." Bucky's admiration and devotion to Sam here is quite evident. I fully believe Bucky Barnes is all in for Sam Wilson and has been probably for longer than even he realizes.

Then toward the end of the scene where we get our iconic "Thanks Buck" and "I love you, Buddy" moment:

We have a wealth of unspoken communication here. Sam and Bucky seem to have a whole conversation with both their eyes and body language before they speak these words. Sam looks at Bucky. Looks down at (presumably) Bucky's outstretched hand. Then his eyes cut back up to Bucky. Then they cut back down as he shakes Bucky's hand, then he looks back up at Bucky. For Bucky's part, his eyes never leave Sam's face during the entirety of this. It's only right before he says "I love you, Buddy" that his gaze cuts down from Sam's face. After saying the words, Bucky proceeds to back away and Sam watches him go. The way this scene plays out, and the choices Mackie and Stan make leave a lot of room for subtext and interpretation, imo.

Right after this scene, we also get the female agent coming in with questions/comments about Bucky to Sam, alluding to a possible interest which Sam shuts down with "He's 110 years old." Look, it might make sense for Sam to try to nip a Bucky/Sarah potential connection in the bud like he did in TFATWS and it not mean anything (that's another essay for another day. I wasn't on Tumblr back then to share my thoughts on that.); after all, that's his sister and Bucky was riding on his last nerve through all the previous episodes at that point. It does not, however, make sense for Sam to insert himself into the narrative at this point and try to dissuade a random CIA agent from showing interest in Bucky if Bucky is just his friend and/or Sam's interest in him is purely platonic. It just doesn't. I cannot come up with a logical explanation for this besides the obvious 'that man is mine, step off' conclusion.

And for my last point:

During Sam's final showdown with the red hulk, with the outcome uncertain, and defeat (and therefore death) potentially eminent, Sam proceeds to bitch about Bucky under his breath. "Bucky is full of so much shit..." I know this is supposed to be funny and snarky, but it's also quite telling. We know that the signature of SamBucky's relationship--whether it's platonic or romantic--is the bickering. Not only is Sam spending his potential last moments ranting about Bucky (again, the staple of their relationship), he's also spending them thinking about Bucky. He's going out there facing odds that seem insurmountable and it's Bucky that's on his mind.

So, in conclusion, they're in love.

[bietrofastimoff23]

How Bucky could work on the same team as John if he hates him? (no thunderbolts* spoilers)

**this question was asked by most viewers before the release of the film, so for my answer I will use only the materials of tfatws.

Well, the entire last episode tfatws is practically dedicated to this question: they’re both soldiers and know how to prioritize. Whatever is between them, they understand when they’re on the same side and when they should join forces (ep2&6).

To see this in action, let’s get back to Bucky. In ep6, he saved Walker’s life twice, volunteered to watch over him, conducted a reconnaissance of the bunker together, and jointly set a trap for the Flag-Smashers. And this despite the fact that the day before there had been a fierce fight between them over the shield.

Unfortunately, some moments with them were cut. For example, in the original version of the battle in ep4 against the Flag-Smashers, Bucky blocks Karli’s path to the knocked-out John!Cap.

Or, from the show’s special, it turns out that in that very scene from the trailer, Bucky wasn’t just screaming from the strain, but was calling John for help.

And I still believe that it was Bucky’s call that brought the dissociating John back to reality when the Flag-Smashers were beating him because he heard that someone needed him, his help.

It’s important to understand that Bucky hated the idea of John as Captain America (and even then, due to a close connection with his predecessor and inner insecurity), but not John himself as a person, otherwise it would have taken some time for that feeling to develop.

Moreover, once the stumbling block in the form of the shield disappeared from the radar, the tension between these two eased.

So, here’s what I’m getting at: Bucky and John don't have to be friends to function effectively on the same team. After all, they are both professionals, and even if personal animosity remains, it does not mean that they are going to endanger or sabotage each other.

P.S. This post was created primarily for the sake of deleted content, so there is no in-depth analysis here, only the main points.

[lavender-twilight23]

~Lavender’s Marvel Re-entry Record~

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) (1 Season)

Date Finished: April 27, 2025

Rewatch (to prep for The Thunderbolts*!)

Favorite character(s): Bucky

Ratings (out of ten)

Characters: 6/10

Pacing: 6/10

Performances: 8/10

My rating: 5.5/10

Describe the project in one word: Mid

Favorite thing: The exploration of Bucky’s character post-Endgame and the development of Bucky and Sam’s relationship.

Least favorite thing: Dr. Raynor

Favorite scene(s): Bucky getting deprogrammed by Ayo in Wakanda in 1x4

Notable quote(s):

“Hello. How are you?”

“Good. What did I miss? Nothing.”

(basically just all of Sam and Bucky’s banter in 1x2)

General thoughts: 

The show is very entertaining and it keeps my attention! But I wouldn’t call it one of the better MCU shows. Its high points are very high, and the low points are very low.

High points: Bucky and Sam’s characters are a joy to see grow through this show, both individually and as partners. I love seeing more of Bucky’s relationship with the Wakandans and that dynamic, as well as Bucky finding his way in the world again. The opening scene of 1x4 is one of my favorite MCU scenes EVER because it fed my hunger for Bucky whump as well as Sebastian got to flex his acting SO hard. And it’s the first time we’ve ever seen Bucky full-on cry. Which as a whump lover, I’ve always wanted :P I also love the introduction to Sam’s family!

My in-the-middle point I guess is John Walker. I’m super excited to see him back for The Thunderbolts*, first of all! His character is REALLY interesting, if not a little morally grey, and I look forward to seeing him in the future of the MCU outside of The Thunderbolts* too. But when I first watched TFATWS, I was so blinded by hate for his character that I couldn’t see him as anything other than the villain, or, one of them. I refused to believe that he had redeemable qualities and was filled with a seething hate for him every time he walked on screen. Since then, I’ve read and watched a bunch of things and I’ve actually grown to, not love his character, but definitely respect it, and I’m actually invested in the future of his character!

Low points: Dr. Raynor and Karli and the Flag Smashers. I was never really fond of the Flag Smashers and overall, Karli as a big bad. I can see what Marvel was trying to do with Karli, they were trying to create a sympathetic villain who had been driven to this point through being treated unjustly, but I really don’t think it worked? I can’t really pinpoint why, but I never connected with her. I didn’t really care when she died, I didn’t feel anything for her. I do like the development in the last episode where her closest followers and friends didn’t say the motto back because they were no longer comfortable with how low Karli was stooping. But overall, I didn’t care for Karli, I’m glad to see her in the past of the MCU and I like the kind of neutral status the Flag Smashers have since most of them were apprehended and then there was the whole ‘Zemo got the last laugh’ cliffhanger at the end.

With Dr. Raynor? Oh my God here we go– I despise Dr. Raynor so much. This is one view I’ve had about this show that has not changed since first seeing it when TFATWS was coming out. She is a shit therapist and Bucky deserves so much better. I’ve heard her described as the therapist Bucky needed because she calls him out on his bullshit and meets him halfway with his stubbornness. Okay, yes, but there’s pushing back against his stubbornness and ‘tough love’ and all that, and then there’s flat-out INSULTING him during sessions and violating his boundaries and clearly making him uncomfortable by writing in the notebook which Bucky voices that he doesn’t like, being dismissive of him opening up and actually being vulnerable, and then just… AHHHH I REALLY hate her character. I think they try to brush it off as oh she was a soldier too so it’s okay, they can relate and blah blah blah– NO. When Bucky says that he wants peace and Dr. Raynor says “that is utter bullshit” pissed me off SO much. What’s wrong with wanting peace???? And yeah sure that’s broad, but you can dig deeper and investigate that answer instead of calling his whole display of vulnerability ‘utter bullshit.’ And then when Dr. Raynor says the whole “but you’ve got your mind back, you are being pardoned, I mean, these are good things. You’re free.” I have so many issues with that. Not the words themselves, but the WAY she says it, especially compared to how Ayo said “you’re free” in the deprogramming scene in 1x4. Ayo says it as a comfort and it means so much and holds so much weight coming from her AND due to the situation/circumstances. When Dr. Raynor says it, and HOW she says it, she just sounds so DONE and so DISMISSIVE. Almost like she’s saying ‘you’re free, there you go, what’s the problem?’ Just because Bucky has control over his life and his choices now doesn’t mean that he’s ‘free’ from all of his trauma and pain. Overall, Dr. Raynor pissed me off so much and it genuinely hurt to see ‘therapy’ scenes with her. It seemed like Bucky said a permanent goodbye to her in the show’s finale though, so hopefully we won’t be seeing her again.

In short, this show is entertaining with some really fun and wholesome moments, good action, and some good emotional depth at times, but it’s not much else, I wouldn’t say it’s anything special. But if I were to turn it on during a rainy Saturday, I would enjoy it.

(All Marvel re-entry record reviews are under the tag #my marvel record)

[themculibrary]

Sam/Bucky In FATWS Masterlist

3 Simple Rules for Dating a Centenarian (ao3) - ForASecondThereWedWon T, 7k

Summary: After seeing Steve's shield handed over to some stranger, Sam calls up Bucky, certain he's the one person who can properly commiserate. He doesn't really expect Bucky to answer though (the guy's become a bit of a recluse), or to hear the hints that he might be missing Sam as much as Sam's been missing him. Not that he'd ever say it straight out.

Ache For You (ao3) - tavana_lee G, 5k

Summary: "Sam. There's things I feel for you, things I cannot even begin to explain and I- I get nervous around you. I can't concentrate, I lose my train of thought and I ach- I ache for you." _

Bucky & Sam get stuck inside, and the tension is too much to bare.

a tactile sort of guy (ao3) - Lies_Unfurl E, 6k

Summary: Bucky keeps giving Sam blowjobs after missions, and while Sam is definitely not complaining, he would maybe like to know what exactly is going on.

baby you're the wave and I'm ready for the crash (ao3) - napricot E, 6k

Summary: Sam and Bucky have some unorthodox methods of going undercover in a club.

Back in the Gulf (ao3) - Writer_Lethogica M, 22k

Summary: Sam Wilson is trying to find his footing in a post-blip world and it feels like he's failing. It doesn't help that his sort of best friend Bucky keeps leaving him on read.

devil's in the details (but you got a friend in me) (ao3) - lovecamedown T, 12k

Summary: TFATWS Sambucky falling in love. That's it that's the fic

diving blind (ao3) - yukla T, 10k 

Summary: Or: five times that people think Sam and Bucky are dating, and one time that they don't.

Don't Wanna Waste It (ao3) - NachoDiablo T, 1k

Summary: FATWS Spoilers: AU where Sam and Bucky make out in the field and then decide to steal the shield back.

double dare (ao3) - ohjustpeachy G, 8k

Summary: “Forget it,” Bucky grits out. “Forget I said anything. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Samuel, I’m sure I can get another train.”

“Oh no, don’t you 'Samuel' me. Come on, be my friend, Buck, I dare you. I double dare you,” Sam grins.

(Or, Bucky follows his therapist’s advice to cultivate friendship, Sam makes him work for it, and by the time he’s sure they’re friends, Bucky has an entirely new problem on his hands.)

((LOVE))

Home (ao3) - stinkykingcharles G, 7k

Summary: To watch someone act completely in love with you one second, then the next moment, they look at you as if you don’t exist to them. Their heart was closed off to you, when they had once worn it so openly in your presence. To watch helplessly as your love… your home was ripped from your grasp. That was the worst feeling he had ever felt.

i just met you (and this is crazy) (ao3) - bisamwilson M, 19k

Summary: Sam finds Bucky just as his sister's about to give birth to his second nephew. Not wanting to lose him after a year of searching, he decides to bring him home to Delacroix with him.

I'm here baby, I got you (ao3) - Goocar E, 4k

Summary: OR: Bucky Barnes deserves to be loved and protected, and Sam will give him exactly that and receive the same in return.

(related to episode 5)

more than a feeling (ao3) - heir2slytherin n/r, 17k

Summary: In which Sam and Bucky take Karli home, and they become an unlikely family

Not Just A Piece Of Tech (ao3) - haveufoundwhaturlookingfor G, 1k

Summary: Sam is more than a little upset that Redwing got destroyed, and Bucky does something about it.

Not Okay (ao3) - samandbucky G, 960

Summary: Bucky has some feelings about the way Sam was treated by the police.

Not Talking About It (ao3) - VarjoRuusu E, 15k

Summary: “Get the hell off me,” Sam wheezed, shoving at Bucky. Bucky just grunted and rolled to the side, collapsing in the grass as Sam tried to drag in a breath. “You are so damned heavy,” he grumbled between rasping breaths, and he didn't even need to look over to see the smirk on Bucky's face.

“You weren't complaining last night,” came the rumble of Bucky's voice and Sam suddenly half wished he'd let him get turned into a pancake under that truck wheel.

“I thought we agreed not to talk about that?” he muttered, struggling to sit up.

--

Sam and Bucky through the course of the show. Snarking, sex, and falling in love.

Serenity (ao3) - Kabbal (Aledane) T, 518

Summary: It's too hot to work on the boat. They banter instead.

sounds like an angel (he might be a demon) (ao3) - wikiangela M, 150k

Summary: When Sam agreed to help Steve find the Winter Soldier, he’d never expected what would happen and how fucked he'd be. And it all started with a phone call.

Or, Sam and Bucky's story through the years 2015-2024.

The Gottman Method for Dealing with Conflict (ao3) - rhombus M, 4k

Summary: Bucky and Dr. Raynor have a follow-up session and two entirely different conversations about his relationship status.

Or: Let's do more couples therapy, James.

unburn the ashes (ao3) - OmegaSamWilson E, 70k

Summary: In August 2006, Sam Wilson was captured by HYDRA and forced to mate with Bucky Barnes in order to produce a new generation of super soldiers. He was the sole test subject and was rescued seven months after his capture.

In 2024, Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes are now dealing with a "new" Captain America, a global rebel group, protecting their superpowered son, and navigating whatever the hell they're supposed to be to each other.

Follows the plot of the Falcon and the Winter Soldier with a twist.

[m--rtyr]

Okay so my general mru timetravel saga phase thing. + how I’m doing the YA.

Since I think focusing on timetravel instead of the multiverse would have been a better next saga since timetravel was set up formerly.

Also, champions and Runaways will likely feature but I need to defamiliarise myself with the comics to feel more comfortable deciding on HOW. But I’ll get to it, just not in this post.

(Ramble below the cut)

First Phase:

I would make the first phase AFTER endgame extremely chill. More grounded, focus on a smaller group of heroes and the affects of the snap. TFATWS would be my preferred first project but obviously could change when I go to write it. Maybe seven projects in all? Keep it small. Six main solo projects, an avengers team up. I want to make it clear that things aren’t running as smoothly as they could be post-Thanos, there’s a lot of tension, the team isn’t quite… teaming.

Steve shows up as cameos in TFATWS and the avengers teamup, but not to take away from the focus of Sam being the new Cap. He’s more of an… advisor. He has experience, but that’s all he’s got to offer. He’s done with the fight. I don’t think he should’ve died in endgame personally bc I think people need a main avengers to continue showing up to really keep their investment until another character proves worthy enough for focus.

Eli is the first Young Avenger to be included, which would make a whole ‘oooo Young avengers maybe??’ But he’s played off like a cameo that’s there because Isaiah is there, no need to rush into the YA.

Kamala is also showing up. Ms Marvel wouldn’t be a MAIN solo project and would be kind of hinted to be disconnected until Carol shows up in the last episode.

There will also probably be a Hawkeye series but I don’t want any of the YA to be heroes before the YA. So Kate will likely cameo but I don’t want her to be a Hawkeye yet. That’s YA stuff. It can wait.

Second Phase:

A little more funky now. The Marvels is a good guide to take for the balance of funky and grounded. Sure it’s in space but it’s a pretty typical movie, nothing too big. Of course, the marvels = Teddy introduction. I’ve not watched the movie yet (literally on the way there now) so I can’t promise how I’ll introduce him, but it’ll probably be a small ‘cameo type’ thing.

The phase starts on a lighter note but slowly degrades, the avengers are slipping apart. It ends on a Loki s1.

Introduction of Kid Loki also. And I’ll probably do Sylvie differently. But with the demolition of the sacred timeline, there comes chaos in the storyline.

Introduction of the champions might occur here, whilst things are still light and dandy. Depends on what I can swing.

Third Phase:

House of M. Wandavision, obviously, introduces the Twins. They’ll probably remain toddlers though, to keep them little and cute, plus terrible twos + superpowers would make it obvious she’s crazy when she CHOSE that. They’re the two YA introduced this phase, no America until the multiverse unfortunately.

The avengers are slowly falling apart even further, Loki s2, and then, bosh, kangs. Not THE Kang, though. Other kangs. Fighting aaa. Some avengers probably die, Scott definitely does. They win and have to fight THE Kang, don’t win, Kang escapes.

Idk how to explain my idea for that film considering I haven’t properly planned it. But, basic idea is that he WILL come back.

Phase four:

No avengers. They fell apart, like they did for infinity war. If things like this keep happening, there’s no point anymore. Womp womp everything sucks. Some people, like Sam, are trying to keep everyone together but it’s so… hard. They wonder if they’re really just making things worse. They probably are.

Yeah there are solo projects. But it’s mostly pretty dismal. They’re trying to prepare to fight kang but they know they’ll lose. In the final solo project, there’s an end credit scene. Someone in a suit appears in dark streets and picks up a loose newspaper. ‘The avengers disbanded’. In a robotic-ish voice: oh no.

And then, final avengers movie of the saga. Except… it opens up to kids being assholes and oh wait this is just an adaptation of the first Young Avengers comic with some more emphasis on the avengers. Why have a huge crossover movie when teenagers can stab people? This isn’t to say there won’t be any closure for other storylines, I just don’t think every storyline needs to end in an AVENGERS storyline. The big crossover movie will probably be phase 3’s big Kang gang up movie, with everyone fighting their own time travelling war lord. But Kang’s death belongs to Nate. So that’s how it’ll be. Other superhero team ups will probably happen. But the big bad will be slain by those who now carry the avengers torch. It’s to me the only way to actually get people interested in the Young Avengers.

Some post saga notes:

There are some things that will be included. Like fantastic four and Xmen. It’s just a little difficult to try and explain how they fit it without going into masses of detail.

The next saga will likely be multiverse based. The Young Avengers are pretty well prepped for that kind of storyline. I’ll likely reallocate TLAT to this saga. Multiverse works better for god-based movies than time travel. It’ll probably include Children’s Crusade and YA vol2 for some of the avengers movies.

[questinwitchface]

Tag Game

@livingincolorsagain Thank you so much for tagging me! <3

Rules: List 8 tv shows for your followers to get to know you!

I'm including anime because I don't actually watch that many TV shows.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - I just really love Sam and Bucky (and this surprises no one who follows me)

Mythbusters - Science and explosions are cool!

Ouran High School Host Club - It's funny, and it's one of the first anime I ever watched all the way through. These days, it's a comfort show for me, like tfatws, where I can put it on while I'm doing something else.

The Last of Us - Episode three, my beloved (the rest is great, too)

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood - This show is just so good. Heart-wrenching, but good. Also FMA is the first anime my partner and I watched together.

WandaVision - The only time I've ever watched this show was shortly after a close family member passed away. The way it explored grief was so cathartic to me, but that's also the reason I haven't watched it again.

Scooby-Doo Where Are You - A nostalgia pick, but let's be real, I still enjoy watching it. I also liked A Pup Named Scooby-Doo and What's New, Scooby-Doo.

Supernatural - I don't actually feel that strongly about this one anymore, but I have really fond memories attached to it. When I was in uni, my roommate and I would wake up at like 10 AM on Saturday, drive in our PJs to go get enough Chinese food for two meals, come home, and binge Supernatural while we did homework until they went to work at 7 PM.

No pressure tagging: @pumpkinsoup02 @allcolorsoftherainbow @sammy-souffle

[baelatargaryen]

☕ + current state of the mcu

this is pretty hard, b/c i'm gonna be honest, i stopped watching sometime after the first seasons of the spin-off disney+ shows.

out of the spinoffs, i liked wandavision the most. felt the most entertaining/intriguing

tfatws was okay-ish, i'm actually in the sam should be cap camp so that worked for me but overall i found myself p bored conceptually with the show, it definitely didn't feel like anything new. i'm so beyond tired of the mcu coming back to the "glitch" and the super-serum

i absolutely hated the loki show i'm sorry. and i say this as a huge loki fan as my edits will kinda speak for but everything i loved about him was basically stripped away and it felt like i was watching a new character. the worldbuilding was awful, the concept somehow managed to be boring, the show felt static, the acting either bland or over-the-top, with the most ham-fisted dialogue i've ever seen.

um. thor 4. i was excited bc i enjoyed ragnarok for the most part. i think it has its flaws, but it was entertaining, i enjoyed hela a lot as a villain, i liked the new direction thor was moving in, but i honestly turned it on and turned it off within the first ten minutes. i was kinda convinced it was a joke. (this says a lot tbh bc im a huge thor lover, to the point of defending some of the p bad writing his franchise gets stuck with)

those last two were kinda the nail in the coffin for me. overall, i feel they've really oversaturated their own market quite badly, and it's putting out show after show (movie after movie for a while there too), often poorly produced, relying heavily on vfx, often re-using same past plot points. with old characters gone, a lot of the nostalgia that kept people tied to it is gone and i don't think many of their new projects have been exciting to get people invested the way they used to, tbh.

in general, this problem is more of disney+ problem i think. i find that when i've watched other disney+ shows (just recently watched percy jackson, but also the star wars spinoffs like the mandalorian and obi wan kenobi) i am struck by how poorly produced many of them are. the plot is paper-thin, there's almost no physicality to any of the sets bc of the overreliance on cgi, costuming/makeup has gone downhill, writing has been stripped down where there's no subplots interweaving at the same time, just point a to point b, then the next episode is point b to point c. even shows i've enjoyed have this issue, and they end up feeling so soulless.

[margarethx]

Not the point, but I love how 99% of the fandom just assumes it'll be Bucky proposing to Sam, not the other way round. No one questions it. There has been no discussion about it. No debate.

We just watched the last episode of tfatws and everyone was like, "yeah, he probably bought the ring in 2015". And we moved on like it's just uncontested canon.

You guys think this is how Bucky proposes to Sam

[zumwhy-kiss-kiss-falls-in-love]

IM DATING TWO CAPTAIN AMERICAS

[kimoralov3]

please tell me i'm not the only getting all dressed up for tommorrow's episode

[softness-and-shattering]

And then they tried to do the little-guy thing, in falcon + winter soldier, which was the last marvel thing, other than ms marvel which I made an excrption for, that I was actually into. The first scene, the ice monster prologue, was falcon on some military assasination mission. And then what an episode later hes sitting in the bank "oh no we avengers dont get paid, Im struggling to take out a loan to save my dads boat" or whatever. It is unfathomable that theyre not paid big bucks by the government or minimum stark isnt bankrolling them. Its ludicrous. Theyre out there physically throwing around countries and youre telling me falcon cant afford a lawyer? Especially this is after the sokovia accords. The "we're gonna police the avengers oops guess not". So whys he not sitting in prison for international terrorism or whatever? But he cant get a bank loan? But he'll drop everything to go avengering and hes out on military missions, youre telling me he's volunteering for the military for no pay? In the equipment only he can operate, that they havent taken from him by force?

And then even more so than the "oh were the antagonists I guess we better blow up a building" scene, a bit later the lead antagonist woman is talking to Sam and hes like "I get your mission but your methods are wrong youre hurting people" and it wouldve been perfect if she responded "and how many people have you killed in the name of the greater good sam wilson?"

But of course she doesnt. Because status quo and agreeing with the superhero comes before good storytelling. If they were really wrestling with this question that wouldve been fantastic. He'd hve to face his own hypocrisy. But no hes not a big avenger man hes poor little sam who cant get a loan.

If he was a vigilante he might even go rob idk tony stark or some billionaire or smth, like, hes been an avenger for how many years now and you wamt.me to believe he has no income? And is ok with that?

I dont really remember Buckys storyline but I do remember they took his arm at the end and we were supposed to be okay with that, like a limb has to be earned with compliance.

The thing is, theres nothing wrong with power fantasy, superhero comocs have always been power fantasy. But theyre the fantasy of the little guy becoming powerful and then using that power to save the other little guys. I mean Disney is doing this too, they made Mulan some magic girl instead of someone who did what had to be done despite her ordinariness. (Full disclosure I didnt actually watch that movie).

And the end of TFATWS wasnt the big vistory that sam like, nodded at a senator and said nu nu nu do better? And took on the mantle of captain america of course.

Its also like how detective and PI stories have all become copaganda. Theyre all about working within the law officially and then when they flagrantly break laws its ok because it was necessary and no one will ever know. Get to the suspect before they lawyer up and invoke their rights. Oh no now we'll never get the evidence in time because they have legal support, naughty suspect.

Its all boring and theres no escapism. If heroes dont start out small we cant project onto them. If they are the establishment, we're already very familiar with the establishment and it being powerful isnt a fantasy its just reality. Theyre not protecting the little guy anymore. Theyre working with the military theyre siding with the government so ok theyre just flashier...not even law enforcement. Theyre just people who can do whatever and theres nothing anyone can do. Thats not fun.

The irony of Tolkien plundering Norse mythology to create Lord of the rings and then the MCU Thor franchise plundering the lotr movies to create a generic fantasy vibe.

The irony that MCU Thor borrows aesthetics from lotr as a source material but somehow missed the whole fucking moral and has recast Mordor as the protagonist

All the things that were supposed to elicit horror in lotr? They're good now actually

The horror of Sauron's ever-seeing eye, watching everything, knowing everything? Actually that's good, odin's ever-seeing eye is actually here for our protection

The horror of the empire that is trying to consolidate all the wealth and resources of all the lands into theirs? Asgard is a utopia, where resources are so easy and plentiful that they guild their walls in gold

The unnatural orcs of Mordor and the uruks of isengard, who understand nothing but violence, fighting and swarming at their enemy as if untouchable by fear or pain, spreading fear and pain wherever they go? Actually they're Asgardians now and that's their very noble warriors code actually

But yeah, the MCU is totally not an unsubtle vehicle for casual authoritarianism

[fenieth]

I’m watching it for the sambucky queerbaiting moments but tfatws is kinda bad you guys

[whatliesbeneaththefacade]

That episode... Idk, I'm not feeling it.

Episode 5 was great, full of great scenes with deep emotional impacts. My favorite in the whole show.

Episode 6 was... Somehow... Insipid?

I don't even like the suit that much

I'm sorry I tried to be mostly positive, but I really, really feel underwhelmed by this one.

[urdepressedslut]

I Get Scared Too

♡ Pairing: tfatws!Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

♡ Summary: You have a close call during a mission, and back at the compound Bucky seems to be distant and cold towards you.

♡ Warnings: angst, fluff, reader injury, mentions of gunfire, hints to anxiety attack

A/N: this idea was from a dream i had (im a lucid dreamer). i have been writing in a dream journal since elementary school, so you can imagine the dreams i have jotted down 😭

The mission hadn’t gone to plan, shocker, but everyone kept all their limbs and were able to walk back to the quinjet.

You had a close call, you didn’t see the previously passed out agent sitting back up raising his gun to your back. Obviously before he could fire somewhere vital, Natasha had taken him down, faltering his aim. Although the bullet had skimmed you deep on your hip.

It was hardly life threatening, but Natasha being a protective best friend, scolded you for being reckless. You knew her intentions were good, and that she cared about you, but it didn’t stop you from being annoyed at her treating you like a kid.

She eventually walked to the other side of the quinjet, leaving you to your thoughts. You thought you had done really well, taking down twice as many enemies than last time. But of course, everyone always focused on your flaws, what you had done wrong.

When the quinjet finally landed back at the compound, you were the first one out, having a slight limp from the discomfort in your hip. But otherwise didn’t mind it, you wanted to find your favorite person and tell them all about the mission.

“FRIDAY, where’s Bucky?” You called out to the air once you were inside.

“Bucky is currently in his room, Miss (Y/n).” She announced, making you smile in excitement.

The mission had only been a three day trip, but you had missed him the second you stepped on the quinjet.

Arriving at his door, you knocked three times, hearing shuffling from inside. The door swung open to reveal an unhappy looking Bucky, causing your smile to waver. Assuming he was just having a bad day, you smiled wider and stepped forward to hug him.

“Hi Buck, I missed you.” You mumbled into his chest, squeezing him tighter when you didn’t feel him hug back.

His body tensed, and immediately you released him and stepped back. You were confused at what was wrong, his face was cold. You were hurt that he hadn’t hugged you back, wondering if you had done something to make him mad.

“Missed ya too um... You should go (Y/n).” He spoke finally, his voice holding annoyance.

You blinked up at him and shook your head, fully confused now.

“Buck wha— what’s going on?” You asked hesitantly, anxious that Bucky was being so short with you so suddenly and you didn’t know why.

“Nothing, I just wanna be alone.” He told you, and your heart broke for two reasons.

One, the thought of Bucky having an episode and you weren’t here for him made your heart hurt.

And two, he always came to you when he was upset and the fact that he didn’t want you with him… It stung.

You stared at him as your eyes started to water, your bottom lip starting to quiver. Your heart ached, but you wanted to respect his need for space. You didn’t know what else to say, and considering the lump forming in your throat, you decided to keep it short.

“Alright yeah, of course. I’ll… See you at dinner then.” You told him, watching him retreat back into his room and slam the door, making you flinch.

You were frozen in place, staring at the door expecting him to come back out and tell you it was all a prank. But several minutes passed and you were still staring at the door.

_____________________

You pushed the food around on your plate, keeping your eyes casted down. You had tried to get Bucky's attention, ever since you watched with glossy eyes as he passed his usual seat next to you, and instead sat at the other end of the table. He was avoiding your direction and never attempted to make eye contact.

Bucky giving you the cold shoulder, being silent with you was extremely painful. Considering how well you two communicated and talked, you were the one who had brought him out of his shell. It hurt so bad your chest ached physically.

Out of nowhere, you were slamming your fork down on the plate with a loud clank, causing everyones attention to snap to you.

"What's the matter with you cupcake?" Tony asked you, taking a sip from his wine glass.

Feeling embarrassed from everyones stares, you snuck a glance at Bucky at the end of the table, surprised when you met his concerned eyes.

You scoffed, shaking your head in bewilderment. He had no right to act concerned, after ignoring you. You almost felt bad for him, thinking he was having a bad day, but after you watched him chatter playfully at dinner with everyone, you realized it was only you he didn't want to speak to.

"Hello? Earth to (Y/n)!?" Tony announced, banging on the table to get your attention when he noticed you spacing out.

Everyone was concerned about you by now, all watching you carefully. You glared at Bucky and stood up without answering Tony, pushing your chair back and quickly exiting the dining room.

"Must be her time of the month." Tony mumbled, earning a slap to the back of the head from the redhead next to him. "Ow... What?!"

"Shut up Tony." Natasha rolled her eyes, turning to Bucky and giving him a 'What did you do' look.

_____________________

Laying in bed on your side, you pulled the blanket tighter to your chest with a sniffle. You began to turn over on your other side when your hip throbbed painfully at the movement. The waves of pain had your body shuttering, your eyes filling with fresh tears, rolling down your flushed cheeks.

You blamed your tears on your hip pain, but all the emotions you’d piled up since you’d gotten back from the mission was weighing on you now.

Light knocks sounded from your door, causing you to tense up and turn your back to the door. You didn’t feel like talking to anyone, especially if it was him.

“(Y/n)? I know you heard me.” Natasha muttered, opening the door, letting herself in.

“What do you want Nat?” You snapped, not meaning to take out your frustrations on her.

“You wanna tell me what’s going on? Your little scene downstairs has everyone worried.” She told you, earning a scoff from you, still refusing to face her.

“It’s nothing.” You sighed, wishing she could leave so you could attempt to sleep your issues away.

“Didn’t seem like nothing.” She retorted, huffing in annoyance when you stayed silent.

You were staring at the wall, biting your lip, trying to hold in your built up emotions. Too busy to notice Natasha whispering to another person entering the room. It was when you felt the edge of the bed behind you dip down that snapped your attention back.

“Hey doll,” Bucky greeted, “How’s your hip?”

You twisted your body back facing his worried form, but your eyebrows were furrowed on how he even knew about your injury.

“How did you…”

“Nat told me.”

Rolling your eyes, you were cursing under your breath. Throwing the blanket over your head in attempt to hide.

Your blanket cocoon was quickly ripped away by Bucky, pulling the blanket all the way down below your knees. His eyes dancing around your bandaged hip, clenching his jaw at the red seeping through the white gauze.

“(Y/n), is your hip feeling okay? Do we need to change it—“

“I’m fine!” You snapped, “Now go away.”

You we’re looking everywhere but his eyes, knowing you’d break down if you saw the disappointment in them.

Bucky was taken a back, but he couldn’t be all that angry when he’d brought all this on himself. He just got into this weird headspace when he’d heard the mission report, hearing that you’d been hurt. He realized it wasn’t fatal, but he didn’t like seeing his girl hurt at all. He realized he took it a little too far, he didn’t mean to make you upset the way he did. He’d shut you out and he felt like his old self when he’d first arrived at the compound again. Anxious and closed off, pushing you away when he really wanted to pull you into his arms and tell you how much he loves you.

“Doll, talk to me.” He practically begged, his metal arm whirring, having to stop himself from reaching out to touch you.

“Why are you ignoring me?” You rushed out, your voice louder than you intended it to be, “Is it because I messed up on the mission? A-are you disappointed in me or something? Huh?”

Your chest was rising and falling in a fast rhythm, your mind going haywire at the possibilities of why Bucky was suddenly indifferent with you. Your throat felt like it was tightening up.

Bucky stayed silent, his heart hurting, feeling terrible for making you feel this way.

You couldn’t stop your mind from producing the awful thoughts, and like a switch had been flipped, the dam inside of you cracked. The tears wouldn’t stop, your sobs painful sounding

“Is it… Is it because you— I— Do you not love m-me anymore?” You wheezed out.

Bucky snapped out of his silent trance, his hands cupping your face, brushing away the tear streaks.

“Baby no…” He hushed, trying to stop your mind from torturing yourself.

“I’m so sorry Buck, I-I love you so much and I…” You hiccuped, “If I did something— If I’m not good enough—“

“No Doll hey… Stop that,” He cooed, “You haven’t done anything wrong, okay?”

“Bu-but you…”

“I know baby, I’ve been a dick. I shouldn’t of shut you out like that I was just… I was scared.” Bucky confessed, your tears and breathing slowing down, you sitting silent besides the occasional hiccup.

“I still… I don’t understand?” You thought out loud.

Bucky breathed heavily, swallowing the forming lump in his throat. He scooted closer to you, pulling your form closer to him, and you let him.

“(Y/n), you have no idea how scared I was when I heard you had gotten hurt.” He started, watching your face soften at his wavering voice.

“Buck, I’m okay though.” You reassured him, grabbing his palms, rubbing your thumb comfortingly over the back of his hand.

“I know baby, but… I couldn’t help but think if you got hurt on a mission and—“ He panted out, “And you didn’t make it.”

Your heart ached at the pain laced in his words, him holding onto your hands in a desperate grip.

“Buck..”

“I know that doesn’t give me an excuse to be a dick to you I… I just get into this headspace every time you are headed back from a mission, when I’m waiting to hear that you’re alright and… When I heard you had gotten hurt— I just assumed the worst.” He finished.

The disappointment was clear on his face, but it wasn’t directed toward you, it was directed to himself.

You understood that he meant no harm, and you felt incredibly bad that he suffered so much while you were gone, you thought it was the other way around. You felt extremely loved in a sense, feeling lucky enough to have someone worry as deep as he did for you.

“Buck, you should’ve just told me how you were feeling from the start. You know I’d listen,” You paused, doubt clouding your thoughts, “You still trust me enough to talk to me… Right?”

Bucky immediately nodded his head, cupping your face, hearing your faltering voice.

“Of course I do baby, I trust you with my life.” He reassured you, “I don’t know why I got like that.”

“I know why,” You started, cradling his face, watching him snuggle his cheek deeper into your palm, “You have a good heart, and sometimes having a good heart can be overwhelming, because you can care so much about something.”

“I don’t want a good heart if it’s going to make me act that way.” He whispered sadly, lowering his eyes.

“That’s the thing about having a good heart,” You lifted his head slightly so his eyes met yours, “Its not something you can just change, it’s a part of you.”

He gazed from each eye, to your lips, then back up to your eyes, mesmerized by your beauty and soul. How could you be so forgiving and caring towards him?

“I’m so sorry I shut you out (Y/n), I love you and I will never do something like that again.” He promised, lifting and pulling you into his lap, curling his arms around your frame. Sitting his chin on top of your head.

You snuggled your face into his neck, wrapping your arms around him protectively.

“It’s okay Buck, I get scared too.”

[transexualpirate]

this is hilarious what show did you even watch cuz it couldn't have been the same i did

Steve gave the shield to Sam, Sam gave the shield to the government, and the government gave the shield to him. You think a soldier should disobey his superiors? He became Captain America just doing his duty as a competent soldier following orders.

yeah, i absolutely do. not all the times obviously but when the government is wrong a soldier should not blindly follow orders and obey everything. i truly believe that, and so did steve, and so did sam (not a good soldier, but a good man? remember that? no?) as we see in civil war - which, by the way, in the comics, walker is very much on the side of the super human regulation laws aka on the side of the "law" against steve and sam. just a fun reminder

You think that John is abusing Bucky by making it so that "he doesn't have to report to Christina every day, and even if he doesn't, he won't be wanted by the police again"

no, i think john TRIED to control bucky by cutting him off from the therapy that, as far as john knew, was helping him

I've been treated many times by psychologists or psychiatrists, and I've had bad ones. I'm sure Bucky was totally tortured during his daily therapy sessions with Christina.

on this i agree wholeheartedly. actually fun fact!! i wrote a paper on this last semester!! im a psychology student and the assignment was to find malpractice in mainstream media and explain in detail what was done wrong and what the psychologist should have done instead. i wrote about tfatws and got a 9. christina is a fucking monster, a terrible therapist and a deeply prejudiced human being, and she did not have bucky's well being in mind. but john didn't know that. he had no way of knowing that. so saying he cut bucky from therapy because christina sucks is disingenuous at best. as far as he knew, christina was helping bucky get better.

It's extremely bad forced therapy and not what Bucky wanted from the start. Walker knows this because he must have gone through it too.

this is a headcanon. a theory, at best. this isn't canon at all. there are many many ways walker could have known christina before without having been her patient. it's never stated anywhere (that i know of) that walker was her patient at any moment. now, you can have that theory, and you can have that headcanon, and you can even use it to better explain walker's actions, but there's nothing on canon explicitly stating that. it's not canon. and i don't personally believe it to be true. you can believe all you want, i have my own miraculous theories about my favorite characters as well, but they're just that: theories.

Before Walker goes to the police station and rescues him, before Walker retaliates by calling him an "asset." He told Sam that: "Let's take the shield, Sam. Let's take the shield and do this ourselves." What do you think he was thinking? Do you think he went over to Walker and told him he was taking the shield, or did he just beat him up and take the shield?

no, i think he suggested to sam that they take the shield back by force. he never said that to john's face. until the last episodes, as far as john knows, bucky didn't want him with the shield but he had no intention of actually taking it away from him. bucky said this to sam privately and never went through with it. he didn't touch walker. he didn't even say that to his face. so, again, walker had no way of knowing. assuming that walker acted like that with bucky because he was scared that bucky would take the shield back by force is, again, just a theory, because bucky never told john those plans.

He'd long thought about hurting Walker and then grabbing the shield - after he'd finished taunting John, despising and humiliating him. (I definitely don't accept the notion that Bucky didn't humiliate Walker.)

how did he humiliate him, then? he did despise him, sure, and taunted, i guess, but what did he say that was humiliating? "the shield doesn't make you cap"? is that humiliation?

is it more humiliating than having a good portion of your whole life shaped around captain america and his shield and not getting to decide or even know beforehand who was going to have the shield and "be" captain america?

You say you don't see anywhere in the MCU that shows Walker being really nice.

then when was he "really nice"? he had his not-a-jerk moments, sure, because he's a complex character. but "really nice"?

Then all I can say is that your bias is hopelessly large because you see everything that shows him being nice as Marvel "intentionally making him look good to cover up his previous faults"

are you not biased? every flaw i pointed out was brushed off as either "well he was hurt first" or "he's traumatized".

but anywaysss....... my whole post was about how bucky and walker SHOULDN'T be friends. they hate each other, and i believe with good reason, but even if there was no reason at all and it happened as you said and bucky just fucking despises and humiliates him for no reason at all.........

so you agree right? they shouldn't be friends? and marvel shouldn't just pretend that they are for the thunderbolts movie just because they happened to be on the same team? you agree with me on this?

i see no reason to continue this debate then

it's almost 2024 and i want everyone to know that if they make bucky and walker friends in thunderbolts i will not be responsible for my actions you have all been warned

[deepwoundsandfadedscars]

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