
The Kingsmen premiers its third season by delving into the thought-provoking show, The Falcon & the Winter Soldier (2021).
With their esteemed guest, Jordan Acosta, they explore topics like power and privilege, conflicting interpretations of symbols, the worthiness of a successor, imagining a just future, and striving to always do better.
Outline
- [00:00:12] Introduction
- [00:00:58] Ph.D. Announcement
- [00:03:07] FWS vs. Wandavision
- [00:05:19] Theme of Power and Privilege
- [00:11:15] John Walker’s Blindness
- [00:12:54] American Lives vs. Enemy Lives
- [00:13:43] The “Correct” Society
- [00:14:23] Internal vs. External Power
- [00:14:47] God Looks at the Heart
- [00:15:31] The Convergence of Authoritarianism
- [00:16:23] Zemo’s Misguided Ideology
- [00:17:18] ‘Us vs. Them’ Mentality
- [00:18:14] Irony of the Flag Smasher’s Unity
- [00:19:36] Sam is a Peacemaker
- [00:21:27] Sam Wilson as a Tragic Hero
- [00:22:59] The Wilson Boat Symbolizes America
- [00:24:24] Steve Rogers as a Tragic Hero
- [00:25:22] The Symbolism of the Shield
- [00:25:47] Historical and Mythological Attachments
- [00:26:55] Negative and Positive POVs of the Symbol
- [00:27:32] Which Perspective is Correct?
- [00:27:56] A Symbol’s Centripetal and Centrifugal Movement
- [00:29:42] Sam Must Grapple with All the the Shield Represents
- [00:30:00] Sam Fills the Shield with Fresh New Meaning
- [00:31:49] The Shield and Its Bearer as Incarnation
- [00:33:32] Aiming for Perfect Virtue
- [00:35:23] Being Your Authentic Self
- [00:37:00] The Chiastic Structure of Walker-Rogers-Wilson
- [00:37:36] Sam’s Personal Friendship with Steve
- [00:38:18] Various Responses to the Ideal/Shield
- [00:39:04] Sam’s Worthiness
- [00:39:54] The Belief that We Can Do Better
- [00:40:12] Sam’s Negotiation with Carrying the Burden of the Shield
- [00:41:25] Wrestling with the True Object Behind the Tradition
- [00:42:32] Walker Did Not Have to Earn the Shield
- [00:43:16] The Stark Contrast Between Rogers and Walker
- [00:45:44] John Walker, Resentment, Idolatry
- [00:48:33] The Hidden Value of Experiencing Failure
- [00:52:18] Following Orders vs. Doing What’s Right
- [00:56:29] the Law and the law
- [01:00:21] Characters Represent Political POVs
- [01:03:22] The Armor and Shield from Wakanda
- [01:06:45] Sam’s Suit as Wakanda’s Forgiveness
- [01:07:18] Sam’s Vulnerability Enables Him to Do Good in the World
- [01:08:18] What Has Been Given Can Be Taken Back
- [01:09:16] Irony: A Black Woman Declares Freedom For a White Man
- [01:11:46] Art Creates Space to Imagine Potential
- [01:14:07] Ayo Exemplifies Forgiveness and Free Bucky from His Own Prison
- [01:15:28] Stories Challenge Us to Embody an Ideal
- [01:15:48] Imagine Sharing a World with People One Dislikes
- [01:16:53] Justice Requires Imagination to Envision a Good World that Does Not Exist Yet
- [01:17:55] The Struggle of Democracy as a Social Practice
- [01:19:19] Sharon Carter, A Good Person Who Lost Hope
- [01:20:31] For Some, Their Mere Existence is a Crime
- [01:21:47] Conclusion