The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 6 spoilers follow.
Over the years, Marvel has had its fair share of predictable twists, and even surprising ones like the 'Fake Mandarin' reveal divided fans, but one twist we can all agree was bad is the Power Broker reveal in Falcon and Winter Soldier.
After not-so-subtly teasing the villain's true identity throughout the season, the last episode finally confirmed that, yes, Sharon Carter is indeed the Power Broker. Okay, we're going to give you a minute. It's a lot to take in.
Ready? Following Sharon's surprise arrival in NYC, the finale's one and only post-credits scene takes place in an American courthouse where Sharon is pardoned for her crimes. You know, the ones where she helped out national treasure Captain America during that whole Civil War fracas?
"Today we begin to set things right," says some old white guy before offering Sharon her old job back. We already knew that Ms Carter isn't the nice person she claims to be because she killed Karli just five minutes ago, but in case you missed that, the camera then lingers on her evil smirk. She got away with it! She's evil!
The scene ends with Sharon talking to a mystery caller about her plans to sell government secrets on the black market. There's "something for everyone" says the Power Broker, which means she must be pretty good at her job. And the reason she's so good at this job is because of all the years she spent working as an Agent of SHIELD before turning to the dark side.
What to Read Next
We can hardly blame Sharon for that though. Karli tells her that she's "disappointed" by her actions, but the only thing we're disappointed by is how predictable this twist was. Still, at least it makes sense.
Prior to this series, the last time we saw Ms Carter was when she helped everyone's favourite fugitives by breaking Bucky out of jail and stealing superhero equipment back from the government. Sharon even managed to sneak in a quick kiss in with Steve Rogers before she then went on the run herself.
After that, Cap, Falcon, Black Widow and Wanda Maximoff all hid from the law, working as outlaws until their help was required in Avengers: Infinity War. Those who survived the Snap/Blip/Thanos' tantrum were then forgiven by the government because they saved the world. A lot.
But Sharon wasn't forgiven. Guess that's what happens when you fight crime without wearing spandex. Things might have been different though if perhaps one of the many "heroes" Sharon helped actually stood up for her, or at the very least, checked in on her after the dust had settled.
Sam apologises in the new show, admitting that he and the others should have looked out for Sharon, but it's too late. While she does go on to help our faves, it's only to gain that eventual pardon. Agent Carter has lost all faith in heroes and what they stand for, which is totally understandable. How could a known killer like Winter Soldier get pardoned before a loyal agent who only did what she did to help Earth's Mightiest Heroes?
Although Sam and Bucky should have checked in on her, it's even more surprising that Steve Rogers didn't bother either given the connection they shared. In fact, Sharon could have easily joined the outlaw heroes on their mission long before she decided to go for broke, as it were. Sure, Agent Carter doesn't have any fancy powers, but neither do Natasha or Sam either.
Even after Cap discarded Sharon like a slinky, or whatever kids played with in the '40s, it's still surprising that he didn't seek her out before going back in time to smooch her aunt in the last scenes of Endgame. The Carters were clearly on his mind, at the very least.
Assuming that Cap didn't know where Sharon was after Civil War and that he also thought she got blipped, you would think still that Steve might remember the debt he owed her before peacing out.
Cap abandoning Sharon meant that she remained a fugitive from the law this whole time, unable to return home without facing arrest. It's because of his carelessness that she was on the run. When you combine her resentment of these so-called heroes and the lack of legal job opportunities available to her, it makes sense that Sharon would fall into a life of crime. What other options did she have?
It's often said that the very existence of heroes encourages villains to rise up against them, but what's not so common is the idea of someone going bad after their hero ex ditches them to go bang their aunt in the past.
Although Steve didn't mean for any of this to happen, he should still shoulder some of the blame, along with Sam and Bucky. If only Sharon's Power Broker reveal had been more surprising. Then it might have all been worth it.
Unfortunately, the entire series was kind of predictable, except for that surprise Julia Louis-Dreyfus cameo. Let's just hope that Sharon's story takes some new twists and turns which help round her character out in season two and beyond. It's the least that Marvel could do after the way Cap treated her.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is now available to watch on Disney+.
Disney+ Watch the MCU on Disney+
Abrams Books The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry
Marvel Studios Marvel Phase 1-3 complete set Blu-ray
![Avengers: Endgame 4K Includes Bonus Disk [Blu-ray] [2019] [Region Free]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1565171628-51DyZnkLD7L.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Avengers: Endgame 4K Includes Bonus Disk [Blu-ray] [2019] [Region Free]")
Disney/Marvel Studios Avengers: Endgame 4K Includes Bonus Disk [Blu-ray] [2019] [Region Free]
![Avengers: 1-4 Complete Blu-ray Boxset Includes Bonus Disk [2019] [Region Free]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1565171833-51x6a0eLuRL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Avengers: 1-4 Complete Blu-ray Boxset Includes Bonus Disk [2019] [Region Free]")
Disney/Marvel Studios Avengers: 1-4 Complete Blu-ray Boxset Includes Bonus Disk [2019] [Region Free]
Digital Spy's digital magazine is back! Read all issues now with a 1-month free trial, only on Apple News+.
Interested in Digital Spy's weekly newsletter? Sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox – and don't forget to join our Watch This Facebook Group for daily TV recommendations and discussions with other readers.
After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
