Bucky’s Brutal Winter Soldier Fight Explains His Rule #2 Obsession

Bucky’s violent stint as the Winter Soldier in episode 3 of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier shows how easily he can forgo his obsession with following Rule #2 of therapy, which is not to hurt anyone. Throughout the first three episodes, Bucky aims to atone for his past by following three rules: don’t do anything illegal, don’t hurt anyone, and introducing himself to the people on his list as James Buchanan Barnes, formerly the Winter Soldier. While Bucky has maintained control over his faculties, episode 3 shows how effortlessly he can take on the mantle of the Winter Soldier again.

Bucky’s dedication to seeking amends remains intact for the most part, even against the Flag-Smashers in episode 2. When Bucky encounters Karli Morgenthau and her team, he resists defending himself. Though the people holding him prisoner have also been injected with the super-soldier serum, Bucky was a trained assassin in his former life and could easily disarm and kill them if he wanted. Though he does succeed in overpowering some of them, he allows Falcon, the new Captain America, and Battlestar to step in and engage in combat, thereby keeping his promise.

Episode 3 entitled “Power Broker” shows how brutal Bucky can still become given the command. Bucky seems more than willing to disregard rule #2, since he may consider acting the part of the Winter Soldier an exception. Bucky breaks Helmut Zemo out of prison to assist his and Sam’s efforts to find out who replicated the super-soldier serum. Zemo brings them to Madripoor, an island safe haven for all sorts of criminals, to search for potential leads. Zemo urges them to keep a low profile and stay as their intended characters, like Bucky becoming the Winter Soldier once again. When Selby’s bodyguards advance on them in her club, Zemo tells Bucky to attack, who doesn’t seem to give his compliance a second thought. Zemo even remarks to Sam how easily he can pretend to be the Winter Soldier again. Bucky debilitates a handful of Selby’s henchmen quickly and efficiently and is in the process of choking someone else before Sam tries to intervene.

Bucky may only be pretending, but his viciousness is enough to concern Sam and ask if he’s all right. Bucky gives a terse nod, though he looks visibly affected by what he just enacted. This ties into an earlier scene, where Zemo repeats some of the trigger words that initiated the Winter Soldier to Bucky. While Bucky’s mind may no longer be under the control of HYDRA, Zemo observes that “something is still in there.” This “something” is most apparent when Bucky imitates his Winter Soldier persona and hints that Bucky needs to stick to the rules learned in therapy to separate himself from his past brainwashed self.

Bucky’s commitment to not inflicting injury signals his eventual healing, though his recent actions seem to impact this progress greatly. He holds back against the Flag-Smashers as Bucky Barnes, but the fact that he accepts his role as the Winter Soldier in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 3 shows his obligation to making amends may be wavering. Hopefully, Bucky can rectify this in future episodes and stick to following his original 3 rules.