In the unsettled aftermath of the Avengers' greatest sacrifice, Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes are thrown together as reluctant partners, each grappling with the shadow of Captain America's shield and who deserves to carry it. Their globe-trotting pursuit of a radical insurgent group forces uncomfortable questions about patriotism, legacy and a country that never quite made room for either man. Built as a buddy-action thriller with real political weight, the series pairs bruising set pieces with a prickly, evolving friendship. It asks what the star-spangled symbol should mean, and who gets to define it.