Quote Originally Posted by BRC View Post
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Sam is a Therapist by training, he's all about establishing trust, and trust goes both ways. He reaches out to the teacher, and hits a wall when the teacher says "I'm sorry, I cannot trust you". He imagines he can convince people to help him, once he establishes that trust.

Zemo is a Spy, and he know how to exploit Power dynamics. He reaches out to the children, he bribes them with candy and, what is for him, petty cash.

He doesn't try to establish Trust, he finds somebody he can wield Power over, and exploits that.
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I find it very interesting that's how you saw it, because my interpretation was that he was being deliberately genuine towards the kids.

When Zemo, Bucky and Sam walked into the plaza where they met the kids, Zemo makes an off-hand remark that he remembers the place from his childhood, when it was a restaurant/ballroom. His wealth and status aside, he grew up in this area - he's literally talking to people in his old neighbourhood, that are living where he used to live.

When you pair his firm anti-Super Soldier rhetoric with what his apparently his compassion for non-Super kids, I found the scene to be a good indicator of his priorities and perspective. Bucky and Sam can't relate to 'normal' people due to being Avengers and/or super-powered and were blinded by their single-minded mission to find Karli; Zemo, on the other hand, is a normal (if brilliant) guy who hasn't forgotten his roots, and his own mission to protect normal people from Supers, which is why he was just nice to people and it worked.

Likely there's a bit of both theory involved, maybe we'll be able to tell for sure when we find out his full agenda later in the series?


Quote Originally Posted by Kareeah_Indaga View Post
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Yeah one of my big problems with the series so far is that they keep having Zemo act with basic competence and a reasonable amount of cleverness but they have everyone around him act like idiots to exaggerate these traits to try to make him look like a mastermind instead of merely competent. That doesn’t work. And it’s extra galling because the people he’s working with and against are supposed to be competent in their own rights.
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As above; I think this is intentional, because it shows off how the other factions are either fanatical in their mindset or too conflicted to act decisively.

Nu-Cap & Battlestar are the former - they've swallowed the propaganda and can do no wrong because Captain America is the good guy that everyone likes, so as long as they're bringing down terrorists then the end justifies the means. The Flagsmashers are starting to go this way too, particularly Karli's talk with Sam where she slips and admits that she doesn't mind killing low-level, mostly blameless personnel if it gets her what she wants. Both sides are the same - both are chasing the 'little picture' that ultimately won't solve any problems beyond their own immediate ones.

Bucky and Sam are the latter - Sam is still feeling guilty because he turned down Cap's shield and doesn't know if he has what it takes, on top of worrying about his sister, whereas Bucky not only resents Sam's decision but is still haunted by memories of being Winter Soldier and daren't cut loose in case he becomes that again. Neither can focus on the task at hand and their hesitation is where mistakes find their way in.

Zemo doesn't seem to have any of that. He has purpose and focus, just as he did when he took down the Avengers in the movie, and that's how he keeps one step ahead of the other groups. Whatever his agenda might be, just as he said in this week's episode, he has the will to see it through; everyone else is still trying to decide exactly what they want, and how to get it.