Not only the two men’s machismo-infused personal issues with each other, which admittedly make for some of the show’s more humorous moments, but also their shared dislike for John Walker’s now-spoiled Captain America as the status quo, as well as mutually exclusive problems.
From Sam’s bank problems regarding his sister to Bucky traversing PTSD amidst a somewhat calmer life, both characters’ lives are ripe for exploring in areas that have nothing to do with super-heroics.
Rather than falling into one extreme (keeping Sam and Bucky apart for most of the season) or the other (inexplicably making them BFFs immediately), The Falcon and the Winter Soldier took a necessary two steps back to address both characters’ personal issues without just sweeping them away to embrace the camaraderie.