In the scene where Buck and Bucky met Rosie and the others for the first time Bucky’s expression/body language feels like he’s trying to be nice but also closing himself off? He’s not as warm and open as he was at the beginning of the show, he’s already expecting them to go down and doesn’t want to get close, but he also genuinely cares about people and the two aspects are fighting.
HC that towards the end even though Bucky isn’t mean to the new guys he starts to get aloof and give them the cold shoulder? He’s just trying to unconsciously protect himself which also makes the others think he’s a bit of a jerk l until someone else fills them in.
i remember actually writing in a post after seeing the trailer for ep 4 that i didn't think bucky liked rosenthal, and then when i watched the ep i realised he was acting the way nixon behaved around that new lieutenant in 'the last patrol'. bc by this time bucky's tired and disillusioned and definitely suffering from ptsd, and these new guys with their bright eyes and hopeful expressions have no idea what's coming for them, and he can't tell them. he can't save them, even if he flies with them. (look at what happened to curt.)
so yeah, i can definitely see this - and i can also see it not working out so well. bucky is the kind of person who can't help but care, and in the end trying to close himself off hurts even worse than before.