Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Hawkeye

  • ‘Hawkeye’ From Page to Screen: Episode 4

    ‘Hawkeye’ From Page to Screen: Episode 4

    With Episode 4 ‘Partners, Am I Right?’ Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye is now moving into its third act. Unlike previous episodes where we could find entire sequences taken straight out of the Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye comic run (introducing Lucky in episode 1, Clint and the Tracksuit Mafia in episode 2, the car chase and trick arrows in episode 3), these references were now a bit more subdued.

    Flipping the script
    Going back to the trick arrows theme that we focused on last week, we got a reference showing us how, at times, the series has managed to flip the script on the comic run. There’s a small gag in issue #3 that starts off with Clint praising the qualities of his Boomerang Arrows. Kate, on the other hand, doesn’t really see the point or how they could ever come in handy on the field. Later on while facing the Tracksuit Mafia, who have a machine gun to Clint’s head, Kate is asked not to engage and to ditch the arrow she has pointed at the Bro who has Clint. She complies, shooting it way above the Mafia Bro’s head, only for the arrow to come back and hit him in the back of the head, thus saving Clint. ‘Boomerang Arrow. It comes back to you in the end.”

    ‘Hawkeye’ #3 (2012)
    ‘Hawkeye’ #3 (2012)

    In the show that initial discussion goes the other way around. Boomerang Arrows aren’t a real thing but Kate kinda wishes they were. Clint, as Kate did in the comic run, doesn’t really see the appeal of having an arrow you shot coming back to bite you in the ass. Kate then mentions there might have a little bit of dodging involved. This might still be setting up a payoff down the line when a Boomerang Arrow is actually used in action but, for now, it serves as an example of how the series is approaching the Clint / Kate dynamic differently than the comic run. In the books, Kate was always the more level-headed of the two. Clint, a single guy living alone in NYC struggled to get his shit together and was often given crap about not doing the right thing. As we’ve been watching in the tv show, things are very differently portrayed.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 4
    ‘Hawkeye’ #9 (2013)

    This might be due to a number of factors with one being that, with the show being used to introduce Kate Bishop to the world, you still need to allow the character to have enough room to grow in upcoming projects. There would be no point in presenting Kate in the place you want her to be in five years from now. Just think of the amount of development you’d have to skip over. At the same time, the series, unlike the comic run, had to deal with preestablished Clint Barton’s background, both in terms of his family life and his past avenging. Even if the comic approach of making the young protégé being the sane one was a welcomed one, both the past and future of the MCU strongly benefit from approaching the Barton / Bishop relationship the way the show does.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 4

    LARPers helping out
    In a pretty good self-aware and self-deprecating bit of storytelling, we got introduced to the LARPers in episode 2, ‘Hide and Seek’. Episode four brought them back in a more active role, making them a part of Clint and Kate’s.. guild? If there’s one thing that the Tracksuit Mafia has over our heroes is strength in numbers and the LARPers could just be the missing pieces in order to level the playing field in the upcoming episodes.

    Marvel Studios’ ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 4

    The comic run didn’t feature these characters but still managed to deliver Clint and Kate the help they needed by having Barton’s neighbors step up and help out. Throughout the series, we get to see Clint, hesitantly at first, connect with his neighbors to the point where their well-being becomes as important to him as his own. He helps one of them (Grills, sound familiar?) reconnect with his dad and even babysits Simone’s kids. At the end of the series, as the Tracksuits prepare one final attack on their building, everybody plays a part in defeating them, some with more success than others.

    ‘Hawkeye’ #1 (2012)
    ‘Hawkeye’ #7 (2012)

    In a show that has been so much about family, be it through Clint’s point of view (where you value what you have) or through Kate’s (where she learns that there’s family to be found outside the typical idyllic entity) the development of a family-type unit with the help of LARPers found along the way seems like a welcomed prospect for both characters.

  • New ‘Hawkeye Funko Pops Unveiled for Kate and Clint Revealed

    New ‘Hawkeye Funko Pops Unveiled for Kate and Clint Revealed

    Always wanted to get into the Christmas spirit with the perfect ugly sweaters? So did Kate Bishop and Clint Barton did in the latest episode of Hawkeye. While one would expect a Yelena Belova-inspired Funko given her return at the end of the episode, but Funko was embracing the Christmas spirit and shared two new Funkos of our favorite new duo in their Holiday outfits, as they took some time to unwind. And yes, Clint even has his Grumpy Cat print on the sweater.

    The designs are great, but, strangely, they wouldn’t want to bank on the return of a popular character from Black Widow. Her new suit probably won’t appear again with the iconic Sam Fisher-inspired look, as teased by some of the other trailers. So, they might add one in a more iconic look for the character later on. Of course, they might also release multiple sets this time around, and are keeping it alongside another new reveal with a certain “uncle.” Interestingly, Kate has the most amount of Funko Pops in the collection, but given the focus, she gets in the series it makes sense she’ll get highlighted quite a bit. Plus, she goes through the most looks in the series.

    Source: Twitter

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘Reservation Dogs’ Sydney Freeland Might be a Director on ‘Echo’

    Connecting Imaginary Dots: ‘Reservation Dogs’ Sydney Freeland Might be a Director on ‘Echo’

    Hollywood newcomer Alaqua Cox has made a big impression with her work on the latest Disney+ streaming series, Hawkeye. Cox, a Deaf, Native American amputee, impressed Marvel Studios execs so much during filming that they quickly moved to create a spinoff series centered on the character. Her character, Maya Lopez, has ties to both Wilson Fisk and Matt Murdock, two characters that are expected to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Sacred Timeline next week. She also has ties to Moon Knight, and the Avengers and could easily become a mainstay in the next 5-10 years of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe.

    The spinoff series, Echo, is expected to film this coming Spring and already has an impressive writers’ room, led by Better Call Saul scribe Marion Dayre. That room is replete with both Deaf and Native American writers. The incredible talent includes Rebecca Roanhorse, Bobby Wilson, Shoshannah Stern, and Josh Feldman. While Dayre was kind enough to share with us the talents who would be helping her craft Echo’s journey in the MCU, what she didn’t share was who might be behind the camera. As all of you reading this certainly know, when we connect the imaginary dots, we are simply speculating, but at this point in time, it seems safe to speculate that we may have identified one of the directors of the upcoming Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Echo.

    At this point, there is enough evidence to make a reasonable claim that Sydney Freeland will direct one or even all of the episodes of Echo. As you can see, Freeland is following Cox, Dayre, Roanhorse, and Bobby Wilson, who like the others above was named by Dayre as a writer. An abundance of data points like this cannot be considered confirmation, but it can absolutely fuel the speculation that she could be working on the project.

    And she is EXACTLY the type of talent Marvel Studios should be trying to land for a project of this magnitude. Freeland, a transgender Navajo/Scotch, won two awards at the 2014 American Indian Film Festival for Drunktown’s Finest, recently directed two episodes of Taika Waititi’s FX series, Reservation Dogs, which follows a group of indigenous teens for which Wilson also worked. She has also directed episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, P-Valley, Fear the Walking Dead, and Rutherford Falls. Coincidentally, Zahn McClarnon, who memorably plays Maya’s dad, Willie Lopez, in Hawkeye also starred in Reservation Dogs.

    Freeland is uniquely poised to helm one or all episodes of Echo. She is a director whose career trajectory is ascending and fulfills Marvel Studios’ continued efforts to ensure diverse perspectives are behind their projects. Only in the very recent past has Echo had her own comic series, so it’s likely that her Marvel Studios’ series would be fairly original, giving Freeland free reign to create both a unique backstory for the character and the new, original characters that will surround her. We’ll have to wait to see how her character’s arc on Hawkeye concludes, but Cox’s Echo is likely being set up to play a big part in the future of the MCU.

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Director Promises the Uncle Reveal Isn’t “For Too Long”

    ‘Hawkeye’ Director Promises the Uncle Reveal Isn’t “For Too Long”

    Hawkeye has a lot going for it. Not only do we get a great performance by Hailee Steinfeld as the newly introduced hero Kate Bishop, but Jeremy Renner gets to dive deep into what makes Clint Barton tick. Of course, there’s also the appearance of Alaqua Cox‘s Echo who’ll get her series later down the line. In the third episode, we got the big tease of a man she only refers to as “uncle” and are still left with that dangling thread to this day. Luckily, director Bert of Bert and Bertie teased that we won’t have to wait “for too long” until we find out who it is.

    She highlights in an interview with ComicBook.com’s Adam Barnhardt that Marvel’s team “are experts” when it comes to teasing elements in their various series. We’ve gotten quite a few teases and major revelations throughout their series, such as Loki offering our first look at Jonathan Majors‘ take on Kang. Hawkeye’s “uncle” mystery might be one of the biggest and we won’t be left hanging.

    [The filmmakers at] Marvel are experts are teasing things in their shows. But they never leave you hanging.

    Bert

    It’s certainly a tall order, but if it truly turns out to be Kingpin it’ll get a lot of attention. Especially if that short giggle we heard is indeed Vincent D’Onofrio‘s return as the character since the Netflix series. His return, alongside another long hinted at return from the same franchise, might start a new era for the MCU moving forward and we can’t wait to witness it.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Director Duo Bert and Bertie in Talks With Marvel Studios for Another Project

    ‘Hawkeye’ Director Duo Bert and Bertie in Talks With Marvel Studios for Another Project

    The directing duo Bert & Bertie have just recently tackled some of Hawkeye‘s best episodes and added a nice touch of grounded flair to the overall series. Adapting the My Life as a Weapon sequence with Clint and Kate driving away from the Tracksuit Mafia has made for a memorable live-action adaptation. It’s a shame they only get to direct a few episodes in the series, but it seems that the duo might have a future with Marvel Studios after all.

    In an interview with ComicBook.com, Bert & Bertie discussed their joy of tackling the recent Disney+ release, and especially with the more grounded take on the series. It seems they want to continue their work with that approach, as they’ve “already had conversations with the filmmaker about other franchises.” Of course, they couldn’t reveal anything but Bertie did highlight what their approach would be.

    I think whatever we do, we’d always want to keep a character grounding, whether that’s in the human world, whether that goes elsewhere into the universe, that would be the center of anything we did.

    Bertie

    A grounded story would hint at a potential exploration of our street-level heroes. There are hints that some familiar faces from the Netflix series might make their appearance. So, perhaps they could offer a fresh take on characters like Jessica Jones, or even characters that haven’t gotten a chance in live-action yet. With Echo continuing where Hawkeye likely ends, we might explore more grounded stories moving forward.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • Latest ‘Hawkeye’ Offers New Footage of Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova

    Latest ‘Hawkeye’ Offers New Footage of Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova

    The fourth episode of Hawkeye has finally dropped and offered our first look at Florence Pugh‘s return as Yelena Belova. She takes on our favorite archer, building on the post-credit sequence from Black Widow. Yet, we only got a brief meeting between the two and we don’t know what exactly her role will be in the upcoming final two episodes. Luckily, the latest teaser trailer for the Disney+ series offers a tease of what’s to come with her character.

    While the young Black Widow points out she is still going to kill Clint Barton, we see her in civilian clothes, which might build on the moment teased between her and Kate. There’s a parallel between the “shot not taken” that Clint talked about in the episode and the same done by Kate before Yelena jumped off the building.

    The two develop an unlikely friendship not only opens up some fun ideas for future entries but also builds on the parallels that the series is set up between her and her unwilling mentor. We’ll see how she’ll tie into the story and push Clint to his limits, as she might become an unlikely ally at one point in the story.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Director Shares Why Marvel Studios Now Includes Multiple Directors in their Disney+ Productions

    ‘Hawkeye’ Director Shares Why Marvel Studios Now Includes Multiple Directors in their Disney+ Productions

    Marvel Studios had quite a unique approach to their long-form storytelling early on. The initial Disney+ series, WandaVision, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki, relied on a single director to bring the unified vision to life. Yet, the latest entry, Hawkeye, has taken a very different approach. The last two episodes moved from Rhys Thomas’ direction style to that of the director duo Bert and Bertie. It highlights that Marvel Studios is still learning how they bring their shows to life and it paid off so far.

    In an interview with ComicBook.com, director Bertie of the duo offered some insight on what might’ve inspired the production studio to take that very approach. The third episode includes a one-shot that kicks off one of the series’ longest action sequences. Kate and Clint drive off from the Tracksuit Mafia while shooting them down with the help of trick arrows. Even the latest ended on a rooftop showdown and it seems the prep work needed for action is one of the leading reasons they’ve started moving on from the one-director concept.

    We can only imagine that that was a choice based on wanting to make sure that every episode had a lot of attention on it. It’s such a huge universe, and when you’re doing these action sequences, there’s so much prep that goes in that…by being a team with [director Rhys Thomas], as we were, to kind of create and craft the whole thing with [producers Trinh Tran and Kevin Feige] and a whole team, but then to be able to concentrate on our individual episodes, it was actually a way of ensuring that each episode had its own stamp and its own arc and its own bigness, if you like.

    Bertie

    It wouldn’t be too surprising to see this standardized throughout future entries, as it allows each creative team to tackle projects how they see fit. Not every director has experience with action sequences and can set their focus on dramatic storylines. Loki had some great depth and character work but was a bit lacking in its action, as the Asgardian seems to struggle with everyday people. So, we’ll see what it might mean for future entries in the franchise.

    Source: ComicBook.com

  • Fra Fee on Why His Kazi in ‘Hawkeye’ Strays from the Comic Version

    Fra Fee on Why His Kazi in ‘Hawkeye’ Strays from the Comic Version

    When it was announced that Fra Fee would be bringing Kazi Kazimierczak to the screen in Hawkeye, fans on the iconic Matt Fraction and David Aja run on the comic of the same name were thrilled at the idea of seeing the character terrorize Clint and Kate. In the comics, Kazi certainly displayed all the characteristics of a psychopath but, so far in the show, we’ve seen a much more subdued take on the character. Fee talked to ComicBook.com about the differences between the character we’ve seen so far on the show and the one from the comics and whether or not we might ever see him unleash the true evil he displayed in the great run.

    I was fully aware of the origins of this character. And I think it was a really intriguing character in the comics. And there was a lot that I was able to take from his persona in the comic books. What I love about Kazi, he’s got this really intense, sort of brooding, everything’s simmering at the surface sense of himself. And I believe that’s because he’s harboring a lot of stuff. There’s a lot of issues and there’s a lot of painful things that have happened. And also deep rooted passions that make for this very intriguing character that doesn’t necessarily wear on his sleeve, unlike his counterparts in the mafia that are big, brash versions of themselves. He’s not, he’s got a quiet intensity. Whether or not it is to be seen that he takes on this persona that is traditionally viewed in the comics, we’re not sure. But like you said, I think that the comic book figure is inherently evil.

    It’s always interesting to hear how deeply involved actors become entangled in the characters they play. Fee has clearly put a great deal of thought into how who Kazi WAS defines who he IS.

    What I love about Marvel Studios and how they’ve tackle tackled villainous characters is that we have a much more fully fledged out version of themselves. There’s a sense of history, there’s always a reason to be, there’s always a reason why these characters act the way that they do. And so to be able to actually figure out why Kazi is who he is, how he’s got to the place that he has found himself, that’s really, really exciting rather than just playing an evil dude. Whether you need to know the why, and I think we’re able to do that here.

    Through four episodes, Fee’s relationship with Maya seems to be vital to who is at the moment, a relationship he discussed here with our own Charles Villanueva. It would be interesting to see what might become of Kazi should his relationship with Maya fall apart. As Fee said, the reasons the characters become who they are is a part of fleshing out the characters for these adaptations, so maybe, in this adaptation, we’re just in the middle of Kazi’s Clown persona’s origin story.

    Source: Comicbook.com

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 4 Makes a Case for Laura Barton as Mockingbird

    ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 4 Makes a Case for Laura Barton as Mockingbird

    Clint Barton’s a man of secrets. Always has been. Dating back to when he surprised his Avenger friends with the knowledge that he had a wife, kids and a beautiful farm tucked away in Missouri. He would continue on with the secrency to his time as Ronin, Barton has played things close to the vest and openly trusted very few people. Avengers: Age of Ultron did, however, establish, that he had a very open relationship with his wife, Laura.

    The first few episodes of Hawkeye have peeled back the curtain even more on their relationship, showing that not only does Laura support Clint’s avenging, she also seems to know quite a bit about it. She’s been supportive of Clint staying in New York to clean up the mess that unfolded when Kate Bishop put on the Ronin suit, but more than that, she seemed to have quite a bit of information about Clint’s past with the Tracksuit Mafia and, possibly, the fact that her husband was Ronin. Today’s episode erased any doubt that Laura knew Clint was Ronin and replaced that doubt with speculation that there might be more to her than meets the eye.

    Episode 4, “Partners, Am I Right?”, provided enough evidence to support a reasonable claim that Laura Barton is more than just a supportive spouse. Not only does Laura confirm that she knew about Clint’s time as Ronin (silly suit), she also demonstrates the ability to fluently speak a second language to hide things from her children and does some research on Sloan Ltd. that leads to uncovering its a shell corporation (seems like it took more than a Google search to determine that bit of info). Again, enough evidence to support a reasonable claim that Laura is more than just a supportive spouse and maybe, just maybe, a trained spy herself.

    And if, in fact, it turns out that Laura Barton is a trained spy who also happens to be married to Clint Barton, it would be no stretch to make the case that Laura might be “Laura” and actually be Barbara Morse, better known to comic book fans as one-time Avenger, West Coast Avenger, and Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Mockingbird. In the comics, she was a doctor who trained as a spy by S.H.I.E.L.D. and was given the codename Agent 19 (let’s keep an eye out for Agent 19 Easter eggs over the next two episodes. In fact, we should probably go back and look at the last four episodes to make sure we didn’t miss any). Along the way, she met Clint Barton and the two embarked on a rocky relationship that saw them marry, get divorced, get back together, be killed by Mephisto, be impersonated by a Skrull, and then show up in Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye, the series on which the Hawkeye show is largely based. And there was that time she faked her death to protect her family…

    As told in issue 2 of the 2010 series Hawkeye and Mockingbird, after falling into a coma, Morse had Nick Fury fake records of her death and make access to her files “Eyes Alpha”, otherwise known as “nobody can see them.” Morse stayed undercover for 8 years until a threat from her and Hawkeye’s shared past drew her out.

    If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s pretty close to what’s happening in Hawkeye. We know absolutely nothing about how Laura and Clint met, nothing at least that couldn’t have been fabricated by Fury when he helped find them their home in Missouri. The skillset Laura has demonstrated so far is congruent with that of Mockingbird in the comics. She is married to Clint, as Mockingbird once was. It’s not too hard to imagine that while an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., she worked undercover (in the comics she worked with Ted Sallis on his project to recreate the Super Soldier Serum, a project that turned him into Man-Thing), met Clint, and had Fury delete all knowledge of her from the S.H.I.E.L.D. database. Again, there is certainly enough evidence to support a reasonable claim that Laura Barton could be a trained spy herself, and could have been, at one point, a SHIELD agent that went by the name Barbara “Bobbi” Morse, aka Mockingbird.

    While it’s fun to speculate, this is a classic 50/50 scenario: either Laura was Mockingbird or she was not. It would certainly be a wonderful way for Marvel Studios to bring the character, who was portrayed on ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. by Adrianne Palicki, into the Sacred Timeline and give national treasure Linda Cardellini a larger role. Jeremy Renner has teased that he’d love to see his character transition to a leadership role on the West Coast Avengers. Perhaps the events of Hawkeye (Maya Lopez was looking into Barton’s family, so it’s possible her connection to Kingpin and Kate’s mother’s spy…er, security company, could shake something loose about Laura), will make it possible for Laura to reclaim her prior identity as Mockingbird and partner with her husband leading the West Coast Avengers and mentoring the next generation of MCU heroes. Crazy theory? Time (maybe the time on a Rolex) will tell…

  • REVIEW: ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 4—Partners, Am I Right?

    REVIEW: ‘Hawkeye’ Episode 4—Partners, Am I Right?

    Hawkeye Episode 4, Partners, Am I Right?, slowed down from last week’s episode to focus more on psychological themes and more investigative-type activity, in contrast to the action-heavy previous episode. While the episode’s slower and more character-based work is well-executed, the episode advanced the plot very little. With so many elements and unknowns still on the table, it begs the question of whether or to what extent the final two episodes of the series can succeed. 

    Episode 4 is generally dedicated to themes of family and loss, particularly the loss of Natasha Romanoff. Clint has his ongoing dilemma of trying to be there for his family at Christmas. This episode is pulling back on that further by delving into his psyche surrounding his time as Ronin after he lost his family in the Blip. There’s more recognition now about how his 5-year reversion into a hell-bent weapon affects who he is and his relationship to his family, even though Ronin is “dead” at this point.

    It’s fun that his wife Laura can be so involved in what he is doing—it’s certainly a fresh change of pace than the usual keep-spouse-in-the-dark story. Still, we learn this episode that Maya is keeping tabs on Clint’s wife and kids, so Clint’s family situation seems like it could go beyond simply trying to return for Christmas. This should be a major issue for Clint, even though the episode ends before he can really react to it. He’s still dealing with the grief and consequences of losing his family once, so one can only expect that this news would be met with a wave of emotion, and likely, a reversion back into some violent and vengeful places out of fear.

    Natasha Romanoff’s death is given more attention in this episode, too. There are brief references to her and her death every episode, but Clint finally gives a more formal statement on how he’s dealing with the loss by opening up to Kate about the “best shot he ever took” being the one he didn’t take when he was sent to assassinate the Black Widow. Through a brief and quiet moment with Clint, we get insight into his ongoing messy and dark psyche—he’s plagued by memories of the loss of his family and Nat, and it looks like it haunts him all too frequently. The focus on Nat definitely led up to Yelena’s brief cameo, but it further teases that a darker, more Ronin-like Hawkeye could be on the near horizon. Jeremy Renner is only getting better with these moments, and Clint’s subtle under-the-surface suffering is compelling

    Perhaps the only person who can save him, if that happens, is Kate. On one hand, this is also Hailee Steinfeld’s and the character’s best episode in terms of charisma and performance. While the episode ends with Clint telling Kate that they’re done, common sense suggests that their partnership will return. Their relationship is built up extremely well throughout the episode, which is clearly in part to make the ending more dramatic. The two share their best banter and back-and-forths of the series between their interrogation by Jacques and Eleanor and Kate bringing Christmas cheer to Clint.

    But while the two’s partnership/friendship/relationship looked stronger than ever, it was not free from the ails of the themes of the episode. Eleanor Bishop is the first to bring up Natasha’s death to Clint, pleading with him to leave Kate out of their investigation and not let her get hurt. Clint acknowledges that he plans to keep her safe, but he seems relatively unphased at this point. Kate’s confidence in and of itself likely makes it easier for the elder Hawkeye to feel comfortable with her involvement. It isn’t until Kate is thrown off of the roof of a building, narrowly surviving, that Clint reacts all at once. Between the parallel to Natasha’s falling death and his promise to keep someone’s child safe, his panic and emotion burst out, leading to his proclamation that his and Kate’s time together is over.

    Another interesting part of their dynamic this episode is that Kate discovers that Clint was Ronin. It seemed like this would be a much bigger moment than it was—Kate was certainly a bit shocked and upset at the idea, but by the next scene she had moved on. Knowing her hero was the notorious vigilante assassin probably should have affected her more, but perhaps her infatuation with Hawkeye blurs her perception of the situation. That, or, it simply wasn’t explored enough.

    Episode 4 was definitely slower than the previous episode, but it left all of its high-intensity moments for the end. The final, but relatively brief fight featured Clint, Kate, Maya, and Yelena Belova. Yelena arrived, as promised, and her hand-to-hand combat style made everyone else look incompetent and added a lot of strength to the scene itself. She says nothing, and we only see her face revealed right before she escapes. There’s also a nod to Clint’s introduction to Natasha when Kate refuses to take a shot at Yelena. Is a more personal friendship between the two being foreshadowed?

    While Yelena’s appearance is undoubtedly exciting, it’s hard not to notice that the final two episodes of Hawkeye will have quite a few elements it needs to resolve or address. A quick list includes Yelena, Maya, Kazi’s likely attempt to persuade Maya to stop going after Ronin, the Rolex from the Avengers compound, the rumored BIG reveal next episode, the LARPers and the Hawkeyes’ new suits, Jacques’ role as a money launderer for the Tracksuit Mafia, the Tracksuit Mafia itself, Clint still getting home in time for Christmas, the Hawkeye mantle being passed down, clearing Kate’s name as Ronin, Clint’s family potentially being in direct danger, Clint’s psychological turmoil, and Lucky the Pizza Dog eating more pizza. 

    Overall, Episode 4 does well with its slower pace in terms of addressing overarching themes, including family and grief stemming from loss. It was important for Clint in this series to have moments where he lives within his own trauma, and some of that is definitely highlighted. The relationship between Clint and Kate gets more depth as well, between the growing friendship and partnership combined with Clint’s fear and guilt pushing her away at the end. Yelena’s introduction is exciting and promising, but the burden that the next two episodes carry seems at risk of being too much to handle effectively.