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  • Writer's pictureChristopher Thomas

Marvel's Hawkeye: The End Has Come

Latest Story In MCU Saga Wraps Up


The final episodes of Marvel’s Hawkeye aired on Disney+ in December and they were impressive. The storyline resolved with highs and lows for fans. Let's take a look at how the last two episodes shook out

 

Episode 5: Ronin


The biggest reveal of Hawkeye’s penultimate episode was Vincent Philip D'Onofrio reprising his role as Kingpin from the canceled Netflix- Marvel collaboration Daredevil. D’Onofrio has become ubiquitous with the Kingpin, so much so that fans cannot imagine and do not want any other actor to portray the character. Disney and Marvel have done right by fans with this casting.


In an interview with TVLine D’Onofrio spoke on his return as Wilson Fisk:


“Obviously, in the show, he’s physically stronger and can take more physical abuse. But emotionally, and as far as the history that was discussed about what’s been going on was done with connecting as many dots from Daredevil to Hawkeye as possible. There are obviously things that we can’t connect — for instance, he’s stronger — but as far as how I played him and the history that I carry myself from and into Hawkeye, he is the same guy.”

The presence of Vincent D’Onofrio as the Kingpin in the Marvel Cinematic Universe opens up many possibilities. The most obvious of which is the chance for fans to see a crossover of their favorite characters from the Netflix iteration of The Defenders to the MCU and to have actors they love from those series reprise their roles in a new context.


This episode also reveals that Vera Farmiga's Elenor Bishop, Kate Bishop’s mother, is working with the Kingpin. She had a sinister aura about her the entire season but in that moment of the reveal, viewers and fans are vindicated. It is obvious that something was going on with her and then there was proof.


Clint Barton continues to show viewers that he is the “everyman” of superheroes. He eats cold pizza, hangs out with nerds he just met, and even goes so far as to sleep on a couch instead of getting a hotel room. He is an Avenger, he could easily afford to stay at any hotel or even have places to stay provided b the government but Clint is just a normal dude, sleeping on a stranger’s couch.


Episode 6: So This Is Christmas


While generally not regarded as the strongest episode in the series, the season ends with all the disparate storylines coming together in a final conflict. Aquila Fox’s Echo breaks ties with the Kingpin, Clint and Kate confront Kingpin and realize that Kate’s mother has been behind everything they blamed on Jack Duquesne, and Yelena gets some closure to her sister’s death. Ultimately Clint and Kate come together with the help of New York City emergency service members to save civilians and fight off Kingpin’s Tracksuit Mafia.


One of the biggest complaints about the season finale is that so much needed to happen to wrap up each character’s storyline in one episode. What fans get is some important scenes slipping by quickly without any concrete analysis while other scenes that reach their point go on for far too long. The storylines feel rushed while some individual scenes drag on.


The major set piece of the episode, and in fact, the entire season is the mass melee on the ice rink of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The action is captivating, if a little too long. Every character has their chance to shine, but the most engaging and heartfelt moment is the conversation between Clint Barton and Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, a Black Widow assassin and Natasha Romanoff’s sister.


The tone of the scene was slightly jarring, juxtaposed as it was with the action and comedy of the battle with the Tracksuit Mafia. Ultimately, the feelings connect. Both Clint and Yelena are hurt by the loss of Natasha, but neither knows how to deal with that pain. After their conversation, each finds some solace, but they still have a lot to work through.

 

In the end, Hawkeye on Disney+ is an enjoyable show that expands on all the other titles comprising the MCU, but it does not delve too deep into treading new ground. Think of it as a palate cleanser from all the big-budget superhero movies and characters with outlandish powers. Hawkeye is a return to street-level crime-fighting with an emphasis on character relationships, motivations, and in a way allowing the development of the next generation of heroes.


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Christopher Thomas is a contributing writer here at thepyrrhic.com. He enjoys movies, television, and other forms of nerdery.


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