With Episode 3 being filled to the brim with insane trick-arrow action, it makes sense that Episode 4 is a bit more milder, as Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) attempt to put the bloody past of Barton’s former alter ego, Ronin, to rest.
Not much happens this episode aside from Christmas shenanigans, as Kate tries to make it up to Clint for making him miss time with his family, but that all gets put on pause when he finds out an important rolex he claims is tied to the identity of a friend that’s been out of the game for a while that he thought was destroyed turns up, and they must get it back. The two are taken by surprise, though, when they find out that Maya Lopez/Echo (Alaqua Cox) knows more about Clint’s family that they thought, and she ambushes them along with a Black Widow agent (Florence Pugh).
Episode 4 feels mostly like a filler episode, with the Echo/Black Widow reveals coming by quickly and being the only things that drive the plot forward. A lot has been said about Marvel’s need to insert humour into their projects arbitrarily, and given how dark the show tries to be some of the time when it focuses on Clint’s past as a SHIELD agent and as Ronin, its lighter tones feel out of place and forced.
With only two episodes left, I’m concerned this show’s finale will be rushed. I really don’t think 6-episode seasons has been a wise format, and while Hawkeye has been enjoyable, it definately has pacing issues.
Hawkeye Season 1: Episode 4 “Partners, Am I Right?” gets a 7/10
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