‘Hawkeye’ Recap: ‘Echoes’

Written by Shae Rufe

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Three of ‘Hawkeye’.
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I’m not saying that staying up to watch the latest episode of Hawkeye drop is my new favorite thing to do, but I’m also old. I did however watch it first thing Wednesday morning and this show literally is everything I want it to be and more! When last we left our heroes, they were in the midst of being tied up by the Tracksuit Mafia, because a woman named Maya wanted to see them. Who is Maya? Well, she’s a deaf woman who has a grudge against Ronin. He may have killed her father during the Blip incident. To be fair, he was a crime lord. It seems he knows why Maya is after him, though, and he tries to clear Kate’s name.
 
Maya’s backstory is sad and wrought with ableism. She almost forms a tentative bond with Clint when she sees his hearing aid, but he doesn’t know ASL, and that makes him weak in her eyes. The focus, however, is Ronin. Clint swears Kate is innocent. Kate’s just a kid who put on the suit without even knowing what it meant. Maya isn’t convinced. Clint continues to tell her that Ronin is dead… killed by the Black Widow. Maya really doesn’t believe him. Truth be told, he isn’t lying to her. Still, this situation isn’t going according to plan, so Clint breaks free and leaves Kate tied up while he takes care of the Tracksuits.

Never let it be said that Clint isn’t secretly a badass. While his main weapon is a bow and arrow, he can still kick ass, and he does. Sadly, that means Kate is on her own to get free or so she thinks. Clint gets his bow and arrow back and pulls off some very impressive shots, one that includes freeing Kate. Did I mention Kate is a badass in her own right? Maya, on the other hand, isn’t having it. She takes things into her own hands and when the opportunity presents itself, she smashes Clint’s hearing aid. Which leaves him deaf while they escape. Clint drives and Kate shoots. Apparently trick arrows are a thing! We all knew that. Kate really does live up to the self-proclaimed “World’s Greatest Archer” title. Of course, they do get away, but not without causing some serious damage to the Tracksuit Mafia.

Without his hearing aid, Clint has to rely on Kate when his phone rings. He thinks it’s his wife but it’s really their youngest, Nathanial. It’s an adorable scene and really shows the human side of Clint more. Yeah, he’s just a guy with a bow, but he’s also more than that. While I haven’t been the biggest fan of Clint having a family, I might be warming up to it. Lucky gets a bath and a walk and does need a name. We know it’s Lucky, but Katie Kate insists on Pizza Dog. Clint gets his hearing aid fixed, and then he does something we didn’t think would happen this early on in the series. He opens up to Kate, just a bit. Just enough to tell her that he isn’t a role model and is certainly not someone anyone should follow. Katie Kate doesn’t believe that though. Hawkeye is her hero. He can’t possibly be anything less. She doesn’t know he’s Ronin, yet, but she’s piecing it together.

She’s also decided they need to break into her mom’s penthouse so they can access her security business database for info on Maya, her right-hand man Kazi, and of course the evil fiancé Jack. Who just so happens to show up right as Clint is wandering about. Jack had Ronin’s sword, pointed at the former Ronin. The irony in all that. Now, I have a theory that Jack is actually the Swordsman, someone from Clint’s past. However, we aren’t going off the comics here when it comes to Clint’s character. So, I’m not entirely sure if they’re going to do the whole, Clint grew up in a circus, thing. But it was a pivotal part of his character in the comics, so we’ll see. Either way, I’m off to watch this episode again!

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