‘Hawkeye’ Recap: ‘Ronin’

Written by Shae Rufe

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘Hawkeye’.
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Since Black Widow came out, we have all been wondering if Yelena was dusted in the Blip, and well, we finally got our answer. While on a mission to help another Widow, Yelena finds herself learning a few things. Not all Widows were under mind control, turns out some were just using their learned skills to profit. Apparently, it’s a very lucrative option. Yelena also learns firsthand what it’s like to be dusted only to return. For her, it was seconds, she was gone maybe a few minutes. To the rest of the world, it was 5 years. Yelena’s panic lasts longer when she realizes she has to call Natasha. Her big sister is probably worried, after all.
 
Except her big sister didn’t survive. Natasha gave her up her life for the world. She gave up her own family so that her best friend could have his back. When you think about that fact, it’s more heart breaking. Natasha died knowing she would be saving Yelena and never get to see her again. As far as Yelena knows, Clint killed her. That’s the truth she’s choosing to believe. That’s why she accepted the job to kill him. This isn’t just personal, it’s business.

Katie Kate has finally gone home to her mom, banged up, and emotionally wounded from her idol. Eleanor encourages her to get her things from her apartment and come home. That’s when Kate confesses that she and Clint found out Jack is running a shell company. She leaves and gets to her burnt out apartment that’s now waterlogged and soaked, but not unoccupied. Yelena is there for multiple reasons, and she made Mac and Cheese, so clearly, she isn’t there to hurt Katie Kate. Yelena is a woman after my own heart when she adds hot sauce to her Mac and Cheese, it’s delicious and someone with that good of taste is easily one of my favorites! Yelena is there to give Kate a warning. She keeps using Kate’s full name, just as a reminder that she knows everything about the aspiring young hero.
 
The former Widow is looking for Clint, she will kill him for taking Natasha’s life. To Yelena, there is no way that Clint didn’t murder Natasha. When Kate defends her hero, Yelena counters. A person should be judged by their actions and Clint has a lot of blood on his hands. Well, the thing about that is, so does she, and so did Nat. Let’s be honest, Yelena has very little room to judge in this, considering the things she’s done. Kate doesn’t know where Clint is, so Yelena lets her go. She’s not going to hurt an innocent girl, if she doesn’t have to. Again, the hypocrisy here! Kate goes home and then decides she’s not done or out of this. She leaves Clint a ton of voicemails, like a crazy person, demanding he call her back and give her a second chance.

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​Clint doesn’t answer, of course. He crashed at Grills’ place, who’s apparently watching Lucky for them. Well, Pizza Dog, since they haven’t officially named him Lucky yet. Clint leaves the next day to have a heart to heart with the closest thing to Natasha he can find. It’s a Memorial from the Battle of New York in 2012, which has all their names on it. Clint asks for her help and guidance, and ultimately her forgiveness. He also calls Laura and asks essentially the same thing before re-donning the Ronin costume once again and facing Maya one on one.
 
It’s a good fight, and she gets a good slice to Clint with his own sword. He ultimately wins, because he’s Hawkeye, and he has to win. He also does know ASL, he gives her one final warning to leave him and his family alone. Also sowing the seeds of doubt about her second in command. Did Kazi set up her father’s death?  Either way, it doesn’t matter because Maya isn’t going to stop. Kate shows up at the last second and gets Clint the distraction he needs to get away. Their escape ends up being an Uber and they make it back to Grills’ apartment.

Grills also has their new costumes ready and a name for the dog. Neither we got, yet, but there is one episode left. Katie Kate let’s Clint know about Yelena’s visit and that she said she was Natasha’s sister. Clint knows of her but clearly doesn’t know her. He knew what she was giving up when she jumped off that cliff for that stupid orange stone. He’s clearly struggling with PTSD. Yelena is oddly willing to listen more to Kate than she let on. She tracks Eleanor down, because she doesn’t know who exactly hired her to kill Clint. Eleanor hired her. And she’s working with Kingpin.

Things got more than just real.

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