Like a "Play-Doh arrow" aimed at the Tracksuit Mafia, Episode 3 of "Hawkeye" made a big impact,
even if there wasn't as much to digest in this installment as the two previous ones
regarding Easter eggs and world-building. That does not mean this shorter episode didn't
hold its weight. Episode 3 yet again proved that street-level action and storytelling
are just as compelling and exciting as the flashier intergalactic MCU stories.
"Picture this in purple."
"Oh wow."
In this episode, we got a deeper look at Echo (aka Maya Lopez) and her roots, watched the
bond grow deeper between Clint and Kate, and got a bombshell dropped on us about a major
player yet to be revealed.
Episode 3 does wonderfully what so many movies and television shows fail at when introducing
a new comic book character to the screen — we're looking at you, "Eternals." We were given
a well-rounded intro to Maya's beginnings, from a young girl to a strong woman in just
a few minutes.
The show kicks off in the past, where we see young Maya sitting in class, seemingly the
only deaf student. Although she doesn't correctly follow the teacher's instructions, Maya still
proves herself a very intelligent and creative youngster.
Flash forward to the future, but still in the past as far as the "Hawkeye" story goes,
and we learn that Maya's prosthetic leg in no way hinders her ability to kick ass in
a boxing ring.
Episode 3's disability representation was stellar, especially given that Echo in the
comics is not an amputee, but actress Alaqua Cox is.
We also get a sense of the loving relationship between Maya and her father, William. There's
a strong bond there, and William explains to his daughter that she has to live in two
worlds as a deaf person. While the duo seem like a great pair, we are reminded that they
are involved in some sort of criminal enterprise and part of the Tracksuit Mafia.
We also see Ronin taking out a bunch of the Tracksuit thugs in a flashback, with his blade
ultimately wiping out William as Maya watches her father take his last breath. We now know
why she and the Tracksuits are so invested in tracking down Ronin.
A big takeaway from Episode 3 is the brief exchange between Clint and Maya while she
questions him about Ronin. Clint claims that Ronin is dead, and he was killed by Black
Widow. While we, the viewers, know what this means metaphorically, Echo takes it more literally
and isn't buying it.
She is desperate to track down the person responsible for her father's death, and she
isn't leaving it alone due to Clint's confession. She also suggests to Clint that he should
remove his hearing aid, as it'll help him fight better. Clint's hearing loss story is
peppered throughout the episode and gives us a great sense of an internal battle he's
fighting.
After some cool fight choreography, Clint and Kate manage to escape the toy store, then
hotwire a car in the parking lot. They're followed by Echo and her henchmen in one of
the best car chases in the MCU to date. Clint drives as Kate shoots arrows at their enemies,
and each new arrow does something entirely different. Some are totally silly, some are
super useful, and some just had that "wow" factor — you know the one we're talking
about.
MCU fans love a good easter egg, and one was not-so-subtly hiding in Episode 3. Kate and
Clint are about to be crushed by one of the Tracksuit Mafia's vehicles when the latter
whips out an arrow that reads "Pym" (as in Hank Pym, the OG Ant Man). Kate fires an arrow
of her own that's a run-of-the-mill stick-with-a-point, but when the arrows meet, the Pym particles
blow up Kate's to the size of a 747 that pins the truck to the street. It's cool to get
a better look at what Clint's been carrying in that quiver all this time.
Finally, let's get to that brief Episode 3 moment that everyone will be talking about.
Echo has a short conversation with her right-hand man, Kazi, that includes a seriously exciting
teaser. When Kazi tells Echo they need to cool it with the whole hunting down Ronin
thing, he mentions that "Uncle" might feel a certain way about their recent adventures.
After reminding Kazi that she's in charge, the topic of this mysterious man is dropped
altogether. While the writers might be trying to trick viewers into thinking Kazi is alluding
to Jack, loyal Marvel fans know this is a hint at someone bigger.
In the comics, Echo is the adoptive daughter of Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin. For some time
now, there have been rumors that suggest Vincent D'Onofrio might join the series, reprising
his role as Fisk from the "Daredevil" Netflix series. D'Onofrio wasn't credited in this
episode, and maybe it's just us, but it sure sounded like him in that Echo flashback.
We're more on track than ever to see this fan theory come to life, and with a special
cameo rumored to occur in Episode 4's post-credits scene, we have a pretty good idea of who that's
going to be. It looks like Jack might be a red-herring and our big bad is Kingpin after
all. Is he the "Fat Man" of "Fat Man Auto Repair"? Here's hoping.
We're also not too sure about you either, Eleanor Bishop, but more on Kate's mom, next
week, hopefully.
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