I was very excited coming into this week’s episode of Hawkeye. Last week’s episode proved promising as it kept it’s focus on the series’ best aspects and was a marked improvement over the debut. This is happily the same case with episode four as it delivers engaging character moments, leans into the holiday spirit, and ends with a solid action set piece.
We pick up immediately from the previous episode with Jack finding Kate and Clint snooping around the Bishop residence. What follows is an awkward family reunion in which Clint pulls the “Avengers business” card to get him and Kate out of suspicion. We then have a heartwarming sequence with Kate and Clint as they celebrate the holiday their way with Christmas movies, planning, and laying secrets bare. Rounding out the episode our heroes set off to look for Clint’s missing Rolex, from episode one, and culminates in a big fight with an even bigger cameo appearance.
A lot is crammed in this episode of Hawkeye and it’s entertaining from the get-go. From where the last episode abruptly ended, it wasn’t certain if what followed would be a turning point for the mysterious Jack Duquesne. For now it seems he’s content to play along despite the what our protagonists discover about his business dealings. This leads to a rather awkward scene of Jack and Kate’s mother, Eleanor, dancing and flirting directly in front of Kate. This scene comes off really odd and traps us with Kate’s perspective as we’re forced to sit with this moment, which draws us further into her character.
Clint and Kate coin trickshots. Credit: Marvel Studios
This episode also delivers the most heartwarming sequence yet as Kate visits Clint to replace some of the holiday cheer he’s missing out on with his family. They binge classic Christmas movies, don holiday sweaters, and enjoy some bonding time that’s thoroughly fun. This whole scene put a smile on my face and made excellent use of the series’ holiday setting.
Alongside this, we delve more into Clint’s trauma as he begins to bare more of his past to Kate. We learn about the “best shot he never took,” and explore how the “blip” and the loss of his family changed him. It marks a tonal shift for the episode but works extremely well at letting Clint develop as a character and bring him and Kate closer.
Next, both Hawkeyes set off to find Clint’s missing Rolex. This brings Clint back into conflict with the Track Suit Mafia and Kate gets to deal with Clint’s LARPing friends. This serves to put them on a collision course with Maya but not before the ensuing conflict is interrupted by a Black Widow assassin, [SPOILERS] Yelena Belova.
This episode’s ending, though cool, seems worrisome to me. There are only two episodes left of the show and it’s still introducing characters and plot points. Maybe the show will pull it all off in these final episodes but at this point there’s a lot of work to be done and not a lot of time. The show has generally kept itself rather self contained but at this point it’s risking being just a seeding ground for future projects than becoming it’s own thing.
Altogether, this was another good episode. Our heroes got more moments to bond, banter, and enjoy the holiday. Though there’s a lot to be paid off going forward, in the moment episode four of Hawkeye made for a solid latest entry.
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