Saturday, December 4, 2021

Hawkeye, “Echoes”, Review!

Last episode ended with a big reveal, the Tracksuit Mafia member, Ivan, goes to report the capture of Clint Barton and Kate Bishop.  He says this to Echo (Alaqua Cox), a character who first appeared in Daredevil #9 (1999).  This is her first acting role and she has her own series, Echo, spinning off from this show.  In 2007, we see an unhappy, young girl (Darnell Besaw) hearing the muted sounds of her classmates.  She reads the lips of her teacher (Sissi Kal), wearing a hijab, and turns to a page in her school book to fill it out.  The teacher walks up to her desk and gets Maya’s attention and mentions something about an interpreter.  

Maya Lopez has completed the page, the teacher is surprised, and smiles.  Later, Maya and her father , William Lopez (Zahn McClarnon) are making shadow puppets on her wall.  She signs to her father about the sounds of the sky and dragons.  He answers her while signing.  The father says dragons come from another world, he must have seen Shang-Chi.  She asks why she isn’t in a deaf school, but her father answers that he wants her in that school so she can move through two worlds.  Later, we get Maya watching a larger boy take on a sparing partner at a dojo.  Maya is watching his hands and stance.  


The boy easily throws down his partner impressing the class.  William tells her daughter to use speed and than leaves her to be watched over by her uncle.  The instructor brings up Maya, the boy notices her prosthetic right leg.   Her opponent just can’t believe he is sparring with her.  She spins around him and knocks the boy down.  Then, we get the older Maya (Cox) in a boxing ring, her prostethic leg is easily seen.  She strikes her new opponent with her prosethtic leg and several fist strikes.  Maya sees her new opponent’s hands and then painfully throws him back with an “I see you” sign.  At a Fat Man auto repair, Maya climbs off her motorcycle.  



She sees some movement and slips to the side of the building seeing Ronin cut down people with his sword.  She kicks in a door, but only sees dead men.  The Ronin shatters a window and Maya rushes to see her father stabbed!  We saw in the first sign that Clint signs to his younger son, maybe due to his hearing problem, but we can see also the connection with Echo.  He signs for her to go and then dies, Maya hugs him.  It is morning when we then shift back to the building, KB Toys, where Kate Bishop and Clint Barton were captured and tied to coin operated rocking horses.  The Tracksuit Mafia members mock the duo.  


The horses run down and the Tracksuit guys move on.  Clint explains he was trying to clear her name from the Ronin when she broke in from the window and got captured.  Maya walks down the steps with Kazi. She cuts free Clint’s tape that bound him to the unicorn.  He signs that he is hard of hearing, but doesn’t know more signs.  Kazi steps in as interpreter.  Clint explains that Maya put on the suit by accident.  Maya signs that Kate beat up some of her men and is involved.  Clint says Ronin is dead and that his killer is… Black Widow.  


He says he saw her kill Ronin.  Maya puts her arm to Kate’s throat, but is stopped by Kazi.  Clint has sawed the tape binding his arms and then runs off.  The Tracksuit Mafia searches for him, Clint evades them, but is knocked around by Maya.  She kicks him and knocks out the hearing aid before stepping on it.  Clint leaps through a window to take up his bow and Maya takes the other one.  Kazi holds his gun on Kate.  Clint looses two arrows that pins Maya to a wall.  Then, leaps off the top floor to loose one arrow that slices Kazi’s cheek and severs the tape holding Kate while he leaps into a ball pit.  Kate Bishop is finally able to prove her worth here and in the chase scene.  



She fights with Kazi as Clint is efficient taking out Tracksuit Mafia guys with his bow.  Kate slides in knocking down tough guys, but Kazi is knocked out by Clint.  They race to find a getaway car.  Clint hotwires it and can only hear Kat in muffled sounds.  The Tracksuit Mafia bursts out of the door.  We get a tracking shot that looks like it is done in one take; swinging from guys trying to bash the car, Clint driving away while a window shatters by a bullet.  The green Trust a Bro moving van has gunmen in the back and then Kate takes the bow.  Clint says he has run out of regular arrows, pulls out a few arrows from the quiver, and Kate takes one to loose at a pursuing car.  It sends purple bubbles that goops up the windowshield.  


Clint sends the car spinning to drive in reverse.  Kate looses another arrow that blows up the van!  Maya drives her red `77 Dodge Challenger that Clint passed up.  Another trick arrow from Kate, but it just sticks to the window!  Clint swerves into a Christmas tree lot.  The goopy car driven by Kazi follows them.  Kate’s arrow hits his front grill and lashes out lines that draw in the Christmas trees!  In all of the seasons of Arrow, there really wasn’t a goofy trick arrow scene.  Clint gives Kate two acid arrows to bring down street lights, but Maya veers past them.  Ivan has his gun out next to Clint’s car, but has to struggle against Clint.  


Kate takes back her bow from Maya’s car and looses an arrow that sends purple gas flooding Maya’s car.  She crashes the car.  There is traffic and Clint spins the car to a stop sideways.  He has Kate loose an arrow into the air and then strikes it with an arrow that must have a Pym particle since the arrow enlarges to torpedo size and severs Kazi’s car.  Clint races to get the arrow from the Challenger as Kate looses the trick arrow that just bounces off Ivan’s chest!  The duo leaps off the bridge as the Tracksuit Mafia open fires on them.  Clint’s arrow attaches to a part of the bridge and they swing to a subway train!  He uses the plunger arrow to hold onto it as the train races away.  On the train, Clint says that Kate is one of the greatest archers.  


At her apartment, he puts a bag of frozen vegetables on his neck and then gets a phone call from his family.  He can’t hear so Kate tries to write down what Nathaniel is saying.  Nathaniel says it is ok if he isn’t there for Christmas.  Clint says he will be there.  A nice moment with his family, but also between Clint and Kate.  At the warehouse, the Tracksuit Mafia is clearing out so Kazi signs to Maya, he brings up that her uncle is involved with the gang.  Mysterious at this point.  Jack?  Directors Bert and Bertie have ramped up the pace for this show!  Hawkeye has finally found its footing with some intense action, finally, good dramatic moments, and a nice dash of humor!  


Three Trick Arrows out of Five!  

     

#Hawkeye, #Echoes, #AlaquaCox, #ZahnMcClarnon, #DarnellBesaw

No comments:

Post a Comment