Hawkeye, One Year On: A Retrospective

Marvel's Hawkeye show on Disney+ is now one year old - and to mark this occasion, we're taking a retrospective look at the show: how it succeeded, how it failed, and the way, in my opinion, it narrowly missed being truly great. Spoilers, obviously, so get ready to dive into the tale of Kate, Clint, Echo, Yelena, Lucky, and, yes, Kingpin. There's also a brief reference to the Moon Knight series in this video, so bear that in mind if you're looking to avoid seeing it. Was this a high point of Phase 4? A low point? Have I run out of ideas for things to put in this description? Let me know your thoughts on all this in the comments!
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A link to the blog post I show around 10 minutes in, which reads Kate's arc through a queer lens, but fails to consider Yelena as ace in any way: www.belloflostsouls.net/2021/...
#marvel #mcu #hawkeye
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
00:36 General thoughts
11:32 Too much plot
20:56 Gripes and miscellany
27:55 One year on
30:56 Conclusion
Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” stars Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, who teams up with another well-known archer from the Marvel comics, Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld. The cast also includes Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, Tony Dalton, Zahn McClarnon, Brian d’Arcy James and newcomer Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez. “Hawkeye” is helmed by Rhys Thomas and directing duo Bert and Bertie. Hawkeye is an American television miniseries created by Jonathan Igla for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Clint Barton / Hawkeye and Kate Bishop / Hawkeye. It is the fifth television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise and taking place after the events of the film Avengers: Endgame (2019). It sees Clint Barton as he partners with Kate Bishop to confront enemies from his past in order to be with his family in time for Christmas. Igla served as head writer with Rhys Thomas leading the directing team. Jeremy Renner reprises his role as Clint Barton from the film series, with Hailee Steinfeld joining him as Kate Bishop. Tony Dalton, Fra Fee, Brian d'Arcy James, Aleks Paunovic, Piotr Adamczyk, Linda Cardellini, Simon Callow, Vera Farmiga, Alaqua Cox, Zahn McClarnon, Florence Pugh, and Vincent D'Onofrio also star.
Thanks to SpeedCam on DeviantArt for the trimmed PNGs I used in this thumbnail!

[@PillarofGarbage]

As always, I’m very grateful for the support of my Patreon backers. If you want to help ensure I can keep this channel going long-term, consider joining them :) www.patreon.com/pillarofgarbage

[@archive6094]

Fun Fact: Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld both learned American Sign Language to welcome Alaqua Cox to the set

[@nailinthefashion]

Wow, my heart, I can feel it,

[@fractalairduct7600]

The lower stakes, closer to street level shows (Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Ms Marvel, the majority of Moon Knight) have been far and away my favorite part of phase 4. I want more of that, and I hope Marvel's not giving up on them any time soon.

[@nailinthefashion]

You're gonna LOVE Echo, I just know it. WandaVision was my favourite so I'm glad there's something for everyone nowadays. It's just like the comics, now

[@jacktoma21]

There’s way to much country hoping for Moon Knight to be considered street level.

[@TrillyThough]

I didn't pick up on any romantic/or sexual chemistry between Kate and Yelena. I took it as two actors/characters playing well off one another. Only future interactions I had in my mind for them was one of friendship or mentorship.

[@jacobd1984]

I agree. I mean there’s no reason a future writer couldn’t go in that direction given their established rapport, but I don’t think anything in this series really hinted at romantic or sexual attraction.

[@kinetic_kripesh8279]

Loved the fact that Kate Bishop became the living breathing proof that Clint is much more than just a weapon... Their father-daughter bond was also very sweet...

[@NotAFakeName1]

I mean it's alright to ship yelena and Kate, they do have a lot of chemistry. But their relationship isn't really queer coded imo? The show doesn't show them expressing any romantic gestures from what I remember, or even any affection or attraction for each other. It's mostly just witty banter. That could evolve into a romantic relationship, but in the context of the show its just two characters meeting and being frenemies.

[@nailinthefashion]

People can flirt or admire each other without it being romantic. That's what I got from them. Yelena and Kate are both masculine attracted in the comics. Now, when America comes around, SHE will be flirting with Kate hard, I'm sure.

[@NotAFakeName1]

@@nailinthefashion eh idk Shes a little bit too young for that Maybe if these characters don't meet until like phase six when the actress for America is in her 20s

[@nailinthefashion]

@@NotAFakeName1 she's not too young to have a crush and express it, actually. She's just too young to be in a true adult relationship. We'll see her grow over multiple installments, and I look forward to that evolution

[@NotAFakeName1]

@@nailinthefashion yeah but crushing on kate or yelena as a teenager prohibits them from ever getting together for real Although tbf it's not like those characters absolutely need to get together in the endgame anyway lol

[@nailinthefashion]

@@NotAFakeName1 they wouldn't get together, that's the point and why it would be okay for her to flirt. America could tease Kate, call her princess, but it wouldn't be weird since Kate would be able to shrug it off. Yelena is more fun, so she'd shrug it off but in her sassier way. Then, America can explore like she did in the comics, date Ultimate Nullifier, realize she prefers fem women, find love when she's older in a later phase after they've saved the universe dueing Secret Wars, become Capn America-- her story is gonna be insane for years and years.

[@apoorvsingh4459]

I thought they finally put some respect in his name as a hero. Clint and kate's duo was so much fun. Though my favorite part was when they acknowledged Natasha's sacrifice in the end, gets me emotional everytime 🤧

[@moonj101]

i found hawkeye to be my most favourite project from all of phase 4.

[@moonj101]

back at sdcc 2019, / d23 or whenever most of phase 4 was announced, my 3 favourite projects announced were: 3: she hulk, 2: thor love and thunder, 1: Hawkeye. atleast my #1 was great (not that i disliked the others, but they do have their flaws)

[@iraford5788]

It's in my top 5 of phase 4 for sure.

[@twarnold14]

I don’t think it is queer baiting. I read it as 2 characters having good banter with each other and purposefully in a way that their predecessors did. I can see why people would ship them, but fans do a lot of shipping.

[@nailinthefashion]

People need to get used to flirting not always being between two gay people. They weren't even flirting, it was just as you said, really witty banter

[@phoedahoe5370]

@@nailinthefashion idk, every character Hailee Steinfeld has ever played has felt queer, so pairing her with this kind of dialogue felt very very gay

[@kellyloganme]

Agreed, flirting can happen between anyone that has some interesting connections. I've had some of the most fun flirting with people I knew weren't really interested in me because we took bigger swings and could have more fun when the stakes were lower or non existent. 😎

[@moxiemaxie3543]

People need to stop sexualizing characters. It says alot about People when they believe 2 friends must be fukking because they GET ALONG. They did the same with Wednesday

[@moxiemaxie3543]

@@phoedahoe5370 feelings aren't fact. The guys smiled when talking to me and it FELT like flirting. No, he smiled because you said something amusing or pleasant.

[@TevyaSmolka]

I found Hawkeye show to be tons of fun in my opinion.

[@spritvio639]

Overall, I liked this show. The ending could have been better but overall I enjoyed this show.

[@paytonmiller768]

10:54 I would say best case scenario representation wise would be Kate broaching the topic or showing outward interest toward Yelena, with Yelena then turning Kate down and expressing her own identity as an ace person. This would let both groups get representation and hopefully show a good example of people communicating their identities, preferences, and boundaries.

[@PillarofGarbage]

Yeah that’s where I landed myself, and if this is the case then great… But I will eat my hat if that’s what Marvel actually gives us, lol

[@YongTre100]

Yeah I think that'd be best, especially sense as an ace person y'know rep would be awesome, but also I didn't see the connection here, maybe it's cause I haven't watched it in a long time but usual when people point out a sense of something more I tend to agree, I honestly didn't see it here. But seems I'm out voted on that.

[@nailinthefashion]

In the comics they're both straight but are female lone wolf archetypes to a degree. Kate obviously preferred a team, but she wasn't really looking to settle down and get out of the life. In that way, she likes someone who can keep up so comes across bi when someone challenges her. Yelena, however, can be quite ambiguous and mysterious at times, so it's interesting when they take advantage of it. She comes and bi and aromantic to me

[@AN-sm3vj]

I'd love to see Kate pining for an unrequited love and ultimately accepting what Yelena is able to give (friendship etc). I think it's healthy for people to see a main character get romantically rejected without them being villainized.

[@JonMiller6991]

Hawkeye is actually my favorite of all the MCU shows. Grounded while maintaining a fun Christmas feel to it

[@DarkKnightBatman420]

Hot take. Kate is Yelena's lil sis now. Not like in a really developed way, but it's got some groundwork.

[@pickedceasar1216]

That's exactly what I thought. Never saw them as lovers

[@Natta44]

I like that, she lost a sister but gained a new one. Also the legacy of the friendship between a widow and a hawkeye. Want to see more of them on screen.

[@antonissa8345]

I enjoyed it. Of all the original MCU Avengers Hawkeye had gotten the least amount of attention and after multiple shows of mostly other MCU heroes that hadn't had time to be in the spotlight until then I looked forward to it. It was also quite enjoyable. Especially the street level action we got after the whole Multiverse thing it was a nice change that the entire world wasn't at stake. It was just a hero fighting normal criminals which was even below Spider-man: Homecoming's street level that still had the Vulture as a major threat with his wings and the weapons he sold could've eventually found their way to terrorists but in this series no one has powers above skill and normal human strength.

[@geerussell]

I find myself expressing that same sentiment after every phase 4 project: I had a good time. It wasn't perfect, maybe even a little messy, but I had fun. This is... fine? Yes, probably fine. Coming off the massive high of endgame and through the disruptions of the pandemic it's like following a sports franchise through a rebuilding period. They're still entertaining, there's a lot of talent on the roster, and there's a visible roadmap back to title contention.

[@grapeshot]

Hawkeye surrounded by all these overpowered superheroes and he's like I just have a bow and arrow.

[@ShadowSonic2]

Eh, works for Batman.

[@augustolasta2468]

Idk i always thought yelena and kate was just a friendship, and trying to make a relationship out of every single friendship seems a bit much

[@dancingintheraine]

i agree, people will start shipping into characters that say two words to each other, marvel should feel no obligation to put them together now just because that’s how the internet interpreted it.

[@t.d.writer1589]

I loved Hawkeye but yes, just one or two more episodes would have improved it greatly.

[@packman2321]

I'd missed this one when it came out (not much of a Marvel viewer or live action viewer really) but I'm honestly really impressed to see them reintroducing Clint's hearing loss from the comics and that they didn't just ditch Echo's deafness. It's probably a sign of sign of media starvation that I see any actor cast in a disabled role as impressive and the fact they also went with a disabled actress is a step that is sadly really rare. I may need to track this one down.

[@aquasnake4528]

Hawkeye was never even close to one of my favorite Marvel shows, but asides from a few specific episodes of What If…?, its the only Disney+ show I returned to on my own. I love the character interactions, and if we can’t get a good movie where Swordmaster is a main character, I will not die happy.

[@Mitcheck315]

I also think the focus on kingpin is a symptom of the cameoification of the MCU (and Star Wars), if Kingpin wasn't a reveal and we knew he was behind everything and his presence was felt and we didn't see him until the last episode I don't think people would focus as much on him. As is he sticks out from the rest of the narrative so of course people are gonna focus on him

[@benwasserman8223]

Idk I’d rank this up with Ms. Marvel, Loki and WandaVision as one of my favorites. It just seems more accessible and lighthearted of the bunch, or it could be all the Kate/Yelena fanart I’ve received since.

[@justinannesi4521]

Kate is so great in this, my gf, who has never seen/has no interest in the MCU enjoyed it bc of Kate and her relationship with Clint

[@Natta44]

I liked Hawkeye, I just wish we got a little bit more of his back story, how he came to be, his shield past. How he met his wife etc. That all intrigues me. I get it was focused on Kate, but I feel he earned the right to have more spotlight after all the movies he's been in. He had a connection with Wanda, so surprised there was no mention of her either or him wondering what she's up to. Bit bizarre.

[@exqueue3813]

Hawkeye more than anything else in phase 4 was made to set up other shows. Young Avengers, Thunderbolts, Echo, Daredevil and whatever they end up doing with Clint. It's definitely a lot for 6 episodes, but the big complaint about phase 4 is how disconnected everything else is. If people watched Hawkeye and FATWS they would see the connections.

[@robdeakin1166]

I really enjoyed the Hawkeye show and it's great to have this retrospective. You're right about the sincerity and emotional depth in the show and I definitely agree with what you say about too much plot.

[@Kobe.T]

Started rewatching it this year for Christmas. It is still my favourite of the Disney+ shows. Over stuffed for sure, but more good than bad. Really hope we get another season that learns it’s lessons from the first

[@jessicastrike5640]

I loved Hawkeye, it’s probably my favourite phase 4 show. Kate is an excellent addition the MCU, her chemistry with Client and Yelena alone makes it work watching but it’s also just so warm and fuzzy and entertaining, I’ll be rewatching this before Christmas this year and j expect it to become part of the annual watches at this time of year

[@umjackd]

I'm a big fan of Shane Black's buddy movies: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Nice Guys, and so on. They share with Die Hard that "Christmas action adventure with fun characters" dynamic and that felt like such a clear inspiration for Hawkeye that I was very into.

[@matternativ]

A few notes: - I haven't heard a single person talk about the possibility of a Yelena/Kate relationship outside of those who generally spend a lot of time shipping characters online to begin with. I certainly didn't see it as something that was blatant baiting. If it is so is literally every interaction between Captain Marvel and Spider-Woman in the comics. - Yelena being asexual is hinted at in some panels in the comics yes, it's also completely ignored in others. In a recent-ish one-shot a future version of her (from the old man Logan universe) has had a very long and very straight romantic relationship. - One of the reasons why the show didn't stick around as a talking point is because it's stuck with the MCU version of Clint which for all intents and purposes isn't the most popular or exciting person. In fact it acknowledges that and builds on that foundation while most of its references to the comics see him doing the opposite of what comic Clint would do or say (his reaction to Kate's costume sketch, not taking the flashy red charger he drove in fractions book, questioning boomerang arrows which Kate mentions rather than vice versa, etc.) and from a storytelling perspective that was the right call. A hot headed flirt with a love for show boating would have been a jarring change from the shield agent who happens to shoot arrows we got to know but people would most certainly still talk about Renner in a purple mask doing fancy backflips for better or for worse.

[@evertonporter7887]

I just picked up watching Hawkeye again and I just love the dynamic between Clint and Kate. It's what Luke and Rey should have been in The Last Jedi.

[@moviesoftheweek608]

Hawkeye is my favourite character so I love seeing vids about him.

[@AtenSol12]

Hawkeye is my favorite of that kind of show produced in mcu

[@thatmovienitpicker8070]

Personally I really liked this show

[@jordonnelson7980]

Rewatched Hawkeye for Christmas ( really does have the spirit of the season in it with the importance of family and spending as much time as we can with them) and it still is my personal favorite show that Disney and Marvel has produced so far. Very glad they took inspiration from the Fraction run and i hope that they continue using that tone for future seasons with both Clint and Kate.

[@strawberik]

I didn’t know Yelena was originally Aro/Ace and that’s awesome! I really hope they keep that for her because her character is already awesome and I could totally see them bringing that into her MCU version.

[@TheGentlemanWake]

21:36 We have indeed seen Hawkeye use not only USB arrows, and explosive arrows, but grappling hook arrows, a pair of electric field tripwire arrows (used to momentarily subdue vision when rescuing wanda in civil war), he uses a flare arrow in the tunnel with the outriders chasing when he's got the gauntlet at the end of end game, he launches Ant-man on a scatter arrow also in end game and uses a shockwave arrow against ultron. There are more, including disintegrating arrows and incendiary arrows. SO the concept that he has acid arrows or plunger arrows or pym arrows is NOT a stretch in any way.

[@kellyloganme]

I wonder if the original final confrontation was supposed to be with Kate's mother showing her as a complex villain but the studio shoehorned Kingpin in instead so she would be less complex and more sympathetic.

[@vodkavecz]

Hawkeye was surprisingly good series, I really enjoyed it. And it has that nice Christmas vibe. Might rewatch it this year. Ps: I didn't mind Kingpin here, even as I loved the Netflix Daredevil series.

[@bradmarchant7822]

I saw Yelena more in a big sister role. In contrast to her being the little sister in Back Widow. She also contrasted Hawkeye’s reluctant mentor or even Kate’s relationship with her own Mom. Yelena is the first to just accept her as she is. Queer baiting aside, I would assume anyone from a sisterhood of widow’s would have a special relationship with other women in general.

[@OpticalSorcerer]

I prefer superheroes who have superpowers instead of just cool skills, but I ended up enjoying Hawkeye (slightly) more than I expected.

[@jacktoma21]

I wish we had been able to see Maya and Fisk’s relationship prior to her finding out his part in her father death. However, I do feel Vinny D nailed his first couple scenes before the climax. I felt he was as intimidating and unhinged as ever.

[@alexandrefrauches132]

7:37 I would add Shang Chi and Wakanda Forever since these films , in some ways,also touch on the topic of legacy. Shang Chi arc is about him learning to embrace both his mother and his father heritage, in the end earning his rings and using them for good. Wakanda Forever is all about the Panther mantle as well tribute to Chadwick Boseman.

[@SquallNoctisGUX]

Hawkeye was definitely one of my favorite shows so I’m pretty glad to see it get some love a year later

[@dragonstormx]

I found the show to be a fun time like I expected, even if it was a bit overstuffed. Maybe this show being a little overstuffed is why we are starting to see Disney+ shows get more episodes.

[@RandomWandrer]

Oh for sanity's sake! Can't a show let two women connect in a fun and affectionate relationship without people calling it queer or queerbating? I loved the Kate-Yelena scenes. They had a real buddy-cop / mentor student vibe. Why does this have to be gay or bating? We're all those loving buddy cop friendships (bad boys, lethal weapon, etc) all queerbating? Were Frodo and Sam queerbating? Friendship is beautiful. I think depicting healthy loving friendships in film is more important than insisting thst every connection must become romance (queer or otherwise).

[@agent3774]

Gotta be real, this is still my favorite MCU show for so many reasons and it’s got me hyped for the Echo show. I will be watching it again for Christmas.

[@justaghostinthesea]

10:10 THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! This means the WORLD to me!

[@theycallmerisky619]

What this show needed was for 1) kingpin to not lose to a rookie like Kate. 2) A scene, one on one between Kingpin and Hawkeye. 3) a Bullseye cameo that could set up a potential 2nd season

[@zachryder3150]

0:20 Thank you, director. For giving us this scene.

[@LordCornshoe]

If they absolutely had to save Kingpin for the last episode, I wish the cliffhanger of the fifth episode actually featured Vinny D and not just a crummy cellphone jpeg of him. How much more impactful would it have been if Clint said "He's the guy I was worried about." then cut to Eleanor entering the office and revealing him sitting there. "Hello, Eleanor."

[@UrbanSpidey]

Hawkeye has always been higher on my ranking of phase 4. much like you said, i can understand people's complaints about kingpin (who personally i liked), but to discredit the entire rest of the show because of one character in the finale seems silly. i am pretty sure you're correct about fans not knowing what they want, especially the "MCU ended with Endgame" crowd, since most of what i see now is complaining or nitpicking at little stuff. anyways, great video as always, i really enjoy these "one year later" retrospectives.

[@theaterkween5791]

Honestly, never thought of Kate and Yelenas relationship as anything but platonic. It never read to me as being romantic even once. They fight like sisters to me. Very similar to Yelena and Natasha in Black Widow.

[@Rose_Bride]

10:20 _Canonically speaking, what are the options, here?_ ...why can't they just be besties or platonic friends? Why do intimate moments HAVE to be interpreted as "romantic"? Because for me, I didn't get "romance" or "flirty" out of their interactions; I just got two girls bonding and bantering over the adrenaline and the shared experience they were going through. I didn't get any feeling of queer-baiting and absolutely nothing romantic crossed my mind in ANY particular scene with them. I have to wonder if I'm just missing something, because there are still some fans out there who vehemently _swear_ that Tony and Bruce were "attracted" to each other and "in love". Even as Tony went on to marry and have a kid with Pepper and Bruce had a (short-lived) romance with Natasha. Then _Civil War_ brought in accusations of a "love triangle" between Steve, Bucky, and Tony. Because APPARENTLY the reason that Tony was so upset with Steve was because he was _jealous_ of the love and attention shown to Bucky and not to _him._ ...meanwhile, canonically, Steve was silently pining after Peggy, even as he made out with Sharon. I definitely see instances of queer-baiting in _The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,_ but here in the _Hawkeye_ series I'm REALLY not seeing it.

[@Mazekial]

Eh, I don’t know why but the idea of Kate and Yelena becoming a couple feels…weird. I never got that vibe from them at all, just the same wholesome-adjacent Christmas fun vibes prevalent in the entire show. For starters, they just…don’t feel like they’re in the same stage of life. Kate’s in college and living on her own, sure, but she still acts very young and *slightly* immature for her age (but not to a detrimental degree). Meanwhile Yelena comes off like she’s in the same league as Avengers 1 Natasha to me. The prospective romantic chemistry between the two perspectives is lost on me, personally.

[@pirateguy3521]

When it comes to Hawkeye I like Kate she’s fun and I like the bond she has with Clint. But I hate the kingpin stuff it was not needed. And I love the Kate and Yelena banter it was great.

[@covertTJ]

The LARPers represent Kate. They dress up like heroes and given the opportunity, stepped up to be more than just wannabes. Clint is the hero they aspire to be like and them being even more "normal" and vulnerable than Kate helps him see his responsibility to train her.

[@Starwarsdude8221991]

Honestly it was the kingpin thing that aggravated me it kinda blinded me to what I loved for most of the show it’s honestly one of the few phase four things I really liked loved that owl

[@wolf1066]

Given that for many non-Christians that don't have some sort of religious tie to the season, Christmas is "International Family Day" (when those of us lucky enough to have family - that aren't toxic/abusive to the point that avoidance is the only sane strategy - and/or have a suitable "found family" spend time getting together and celebrating with family) the setting of a show that centres around family and found family at Christmas time is a good choice.

[@shadowsoul9526]

I'm just going to say that Yelena is older than Kate by ten years

[@garypoisson2733]

The second time we see Clint ("Avengers"), he's shooting explosive arrows, USB arrows, acid (maybe just heat?) arrows. He uses trick arrows in his flight through the wreckage of the Avengers compound in "Endgame" and uses a _brain-shocker_ arrow on Wanda in "Age of Ultron". Trick arrows are part of his arsenal and have been since his introduction to the MCU - who knows what he was planning to shoot Thor with in "Thor"?

[@stevenman013]

I imagine just as many people didn't think "ah lesbians" from watching the girls interactions on this show. So if the writers aren't baiting those who do see it, how should they write this relationships without baiting the LGBTQ community? I've read similar complaints about modern male buddy relationships in film and TV as if you couldn't write Rocky and Apollo or Han and Chewie, the cops in Lethal Weapon etc the same way now without it being gay and I think it's all a big fuss about very little.

[@stevenman013]

Ps I love this show. And the girls'dynamic was the highlight. Merry Christmas

[@Lee-xj2mn]

Hawkeye's my favourite phase 4 project, tbh probably ranks around 5th out of the ... 10,000 ?? other MCU projects we've had since iron man. It's great to hear people talk so positively about it, it kinda sucks that no one talks about it anymore like u said. I agree with almost everything u said about it too, almost perfect, just too stuffed. I personally wouldn't have cut any of the Echo / yelena stuff but instead cut the murder mystery, this way u keep the character interactions which imo are far more interesting than the fake out murder mystery stuff.

[@thatmovienitpicker8070]

Personally, I didn’t really think that they were queer bating because I didn’t see a lot of romantic chemistry there, but maybe I’m just blind and dumb Also I don’t know if Marvel actually intended for the scenes to be semi-romantic

[@Jeicemeiser]

I think a lot of people can’t comprehend people caring for each other without also wanting to get into each others’ pants. It’s not just accusations of queerbaiting, but also the reason why even “ships” that would be clearly toxic like Rey and Kylo Ren from Star Wars end up being written into canon. Why else would they be invested in each other’s well-being if they can’t kiss?

[@ShadowSonic2]

@@Jeicemeiser Reylo happens when you write only one major female character in a mostly male led series. It's the same reason Hermione gets paired up with so many different characters in Harry Potter: JK Rowling was lazy and wrote her as the only major female for too much of the series.

[@fieldmarshalgaig4856]

I really enjoyed hawkeye, but i have no desire to go back and rewatch it at all and idk why

[@covertTJ]

I don't think the show had too many plot points, but I do think bringing Kingpin in earlier would've helped a ton. Aside from maybe adding 2-3 scenes focused on him, another 2-4 scenes of him talking to Kazi on the phone or being in the back room of some other Tracksuit scenes or even just showing his face in that dojo would have been enough to establish him and fix the pacing issues in episode 6. We know Kingpin. This Kingpin, essentially. All we needed was confirmation that it's him behind things and then the other scenes focused on hyping up his reveal could've been cut. It's otherwise got the makings for a fantastic show.

[@benimi]

I think, even with the less runtime the storylines needed, this is still the most coherent show of the Disney+ era. I'm easily ranking above Loki. Maybe WandaVision pips it, but still a top 2.

[@enishi4ty5]

17:22 hear me out: keep all 3 storylines but unify them back to fisk. kates mom works for fisk. fisk runs Echos gang. fisk hired yelena to kill Hawkeye and Kate Bishop. fisk says ronin killed echos mentor, forcing clint to confront his past, fisk has kates mom doing shady things to fund Echos gang or even fund the assassin sent to kill hawkeye. all roads lead back to fisk but each of the 3 main characters on the road serve a purpose echo the mom and yelena have to be saved to save some part of clint or kate’s soul. like if kate idolized her dad not knowing he was fisks money guy and to maintain the image the mom has been sacrificing. this is big for kate to help heal her mom and herself. yelena should be trying to kill hawkeye and kidnap kate as leverage for fisk against the mom as she’s regressed to her darker self since black widow died , and echo trying to kill clint for killing her mentor even if she has kill herself to do it so clint is fighting for his life and hers.. i think they did some of it well like clint and yelena or kate and yelena but the rest didnt connect

[@DenKulesteSomFins]

17:26 wow that's a great fisk

[@user-uo8mx3cv5k]

For me though, it's not the overstuffiness that's the problem. It's mainly the tone. It's just way too goofy relative to the material it's working with. You could still have all the christmas spirit and the wholesomeness without diluting the gravitas of all that's happening. From Clint's dark past catching up to him, Yelena going out for blood, and the two Hawkeyes fighting the fcking Kingpin's mob, you'd think there'd be more weight to it all, especially with what we saw with Kingpin in DD, but it's just kinda tame. Like you said, it's like Die Hard lite, but it should've just gone full Die Hard, it doesn't have to take any christmas wholesomeness away, just needs more suspense as you would expect out of a crime action involving a veteran assassin, a black widow, and the motherfcking Kingpin of crime. And with all these jaded adults shaping this dark atmosphere, it will highlight Kate Bishop's role even more as she's this youthful character that serves as a light in a dark world. If they didn't water-down everything and actually took the story more seriously, not only will the show have more intensity but it'll also add contrast to the more light-hearted parts, making it more impactful, sort of like the warmth of Christmas in the coldest time of the year. Hawkeye for me sort of exists in this limbo because it genuinely had a really solid story with a lot of heart, it could've been really great if it had just taken itself more seriously. The "Home Alone" goofiness doesn't exactly work all that well when you have a jaded vigilante, a vengeful assassin, and a scheming criminal genius on display, but it doesn't mean you can't have light-heartedness and wholesomeness while also going full intensity (Another major problem is that Echo's beef with Clint was never given proper closure, it's been built up since ep 1 and they never even met each other again in the finale to settle that conflict, it was just left hanging. They had a confrontation in ep 5 but that didn't really end with a closure) (Also c'mon they made Kingpin a generic looney tunes villan. He lacked all the subtlety, sophistication, gravitas, and complexity that he's known for, here he's just an over-the-top bad guy without all the depth of DD Kingpin)

[@regularjohn6582]

Favorite marvel show to this day, I was disappointed by Kingpin's use but it didn't overshadow the rest of it.

[@FriendofWigner]

"...a perfunctory, standard-issue orphaning..." This should be on a t-shirt.

[@marionbaggins]

I am gonna start seeing this one year on, in a few more days... But before I do I will sum up my opinion on Hawkeye show: This is my (and my eldest bro's) second favorite MCU Disney+ behind Loki!!! These are the only two that that I rewatch, without certain elements harming anything for my revisit!!! Hawkeye is a show I would love for a second series, here hoping for something after!!!

[@dillydraws]

Hawkeye should've had 12 episodes to play into the "12 days of Christmas" theme

[@alexc.7035]

I understand the Bishova ship, i've always shipped Marvel character but the aroace erasure is something else. I dont care if they try to give her a male or female love interest, this is the only aroace character i see like somewhere and its horrible that it could be taken away from us

[@alexc.7035]

It would be interesting if it impliyed a queerplatonic relationship tho. Multiple aroace people have them and it would be amazing rep

[@Jeicemeiser]

@@alexc.7035real question: how is a queer platonic relationship different from a platonic friendship? My guess is that it’s because someone has unreciprocated feelings, but I may be wrong because when those unreciprocated romantic feelings are heterosexual the relationship is just called platonic

[@MrElegos]

I will say, as someone who basically hated Phase 4 to the point where I've basically stopped watching Marvel, I really enjoyed Hawkeye. I think of the 3 TV shows at the time (FatWS, Wandavision and Hawkeye) it was the only one that I was pretty satisfied with. It wasn't amazing, but it was incredibly fun. I'm also a huge Kate Bishop fan, and her interactions with Yelena seemed like a confident grab at a next generation sequel (especially with characters like Eli Bradley, Wiccan and Speed, etc also being introduced in this phase) so for a few months I was really confident we were getting a Young Avengers movie.

[@montyschexs]

Oh may Goodness, the atoning for his murdering people was the Hawk-eye show I wanted, however we go what we got.

[@melissaharris3389]

I definitely agree there was to much going on for 6 episodes. Dropping the LARPers, turning KingPin into a looming implied threat; Shifting Maya's backstory to her own series where it belongs and cutting the red herring of Jack. That would have allowed more breathing room for the main plot.

[@alexanderball6326]

I think Hawkeye might be my favourite marvel show so far

[@blancaatencio3624]

Great video about this show. I was loving it so much for the first 5 episodes, and if the Finale was a Slam Dunk, it would have been one of my favorite MCU projects, but alas, didn't happen and was dissapointing to me. I can defend the Finales of WandaVision, Falcon and the Winter Soldier or Moon Knight but this one just no. I'd still love to see more of the characters featured in this show and I dream that the Secret Scarlet Johansson produced MCU project is a Phase 7 Black Widow and Hawkeye movie with Yelena and Kate as leads. Personally, even tho I adored the dynamic between Yelena and Kate, if I had to pick which storyline could be cut so the rest could be developed better, was the Yelena one, since I feel her arc is too similar to Maya's and with her introduction so late, it just feels it hijacks the spotlight from Maya's story, undermining it, which sucks, considering the lack of focus in the (by that point) most prominent native American character we had in the franchise. Anyways, I still hold dear most of this show and the scene of the Finale when Kate finally tells Clint about why she admires him so much always hits me. I love the Legacy characters Phase 4 introduced and as you said, they explored that angle with Kate greatly.

[@NelsonStJames]

Hawkeye is one of my favorite characters, and so far one of my favorite of the television series, but I see that they were using him more as a vehicle to set up other shows rather than giving us a good Hawkeye story, but the MCU has been guilty of this strategy going all the way back to phase I. Now when you watch a movie, or one of the series, you don't know if you're getting a story or an ad for future projects.

[@michaelalberts3615]

I actually enjoyed this show. It was a quality tv show that didn’t try and be cinematic.

[@GrandArchPriestOfTheAlgorithm]

The Recommending Ones & Zeros apologizes for the devastating and overwhelming distress that must have happened while waiting on our blessing.

[@catherinejohnson8315]

Praise the holy ones and zeroes.

[@nathanyou1899]

One thing that I think gets overlooked is the way this show plays into themes of disability. Most obviously this comes into play with Clint's deafness and by extension his connection to Echo. I assume this was ment as another metatextual connection to Daredevil (like the street level focus and the presence of Kingpin) with both shows having disabled protagonists. However whilst there is a lot of interesting set up here at least the my disabled but not deaf eye comes to some compling moments like the phonecall scene but ultimately doesn't amount to too much in the end. From what I hear Echo does a better job although I haven't actually seen it. It's a little disappointing that this ultimately only really amounts to set up for another series.

[@ninreck5121]

I think Kate and Yelena have huge QPR potential, I don't want Yelena to get a romantic love interest ever because I read her as aromantic, if not also asexual, I think Kate might have a small crush on her (because, let's be honest, we all do) but she can get over that and they can have a queerplatonic partnership since I kind of read Clint and Nat that way, too, maybe even Nat and Laura as well but we didn't see enough of that

[@pickedceasar1216]

Where did they show them having any romantic chemistry? Most of there scenes came across like they were long lost siblings that just reunited What's a queerplantonic relationship? Is that just a friendship? If so why complicate it with further unnecessary descriptors?

[@jdellabeat6245]

@@pickedceasar1216 Because there's a lot of complexities within the dynamics we have in our community and our own identity.

[@pickedceasar1216]

@@jdellabeat6245 then what is qpr?

[@jdellabeat6245]

@@pickedceasar1216 You know, when two people who either same sex or opposite genders are either friends or acquainted with. There's even different dynamics with queer relationships. There is such as gay solidarity, in which either a male and female couple are presented as a cis couple, in actuality are a queer couple. It's so to protect each other just in case or just supporting.

[@pickedceasar1216]

@@jdellabeat6245 so a QPR is just a normal average relationship with any given human? Aka a platonic relationship Why ad the unnecessary words when we already have the descriptors? Why make things more complicated if you only want to be understood?

[@drbenben]

nice video!

[@jdellabeat6245]

I think my solution with Kate/Yelena dynamic is to actually make it subplot. Explore a potential sapphic/aro-ace relationship, whether it be platonic or romantic, there's a lot of ace/aro/aro-ace people I know who are either used to be or now in a standing relationship, whether it be hetero or queer relationships. There's a wide spectrum to the asexual/aromantic angle that you've narrowly articulated. I doubt Marvel or any mainstream show likes to integrate these facets of queerdom. Actually, have discussion of what intimacy between sapphic and ace-aro spectrums. I see a lot suggestions of just telling Yelena to just say "I'm ace/aro and that's it". Have her make it a journey of self - discovery and make her own decision whether or not, she wants involve herself in a romantic relationship. As for queerbaiting, we need to train ourselves to better recognize as such. This show is least queerbaited I have seen. I think young folk just need to better understand queerness, especially if all their consumption is the larger franchises and better recognize when if queerness does get exploited or not. Even having said that, their chemistry is really good, so either an exploration of a unique spectrum of a queer relationship or just not get acknowledged again is a non-starter because the chemistry between these two actors supersede anything that their respective characters' writing interact with each other.

[@reelbeeg7217]

"Standard issue orphaning", lol

[@scalpingsnake]

I am (was?) a huge MCU fan, I do feel like the D+ shows could have been much better. Hawkeye is probably at the bottom of my list close to Falcon/WS. I actually have really liked Hawkeye as a character, I like how we have more of his family after the events of Endgame and we see him after Natasha's death. There was too much plot for sure, and I don't think any of it was really that good? So too much and none of it good I suppose... When I realised they were likely hyping up Vincent D'onofrio's Wilson Fisk I was really happy even with the show not being my favourite, so when they botched the ending with him that kinda sealed the deal with me liking this show :/ I agree with the arrows too, I don't think it makes any sense he has a Pym arrow right? I think Hank was supposed to be really protective of who gets that access to his particle.

[@cocami6813]

Lmao 13:44 “what a surprise…”

[@koji6745]

Yelena is the only aroace rep we could get in the mcu, so its gonna be great if she gets paired up :/

[@elenadirectorofmiiss7942]

I would have loved FitzSimmons and Mack to have given Clint some ICER arrows.

[@mickeymouse7726]

The matt fraction David aja Hawkeye book is much better than the MCU show

[@ryanhatesgirls]

I really don't see any romantic subtext. Feeks like a reach for characters who just got along

[@danterose6673]

I didn't hate this show. I do think it would have worked better as a movie. A more focused story of Hawkeye's old enemies coming after him and Kate. No Kingpin. I'd keep Echo. Her storyline would end with her confronting Kaz. Keep Yelena. I loved the eulogy for Black Widow. Both Clint and Yelena are a huge part of that.

[@philippemarcil2004]

I really liked Hawkeye, it was a fine holiday special. I agree it was overstuffed, I would rather have two or three more episodes than loose one of the story thread.

[@maciejwolski7055]

Queerbaiting is more an AUDIENCE issue than a SHOW issue. People can be just friends, brother in arms etc. Plus usually shows make everything more "dramatic/overblown" from simple things for the sake of having a more interesting viewing.

[@coolrnt1]

I think the queerbaiting is a bit of a reach. I think most people aren’t shown how close female friendship can be in traditional media. They could get together later and that would be possible with the friendship they’ve developed so far, but that’s how most relationships start.

[@NedInYaHead]

Yeah I honestly don't know what people are talking about, seemed pretty par for the course as far as MCU comedic fight scenes go (although justified thanks to the context, in contrast to most movies)

[@tskmaster3837]

Kingpin obviously replaced Jack or Eleanor as the main antagonist at some point. It's fairly weird to say "Oh, Jack's a doofus!" after episode 6... as long as you forget what Jack was trying to do all along: Kill Eleanor and steal her money. 16:45 Damn, it, Fisk shouldn't be here at all. It's MCU's stupidest shoehorned in character, superspy archer/ninja V Daredevil enemy. You know, A LAWYER'S ENEMY or worst case scenario, Friendly Neighborhood's Spider-man enemy. Not a good fit for either Hawkeye or Ronin. "Edged and Piercing weapons are super effective. Bludgeoning damage, fists and billy clubs, do half." Jack was perfect, half James Bond villain and half gentleman thief, the best foil... hey... for what the show was trying to do for both Kate and Clint. I was disappointed when Jack showed back up as... still tried to marry and kill Eleanor...showed back up at all. Loved the show up to episode 5, episode 6 made it merely ok. Clint versus Jack, you had it and you blew it.

[@ShadowSonic2]

Kingpin is more than a DD or Spider-Man enemy, he's fought lots of heroes.

[@mr.iiconic]

Kingpin has been a Hawkeye villain numerous times, and is also an Echo villain.