Hawkeye Season 1 Episode 4 review: An exploration into the sacrifices of being a superhero

Story:

Clint is forced to promise Eleanor that he will make sure Kate is not involved in any danger. As the story progresses, Clint struggles to keep his promise as a new threat emerges.

Review:

The series has picked up its pace and has toned down the cheesy humour in favour of compelling storytelling. The episode is well-paced without a hint of the unwanted screenplay. Jeremy Renner excels, yet again, with a performance that fleshes out the Hawkeye character like never before - something which the 20 plus MCU film attempted and failed. The fans’ demand for a standalone film/TV series appears to have been justified.

Tony Dalton’s performance as Jack Duquesne is refreshing, adding layers of mystery and intrigue to the character. He has excellent chemistry with Vera Farmiga’s Eleanor Bishop, who coincidentally also has something mysterious to hide from the others. Kate’s gut instinct about Jack’s alleged duplicity gets a nod of approval from Clint, as he begins his own investigation into Jack’s business deals.

The crux of the story is about Clint’s need to return to his family for Christmas. In essence, it is a holiday story in the guise of an action-packed superhero show. The writers have added emotional depth to his character as the narrative explores his trauma of losing his family during the Blip, and Natasha during the events of Avengers: End Game. There is also a significant focus on him trying or hoping to move past his ‘Ronin’ days during the Blip.

There is a clever throwback scene that forces Clint to reconsider his crime-fighting partnership with Kate. The surprise return of Yelena, Black Widow’s sister, from the film Black Widow, pushes the story in new directions. It remains to be seen what her role in the narrative will be in the upcoming episodes. Based on the post-credits scenes from Black Widow, it is likely that Clint and Yelena will have a conflict to settle.

The episode is not without a few minor issues. The overall plot of the episode is thin and it is set up as a foundation for the final two episodes. There is very little character development provided for the supporting characters so far, which makes them appear less relevant to the story.

Verdict:

The series has moved on from its lacklustre opening episodes and has produced yet another entertaining episode with further exploration into Clint’s trauma.