*EPISODE REVIEWS UPDATED WEEKLY*
After the very successful Disney+ Marvel series (Loki, Falcon & The Winter Soldier and Wandavision), the latest to step up to the plate is Hawkeye, Jeremy Renner’s much maligned Clint Barton, gets his own show.
Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” is an original new series set in post-blip New York City where former Avenger Clint Barton aka Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) has a seemingly simple mission: get back to his family for Christmas. But when a threat from his past shows up, Hawkeye reluctantly teams up with Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), a 22-year-old skilled archer and his biggest fan, to unravel a criminal conspiracy.
Set at Christmas this is to begin with at least a much more light-hearted affair with Clint Barton/Renner’s self deprecating humour a major plus side as the latest adventure kicks off. He’s joined by soaring star Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop a huge fan of Hawkeye’s so much so, that in the credit sequence, we learn that she’s become a superstar in Archery, Gymnastics and Mixed Martial Arts. She puts this to great use throughout the opening episodes as skate manages to get herself embroiled in all sorts of trouble without even trying.
For fans of the Hawkeye comic books there’s a huge amount to enjoy, as various characters, from there pop up here there and everywhere. The series doesn’t waste anytime and gets right to the heart of the story. We are introduced to Barton now wearing a hearing aid, much like the other Avengers is now suffering with PTSD, which is triggered as he and his kids goto the hilarious Broadway show Rogers: The Musical, which despite not existing, would do huge money if Disney actually invested in the idea. (Although it’s probably just an extension of the Marvel: Live! shows but with plenty of Rent-esque singing). There’s also a vast array of characters introduced, played by Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, Tony Dalton, Zahn McClarnon, Brian d’Arcy James, Simon Callow and newcomer Alaqua Cox. Who they are revealed is in the opening episodes and how they are going to impact Kate and Clint remains to be seen. However it’s all crammed in so you’ll either be reaching for google (to serach their connections to Hawkeye) or will just sit back and enjoy the ride and what a ride the opening is.
Jeremy Renner is just so good as Hawkeye now that you couldn’t imagine anyone else playing him, so the series rises and falls with him. Kate Bishop / Hailee Steinfeld’s addition to the MCU is very welcome too, as she dives in and runs afoul of Barton’s enemies in short order. And while Hawkeye and Kate Bishop don’t have the standing of Iron Man, Spider-Man or Captain America, the fact that they don’t have so much of a rabid following, will allow for far more surprises along the way.
EPISODES 1 & 2
With the first two setting up what looks to be a quite intricate plot, there’s a lot to unpack in the first two episodes, however, it sets itself up to a far more light hearted series compared to the others, at least from the outset anyway. If you have knowledge of the Hawkeye comics then, his ever present enemies and ‘big bad’ are going to be very easy to spot. But from what this opening gives us, this series looks like it could be one that will get everyone talking.
*Episode 3* – UPDATED
With the short number of episodes, we are already at the halfway point of the series and the pace is turned up for this one, featuring a full blooded escape from the cluthces of the Tracksuit Mafia and then a action packed and fun filled car chase, the episode closes with another cliffhanger and one that fans of the Hawkeye comic book series will no doubts be bouncing with glee for. However the biggest talking point of the episode (And no it’s not the scenes with Lucky, The Pizza Dog, although this is very welcome) is the phrase ‘Uncle’, a laugh and a shot of someones hand. The internet is already abuzz with just who it is, we won’t spoil it here, but needless to say if this is a certain characters introduction to the MCU, then are going to get VERY interesting for the heroes of New York…
