Hawkeye – Ronin Review

It appears that my worries following last week’s episode of Hawkeye (that the show wouldn’t be able to adequately wrap up its every increasing list of storylines by series’ end) were unfounded, as this penultimate episode managed to pare down the list of remaining arcs to a precious few heading into next week’s finale. And it managed to do so with gusto, giving us more time with the delightful Yelena (seriously, Florence Pugh is a gem), hinting that one prevalent fan theory might in fact be true, and giving us the cameo pay-off we’ve all been waiting for in the final moments of the episode. All-in-all, a solid lead into what we all hope will be a solid finale.

First things first, we have to dive into the Yelena portion of the story, because a whole host of things are connected to her appearance in Kate Bishop’s still drying out apartment. From the end credit scene in Black Widow, we know that La Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine passed along a key piece of information to Yelena: Clint killed Nat (which we know isn’t strictly true but is absolutely one interpretation of what went down on Vormir). Which sent Yelena off on a quest to find him and exact revenge for the death of her sister. But we didn’t learn just who paid for the hit on Clint until today: Eleanor Bishop. That call she made to the mysterious benefactor (at this point, either Kingpin – more on him in a second – or to Val herself; either way, some heavy company she’s keeping), was to get Yelena after Clint (or, rather, to get someone after Clint – I doubt Eleanor was aware that Nat had a sister who would be ready to kill to avenge her). So, we know why Yelena is here (and that she disappeared during the Blip – more on that later) and who sent for her. But we still don’t know exactly who Eleanor really is (because she isn’t just a security expert if she’s keeping company – and laughing! – with Kingpin). I suspect that is one reveal we’ll be getting in the finale.

Then there’s the Kingpin of it all. Daredevil’s favorite antagonist (and scourge of all NYC-based Marvel superheroes at some point or another) is back in the MCU, baby! Once again portrayed by Vincent D’Onofrio, the mafia boss looks to be behind a couple of the key reveals in this week’s episode. He’s aligned with Eleanor (whether or not he helped get Yelena in the game, we don’t yet know – but if so, then he’s also aligned with Val) and he’s behind the hit on Maya’s father at the hands of Clint’s Ronin. I suspect Maya’s side of the Kingpin narrative will play out over the course of her standalone series (coming in 2022 to Disney+), but I bet we get more information on Clint’s relationship with Kingpin (who it appears also survived the Blip) and how he links with Eleanor in the final episode.

Speaking of Maya, while we certainly might see her – briefly – in the finale, this episode felt like the final button on her arc for Hawkeye. She’s learned the key piece of information that will allow her to break away from Kingpin and join the “good guys” moving forward. If that’s the case, I just wanted to once again mention how great Alaqua Cox has been in the role and say that I’m excited to see where the MCU takes Maya/Echo moving forward.

So, what’s left to deal with in the finale? Well, Yelena needs to confront Clint. Kate needs to confront Eleanor. And that mysterious watch needs to be found and returned to its rightful owner (which would mean we finally find out the truth about Laura Barton’s past). Not a whole lot of arcs to tie up, but just enough to promise a dramatic and emotionally complex final chapter in Hawkeye.

Hawkeye Easter Eggs/Theories

— Only one theory to talk about this week, and that’s the Yelena/Blip theory that has been floating around since Black Widow premiered. The theory goes like this: Yelena disappeared in the Blip and Nat found out and was, understandably, devastated. (Some versions have her whole family disappearing but getting confirmation on that would have to come from Yelena next week.) Being the private person that she is, Nat didn’t tell anyone about this (it seems like only Clint even knew about Yelena – certainly none of the other Avengers did), but her drive to solve the problem and undo the Snap was deeply personal: She wanted to bring her little sister back. Well, Yelena did, in fact, disappear. And Nat certainly knew. So that part of the theory checks out. The last bit of the theory: When Nat was on Vormir and was fighting with Clint over who should sacrifice themselves, her driving purpose was to save Yelena. She knew Clint’s kids would need him, but she also knew Yelena could fend for herself. But she wanted her sister alive and well, and that knowledge would be enough to justify her sacrifice in her mind. So, Nat’s death was so that Yelena could live again. Which retcons things a bit, but also ascribes greater significance to a pretty shitty plot point in Endgame. Is that what is about to play out – will Clint tell Yelena that Nat never stopped trying to get her back? Well, I wouldn’t be shocked is that’s the way things shake out in that confrontation next week.