Hawkeye: The MCU’s Latest TV Outing Hits the Bullseye

I am not a Hawkeye guy, I am not a Hawkguy. Clint has always been on the edge of the things I typically read. That was until my brother finally bullied me into picking up Matt Fraction and David Aja’s definitive run on the character. A run filled with heart, action, and characters who are often hot messes. Hawkeye on Disney+ takes much of its inspiration from the run, including Pizza Dog. It flips the roles though and Kate Bishop is treated as our POV from the jump. I thought my interest in the MCU was as dead as Tony Stark but Hawkeye pulled me right back in with a smile on my face.

Some time after Avengers: Endgame, Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye is trying to enjoy the holiday season in NYC with his kids. At the same time across town, Kate Bishop is quickly getting in way over her head. Both have to come together to face the ramifications of Clint’s time as Ronin during the blip. The first two episodes are filled with a lot of great character moments and some very funny gags.

After the constant world ending threats of most of the films, pulling back to a more street level story is where the show finds its greatest strength. There are no major CGI monsters in the first two episodes and it leaves more room for the characters to shine in well choreographed fight scenes. The tracksuit mafia are wonderful villains that will often make you laugh but also bring some hard hitting street fighting against Kate Bishop. It blends a bit more of the comedy and the action more naturally than the other Disney Plus series. There are some elements of mystery and corporate intrigue in the first two episodes of Hawkeye that could lead to an exhilarating story of one silly hero facing the consequences of becoming a killer ninja.

Hawkeye really has its best moments when it’s just two characters interacting in the quiet in between moments. Hailee Steinfeld steals the show as Kate Bishop who can easily run circles around Clint if she was properly trained. There is a scene in the first episode shared with Kate’s mother played by Vera Farmiga where she is being reprimanded for a stunt she pulled. There are a handful of jokes but Farmiga acknowledges it before actually connecting with her daughter. Their performances are wonderful and make me excited to see what’s coming next.

To quote the great Al Pacino, just when I thought I was out…they drag me back in. But I am not kicking and screaming because as much as I was lukewarm on Hawkeye going in, I truly ended up loving the first two episodes and am excited to see where the series go.

P.S. Pizza Dog is adorable, 10/10 for being a good boy.