Merry Clint-Mas one and all! Seeing as how we are now fully wrapped up with the Disney+ series Hawkeye, I figured that it would be the talk of the town! A street-level series following an OG Avenger as he traverses threats from the MCU seems like an immediate slam dunk. After some research on the internet, it turns out it had a pretty low audience. It actually had the least amount of viewers of any MCU Disney+ show. Personally, I think people aren't giving this show the chance it deserves. There are so many nuggets of greatness in the Hawkeye series that I believe, if we took the time to highlight them, you might want to give the show a shot or a rewatch if you already have. Grab your bow and arrow, arm your quiver, and get margaritas in the blender as we go over 8 Reasons Why The Hawkeye Series Hit Its Mark!
Adapting A Modern Classic
Last January, I read Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye run for the first time. I completely fell in love with the story, especially the character of Kate Bishop. Clint Barton is a character I have always loved, not only because of Jeremy Renner’s performance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but for the character's role in such comic book classics as "Avengers Disassembled", "Age of Ultron" and "Old Man Logan".
The issue was, I hadn't read anything that centered on the Avenging Archer that caught my eye. I can confidently tell you, I have never read a piece of literature that had me as excited as much as that Hawkeye run. I became downright giddy when promotional material seemed to hint that this run was the biggest influence on the show. Over the course of 4 weeks, I got to watch Matt Fraction’s writing and David Aja’s artwork come to life on my TV screen.
From Kate and Clint standing side-by-side with their bows, the introduction to Lucky the Pizza Dog, even right down to the comic book accurate costumes, this show pulled out all the stops. Watching David Aja’s panel artwork depicted in live-action made me cry in ways I did not think were possible. Seeing Kate holding a pizza box on her head might seem like a dumb throwaway scene, but images like that are ripped straight from the comic, and it is that level of attention to detail that makes me believe the studio cares about the product they are adapting.
Master of Foreshadowing
Chekov's Gun. For those of you who don't know, Chekov's Gun is the dramatic principle that suggests that the details within a story will contribute to the overall narrative. A very simple tool used in writing, but the method can be so effective. Hawkeye managed to excel at the technique in every way, from the subversive use of a simple butterscotch candy to a throwaway joke like Kate telling Clint he needs to label his arrows. These scenes seem like filler, but throughout the show many of these things are brought around and have satisfying conclusions.
Remember me mentioning Kate and the labels? When the duo eventually does make trick arrows together, she is the one labeling them. Every time the show has introduced something, whether major or minor, they bring it back around to give it meaning. Helping the LARPers comes full circle, Kate protected her mom with the bow and arrow she bought her, and Clint's coin trick helped save the day in the end.
When the watch the tracksuit mafia stole in Episode 1 came back around to confirm Laura Barton worked for S.H.I.E.L.D as Agent Mockingbird, I gasped. How could I not? This show wowed me purely because it rewards you for remembering every detail of its ever-expanding universe.
Mourning Black Widow
One of the biggest Christmas treats that the MCU managed to give me this year, besides the spectacle that was No Way Home, was seeing them pay tribute to Natasha Romanov, The Black Widow. I have always felt that Natasha was the heart of the Avengers, which is showcased in the entirety of the Infinity Saga. We first meet her in Iron Man 2, where she is tasked with keeping an eye on Tony Stark, and the two become acquaintances. She was the first real friend that Steve Rogers had after being thawed out of the ice, and she showed Steve a side of the world that he wasn't ready to see. Even then, she never judged him for his moral stances and helped him escape the airport in Germany during Civil War.
Natasha showed up at the funeral of Peggy Carter, just so that Cap didn't have to be alone. Natasha also managed to show Bruce Banner that he can love again and should want to love again, even if that meant accepting The Hulk version of himself. Finally, Natasha managed to save Clint from that deep and dark place he was in during the events of a Post-Infinity War/Pre-Endgame world. Throughout this series, you see what Nat’s death meant to Clint, from his inability to stomach her being portrayed in the Rogers musical, to his heartfelt confession to Kate about their first interaction.
Watching Clint eulogize his best friend at the Avenger's monument was a big moment as well. I'm so glad the show touched on what that friendship truly meant to Clint. Natasha Romanov touched a lot of hearts, not only in the MCU but ours as well. Rest in Power Widow. We'll always have Budapest.
The Characterization of Jack Duquesne
Casting is a hard job in Hollywood. Finding the right actor to play a particular role sounds a lot easier than it is. One of my favorite casting choices in this show was Tony Dalton as the role of Kate’s soon-to-be stepfather, Jack Duquesne. Tony Dalton, who I was first introduced to as Eduardo “Lalo” Salamanca in Better Call Saul, has become such a treat to watch, mainly because of the charm he can bring to any series. The character seemed to be written as the main villain (like his comic book counterpart) but ended up nothing more than a condescending, albeit somewhat clueless, master of swords.
What makes him so charming is the confidence he displays even while getting famous idioms wrong. Pay attention to when Jack is fencing with Kate. Initially, it seems as if he was letting her win so he could test her skills while hiding his own, perhaps in case of an actual showdown one day. Now we know that Jack was probably having genuine fun with Kate, even if it was at her expense. The show expertly frames Jack as suspicious, then when it is revealed that he isn't the villain you end up feeling bad for Jack, especially after four weeks of swearing he was the man in charge.
In all fairness, only Dalton can pull off showing up to a Christmas party brandishing a sword after being the suspect of murder via said sword. That kind of unabashed confidence makes him so much fun to watch. Even though I will bring up the characters of this show as a whole, I feel that Tony Dalton deserves a separate place on this list.
Character Chemistry
No show would be truly complete without the perfect chemistry between its cast of characters, and every member on this show went together like peanut butter and jelly. First, we have the amazing Barton clan, who are easy to buy as a believable and grounded family. You can tell Clint and Laura love one another, and not just because the writing tells you that they're married. I was heartbroken when Clint had to say goodbye to his kids in New York, or when Laura cried on the phone. I gasped when Clint couldn’t hear Nathaniel, and Kate had to help him because of how much I believed in their family unit. You not only want to see this poor man make it home for Christmas, but you also need him to make it home Christmas for your own sanity. Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld’s relationship is as magnificent on-screen as it is in the comics. It's another believable relationship that does an expert job at capturing how much both Hawkeyes meant to each other. From the moment they met, you can tell that these two were going to blend so well.
Of course, we can't forget about the beautiful May Queen herself Florence Pugh, and how she was able to jump right back into the Yelena shoes for the second time this year. Kate and Yelena’s shared screen time has made my cheeks hurt from how hard I smiled, and that is a testament to the acting chops that both women have. These two are the perfect successors to the Hawkeye and Black Widow mantle, right down to Kate not taking her own best shot on Yelena. I would love to see them back in the future. Even the villains played their roles perfectly, setting up interesting dynamics between Echo, The Tracksuits, Kazi, and Kingpin.
Lastly, I want to mention the Live Action Role Players and how they had the same vibe as the tenants from the comics. I knew we were getting Lucky the Pizza Dog in this show, but when they brought in Grills, there was a special tear that fell down my eye.
Validation for Marvel Netflix Fans
If there is one argument that I have found myself in more times than I care to count, it's whether or not the Marvel Netflix shows are cannon. I would like them to be, but there are certainly detractors who feel they shouldn’t. When I look back on shows like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, I can't help but think of all the times I've read these characters in the comics. Before Netflix, I had to put my own voice to the artwork and imagine the mannerisms these writers were trying to convey. When I think of all the talent that Charlie Cox, Kristen Ritter, and Mike Coulter possess, I get mad that anyone could think these characters don't deserve a place in the main MCU continuity.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, we have finally seen Marvel Studios give the Netflix spin-offs the recognition they deserve. Not only did we get a Charlie Cox appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home but they also brought back Vincent D'Onofrio in the form of Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin in Hawkeye. Having Fisk as the puppet master pulling all the strings establishes that the Netflix shows, if not the characters themselves, exist in the same world that Tony Stark sacrificed himself for. I had no other choice but to release my emotions as tears of joy. It almost felt like a personal thank you from the studio, for holding out hope that they might see their Defenders again one day.
Cinematography and Chorography
Fans of the Major Issues podcast were probably waiting for me to talk about the cinematography and they've come to the right place. If there is one thing that I am a sucker for, it is the way that cameras move to invoke emotion. One of my favorite scenes in this show was during the car chase in Episode 3 because it had this Children of Men-style camera trick where the camera does a constant 360° following shot from inside the car, all in one take. When there are multiple close shots of the bow and arrows as they are used, you can't help but be in awe at how cool this show makes archery look. When Kate and Yelena are fighting in that office building, they frame it in a wide-angle following shot, and you can see every swing, every kick, every moment, of a criminally short scene.
Then we have the choreography, which I feel is some of the best work that we've seen in the MCU. It may sound like a bold claim, but when you look back on a lot of the hand-to-hand combat in the MCU, it is choppy and nondescript. Every swing of a fist, every kick that is thrown, has so many cuts in between that you never see anything land, and it makes for pretty disappointing action. While I'm not claiming that there are no cuts in the fight scenes of this show, there is a lot less than there has been in Winter Solider and Civil War. They showcased their expertise early on when Kate faces off against the tracksuits for the first time in spectacular fashion. They even added a few slow-motion moments in their fight scenes.
I've racked my brain to see if the MCU has used a ton of slow motion before, and I don't think they have. I challenge you to go back and watch the Highway scene from Winter Soldier and the rooftop fight from episode 4, so you can witness not just the differences, but the overall growth in the MCU’s action. That kind of cinematic maturity alone is why I feel that makes my list.
Redemption for the Hawkeye Brand
It took a lot of meditation on what message the writers had in mind when managing a show about an Avenger that the fans haven't shown enough love towards. It seems like this show's true motive was to show the world just how awesome Clint Barton, a.k.a Hawkeye, truly is. We have all seen the jokes and the comments about how Clint and Natasha are seen as jokes and have no reason to be on the Avengers. We’ve all heard the arguments before as well. "What can someone with a bow and arrow or a gun do up against an alien invasion?"
Certain fans of the Marvel Universe didn't wanna take these characters, especially Clint, seriously. Throughout this series, they showed us Barton's mindset first-hand. He doesn't believe himself to be a role model to anyone, as he tells Kate in episode 3. Whether that is because of his blood lust as Ronin, or his Survivor's Guilt over Natasha, Clint is uncomfortable with being put on a pedestal. Kate tells Clint that being a hero doesn't mean superpowers, but it means going out of your way to help, no matter the cost. We've seen Clint embody this hero mentality with how he saves people at the expense of his own body. We also get to see the consequences of being a hero with bumps, bruises, and overall use of a hearing aid due to damaged hearing.
Clint has gone out of his way to help civilians but has also helped recruit and rescue Natasha, Wanda, and now Kate. He is a hero for his ability to adapt to the role of father/big brother to those who need someone to stick up for them. All Kate, the Hawkeye fanatic, wanted was for Clint to have a better brand. This show got us there in the end with the David Aja suit to match! This show is a tribute to a single man making a difference, in a world he might not fit in anymore, and that is Hawkeye through and through.
Kate is also gonna do some great things for the Hawkeye brand in the future, just you watch!
But what did you think of the show? Was it everything you expected or did you expect more? If you would like to hear other members of the cliques thoughts on the show, be sure to check out our podcast review. My name is Dan “The Comic Book Man” and always remember….that you are worthy.
