Hawkeye episode 1 recap: an origin story that really hits the mark
Huge Hawkeye episode 1 spoilers ahead
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- Episode 1 (of 6), ‘Never Meet Your Heroes’- Written by Jonathan Igla- Directed by Rhys Thomas★★★★
Spoilers for the first episode ofHawkeyefollow. You have been warned.
Origin stories have always been tricky things to pull off. The path to superhero status is riven with clichés, while spending too long on explanations can be a distraction from the story you really want to tell. As an introduction to rookie archer Kate Bishop, however, this debut episode of Hawkeye gets almost everything right – in fact, within the first 20 minutes you know almost everything you need to.
Anyone casually flipping through Disney Plus, expecting to see Clint Barton: The TV Series, will possibly be surprised to see the focus is more on Bishop than the original Hawkeye. If you’ve readour interviewwith the show’s director and producer, you’ll know this already. Still, as bold a move as it is, it pays off spectacularly.
The pre-credits sequence shows how the young Kate lost her father in the Chitauri assault of the first Avengers movie – nearly a decade on, the Battle of New York continues to be a pivotal event in the MCU – and is subsequently inspired by Hawkeye’s archery antics on the battlefield. “I need a bow and arrow,” she says at her dad’s funeral, vowing to protect her mother against anything that comes their way.
A brilliantly animated credits sequence – delivered in the trademark purple hue of Bishop’s comic-book look – picks up the story, showing how she became a champion archer, gymnast and fencer. As well as being a crash course in Superhero Skills 101, it’s a wonderfully efficient piece of storytelling. The first time we see Kate in action is also revealing, as she uses her unique talents to shoot – and accidentally smash up – a vintage belltower as part of a bet. It’s a good job her mom’s rich enough to pay the repair bill…
Barton himself hasn’t been forgotten, and the episode skilfully switches between its two protagonists throughout. He’s the last of the original Avengers to get title billing, and on paper it’s easy to see why – next to supersoldiers, Norse gods, billionaire tech geniuses and super-spies, a guy who’s simplyreallygood with a bow and arrow is very much a supporting player. Even so, ‘Never Meet Your Heroes’ quickly shows why he’s the perfect anchor for a TV show.
In a nutshell, Hawkeye is a hero with baggage. When Thanos delivered the most famous finger snap in history, Clint Barton losteverything. So, with his wife and three kids turned to dust, he transformed himself into the vigilante Ronin, unafraid to push the limits of the PG-13 rating as he embarked on a violent mission to eliminate organised crime. Then, to make matters worse, he had to sacrifice his best friend, Natasha Romanoff (aka Black Widow), to recover the Soul Stone on Vormir. Even with his family restored, a backstory like that is going to leave a mark.
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Jeremy Renner is brilliant here, with his gruff, unshowy performance revealing the vulnerable, human side of a hero. Though clearly devoted to his kids, there’s an underlying sadness lurking behind the eyes, most notably when an actor playing Black Widow in a production of hot new Broadway smash Rogers: The Musical brings the memories flooding back. Barton is clearly uncomfortable with his massive celebrity, the weight of the lives he took in his Ronin guise taking a considerable toll.
And yet despite that darkness, this episode is lots of fun – and not just because its “six days ’til Christmas” setting is all the excuseMarvelneeds to turn the soundtrack into a festive jukebox.
From the hilarious glimpses at the Steve Rogers show – surely a real-life MCU musical can’t be too far behind? – to Kate Bishop’s inventive fight sequences, there’s a real lightness of touch here. Hailee Steinfeld instantly makes the role her own, whether she’s in the midst of a dispute with her mom, going undercover, or beating up mobsters with vintage wine bottles.
But as skilled and inventive as Kate is, it’s clear she’s far from the finished article. Indeed, as soon as she dons the Ronin suit it’s inevitable she’s about to find herself in over her head, and becomes the target of the so-called Tracksuit Mafia – aka the bad guys – whose leader has made it his business to pursue with extreme prejudice.
Lucky for her, running around in that outfit is a sure fire way to attract the attention of one Clint Barton, the ideal mentor for someone with her skill set. “Who the hell are you?” he asks after saving her from the angry mob. On the evidence of episode one, finding out the answer is going to be a blast.
Our verdict
The latest MCU TV show hits the ground running, and serves as a near-perfect set-up for the new series. As well as deftly introducing Kate Bishop and revealing some of Clint Barton’s demons, it poses some intriguing questions that bode well for the show as it continues.
How did Eleanor Bishop’s fortunes turn around in the decade since the Battle of New York? What did she do that upset Armand Duquesne III so much? Why is Jack, her new fiancé, so obsessed with Ronin’s retractable sword? Why is the watch recovered from the Avengers Compound so important? And where can we get tickets for Rogers: The Musical? Hopefully the answers will come in the five remaining episodes of Hawkeye, rather than down the line in a follow-up MCU movie or TV show.
Marvel has just given us a fantastic early Christmas present – fingers crossed we haven’t just unwrapped the best gift first.
Marvel-ous facts
New episodes of Hawkeye stream on Disney Plus every Wednesday.
Richard is a freelance journalist specialising in movies and TV, primarily of the sci-fi and fantasy variety. An early encounter with a certain galaxy far, far away started a lifelong love affair with outer space, and these days Richard’s happiest geeking out about Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel and other long-running pop culture franchises. In a previous life he was editor of legendary sci-fi and fantasy magazine SFX, where he got to interview many of the biggest names in the business – though he’ll always have a soft spot for Jeff Goldblum who (somewhat bizarrely) thought Richard’s name was Winter.
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