Hawkeye Episode 5 Review: An Underwhelming Reveal, and the Curse of Knowledge
Following an incredibly interesting and engaging fourth Episode that promised to bring the story of Clint Barton to a head, the series subsequent installment feels like a step back with stakes low enough to nearly cripple its narrative; this is our Hawkeye Episode 5 review.
Well, that was something…
Source: Marvel
Hawkeye has been steadily building a story of consequences, with Clint Barton representing a hero burdened by the blood on his own hands.
A story defined by contradiction: the young, talented, and hopeful representation of an innocent generation that idolizes the heroism of Barton and the Avengers to the point of reckless imitation versus those who have felt the pain of tragedy due to their actions.
Source: Marvel Studios
Barton said it best at the conclusion of the fourth episode: things did get very real, very quickly.
Or did they…
Hawkeye Episode 5 took all of the narrative suspense building over the four installments of the series and nearly suffocated it bringing the pacing of the series to a slow plod, and it didn’t reinforce the narrative with the stakes necessary to compensate.
Source: Marvel Studios
Yelena had a fantastic start to the episode, revealing more about her character than previously known. While Florence Pugh absolutely shines in her return as the Black Widow assassin.
Echo is forced to confront the object of her own revenge, only to be informed that she may not have known the full story after all — with a fight scene that was very well done, but felt inconsequential outside of building towards the character’s story.
Source: Marvel Studios
But perhaps an underwhelming Episode 5 outing is the result of the inevitable issue that will continually plague the MCU: the curse of knowledge.
The reality is, how can you surprise a fanbase that has conceived every possible outcome?
Source: Marvel Studios
The episode contained a moment that foreshadowed the inevitable debut you have all waited for, but not in the way that felt as though it rewarded that anticipation.
What felt like the underlying mystery of the entire series, the looming shadow of danger cascading upon the doomed adventure of Hawkeye, didn’t seem worthy of the grainy image that provided the answer to the countless theories.
In the end, Hawkeye Episode 5 was far from bad, building on Echo’s story was interesting, with Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld continuing to shine in the lead roles.
Still, the episode feels a bit underwhelming. It denied resolution, with too many of the series mysteries pardoned with unsatisfying conclusions only to make way for new ones that feel less developed.
Photo: Disney+
At best, it feels as though Hawkeye Episode 5 is a step back for the series. At worst, it feels like a sign of what could be Marvel’s greatest challenge as an entity.
With one episode left, there is hope that the best is still to come for the series, the conclusion to Barton’s story, which could have massive implications for the MCU.
Source: Marvel Studios
