(Contains spoilers.)

After advertising and teasing a new Marvel Studio’s series, the Disney+ original “Hawkeye” released two episodes on Wednesday, Nov. 24. Fans were eager for  the stand alone project for the character Hawkeye as Clint Barton was the last Avenger to get his own film.  

The series showcases Marvel’s newest character, Katherine “Kate” Bishop (played by Hailee Steinfeld), who takes on the role of Hawkeye’s (played by Jeremy Renner) protégée, after idolizing him for saving her life in the famous 2012 “Battle of New York” Avengers fight scene. She is speculated to be phase 4’s “new” Hawkeye. “Hawkeye” brings the Christmas spirit, as the show takes place during the holiday season. 

During the week of Christmas, Kate Bishop finds herself thrust into a world of superheros when she is chased by a group who want revenge against “The Ronin,” otherwise known as Clint Barton’s past identity. When Kate borrows The Ronin’s suit, her life is flipped upside down.

Over the next few days, Clint has to protect Kate from the people trying to kill her while simultaneously trying to figure out who is trying to kill her. This shows how selfless Clint is and how he’s willing to sacrifice Christmas with his family for a girl he just met.

Additionally, Marvel has been introducing more characters who are hard of hearing or deaf, including Clint Barton, whois shown using a hearing aid. A new character, Maya (played by Alaqua Cox), who is also deaf and has a prosthetic leg, was introduced as a rival of The Ronin in episode three. This, along with the introduction of Marvel’s first deaf superhero, Makkari, has led to a 250% increase in inquiries about learning sign language, according to Independent. 

We see Clint and Kate captured and their escape from the Tracksuit Mafia, led by Maya, who’s seeking revenge after he killed her father. We follow them through the streets of New York as they go through an intense, high energy car chase.

The storyline also develops through  a flashback from Maya’s childhood, telling us why she’s hunting down Ronin and giving us insight as to how she got to where she is now. Marvel giving viewers more information about the antagonist and why they’re doing what they’re doing helps the audience in understanding them and their motives.

In episode four, one of the biggest fights of the series takes place. All the main antagonists and protagonists fight each other on a rooftop. Towards the end of the fight, the person fighting Clint removes their mask, revealing themselves to be Yelena Belova (played by Florence Pugh), Natasha Romanoff’s (played by Scarlett Johansson) sister. 

After the shocking end credits of Marvel Studios “Black Widow” where Yelena is shown her next target, Clint Barton, many fans anticipated her return as “Hawkeye’s” main antagonist, which continues Yelena’s storyline and adds more conflict to Clint’s story.

Yelena is on a mission to avenge her sister, but in doing so, she crosses another relationship line:  mother-daughter. At the end of the fifth episode Kate gets a text from an unknown number that turns out to be Yelena. She tells Kate that her mom, Eleanor Bishop (played by Vera Farmiga), is the one that hired her to kill Clint. This adds a huge plot twist to a seemingly predictable show. 

“Kate and Eleanor also mark the first time a mother-daughter relationship has been thoroughly explored in the MCU, showing all sides of their dynamic [relationship],” Reporter Rachel Paige said in her Marvel article.

The show’s season finale delivers an amazing fight scene, well-written emotional dialogue, and hilarious interactions between Kate and Yelena. One of the main climaxes of the whole series is the Clint and Yelena fight scene. Just as she’s about to kill him, Clint tells her how much Natasha cared for and loved Yelena. 

As Yelena says, “I loved her so much,” and, “You got so much time with her,” we get to see more of her raw emotional side as she grieves for Natasha. This scene showcases Florence Pugh’s amazing acting; Yelena goes through so many different emotions within a short time and Pugh embodies them all perfectly. 

Fans were extremely impressed with how the series ended. “The final episode was PHENOMENAL. The fighting scenes were really great,” Vasu Arora said on Twitter. 

“While not as impactful to the MCU as WandaVision or Loki, I loved the more grounded story. It’s charming and compact, and never overstays its welcome. Every aspect feels well-rounded and executed nicely,” Luke also said on Twitter. 

The “Hawkeye” series lets us see how Clint is dealing with Natasha’s death, but also sets the precedent for the new era of Avengers. Seeing Clint’s personality more makes him a more likeable character and more relatable. The series was also very entertaining, and every week after finishing an episode, it left us wanting more. 

With the new representation, well choreographed fight scenes, and comedy, not to mention the outstanding 92% rating from Rotten Tomatoes, Marvel Studios “Hawkeye” is an absolute must-watch.