Hawkeye Review: ‘So This is Christmas?’ sticks the landing in an excellent finale

So This is Christmas? caps off the best MCU Disney Plus series so far with a strong finale. Hawkeye wasn’t as mind-bending as WandaVision or Loki. However, Hawkeye is the most consistent of any of the MCU series.

Hawkeye‘s focus on Clint and Kate’s mentor-mentee relationship allowed the series to improve as the series went along. The more ground-level nature of the series allows the characters of Clint, Kate, Yelena and Maya to flourish. Focusing on a more contained story than in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier allows the small character moments to land. As scintillating as the action scenes are in Hawkeye, I was just as entranced by the character interactions between Kate and Clint, Kate and Yelena, and Yelena and Clint.

The focus first and foremost on these three characters allows three academy-award nominated performers to shine. Hailee Steinfeld has shined throughout the series. Steinfeld’s delivery of “why she wants to be a hero” is even better than Tom Holland‘s speech in Captain America: Civil War. In So This is Christmas? Kate is put through the emotional and physical ringer and comes out of the ordeal a hero. Steinfeld has been great throughout the series, but this is her best performance in the show.

Clint’s progress from reluctant to willing mentor is the biggest throughline in the season finale. He says the right things at just the right time. When Kate’s world seems to be crumbling down, he helps her calm down. When things are getting a little too fun, he checks in with Kate to make sure she’s really ready. Clint is the dotting mentor Kate deserves and Jeremy Renner takes on the mantle like a perfectly tailored suit.

Yelena has a major role to play as well. There’s a will they or won’t they conundrum with the Kate-Yelena relationship set up in the last episode. So This is Christmas? definitively answers that question. The much-needed confrontation with Clint is a great showcase for Florence Pugh and Renner.

Vincent D’Onofrio reprises the role of Kingpin from Netflix’s Daredevil series. While nowhere near as dark as Daredevil, Kingpin had just the right amount of menace to fit the tone of the series. The Kingpin in Hawkeye seems to be much more physically stronger than in Daredevil. My only issue with Kingpin in the episode is that I think the action scenes involving Kingpin could have been executed better. However, I don’t have any issues with where Hawkeye leaves the character at the end of the episode.

The way Jack is used is quite fun. However, I have no idea why all of the Tracksuit Mafia goons are suddenly wielding swords against Jack. I liked how Maya and Kazi’s storyline ended, but felt like the build-up was clunky in this episode.

Hawkeye is a remarkably consistent show full of great performances, balanced humor, inspired action scenes and a surprisingly uplifting ending that should make this series a holiday staple on Disney Plus.

With the overview out of the way, let’s dive deeper into the elements that stood out in So This is Christmas? There may be some minor spoilers. Hawkeye is available to stream on Disney Plus.

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So This is Christmas? with Wilson Fisk

The episode doesn’t waste time introducing Wilson Fisk. Eleanor wants to end their partnership and threatens to reveal Kingpin’s illicit activities if anything happens to her or Kate. The scene is a wonderful reintroduction to D’Onofrio’s take on Wilson Fisk.

Later, Kingpin and Kazi meet with Maya. Kingpin gently probes her for information. Maya promises to stop looking for her father’s killer. Fisk isn’t fooled and knows Maya has turned against him.

Near the end of the episode, Kingpin returns to face off against Kate. Kingpin’s strength is impressive, but I think I would have preferred if these two scenes I mentioned were the only ones featuring Kingpin. Despite his impressive size, Kingpin’s greatest strength is his influence from the shadows. A less is more approach would have worked better given there was just so much going on in this episode.

I like the cliffhanger ending for Kingpin where it appears as if Maya has shot and killed him. I’m sure he’s not dead. His influence and the way the episode used the sound of his footsteps indicate a character the MCU has big plans for in the future.

What makes a hero? Trick Arrows, of course

The season finale is Steinfeld’s best performance of the season as Kate Bishop. Steinfeld has been fantastic since the moment she destroyed the bell tower in the 1st episode. Yet she outdoes herself in a major way.

In a series full of great performances, there is one scene that stands above all others in the MCU on Disney Plus . After listening to her mom’s conversation with Kingpin, Clint shows Kate how to make some trick arrows. The actions scenes in this episode are sensational. Kate and Clint taking out the Tracksuit Mafia with a litany of trick arrows is the best action setpiece of any of the MCU series on Disney Plus.

Throughout the episode, Clint does a great job of pepping her up when she needs it and providing a dose of reality when called upon.

Clint needs to know Kate is ready. Kate explains with clarity why Clint made such an impression on her. Here’s a guy with a string and a stick fighting aliens, jumping off buildings, etc. Clint’s actions back in 2012 showed Kate she didn’t need to be afraid. Being a hero is for anyone willing to do whatever it takes to do what is right. Kate’s demeanor in this sequence and the way Steinfeld plays the scene showcases just how much growth the character has gone through over the course of the series.

Yelena’s Anguish

Yelena crashes the Bishop holiday party as well. If you’re wondering whether Yelena and Kate with be friends, enemies or some combination of the two. So This is Christmas? definitively answers that they will be friends.

There’s a fantastic elevator scene that’s shot similarly to the infamous elevator scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The difference in Hawkeye is the scene is played for comedy. They continue to “fight” through different offices. Fight is a generous word as they’re pretty much just playing tag.

Near the end of the episode, Yelena and Clint get some much-needed one-on-one time. What starts as a physical fight for Yelena turns into an emotional goodbye for someone Clint and Yelena loved. Yelena’s biggest lament is that Clint got so much time with Natasha. Renner and Pugh play the scene just right. There’s something about the way Pugh chokes back tears that’s just incredible.

Final Thoughts on So This is Christmas?

There are plenty of interesting directions to go with Hawkeye. Kate Bishop can easily be inserted into any new series or films, but there’s clearly plenty of room to mine the Kate-Clint dynamic.

Hawkeye‘s consistency over the course of these six episodes makes the series the crowning jewel of the Disney Plus MCU slate so far.

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