‘Hawkeye’ – ‘Ronin’ – Review

Many twists and turns have led us to Episode 5 of Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye ‘Ronin’, and this is an episode of deep revelations as the ace archer and former Avenger Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) confronts his past full-on as Ronin, while Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) has to deal with new secrets that hit very close to home.

Following their fallout, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) is left reeling and unknowing about what to do with her future. She’s spent her whole life idolizing Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and now she doesn’t know what to think anymore. Then there’s Barton himself who is wrestling with a deep level of PTSD and the consequences of his past, and with the arrival of the dangerous Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh); a Black Widow assassin, things are about to get very messy for Barton and by association Bishop.

Directors Bert & Bertie again step behind the camera once more for Episode 5 of Hawkeye ‘Ronin’ and their focus is placed on character revelation and the confrontation of the past. Both Barton and Bishop have to face up to who they were and who they are, along with how the past has shaped their present, and after the surprise revelation in Episode 4 ‘Partners, Am I Right?’, both of these archers are left with a great deal of uncertainty as to what their future holds.

For Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop this means questioning everything she has ever believed about her hero and idol Clint Barton. After he told her very directly to stay away from him, her desire to be a hero is questioned and she takes it hard. But true heroes don’t give up when the chips are down and very quickly she is back on the case when new evidence is brought to life and Kate isn’t expecting what comes next. As a character moment, ‘Ronin’ is a key episode for Kate as we see her grow into the maturity that she’ll need to showcase as a superhero and Steinfeld can show a lot of dramatic presence that she previously was unable to show.

Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton also has to come face-to-face with his past this time, and all the issues and PTSD that has affected him. With the loss of his hearing and moral ambiguity caused by his actions as a literal weapon following the events of ‘The Blip’, Barton is now questioning everything he’s ever done. He’s a haunted man and the loss of his best friend and alley Natasha Romanoff was the final straw the broke him as a hero. It’s a painful confrontation with his past that he strives to make a new future for himself and Renner brings considerable depth to his dramatic projection in this decision.

Barton also takes steps to eliminate the threat of Maya Lopez/Echo (Alaqua Cox) and dons his guise as Ronin one final time to deliver a stern warning: stay away or else. This message comes with a barrage of punches, kicks and swordplay and Clint ain’t playing around this time. It’s also where the truth of his history with the Tracksuit Mafia comes into play and Clint makes it clear to Maya that her quest for revenge isn’t as simple as she thinks it is. It’s also in the heat of this moment where Kate returns to him and they cement their relationship as partners. All roads healed in the end.

Of particular note in ‘Ronin’ is the appearance of Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova; a sister to Natasha Romanoff and Black Widow who has her own score to settle with Clint Barton. The appearance of Pugh as Belova leads to a lot of new revelations of what her life has been since the events of Black Widow, and we find out that she was a victim of ‘The Blip’ and that this has had a severe impact on her mental state. She also has a ‘heart-to-heart, girls’ night’ with Kate which finds her with her guard down, for a moment, and then it’s all very clear that this ‘happy-go-lucky’ Yelena is a mere front and that she is not playing games and is ready to level her lethal intentions against Clint Barton.

The stage is now set for the final episode of Hawkeye and make no mistake this episode is gonna be BIG. The stakes are high and all the players are ready to go for it following a massive revelation in the final moments of ‘Ronin’ that has changed the course of the MCU forever and will lead to Barton and Bishop facing down one of the Marvel Universe’s ultimate big bads!

Hawkeye streams on Disney+ every Wednesday.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures