WhileHawkeyeis quickly shaping up to be a fan-favorite streaming series, it seems to be lacking in one major thing: its heart. The latest Marvel show on Disney Plus is famously based on the acclaimed comic book run by Matt Fraction and David Aja. It hasintroduced Kate Bishop, Hawkeye’s apprentice who is played by the talented actor Hailee Steinfeld.
The series is intertwining bits from its source material, while still adding their own spin on it, much like the introduction of the tragically-fated character Grills. But at the end of each episode, something seems to be missing. It doesn’t quite hitthe spotthat Fraction knew well: its audiences' hearts.
Related:Hawkeye: Who Is Grills And What Is His Tragic Fate?
Where did Hawkeye go wrong?
Within the debuting few minutes of the series,Hawkeyeestablished new ground for those familiar with its source material. It seamlesslygave newbie Kate Bishop the storylinesthat were ironed out for Clint Barton. It was a risky choice, given that she is a new character and viewers have yet to form a relationship with her. Thus, it created a low-risk atmosphere. This dull vibe has continued throughout the show as Marvel narrowly misses all of the heartwarmers featured in the comics.
The most standout instance of such was when Lucky was rescued from the Tracksuit Mafia. In Fraction’s comics, Lucky was rescued by Clint after the gang’s abusive behavior was revealed. Featured in the first volume,Hawkeye: My Life As A Weapon, Clint gets into a physical altercation with the “bros” and as they chase him down a dark road, one kicks the dog into traffic. The harsh treatment instantly gets the archer’s attention and he halts, turning around the check-up on the dog (eventually named Lucky). The dog ends up in the middle of the street and is struck by a car.
Thisevokes many emotions out of Clint, who has already been introduced as an unorganized messy guy with loads of personal baggage stemming from his strained relationship with the Avengers and his past love interests. He ends up getting ahold of the injured dog, rushing him to a local veterinarian clinic. Over the next few pages, Clint is seen desperately pleading for Lucky’s safety.
Three episodes into the streaming series and there has yet to be a dramatic rescue for the pup. The show appears to have glossed over the dramatics and opted to have Kate whistle him over after being left outside. He has, since, refused to leave her side.
Why is Hawkeye afraid to get personal?
Lucky isn’t the first instance ofHawkeyebeing afraid to get personal. Viewers are at the halfway point of the series and it has introduced two new characters: the aforementioned Kate andthe deaf martial artist Echo(the leader of the Tracksuit Mafia). However, the comedy has skimped on creating any sort of investment in the two. Their emotional fields have only been shown through flashback scenes — a lazy type of storytelling that fills in for an engaging script.
TV Clint’s struggle to connect with his family is the closest thing that theHawkeyeaudience has to invest in, and yet, it takes a backseat to all of the chaos that has been unfolding with each episode. Which begs the question: Why should we care? It has been theorized that with theintroduction of Jack Duquesne, aka the Swordsman, Clint might finally get a worthwhile backstory but with only three episodes left, Marvel may fail to do it justice.
How can the show be saved? Easily. It needs a commitment to fluff. Hawkeye should’ve embraced the quirky apartment residents that comic book Clint encountered in Fraction’s run. Featured inhabitants included a single mother with two daughters, the real MVP Grills, the pink-haired bike messenger Aimee, and others. Little bits of information of the characters were given throughout the issues and they eventually aided Clint with the capture of the Tracksuit Mafia as the Russian gang was terrorizing their livelihood. Together at the apartment, they gathered for rooftop potlucks and solicited help from one another — creating a true community, despite only being featured on a select number of pages.
