Top 10 Things You Missed in Hawkeye Episodes 1 and 2
#10: The Bell Tower Was Dedicated to a MCU Villain
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We initially thought Kate’s unintentional destruction of a bell tower on her campus was a bad thing. However, we changed our minds as soon as we saw who it was dedicated to. If you freeze the episode at the right moment, you'll notice Obadiah Stane’s name on the bell tower plaque. This businessman infamously asked members of the ten rings to get rid of Tony Stark permanently in the first Iron Man movie. Despite being publicly exposed as a villain over a decade before the events of “Hawkeye”, the bell tower still remained dedicated to him. We think Kate deserves extra credit from her school for wrecking a monument to the notorious Stane.
#9: Song Lyrics Subtly Insult the Avengers
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While “Rogers the musical” may seem like it was just made to praise the heroes, the lyrics throw serious shade at them. After mentioning that cities the Avengers protect tend to get destroyed, the performers sing “we’ll blame you then but you’re good for now.” Several Marvel properties explore what happens when people get mad about the collateral damage that heroes leave behind. On “Jessica Jones”, the titular heroine was nearly shot by resentful New Yorkers despite having nothing to do with the battle that happened there. The Sokovia accords were also created to help keep Avengers in check. Whoever wrote the musical clearly wasn’t willing to let the heroes off the hook for the trail of destruction that follows them.
#8: Hawkeye Saves Kate Again
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As soon as we saw the opening scene was set in 2012, we had a sinking feeling Kate would be caught up in the Battle of New York. Luckily, Hawkeye kept Kate safe from attacking Chitauri with one well timed arrow. This pivotal moment in Kate's life was originally a little bit different on the page. In the comics, a young Kate was captured by a ridiculous super villain named The Matador. When she made a break for it, Hawkeye stopped a goon from chasing her and helped her get to freedom. Both versions of Kate’s backstory show how one arrow shot in the right direction changed the entire trajectory of her life.
#7: Nods to Clint’s Carnival Origins
Although we’re still waiting to see all of Clint’s backstory, the writers seemed to hint at his traditional origins in the second episode. In the comics, he joined the circus after being orphaned at a young age. He spent years being a performer before having a fateful encounter with a fellow hero that led to him becoming an Avenger. Watching Hawkeye pretend to lose a fight in front of a cheering crowd of Larpers felt like a callback to his performance days. Within the same episode, he also ends up tied to a carnival ride in a secret base. Hopefully, these small nods to Clint’s comic book circus days are just foreshadowing for a big top flashback.
#6: Clint Takes a Page Out of Natasha’s Playbook
Hawkeye decides the best way to get more information out of the tracksuit Mafia is to let the goons capture him. It's hilarious seeing how cool, calm, and collected he is in an incredibly dangerous situation. It feels like Hawkeye got the catch and release idea from Black Widow. She famously started the 2012 “Avengers” movie by purposely getting tied up so she could extract vital information from her s- called captors. While Natasha pretended to be in distress before breaking character, Clint didn’t bother acting at all. Since Kate interrupted his plan, we’ll never know if his relaxed approach to his old friend’s tactic would’ve worked
#5: Clint Exposed Duquesne in the Comics
It seemed like there was something sinister hiding underneath Jack Duquesne’s big smile and well maintained moustache from the moment we met him. And during the second episode, Kate spots some incriminating evidence that he might have taken his uncle’s life. While we don’t know if he’s guilty yet, we’re positive that this storyline mirrors Clint’s comic origins. A young Hawkeye got combat training by a man named Jacques Duquesne in the comics. After Clint discovered his mentor was stealing money, the two had a deadly duel. While Hawkeye went on to become a superhero, Jack committed evil acts under the supervillain name Swordsman. The parallels between Kate and Clint’s stories have us convinced Jack Duquesne is not to be trusted.
#4: Hawkeye’s Disguise Pays Tribute to Real Heroes
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When Kate’s apartment caught on fire, Clint didn’t have enough time to grab his Ronin suit. He later returned to the scene undercover as a firefighter. The helmet that Clint puts on notably has the number 54 right on the front. While this may seem like a random costume detail at first, it actually references tragic real life events. On September 11th, 2001, fifteen firefighters from Engine 54 lost their lives while trying to save others. The sacrifices they made continue to be remembered twenty years after the event. Seeing a fictional Avenger wear a symbol of real life heroes was a subtle yet incredibly moving tribute.
#3: Tracksuit Mafia Member Maya Lopez Was Once the First Ronin
At the end of the second episode, we got our first look at Maya Lopez. The fact that she and her fellow tracksuit mafia members were after Ronin was incredibly ironic. In the comics, Maya was the one who came up with that vigilante’s name and look. She fought alongside heroes as Ronin before passing along the mantle to Clint Barton. Given Maya’s comic history, it would be a cool reversal to see Hawkeye grant his blessing for her to become a different version of the vigilante. But even if this storyline doesn’t play out, we’ll still hold out hope that Maya won’t be one of Clint’s enemies forever.
#2: Kate’s Aunt Traditionally Has an Interesting Connection With Hawkeye
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Kate found the best place to lay low and find fancy bathrobes was her aunt’s place. According to the doorbell and a movie poster, her aunt is an actress named Moira Brandon. This movie star played a big role in a Hawkeye storyline. When the hero was looking for a West Coast Avengers base, she offered her mansion. During the tour, they were attacked by a supervillain. The actress saved Hawkeye at the cost of her own life. It’s unclear how close the MCU’s Moira is to the current or potential Hawkeye. But since Clint and Kate are historically vital to the West Coast Avengers, it would be fitting if the actress helped one of them give a live-action version of the team a home. Before we take aim at our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Ant-Man Appears in “Rogers: The Musical” To Pay Homage to the 1960’s Avengers Team The Size-Changing Hero Was Part of the Very First Avengers Line-Up in the comics Kate Saves Lucky the Pizza Dog This Time Around Although Clint Saved the Pup in the Comics, We’re Just Glad This Good Boy Is Safe Clint’s LARP Helmet Would’ve Made Him Look Like Thor If He Was Seen Wearing That Blonde Wig, the Avengers Would’ve Never Let Him Live It Down The Opening Title Sequences Look Like Artist Matt Traction’s Comics His Artwork & Storylines Heavily Inspired the “Hawkeye” TV Series Famous Broadway Star Adam Pascal is in “Rogers: the Musical” He Plays a New Yorker With a Killer Singing Voice
#1: Grills May Be In Serious Danger
A larper named Grills thought beating Hawkeye in a fake fight was a high point in his life. But if the series follows the comics, their duel may be his downfall. In one story arc, an assassin named Kazi AKA the Clown is hired to go after Hakweye. One of the first evil things this villain does is assassinate Grills just for being close with Clint. During the first two episodes, we’ve seen the MCU’s version of Kazi in several scenes. Based on his hard facial expressions, he has a huge bone to pick with Clint. We hope Hawkeye can stop the assassin before Grills gets hurt. It would be heartbreaking to see a larper who bonded with an Avenger meet a tragic end.
