Who was going to tell me that after so much cosmic saturation, bombastic epics, precooked dishes with a formula and three live-action series that left me at medium – or low – gas, the people of Marvel Studios would reconcile me with the MCU with a proposal, a priori, so worldly and earthly like Jonathan Igla’s ‘Hawkeye’.
Its first episode managed to captivate me not only with its remarkable technical and formal workmanship, and with its wonderful collection of New York Christmas postcards —which are always a plus, all things being said—, but with that heart that seemed to have completely disappeared since the closing of the Infinity Saga; channeled through a lovingly written Clint Barton and Kate Bishop, bringing to the screen a contrast of personalities ideal for the production’s carefree tone.
The very good vibes that ‘Never meet your heroes’ gave me – a tremendous prologue – have been repeated in ‘Escondidas’; a second chapter that keeps intact all the charm of the Show, but that leaves the action in the background to focus on the true engine of any self-respecting series: the relationships between characters in constant evolution, with many secrets to hide, and with a good handful of mysteries to unravel.
Relationship question
As I said, the central axis of ‘Escondidas’ —’Hide and Seek’ in its original language— revolves around the relationships between characters, the first of which is the one that unites Jeremy Renner’s Clint and Haylee Steinfeld’s Kate. After their destinies were united at the end of the previous episode, in which the titular superhero saves the aspirant at the last moment, the archer duo initiates a dynamic used on countless occasions, but which continues to be tremendously effective.
The tropes of the buddy movie Canonical once again squeeze themselves with a cynical Hawkeye, tired and disenchanted with the world around him – and with good reason – condemned to understand with an inexperienced and enthusiastic Kate Bishop in equal measure. Two sides of the same coin that rolls at full speed through the streets of the Big Apple waiting to run into the great threat that puts our heroes on the ropes, and that marks the first great turning point of the series.
On the other hand, the dynamic between Kate and her repellent future stepfather Jack Duquesne —Fantastic Tony Dalton with his mustache and hypocritical gestures— continues to boil over. Suspicions that he was the one who murdered his uncle Armand III begin to grow stronger, gaining weight during an impromptu fencing duel that heightens the tension of the family fiefdom and concludes with the apparent definitive proof of Duquesne’s guilt – candy included -. Although, of course, everything may not be what it seems at first glance …
The third and last relationship that the chapter delves into is the one that links Clint – and now Kate too – to the criminal underworld of New York City. The reappearance of the Ronin – Miss Bishop through – has set off all the alarms among the Tracksuit Mafia – the hilarious group of thugs calling themselves “bro” constantly – and has forced the protagonist Avenger to participate in a live role-playing game to recover his renegade vigilante outfit, leaving us with a scene that bets on the ridiculous and that embraces comedy without blushing or restraint.
But, of course, things would not be the same without a good cliffhanger that leaves us salivating for a week until the next broadcast, and ‘Escondidas’ chooses to leave our main partner in the worst possible situation: kidnapped by the Tracksuit Mafia and about to meet a new guest at the show: Alaqua Cox’s Echo, whose role in the series is still unknown, and which we already know will have its own series on Disney +. Next week we will leave doubts, but as this continues at the same level, we could be talking about the best Marvel series for the streaming platform without a doubt.