Echo: Tuklo

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is big enough that they have a lot of different projects under their umbrella. I’m very pleased they’ve chosen to spend some time on something that is far too rare in any media, really: a Native American main character. Echo continues her war with Kingpin and his organization in “Tuklo.”

The opening sequence reaches back into the past, Tuklo, the titular character for the episode, lived in what appears to be the late 1800’s. They play up the time era by both showing the action in black and white and using title cards like the silent movies did. Tulko is training to be a Choctaw warrior, although that’s a traditional male role. There’s some very identity affirming resolutions, and she was clearly a badass in her time.

After the opening credits, we return to the present and see Chula visiting Skully at his shop. We confirm something that makes me a bit sad, and they sit down for a somewhat abrasive chat. Skully is his usual playful self, but also tells Chula some harsh truths about her relationship with her granddaughter that Chula doesn’t want to hear. As someone we’ve seen before commits an act of betrayal, Maya has a few more visions, which combine with her lack of hearing to get her captured as she’s off by herself.

Maya later wakes up in familiar surroundings, but from a different perspective. She almost manages to free herself from her current difficulty, when the Three Stooges of the episode show up and manage to resecure her. We also see that her cousin Henry Black Crow isn’t having a good time of things, either. Bonnie pops up with some ill-timed questions, and Henry manages to get her out of harm’s immediate way thanks to some fast thinking and creative use of sigh language. Unfortunately, Bonnie doesn’t quite take things seriously enough, and eventually ends up where Maya is. Their enforced proximity at least lets them get some of a much-needed talk started. As this goes on, Henry learns the scope of the betrayal that has occurred, and can’t believe the lead Stooge is so naïve.

Bonnie helps Maya with one of the few things the warrior can’t do, and the beginnings of a plan start to form. Then, the real bad guys show up, and the Three Stooges start to realize just how out of their league they are. But they’re not smart enough to really take in the lesson initially. One of the Stooges is, at least, trying to educate themselves, even if they’re doing it in a really dumb way, but the inattention is all Maya needs. After some cat and mouse and an improvised weapon, Maya is on the loose. The heavies are losing patience with the Stooges, and then Maya makes herself known in a dramatic and situationally appropriate way.

What follows is a really well done massive fight scene with a lot of property damage. Things take a few unexpected turns during the fight, and then finally things are resolved in a most unexpected way. It’s not the big heroic ending you might be expecting, but then, this is a show that does the unexpected a lot. This is followed by another tense scene with Bonnie and Maya. Maya really has a lot of work to do if she wants to salvage any of these relationships. Now alone, Henry and Maya try and figure out what just happened and come to an unsettling conclusion. This is what happens when you don’t confirm your kills. Or, as a different entertaining medium suggests, always double-tap.

After some driving around, Maya goes to visit Skully, and they talk. Her grandfather gives Maya something, and has some good reasoning behind it. He also tries to steer Maya in the right direction, just like he did with Chula earlier. Skully, I think, has some Coyote in him, even if Coyote isn’t a Choctaw figure.

The episode ends with more driving around, and then what appears to be a decision. But before Maya can act on what she was going to do, she gets a surprise visitor. Things end on a really impressive, if disturbing, note, and it seems like a big confrontation is set up for next episode. Considering there are only five episodes in this series, they’re moving along pretty good.

What I Liked: I am really glad to see Marvel is giving us some Native representation. The flashback sequence in this one was really good. They are doing a great job of making Kingpin a lurking, offscreen presence, but still very menacing and in control. The stuff around Maya’s kidnapping was really well done (with one exception below). I’m really enjoying Graham Greene’s portrayal of Skully, but really, he’s great in everything. The dysfunctional family dynamics are sad, but very believable.

What I Didn’t: For who and what she is, Maya got captured far too easily by idiots. I get it, but I don’t like the relationship status we learned about in this episode.

This continues to be a really good series with some great visuals and surprises in the plot. I’m really enjoying Echo. I’ll give this a 4 out of 5.