Hawkeye: So This Is Christmas

Hawkeye has been compared both to Die Hard (action/comedy at Christmas) and the more street-level feel of the Netflix/Defenders series, and I can see both points there. Far too soon, we’re at the season finale, in “So This Is Christmas.”

Spider-Man: No Way Home

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has done a lot of things that have never been done before, from the intricacy of the world-building to the range of characters and types of stories. It’s also in contention for the longest-running movie franchise and has been of overall amazing quality. Spider-Man: No Way Home, continues both those trends.

Hawkeye: Ronin

One of the things I have been enjoying about Hawkeye is that they have spent time developing characters besides the lead. Clint and Kate, of course, get a lot of screen time, but so has Maya/Echo and now, Yelena Belova, Natasha Romanov’s kid sister from the Black Widow movie.

Hawkeye: Partners, Am I Right?

Hawkeye is one of my favorite Avengers, and I’m thrilled to see him getting more screen time and not being overshadowed by some of his flashier teammates. We’ve seen Kate Bishop, Maya Lopez, and had some hints at a few other characters so far. Now we get some interesting developments and the return of a plot point from episode one in “Partners, Am I Right?”

What If… The Watcher Broke His Oath?

Last episode featured the surprising twist of Ultron not only winning the events of Age of Ultron, but becoming aware of other worlds and then the Watcher himself. That ended with the Watcher having no choice but to act, leading to the season finale “What If… The Watcher Broke His Oath?”

Hawkeye: Echoes

At the end of last episode, we met Echo, a character with a complicated history in the comics. Now we get to learn more about her, what her connection is to the MCU Ronin, and see a great car chase.

What If… Ultron Won?

I’ve been commenting that, by and large, the writers on the first season of Marvel’s What If…? seem to be in a competition about who can write the darkest story. While last episode, featuring the hijinks of an only child version of Thor, was a lot lighter and funnier, it ended on a bleak note that gave a hint about the next episode, “What if Ultron Won?”