Warning: This article contains major spoilers for the season finale of Hawkeye.

Disney+ shows set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe don’t last all that long, with Hawkeye coming to a close after only six episodes. Still, there’s a lot to take in during the season as Clint Barton has to face the likes of the Tracksuit Mafia, Yelena Belova, and Maya Lopez all coming after him due to his past as the Ronin.

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Kate Bishop’s introduction to the series and subsequent alliance with Clint serves as the basis for Hawkeye, which audiences have largely taken to. Based on IMDb ratings, fans can see which episodes connected best with viewers and which fell slightly short. It’s also worth checking these out to know where the show was at its peak.

Episode 1: "Never Meet Your Heroes" (7.7)

Kate Bishop laughs on a snowy rooftop in Hawkeye

The first episode had something of a frosty reception, mainly because it was such a departure from recent Disney+ shows where the scale of the story was much grander. Kate Bishop was established as one of the bravest characters in Hawkeye, as she witnessed Clint Barton save her life in the Battle of New York.  The episode’s main premise was to establish Kate falling into conflict with the Tracksuit Mafia and Clint’s reluctance to get involved.

It had a slower start to the proceedings, with fans having to wait quite a lot to follow the main protagonist Clint Barton since Kate’s background had to be set up with her estrangement with her mother and rivalry with Jack Duquesne. It may be a bit dragging at times, but the episode does its job to bring viewers up to speed with the characters.

Episode 2: "Hide And Seek" (7.8)

Clint talks to Kate in Hawkeye

Much like the premiere episode, the follow-up had a premise that didn’t allow for the overall storyline to shine through, resulting in a so-so reception with viewers. It detailed Kate’s attempt to expose Jack Duquesne’s supposed villainy while Clint tried to reclaim the Ronin suit. The characters’ lack of unity might be why it had somewhat of a mixed response from fans, but the episode does establish things to come into play later.

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It brought in the LARPers that Clint befriends and later has working as his backup in the finale, along with setting up the events that allude to Eleanor Bishop’s association with the Kingpin. All things considered, the episode benefits from a faster pace than the premiere and is better suited when watching the series on a binge.

Episode 6: "So This Is Christmas?" (8.1)

Clint and Kate point their arrows in Hawkeye

This is the episode where the Kingpin finally showed up in the MCU years after the character last appeared in Netflix’s Daredevil. The finale didn’t go all-out like other Disney+ shows, so might not be as memorable as those, although it does have a heartwarming charm due to the confirmed alliance between Clint and Kate by the climactic events.

The story is largely about Clint and Kate tying up loose ends, such as confronting Kingpin’s mafia and fighting off Yelena Belova’s attempted assassination of Clint. It also uncovers details about Laura Barton, as she turns out to be a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Where it lacks slightly with a big impact, the finale works with completing the story of this miniseries.

Episode 4: "Partners, Am I Right?" (8.2)

Florence Pugh Yelena Belova

Things kicked into overdrive from this episode, with the inclusion of Yelena Belova into the mix that already included Maya Lopez as a threat to Hawkeye. It featured Clint having to acknowledge his past as Ronin, which Kate deduces and accepts; it’s where the two first start steering toward becoming true partners.

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The ending is the true highlight, where everyone from Clint, Kate, Yelena, and Maya engage in battle on the rooftops, leading to a very memorable fight scene that showcases each character’s strengths and weaknesses, along with how valuable Kate is for Clint as his new partner. While it has a slower pace at the halfway stage because Clint and Kate look for evidence against Jack Duquesne, the ending more than makes up for it.

Episode 3: "Echoes" (8.5)

Echo looks angry in Hawkeye

Maya Lopez might land into viewers’ most likable characters in Hawkeye based on how they responded to her backstory. The IMDb rating suggests most did sympathize with her, as this episode showed her childhood and her witnessing Ronin’s killing of her father. It simultaneously planted seeds for Kingpin’s association with Maya as well. 

The story did a good job of portraying how empowered Maya was without her hearing while Clint needed to accept his own condition because of how outclassed he got when Maya broke his hearing aid. In addition, Kate and Clint got what was their first high-octane clash as a duo during the car chase scene. All in all, the episode manages to bring in some humanity for its characters without compromising on the action.

Episode 5: "Ronin" (8.8)

Clint Barton in the Ronin costume in Hawkeye

While Clint saw his sketchy past as a curse, the majority of fans wanted to see him in his iconic Ronin costume in Hawkeye. They got their wish in the fifth episode, which features the return of the Ronin, with Clint donning the costume once more to take on Echo, this time without holding back. After watching him be reluctant to fight throughout the series, it was good to see Clint unleashed, for the most part.

Moreover, Yelena was carved out much better as a character, with the episode detailing what happened to her just when Thanos completed the Snap. It brings context to why she’s so hellbent on blaming Clint for Natasha’s demise out of confusion, with her chemistry with Kate also shining through.

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