Marvel Watching the Marvel Cinematic Universe from the beginning...

[Mel O'Drama]

I found it difficult to get past the entry of this one, and found myself so distracted by the "divergent point" and whether or not it worked, that I was barely paying attention. Now I haven't seen DOCTOR STRANGE in a number of years, so perhaps I am misremembering, but I recall Strange and Christine met after his accident.

I can fully understand that. I was a little confused to begin with as Strange's car accident was a key moment in the original story and I clearly remembered him being alone.

The reason I was able to get quickly get past it and accept this story's divergent point is that - unlike the business with Hope van Dyne joining S.H.I.E.L.D. - it was up front. There wasn't any hiding that things were different from the core MCU in this story, so I accepted it for what it was.

(I'm hoping the MCU introduces Clea.)

Oh, yes please!

Yet, despite starting with more reservations on my part than the previous episodes, this is the first story that I became entirely engrossed by. I just stopped thinking about all those nagging questions and concerns and got swept into the story. I found it grim without being gross, and liked the ragtag band of unexpected heroes working together.

1. What If… Zombies!?

Oh wow... a top ranker to boot.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Eternals (2021)

​

As with Shang-Chi, this isn’t in strict chronological release order in relation to What If…?, but since the current series has no real continuity I’ve broken it up again with a film on an evening when I had some time to watch. It is a two hour and thirty seven minute commitment, after all.

The running time was a bit of a strike against the film to begin with. At the very least, it set my expectations reasonably high. If I’m expected to give up the best part of three hours of my time, I expect greatness.But did I get it?

The comics Eternals mostly passed me by. They weren’t very connected with the rest of the Marvel Universe (certainly not any of the titles I read, anyway) and from the little I saw of them they always looked generic and even derivative. There was the one with Cyclops’s power, the one with Quicksilver/Flash’s power, a heap of pseudo Greek mythology a là Wonder Woman. Their overall look echoed DC’s Legion Of Super-Heroes. On face value the Eternals didn’t seem to have the grounded, earthy appeal that drew me in to most Marvel comics. To me it looked very “Marvel does DC”.

I don’t know how close the tone of the film is to the comics (I suspect it’s very different from the original concept), but it does feel like there’s at least a little attempt to ground things in a semi-relatable reality. Whether that works or not is another matter. Long story short, it doesn’t.

Eternals is filled with characters who go through big emotions. They have fears. They uncover horror. They love and lose. They face death and betrayal. They smile. They scream with anger, crying at the ground or raging at the sky while shooting lasers from orifices. And they cry. A lot. In fact these beings who’ve lived for thousands of years cry at the drop of a hat like hormonal teenagers as they’re moved by their own monologues. It looks like they all care passionately.

Trouble is, I simply didn’t. I couldn’t. I found nothing with which to connect and watched with complete detachment as people in wacky costumes did their thing using CGI light-shows to battle CGI monsters and going through the sturm und drang of their emotional burdens. In TV terms it felt like watching middle-years Dynasty, where stuff just happens to characters on a cycle and everyone on screen goes through the motions while the viewer watches in the hope that it will come to mean something more than simply passing the time.

My detachment turned to boredom and then irritation as the film went on. And on. And on. It all felt meaningless, and I found myself frustrated by all the introspection and self-involvement. By the time Thena was having her thirteenth brainstorm and attacking her colleagues I felt my generosity at its lowest ebb and found myself wondering why someone didn’t just kill the daft cow. Even in the post-credits scene I found myself tutting with irritation when tedious Dane Whitman made a three-act play out of opening a box to look at the sword. It just seemed to exemplify my belief that the film could have been an hour shorter if the characters weren’t so indecisive and melodramatic about every little bloody thing.

continued…​

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Eternals



continued​

My lack of investment in the film served to make me feel far more cynical about other aspects, and repeatedly I saw little contradictory things that started to add to my irritation. Like, why did London’s Natural History Museum use the American spelling “artifacts” on huge posters outside the building and across the city. And similarly, why did a character who was ostensibly Scottish use the American pronunciation of “glacier”. Why, indeed, did all these characters have regional accents anyway? And contemporary ones at that (I did manage to at least rationalise the last couple that it was their way of integrating into their various societies. After all, the language I used has evolved even in the last few decades).

The whole representation thing felt problematic to me because it felt very shoehorned in and felt more like PC virtue signalling than genuine representation. Half the Eternals were of a different gender to their comic counterparts: and all of those had switched from male to female. Tellingly, there wasn’t a single female to male.

It’s also telling that the first MCU character to be openly gay (at least I think he is, notwithstanding Loki’s acknowledgement of experimenting sexually with men and women) is also married with a family. Like the Brits using American lingo, this feels like another example of short-sightedness when it comes to progressiveness. While Sersi and Ikaris get to have wild, abandoned, naked, unmarried sex on the sand, Phastos tucks his kid into bed while his spouse watches passively with dewy eyes from the doorway, and they share a chaste peck on the lips before Phastos leaves. They’re essentially mid-to-late Sixties Reed and Sue. It’s the very image of enforced heteronormativity.

This echoes what I’ve seen in other Disney products (Desperate Housewives). They’re so eager to show that LGB people are just like everyone else and non-threatening that they go the most conservative route, right down to the white picket fence. It’s an example of the powers that be attempting to be progressive while actually doing the opposite and reinforcing societal norms. Not that I have anything against marriage or traditional values. But I do have to question why the only Eternal to be married and settled is the gay guy. Would he have been too threatening otherwise?

With Phastos being the first out MCU character, I can’t help feeling disappointed that the way we’re told is through seeing him with his spouse. This is a problem I have with this kind of representation. He’d be just as gay if he were single. But that would mean needing to have an awkward conversation about it and say the words. So let’s give him a husband. It’s lazy.

I’d probably be less harsh on this aspect of the film if it were better, but I found most of the characters bland and generic, which I think was down to a combination of writing and performance. The story had potential but didn’t deliver at all. It looked really good sometimes, but dropped the ball when it came to showing the characters’ powers (it didn’t help that pretty much all the powers involved the actors simply waving their hands about at nothing. And it shows).

It’s a very poor effort indeed, and what separates this from other MCU films that I consider equally as poor (i.e., those at the very bottom end of my rankings) is that those others are sequels, and indeed they follow up some excellent films. There is at least something tangible for the viewer to get hold of and make sense of it all. Eternals is not only a bad film by MCU standards, it’s a bad film filled with characters we’ve never seen before. Adding insult to injury, it’s indulgently long and manages to be plodding while simultaneously failing to satisfactorily explore its characters. They tell us why they care and why they should matter to us. But, as previously said, as far as I’m concerned they just don’t matter.

The final insult is the ghastly Harry Styles as Starfox. Just no. No.

I’m very glad I didn’t save this for the grand finale of my MCU watch.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

There’s very little in it, but…

1. Captain America: Civil War
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
3. Captain America: The First Avenger
4. Iron Man
5. Avengers: Endgame
6. Black Panther
7. The Incredible Hulk
8. Thor
9. Spider-Man: Homecoming
10. WandaVision
11. Captain Marvel
12. Spider-Man: Far From Home
13. Ant-Man
14. Black Widow
15. The Falcon And The Winter Soldier
16. Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
17. Avengers: Infinity War
18. The Avengers
19. Ant-Man And The Wasp
20. Doctor Strange
21. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
22. Loki
23. Guardians Of The Galaxy
24. Avengers: Age Of Ultron
25. Thor: The Dark World
26. Iron Man 2
27. Eternals
28. Thor: Ragnarok
29. Iron Man 3

 

[Crimson]

Well, you liked this one a smidge more than me.

I had delayed watching this one. It's the first MCU film since 2015 that I haven't gone to see in theaters. I've never cared for the Eternals in comic books. Oh I didn't mind if a random one (Starfox; Sersi) showed up in the Avengers, but as a total concept I thought they were a bore. I particularly resented the clunky "they're the Olympian gods -- but the Olympian gods also exist" angle. So I had very little enthusiasm for this movie from the time it was announced. In fairness though, the entirety of the MCU has been taking mostly second- or third- tier characters and making them engaging; so I had some hope. And then the trailers and commercials raised my concern: they were boring. When a 2 1/2 hour movie can't yield enough material for an interesting 90 second preview, things do not bode well. When the movie was released to near universally negative response, I lost all interest. It was weeks after the film's release on Disney + that I finally gave it ago.

I tried my best to clear away all of those negative expectations, but within 10 minutes the movie officially lost me. A cadre of undeveloped characters engaged in badly done CGI battles against badly done, personality-less CGI monsters. Oh, this was going to be a long slog. There was about 5 minutes out of the interminable running time that piqued my interest. During the otherwise crummy, endless final battle, it occurred to me that there was a Justice League (Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern) vs. Superman vibe going on. The CGI wasn't very good, but there was, at least, some creativity in how those characters used their powers. It wasn't much, but at least for 5 minutes I wasn't in a stupor.

Because, otherwise, man this movie was dull. Bearing in mind that I have fallen asleep both times I've watched DARK WORLD, I still think ETERNALS is the most boring film of the MCU. I wish I had fallen asleep. Maybe this would have worked if a couple characters had been introduced earlier in the MCU, or if the movie had focused on two or three characters for full development. With a dozen-ish characters with paper thin personalities and virtually no development, there wasn't one thing in this movie for me to get invested in. I was too bored to even spend much time on the movie's heavy-handed "diversity", but this all felt like the laziest, most cynical, most box-checking attempts at representation since the Superfriends in the 1970s (Apache Chief; Black Vulcan).

To me it looked very “Marvel does DC”.

You're probably aware, but the Eternals were created by Jack Kirby at Marvel when his New Gods epic was cut short at DC. He took many of the same themes and concepts from that first title and dragged it over to Marvel. And I must admit, I dislike the New Gods just as much as I dislike the Eternals.

. Even in the post-credits scene I found myself tutting with irritation when tedious Dane Whitman made a three-act play out of opening a box to look at the sword.

If you weren't aware -- or, if you even care -- the voice in that scene was Mahershala Ali, confirmed to be the Blade in an upcoming MCU film. I don't recall any connection between Blade and the Black Knight other than, well, blades, but I guess there is now.

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2. Guardians of the Galaxy vol 1
3. Captain America: Civil War
4. Thor: Ragnarok
5. Avengers: Infinity War
6. The Avengers
7. Avengers: Endgame
8. Iron Man
9. Captain America: The First Avenger
10. Spider-Man: Homecoming
11. WandaVision
12. Black Panther
13. Spider-Man: Far From Home
14. Doctor Strange
15. Avengers: Age of Ultron
16. Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2
17. Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
18. Thor
19. The Incredible Hulk
20. Ant-Man
21. Black Widow
22. Ant-Man and The Wasp
23. Loki
24. Captain Marvel
25. Iron Man 3
26. Iron Man 2
27. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
28. Thor: The Dark World
29. Eternals

Updated: MCU Ratings on Google Sheets

The lowest score for the MCU for RT critics; 7th lowest RT audience score (slightly lower for "all audience" rather than "verified"); the lowest IMDB user score; the lowest Metacritic score; the lowest Cinemascore; the second lowest domestic American box office and 4th lowest global box office. Yeah, a dud.

On the plus side, there's no where to go but up!

 

[Mel O'Drama]

In fairness though, the entirety of the MCU has been taking mostly second- or third- tier characters and making them engaging; so I had some hope.

That was my hope as well, given their track record.

It was weeks after the film's release on Disney + that I finally gave it ago.

Oh, so that's very recently then. Like, in the last few weeks recent.

A cadre of undeveloped characters engaged in badly done CGI battles against badly done, personality-less CGI monsters.

If this had been the film's tagline I might have enjoyed it more. At least I'd have been ready for what I got.

I must admit, I dislike the New Gods just as much as I dislike the Eternals.

Same here. Again, it's just not my thing and I remember tuning out the covers as I gazed over racks of that month's comics.

If you weren't aware -- or, if you even care -- the voice in that scene was Mahershala Ali, confirmed to be the Blade in an upcoming MCU film.

I hadn't realised that's whose voice it was, so thanks for the clarification. I'd thought it might be Nick Fury but I wouldn't have sworn to it (fortunately).

 

[Mel O'Drama]

What If…?





What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark? / What If… Thor Were An Only Child? /​

What If… Ultron Won? / What If… The Watcher Broke His Oath​

Perhaps it’s because this is not a binge-watchable series, but it certainly seemed to lose its lustre for me as it went along. It could probably best be described as a Curate’s egg. Every episode had some things I thought were really good and some things I found less enjoyable. How good an episode was depended on that balance.

One thing I enjoyed across the board was the series’ ability to tie together different eras and disparate relationships within the MCU. The Killmonger episode is a good example, taking the very first MCU scene and incorporating scenes from Black Panther a decade later. And it works. I’ve enjoyed seeing Natasha’s changing hairstyle to help keep track of where we are.

The Thor episode was a low point for me. Believe it or not I didn’t mind the more comic tone at times. I was reminded a little of Claremont’s Excalibur. And it’s always good to have Darcy quipping away. I didn’t even mind the cartoony maps as Captain Marvel and Thor battled their way across Earth. But I just can’t deal with Thor as a blonde buffoon who just wants to party (I can turn on the news headlines if I want to see that). His buffoonery also dragged down the final episode for me. Post Ragnarok I’ve come to find MCU Thor quite insufferable.

I’m really not a fan of the MCU playing against type for a cheap bit of levity. On that note, these three episodes featured, at different times Thor, Ultron and The Watcher doing that teenage girl “Wait what?” thing.

The less said about Howard The Duck, the better.

I find it interesting that even in animated form I still find the more “real” stuff more compelling. The Natasha and Clint action in the Ultron episode was great and I enjoyed pretty much all the Wakandian stuff. It also felt genuinely exciting to see Shuri show up in Pepper’s office with proof of Killmonger’s true nature.

The Guardians Of The Multiverse stuff in the final episode was so/so for me, but it was certainly effective at taking the strands of all nine episodes and showing how they all fit together.





Owing to the way I’ve watched the delineation and nuances of the episodes aren’t as clear to me as they might be, so I’m not sure how accurate this will be. But going from my fuzzy memory…

1. What If… The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?
2. What If… Captain Carter Were The First Avenger?
3. What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?
4. What If… Ultron Won?
5. What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead Of His Hands
6. What If… The Watcher Broke His Oath
7. What If… T’Challa Became A Star Lord?
8. What If… Zombies!?
9. What If… Thor Were An Only Child?

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Because of its concept and the fact I found it so patchy as a series anyway, it’s difficult to fit What If…? into the broader scheme of things. But I’ll have a go…

1. Captain America: Civil War
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
3. Captain America: The First Avenger
4. Iron Man
5. Avengers: Endgame
6. Black Panther
7. The Incredible Hulk
8. Thor
9. Spider-Man: Homecoming
10. WandaVision
11. Captain Marvel
12. Spider-Man: Far From Home
13. Ant-Man
14. Black Widow
15. The Falcon And The Winter Soldier
16. Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
17. Avengers: Infinity War
18. The Avengers
19. Ant-Man And The Wasp
20. Doctor Strange
21. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
22. Loki
23. Guardians Of The Galaxy
24. Avengers: Age Of Ultron
25. Thor: The Dark World
26. Iron Man 2
27. What If…?
28. Eternals
29. Thor: Ragnarok
30. Iron Man 3

 

[Crimson]

I enjoyed each of the last four episodes of WHAT IF ... ? I thought they each started with a clear divergent point and followed through on that in a consistent, creative fashion; this was a sharp improvement over earlier entries.

From his initial appearance in his first movie, Thor was shown to have a rebellious streak, but that was tampered by being set up as the good son opposite the more mischievous Loki. Without that contrast, it's a reasonable conclusion that aspect of Thor's personality would become dominant, resulting in a spoiled, reckless princeling. From that starting point, a broadly comic and riotous episode fit the bill, and was a welcome respite from a few very serious, even dark, outings. It was fun to see a superhero rumble, which is a staple of Marvel going back to the 60s; and in this case, not driven by anything serious but just a good natured contrast of personalities. I even liked -- no, loved! -- Captain Marvel, proving that it is indeed Brie Larson's flat, lifeless acting that I find offputting.

The high point of the series for me was seeing a first rate adaptation of "Crisis on Infinite Earths"; ironic that Marvel would beat DC to the punch. (OK, I know the "Arrowverse" did it already, but that franchise is the opposite of first rate.) I thought it was an excellent conclusion to the series, tying the strands of the separate entries together.

1. What If… The Watcher Broke His Oath
2. What If… Ultron Won?
3. What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?
4. What If… Thor Were An Only Child?
5. What If… Zombies!?
6. What If… The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?
7. What If… Captain Carter Were The First Avenger?
8. What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead Of His Hands
9. What If… T’Challa Became A Star Lord?

This series is indeed difficult to judge as a whole, to slot into the MCU ranking; its anthology aspect resists an overall ranking. But since the episodes that I liked, I liked a lot and that, for me, the series trended upwards as it progressed, I will rank it smack in the middle. If I were to slot the episodes individually, "What If… T’Challa Became A Star Lord?" would be my rock bottom, least favorite thing the MCU has produced to date.

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2. Guardians of the Galaxy vol 1
3. Captain America: Civil War
4. Thor: Ragnarok
5. Avengers: Infinity War
6. The Avengers
7. Avengers: Endgame
8. Iron Man
9. Captain America: The First Avenger
10. Spider-Man: Homecoming
11. WandaVision
12. Black Panther
13. Spider-Man: Far From Home
14. Doctor Strange
15. What If ... ?
16. Avengers: Age of Ultron
17. Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2
18. Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
19. Thor
20. The Incredible Hulk
21. Ant-Man
22. Black Widow
23. Ant-Man and The Wasp
24. Loki
25. Captain Marvel
26. Iron Man 3
27. Iron Man 2
28. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
29. Thor: The Dark World
30. Eternals

Updated: MCU Ratings on Google Sheets

 

[Mel O'Drama]

From that starting point, a broadly comic and riotous episode fit the bill, and was a welcome respite from a few very serious, even dark, outings. It was fun to see a superhero rumble, which is a staple of Marvel going back to the 60s; and in this case, not driven by anything serious but just a good natured contrast of personalities.

Even though he was the starting point I did find Thor himself the most off-putting aspect with this episode. I think it's safe to say I just don't enjoy the revised characterisation of later MCU films and I'm going to struggle with him regardless.

However I definitely agree with all the points you made above. I found many of these elements enjoyable and think if it had featured another character in a similar setup I'd have enjoyed it far more.

I even liked -- no, loved! -- Captain Marvel, proving that it is indeed Brie Larson's flat, lifeless acting that I find offputting.

I forgot to say, but as I watched Captain Marvel in this episode I remembered your earlier comment that there was a recast for this series that you preferred and I'd have bet this was who you meant.

The high point of the series for me was seeing a first rate adaptation of "Crisis on Infinite Earths"; ironic that Marvel would beat DC to the punch.

Isn't it just.

(OK, I know the "Arrowverse" did it already, but that franchise is the opposite of first rate.)

I'd be up for watching the entire Arrowverse at some point. Given your comment, though, I suspect I'd appreciate it best with a lot of distance between it and the MCU.

 

[Crimson]

I'd be up for watching the entire Arrowverse at some point. Given your comment, though, I suspect I'd appreciate it best with a lot of distance between it and the MCU.

If you're able to go 'backwards' with quality, the Arrowverse may resonate with you. I can't. After getting used to the high budget, cinematic-level modern era cable/streaming TV, I can't watch some low budget, network-formulaic grind-it-out series.

If the Arrowverse had been made in the 2000s, I probably would have loved it. Once the MCU, even at its worst, showed the full potential of live action superhero fiction, I can't settle for table scraps.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Hawkeye (2021)

Never Meet Your Heroes / Hide And Seek / Echoes

​

It’s little more than a week since Loki ended in O’Dramavision, but it feels so much longer. In fact I’d even misremembered the last live-action series I last watched to be Falcon And The Winter Soldier.

Hawkeye (the character) is a curious one for me. During my MCU watch I’ve never had a problem with Jeremy Renner’s portrayal (even before watching I knew that this would be quite a different Clint Barton from the one I knew. Certainly visually), but neither have I felt particularly attached to him. Scrolling back through this thread I’ve said very little about him, and haven’t been grabbed or wowed by him. But at the same time I was surprised to find on looking this morning that he only appeared in five films of the first three phases (with a couple of those being only a cough and a spit), because he feels like a core part of the MCU so perhaps he seems more present than he’s actually been.

I feel it’s pretty safe to say he hasn’t been as well serviced as he might have been.

It’s interesting that this kind of continues in this series. The first couple of episodes felt as much Kate Bishop’s story as they have Clint’s. More in a way, since it’s essentially telling her origin story.

Starting with Kate, she’s not a character with whom I’m familiar from the comics, debuting long after I’d stopped reading regularly. I’ve found her a decent enough character, likeable but with enough edge to keep her interesting.

The intrigue with the mysterious Jack gives a nice, super-heroic twist to the familiar drama of stepparent/stepchild friction.

Not that Clint has been hugely neglected here. He’s had some great scenes and the writing paired with Jeremy Renner’s performance capture so much: his responsibilities as a parent; the hearing impairment; his weariness at people’s reaction to him; his guilt over the Ronin business.

The episodes’ structures, too have really got me invested. Once again the Battle Of New York from The Avengers is shown to be the point around which other stories centre, and I really like how more recent vehicles are casting a nostalgic eye in that direction, enhancing it slightly and making it feel even more important. Endgame revisited it, which in turn set up Loki. Now we see the battle through Kate’s eyes in flashback. And on top of this, the “Avengers” feature in Rogers: The Musical (which, scarily enough, actually looks very feasible as a project).

continued…​

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Hawkeye

Never Meet Your Heroes / Hide And Seek / Echoes

continued

​

I knew the series was really working for me from the beginning of Episode Two. With Clint and Kate brought together, I found myself invested in their relationship. I found myself willing Kate to explain more than she did so that Clint would understand what I knew to be true. And I wanted Clint to understand how important meeting him was to her. And when that didn’t happen immediately, I felt a frustration that was almost thrilling. Their bonding has been very enjoyable and the chemistry works really well.

As antagonists go, the combination of Maya, Jack Duquesne and the Tracksuit Mafia (along with Armand in the first episode) all works. Arch as he is, Jack is the most fascinating of these, and I’m hoping all the threads tie together. The series’ action scenes are also working for me really well. Episode Three’s car chase was genuinely exciting.

In less cheerful news, my throat-clearing phobia is being tested with this series. Kate’s averaging two an episode. There have been one or two from Kate’s mother. And Missy, the ghastly LARP woman only had about four lines but seemed to do more hacking than speaking (to my horror, while looking up her name I’ve just seen she’s going to be in two thirds of the remaining episodes). But this is my only complaint about the series.

I found myself unexpectedly moved by the scene in which Clint speaks to his son on the phone with Kate writing little flashcards to translate because Clint unable to hear due to the loss of his hearing aid. The staging of the scene effectively got across the frustration and isolation a hearing impairment can cause and it took me by surprise.

The talk about Clint’s branding has been fun, because it shone a light on a number of discussions or thoughts about both MCU Hawkeye’s different look and about the changing tastes of filmmakers and audiences. Kate commenting that the dark, low profile look was out of vogue and people wanted something to celebrate (I forget the exact wording) felt quite meta.

The discussion of Clint’s branding has taken an obvious path with her doodling the comic version of his costume as a suggestion. This made me think of what @Crimson said about Phase Four running down what’s come before, as it implicitly tried to gain points by having screen Hawkeye sneering at the Hawkeye I knew growing up (just like Wolverine’s “yellow spandex” line in the X-Men film). However, it does seems as though some change towards something a little closer to original recipe Hawkeye might come out of it. Clint might have rejected Kate’s suggestion of the purple costume, but the images used to represent the series on Disney+ don’t exactly hide the outcome of the “branding” storyline in spoiler quotes.

Clint might be having a branding crisis, but the series itself certainly doesn’t. I absolutely adore the Hawkeye logo used, the style of the retro credits - which have been different every time - and the accompanying vintage Christmas song.

Setting the series over Christmas gives it a special identity as well. On paper, six episodes set over one holiday might have seemed a bit much, but with how quickly the first half of the series has gone that’s certainly not likely to be the case. I have a feeling I’ll be left wanting more.

 

[Crimson]

I'm going to make a bold pronouncement: HAWKEYE is the best superhero TV series I've ever watched. Not just of the MCU, but entirely. When I was done watching it, I immediately watched it again.

Truth is, TV series are better suited to superhero fiction than movies. As great as the MCU films have been, they miss out on one major aspect of comic books: the serialized nature. We only saw two Avengers adventures before they broke up; that's not nearly as impactful as if we had seen them together for years, on numerous adventures. Live action superhero fiction has always been hampered by one major obstacle on TV: low budgets. From George Reeves in the 50s to Lynda Carter in the 70s to SMALLVILLE in the 2000s, TV budgets just couldn't support the entire scope of superhero fiction (without looking flimsy). Even in the modern era, TV series are lacking. The CW shows are dragged down by broadcast network mediocrity, and the Netflix Marvel shows, as interesting as they were, tended towards being mundane.

And here's HAWKEYE, hitting all the beats. Its grounded by likeable characters and plausible relationships, but with enough over-the-top action to justify being a superhero show rather than a cop series. It's not easy being serious yet amusing, thrilling yet touching; but damned if this show didn't do it. This is all the more impressive since it's built around a character who has practically been a non-entity in the MCU.

Halfway through the first episode, I realized Kate was the first new character of Phase Four that I actually liked; and grew to like her even more as the series progressed. I said I could talk about LOKI more after HAWKEYE, and it's the difference in how a new character can be introduced. In LOKI, I felt like Sylvie was being shoved down my throat, despite nothing about the writing or performance made that character remotely interesting. Loki was sidelined in his own series for a dud. This has been even more egregious in the STAR WARS franchise, where legacy characters have been trashed to shift focus to the next generation. And this is why HAWKEYE felt like a revelation: an older character doesn't have to be pissed on to build up a replacement. Both characters can be built up; that's good writing.

as it implicitly tried to gain points by having screen Hawkeye sneering at the Hawkeye I knew growing up (just like Wolverine’s “yellow spandex” line in the X-Men film)

This was, for me, the one sour note. I rolled my eyes that the MCU was still mocking its roots this far into the franchise, but since I loved everything else about the series, I moved past it.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Truth is, TV series are better suited to superhero fiction than movies. As great as the MCU films have been, they miss out on one major aspect of comic books: the serialized nature.

Very true. Being a comic reader always felt more analogous with watching TV than film for me because of the structure.

This series really captures the excitement of that final panel. When I saw Kate looking wide-eyed on discovering she's met Hawkeye, I could visualise exactly how it would look in a comic. It gave me an unexpected kind of nostalgia. Even though I'm watching episodes back-to-back (the televisual equivalent of diving into a Marvel Masterworks), I still very much appreciate how the notes it hits in each episode echo that of its source.

And here's HAWKEYE, hitting all the beats. Its grounded by likeable characters and plausible relationships, but with enough over-the-top action to justify being a superhero show rather than a cop series. It's not easy being serious yet amusing, thrilling yet touching; but damned if this show didn't do it. This is all the more impressive since it's built around a character who has practically been a non-entity in the MCU.

In LOKI, I felt like Sylvie was being shoved down my throat, despite nothing about the writing or performance made that character remotely interesting. Loki was sidelined in his own series for a dud. This has been even more egregious in the STAR WARS franchise, where legacy characters have been trashed to shift focus to the next generation. And this is why HAWKEYE felt like a revelation: an older character doesn't have to be pissed on to build up a replacement. Both characters can be built up; that's good writing.

All very true indeed.

I rolled my eyes that the MCU was still mocking its roots this far into the franchise, but since I loved everything else about the series, I moved past it.

Same here.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Hawkeye


Partners, Am I Right?


​

I’m noticing a few hexagon patterns here and there - from chair fabrics to mugs. They seem especially associated with Eleanor Bishop and Jack Duquesne. It could be simply a design choice, but given their significance with WandaVision’s hex, I do have to wonder.

Either way, the design on this show is gorgeous. Said chairs - those little asymmetrical swivel numbers of Eleanors that return to their original position - look great and I very much enjoy the vintage feel. The silver christmas tree with coloured lights took me right back to childhood.

Eleanor and Jack are proving great fun. It’s nice that Vera Farmiga is being given a little more screen-time, and Jack is proving delightfully irritating from his snarky comments to the way he pointedly slurps when he drinks as though revelling in getting under Kate's skin.

I feel more excited than I probably should at the ongoing branding and costume discussion. The reveal can’t be far away.

I’ve been waiting for Yelena to arrive and it didn’t disappoint. That rooftop fight with her, Clint, Kate and Maya had such energy and I loved the dynamics of it. With so many different agendas I could feel the genuine confusion beneath it, which added to the excitement of watching. Yelena’s Hawkeye debut reminded me of Catwoman backflipping her way into the hero’s life in Batman Returns.

The suspense that and humour that punctuates the action is very welcome. Kate’s visit to the darkened apartment - blagging her way into the building - was fun. Maya getting the jump on her gave me a big jump-scare that was up there with the attack on Natasha’s car in Black Widow.

Clint and Kate’s uneasy relationship continues to fascinate. The twist on the whole “meet the parents” thing and Eleanor’s protective statement that Kate is not a super-hero drove home how young and inexperienced Kate really is. I also enjoy Clint’s mixture of frustration and acceptance whenever Kate ignores his instructions. There’s an inevitability to it.

Once again, the series delivered an emotional whack in the scene where Kate worked out who Ronin was “It was you”. The intimate bonding that’s taken place adds to their connection - with Kate’s relative neutrality giving him someone to bounce off - and this makes complete sense of their dynamic. His admission felt almost cathartic.

With the standard so far I’m hopeful that the final episodes of the series will really deliver.

 

[Crimson]

Eleanor’s protective statement that Kate is not a super-hero drove home how young and inexperienced Kate really is

I didn't watch HAWKEYE as the episodes were being released. Not because I wanted to binge them, but because I was dreading it. Aside from a then overall sourness towards Phase Four, I braced myself for six episodes of how Kate was superior to Clint in every way. There's been a particularly bad form of writing for female characters over the past few years: they have to be flawless. They have to be powerful and intelligent and absolutely cannot grow or improve, because that would require failure. The result has been flat, lifeless female characters. I very much include Captain Marvel in this observation; I think that movie skated by on the illusion of growth because Danvers had amnesia. And so that is what I anticipated for Kate Bishop: no character development, but empty "girl power" sloganeering.

And so I was shocked and relieved to see just how much characterization was given to Kate. Yes, she's highly skilled, intelligent and resourceful; but also a bit reckless, impatient and inexperienced. She had as many defeats as victories, but grew and developed along the way.

I’ve been waiting for Yelena to arrive and it didn’t disappoint.

I mentioned in my last post that Kate was the first character of Phase Four that I had liked; I paused to ponder Yelena. Truth is, I was ambivalent about her after BLACK WIDOW. I had liked Florence Pugh's performance, but not so much the character. It was obvious she was being set up as the next Black Widow; that, combined with her gentle mockery of Natasha, had made me resistant and a bit resentful towards the character. It took HAWKEYE for me to fully embrace the character, and to really appreciate the full scope of Pugh's performance: both ferocious and wildly funny. If she gets her own movie/series, I just hope the writers of HAWKEYE are involved.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I didn't watch HAWKEYE as the episodes were being released. Not because I wanted to binge them, but because I was dreading it.

I love that you were surprised by it in the best possible way.

It took HAWKEYE for me to fully embrace the character, and to really appreciate the full scope of Pugh's performance: both ferocious and wildly funny. If she gets her own movie/series, I just hope the writers of HAWKEYE are involved.

Despite me saying that Yelena's arrival didn't disappoint (I think my excitement was based on a combination and her first appearance feeling like a moment for the series) I've yet to hear her utter a word in the series, so I'm curious to see how she's handled as a character. From your comments and the rest of the series so far I feel very hopeful.

Maya is another one I'm watching with interest. Most of her scenes have been of the standard villain variety, but I can't help feeling there's more of a story there than I've been shown so far.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Hawkeye





Ronin / So This Is Christmas?​

The arrival of Kingpin to the MCU proper was spoilt a little by the fact that he was named in the cast credits for the third episode, Echoes, on the MCU Fandom site (I’ve been using it to refresh myself on the cast and character names for the episodes I’ve already watched). This meant that his arrival lacked the impact it might otherwise have done.

I haven’t watched any of the Netflix series, nor am I likely to anytime soon since they’re not on Disney+, so this was my introduction to this version of Wilson Fisk. I’m pretty impressed with the resemblance between live action and comics, right down to costume. The staging of his first scene - bargaining with Eleanor - reminded me of the scene early in The Godfather where people are coming to ask for favours on the morning of the daughter’s wedding. Intentional? Who knows.

While Eleanor’s true role in things wasn’t too surprising to me, I was genuinely invested in the relationships and so it wasn’t about the reveal itself, but about the characters’ reactions to it. I did enjoy the turnaround with Jack being a good guy after all (that I didn’t see coming). Obviously he was based on Swordsman, but with the “distinguished middle-aged swordsman” angle I kept seeing Rapier as well.

Maya remained fascinating, enhanced by her relationship with Fisk. Since she’s still a bit of a mystery it’s intriguing that there’s an Echo series in the works and I hope it builds on the foundation she’s had here.

Yelena was great, and Florence Pugh excels at the more comic scenes in particular. A favourite of mine was Ronin’s Macaroni Cheese scene between Yelena and Kate in which we really saw her for the first time and she was everything: witty, cutting, threatening and an excited tourist wanting a guide to New York. And she was endearing at all of them. Kate’s perplexed reaction completed the scene. It was also great to have more gaps filled in and to see the Blip from Yelena’s point of view.


The fight at the used car lot in which Clint took out the Tracksuits showed him as a genuine force to be reckoned with, which was very welcome. It convinced because of how high the stakes were for him with his family under threat.

Again, all action scenes were very thrilling - half the battle for this viewer, since so many MCU projects’ action scenes simply haven’t worked for me. I enjoyed that most had a unique tone which gave it a USP. The final episode’s huge knockout was delightfully confusing. I loved the combination of threat and fun, greatly helped by the new costume reveal, the Rockefeller Center setting and the involvement of that massive Christmas tree (the execution of the moment it came crashing down made me smile from ear to ear).

Clint facing his demons with Yelena and discussing his own personal demons around Natasha’s death was a powerful moment and it’s all the more meaningful because it followed what was at times quite a fun battle, and it did so without being jarring. I’m really impressed with the writing around it. But then I’ve been impressed with this series full stop.

The satisfying ending - Kate going to stay with the Barton family - felt more like a beginning, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing Kate playing a role in forthcoming Marvel projects. And hopefully Clint won’t be retiring altogether just yet.

The biggest question for me at series’ end is: do I download my copy of the earworm that is Save The City?

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I'm still on a buzz from the finale, but current thinking is: yes, I liked it that much...

1. Captain America: Civil War
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
3. Captain America: The First Avenger
4. Iron Man
5. Avengers: Endgame
6. Hawkeye
7. Black Panther
8. The Incredible Hulk
9. Thor
10. Spider-Man: Homecoming
11. WandaVision
12. Captain Marvel
13. Spider-Man: Far From Home
14. Ant-Man
15. Black Widow
16. The Falcon And The Winter Soldier
17. Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
18. Avengers: Infinity War
19. The Avengers
20. Ant-Man And The Wasp
21. Doctor Strange
22. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
23. Loki
24. Guardians Of The Galaxy
25. Avengers: Age Of Ultron
26. Thor: The Dark World
27. Iron Man 2
28. What If…?
29. Eternals
30. Thor: Ragnarok
31. Iron Man 3