This episode was a lot of fun. This episode brought in the feelings. Both exploring Hawkeyes feeling and bringing in the charismas mode. Along with some action and a great cameo, it was a great episode.
The previous episode ended with Jack Duquesne pulling the Ronin sword on Hawkeye himself. This episode continues right where the last one left off. When Bishop hears the sword being pulling and Duquesne making threats she immediately comes to the rescue. Or more accurately comes yelling at Duquesne. Eleanor Bishop also shows up and asks what is going on and the more interesting question, "why is there an Avenger in my dining room". Only then Duquesne recognizes Hawkeye, or pretends to only then recognize him. Everyone calls him by a different name and then Bishop reminds him that he has a branding problem. Hawkeye is not happy about it. This is how the opening of the episode ends.
Then we switch to the dining room. On one side of the table Bishop and Hawkeye are sitting and Bishop senior and Duquesne are sitting on the other side. The line is drawn. Bishop invents some lie about why they are in the house, but she does say that she and Hawkeye are working a case together and her mom is not happy about it. Her mom is also not buying her excuses and Hawkeye refuses to be called her partner. Her mom see through all of the bullshit. But hey, at least it's not an Avengers level threat. Eleanor Bishop basically kicks Hawkeye out while demanding that her daughter stays. When she sees him out she flat out tells him that Natasha Romanoff was a good superhero and she ended up dead anyway, and she cannot loss her daughter. She puts all the possible guilt trip on him and it looks like it is working. He says he won't stop working the case, but make sure that her daughter stays safe. Eleanor thinks she got to him, but little does she know that her daughter is one of the most stubborn people alive.
Hawkeye is no fool. He managed to steal the Ronin sword without anyone noticing and he contacted Laura to check out Sloan LTD, the security company that Eleanor Bishop runs. We also see Eleanor is feeling the pressure as she is on the phone asking someone to return to her urgently. Laura gets back to Hawkeye and basically informs him that Jack Duquesne is the CEO of Sloan LTD which is a front for the Tracksuit Mafia. It doesn't make a lot sense. When Laura needs to talk privately to Hawkeye she talks to him in German. I wonder how she speaks German. Maybe she worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. in her past. She is worried about the Rolex that was stolen in the first episode. I wonder why it is so important but they don't say. They are a cute couple, especially as she is super supportive of his job.
Then we switch to the Bishop residency. Kate doesn't look happy and Eleanor doesn't want to talk about Duquesne. Eleanor wants to talk about the holiday parties that are coming up. Kate really doesn't like Duquesne, but clearly Eleanor is happy with him. Duquesne and Eleanor are happy to have family during the holiday, but Hawkeye is injured and all alone, putting ice on his injured wrists and knees. When it looks like he is about to nap, Bishop comes with pizza, movies and a charismas tree to cheer Hawkeye up. He appreciates it, but he is back to work in a split second. She sees no reason to stop celebrating charismas, while also taking down Duquesne as he is running a criminal organization. They actually manage to do a lot of both together. He even teaches her how to accurately throw coins to hit something, which is so cool. Hawkeye has many tricks. It is super fun to watch.
The fun ends with a talk about Romanoff. The best shoot he ever took, was the one he didn't take. He didn't take out Romanoff when he was ordered to. He is super sad to talk about her, she was the best. He calls his job a managing of losses, just indicating how much he lost. Even the music is a variation of the music from Avengers: Endgame where Natasha Romanoff sacrificed herself. We can see that Bishop is really sad for him. It is even sadder when you add the fact that his entire family vanished during the blip. Bishop than realizes that Clint is Ronin himself. She views him as a protector, but he explains that his job has always been to hurt people and that's what he did as Ronin. Bishop tells him that it is all behind him, but he doesn't agree. He says that his mistakes are tied to him and his family, I guess that that watch is really linked to his wife so problems all around. Bishop seems heartbroken to realize that her hero is a regular person who has made mistakes. Barton on the other hand seems to learn to open up to her. He even thanks her for spending this time with him. Some bonding is finally happening.
It seems not particularly helpful though. It seems like the conversation with Bishop was very triggering for Barton. When he is alone his memories are plaguing him. Losing his family, all the people he killed, Natasha choosing to sacrifice herself. It all hunts him. He is not dealing well with his past.
When morning comes Barton is all in action mode. Before Bishop is fully awake he tells her that he will talk to Kazi and she needs to get his trick arrows back through their LARPer friends. She goes to meet them and she is surprised by what she sees. I can't understand if the show is actually making fun of LARPing or not. Either way, they agree to help her get the arrows back if she will owe them in return and we still don't know what she will owe them. Her behavior is a bit awkward. Barton goes to talk to Kazi, he wants him to talk Maya down from hunting Ronin. He is smart about it. I think both Barton and Bishop got their works done pretty well.
When Barton returns home he has a surprise waiting for him, the LARPers are in the apartment. The deal that they strike is that Bishop and Barton will get them enough materials for two outfits for the LARPers and that they will get to make Bishop's and Barton's next outfit. Bishop really wants to help Barton with his branding. Barton gets a message from Laura about the location of the watch and he goes into action mode. I wonder what is so important about the watch. He doesn't want Bishop to come along and she does anyway. He takes the bag with the arrows, even though the LARPer who own the bag is super upset by this fact. He is super rude when he is goal oriented.
Then we switch to both of them on a rooftop looking at an apartment. Bishop doesn't listen to a word that Barton tells her about entrance and exist strategies. She decides to go in instead of being the lookout by simply acting and not waiting like Barton asked her to. She also gets inside of the building in a way that he doesn't approve, she simply helps an old man in and gets in herself. She manages to break in the door pretty easily. When she gets in she notices that there are flickering lights on the wall. I think that this is Maya Lopez's apartment as it looks like an alarm for deaf people to me. Barton tells her that she is looking for a watch that belongs to someone he used to work with, that person is no longer working. But their identity is linked to the watch and will risk that person's life. I guess he is looking out for his Mrs. Bishop finds the watch alongside person information regarding Barton. This a new level of bad news.
But things are about to become worse. Barton tells Bishop to get out of there as he realizes that this is Lopez's apartment, and then Bishop hears Barton being attacked. She doesn't get to worry too much as Lopez attacks her. Barton thinks that he is fighting Lopez, but he is fighting someone else. Bishop needs help so Barton fires a line in her direction so she manages to get out of the apartment, but she gets struck halfway there. The fight between Barton and the other person releases the wire and Bishop gets across. She wants to kick the attacker, but she gets kicked herself. The person pulls a gun on Bishop and Barton steps in front of her. Then Lopez shows up and kicks everyone's asses. The attacker throws Bishop off the roof, but also harnesses her so no harm done. Barton cuts the cord so that Bishop won't rejoin the fight. I guess he underestimates her. It is a bit funny that Barton doesn't understand that Bishop is all in.
She just goes back up to Barton's rescue. She sees the two attackers ganging up on Barton and shoots an arrow that blasts everyone apart with light and noise. Lopez kicks Bishop onto another roof, but Bishop just gets up and fires an arrow at her. So Lopez I guess realizes she can't win and bails. Now it is just Barton against the new person. This new person has Black Widow electric stingers, which she uses on Barton who takes off her mask and we see a familiar face, Yelena Belova played brilliantly by Florence Pugh.spoilers for Black Widow. At the end of that movie Belova got an assignment to kill Barton who is perceived to be her sister's killer. Looks like she came to do just that. Bishop hesitates to shoot her after Belova shacks her head at her and she uses a special rope to get away. Barton understands what is going on and he doesn't want Bishop involved. He tells her that she isn't and never was his partner. He understands that someone hired a Black Widow assassin to kill him. Bishop wants to help, but Barton is not going to let her risk her own life for him.
This was a very good episode, it had a lot of heart and action. Seeing Florence Pugh return as Yelena Belova adds a lot. A lot of fun and suspense. But Barton and Bishop really do feel like a team here until the end of the episode. Barton really opened up to Bishop and we learn just how much baggage and trauma he carries from his past. A lot. There are a lot of mysteries in this show and I like it. I hope it will all add up nicely.
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