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‘Hawkeye’ Episode 3 Easter Eggs & Recap

5 Minute Read
Dec 2 2021
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Hawkeye episode 3 was a stocking full of character building and easter eggs. But under all the exploding arrows, there’s some darkness.

Wednesdays are quickly becoming the jolliest day of the week thanks to the MCU’s new Hawkeye series. This week, we finally got to see the full car chase scene that was teased in the trailer. Merry Christmas to us!

There’s a lot of big things happening in Hawkeye episode 3, including the possible appearance of a big character. But there are also a few subtleties in the episode worth exploring.

Spoiler warning! We’re gonna spoil a whole lotta Hawkeye. Get ready, bro.

Who is Maya Lopez’ Uncle?

The most buzz-worthy bit of the episode comes in pretty quickly. We meet Echo’s father William Lopez, played by Zahn McClarnon (Reservation Dogs, Doctor Sleep). We see him teaching her to defend herself, and sharing some precious father-daughter moments.

That is before Clint in the Ronin suit murders her father.

After her father’s death, Maya is raised by someone who she and Kazi refer to as “Uncle”. We hear a voice that could belong to a certain Daredevil villain. We also see the sleeve of a nice suit.

Clint, Maya, & Deaf Representation

Clint’s lack of hearing has been a steady part of the story so far. Interestingly, in this episode, his relationship with his hearing aid comes up. Maya suggests that he’d be better off without it.

This touches on a long-standing conversation in the Deaf community about the social pressures of hearing aid devices and procedures. It’s very fitting that Maya would feel like her deafness isn’t a flaw that needs fixing. It’s a belief that’s underlined by the interactions with her father as he teaches her how to navigate her world.

The loss of Clint’s hearing aid also gives the audience an opportunity to get a sensory impression of what he’s experiencing. We also have some heartwarming and funny moments that highlight how Clint and Kate share similar thought processes.

Read More About Hawkeye: Who is Kate Bishop?

Explosions,Trick Arrows, & Car Chases

The communication between the Hawkeyes was just a detail of the episode’s incredible car chase. Some of the camera angling in this sequence was really creative and added to the excitement.

This scene also features the debut of Clint’s trick arrows. We get to see the purple smoke bomb, explosion, and plunger arrows in action. And that Pym tech arrow! Do we even need to mention what a huge moment that was?

It’s clear that each episode of Hawkeye is going to end on a cliffhanger. Each week, we have to wait 7 more days to unwrap the present that is the newest episode. This week’s ending? Jack holding up Clint with his own Ronin sword.

But Who’s the Villain Here?

While the two Hawkeyes are tied up with the Tracksuit Bros, Maya demands to know who Ronin is. Clint tells her that Ronin was killed by Black Widow.

Many fans have read this and expressed sympathy for his grief for Natasha. But this sentiment doesn’t acknowledge Clint’s deep conflict between his identities as both a venerated hero and a violent vigilante.

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

It’s a common social media response that’s worth examining. Fangirl Jeanne shares a great Twitter thread that further explores our desire to justify this kind of vigilantism in hero stories.

Maya & Kate: Two Sides of a Coin

Kate’s hero-worship of Clint also makes an appearance in Hawkeye episode 3, and it’s also worth noting. The first episode of the series was called “Never Meet Your Heroes”, a theme that may extend past Clint’s sarcastic, distant nature.

Kate will discover Clint’s past as Ronin. When she does, the childlike admiration she holds for the Avenger will be challenged. Despite her impressive abilities, there is a naivety about Kate that will be destroyed.

Finding out what Clint has done to Maya could create an interesting relationship between the two women as well. Understanding the loss that Maya has sustained could allow Kate to empathize with her.

The two characters do share some parallels. Both of their childhood years were spent training and learning how to fight, and both girls lost their fathers at a young age.

Easter Eggs

During a bedtime story, William Lopez tells an adorable little Maya that dragons are real, but part of “another world”. Audiences can’t help but wonder if he knows something about the world of Shang Chi…

In the diner, Kate doodles a look for Hawkeye that is actually based on his original costume. Who doesn’t love the fashion statement of a giant ‘H’ on their forehead?

Kazi’s character also appears in comic books. In the panels, he works for Kingpin, another tic for the ‘Kingpin in coming to the MCU’ column.

But in the show, Kazi is affiliated with Sloan LLC. This company could be connected to Marvel comics character Jason Sloan, a cigar-smoking partner at a law firm where Matt Murdoch works.

And Plenty of Callouts to the Hawkeye Comics

Which moment of Hawkeye episode 3 was your favorite and why was it the naming of Pizza Dog?

The third episode followed in the same style as the first two– inspired by Matt Fraction, David Aja, and Matt Hollingsworth’s run on the comic. Many details of the car chase, like the red Chevelle, are straight from the panels.

Read More About the MCU’s ‘Hawkeye’ Adaptation: ‘Hawkeye’ Promo Art Lifts Art Without Paying

You can watch new episodes of ‘Hawkeye’ every Wednesday exclusively on Disney+.

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Author: Danni Danger
Danni is a staff writer and editor whose expertise lies in comic books, superhero movies, science fiction/fantasy, horror, and cheesy dad jokes. They spent 8 glorious years working at Austin Books & Comics, and created content for almost 15 years. They've written for the Daily Dot and made YouTube content with the Weirdlings. Danni currently does all the things for BoLS, Screen Fanatic, and TheStreet.
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