The Ending Of Hawkeye Episode 4 Explained
Episode 4 ("Partners, Am I Right?") of "Hawkeye" has landed, and the series is proving yet again that it can bring the drama and the fun on a much smaller scale than big-budget MCU properties. The show is doing a fantastic job of building the relationship between Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), who had some very high highs and very low lows this week. As the title of the episode states, this week's installment was all about Clint and Kate's partnership, which the former eventually seems to surrender to after three episodes of hesitation. Kate has been pushing for their team status from the get-go, and things were finally starting to go her way — until that finale, that is.
We got a few answers, a few clues, a few head-scratchers, and one hell of a cameo in Episode 4, which is all building up to the final two episodes — seriously, how are we almost done with this series? There was certainly more mystery in Episode 4 than its three predecessors, meaning our last two episodes will have some pretty significant reveals — we think. Let's break down some of the biggest takeaways from "Partners, Am I Right?"
A mysterious phone call
A majority of Episode 4 is conversational, with the action only saved for the final scene. There was a lot to pull from these seemingly innocent conversations, which most weren't innocent at all. The episode picks up with Eleanor (Vera Farmiga) and Jack (Tony Dalton) catching Clint and Kate in the penthouse, and the foursome sits down and has a rather awkward chat. After admitting that he's working with Kate, Clint leaves and is somewhat warned by Eleanor to take it easy with her daughter since tragedy seems to follow him. After he leaves, she calls a mystery person on the phone and leaves a message saying she needs to talk about something urgent. Who is she talking to? Our guess is Kingpin, who did not show up in this episode despite many rumors suggesting he'd make an appearance in a post-credits scene — which also didn't exist.
Eleanor's phone call is just another tease at the looming threat in "Hawkeye," after three episodes worth of red-herrings. The mention of Uncle in Episode 3 got the Kingpin buzz going, especially after we saw a black-sleeved arm embrace the face of a young Echo. The mystery phone call is not to Jack since he was in the penthouse at the time, and it wouldn't be for Echo (Alaqua Cox) either since she is deaf. Is Eleanor leaving a message for Kazi (Fra Fee)? Hah, no. This phone call was for someone we haven't seen yet in the show, and all signs are pointing to Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio), who we are all impatiently waiting to see in his broad-shouldered glory.
Seriously, what's going on with Laura?
After he leaves Kate's penthouse, Clint makes a phone call to the most understanding woman in the world to tell her he's going to need another day. Laura (Linda Cardellini) is as sympathetic to the cause as she's always been, but something different about the couple's conversation is worth a second look. She's already been doing some detective work for Clint after he texted her some info on Sloan LTD, and Laura seems to have some skills we've never been privy to.
Laura lets Clint know that Jack is the CEO of Sloan LTD, and it only took her mere minutes to come up with this information. How is she researching and getting answers so quickly? Has she just picked up research skills from her husband over the years? Probably not, and here's why. Swapping English for German to confuse her kids, Laura asks Clint if anything else went missing from the Avengers Compound. He immediately knows she's talking about the Rolex — which we saw at the auction in Episode 1 — and says he thought it was destroyed years ago. Laura agrees but then says she felt the same way about the Ronin suit. Clint decides to look into it, and we get the sense that this Rolex is connected to Laura somehow. She seems very concerned that it could be in the wrong hands, and the episode turns to a recovery mission of the stolen watch.
Signs suggest that Laura might have a secret history, especially after Clint tells Kate the person connected to the watch has remained hidden for quite some time, and its reveal could expose them. Was Laura a former SHIELD agent? Is that how she met Clint? Some fans on Twitter are suggesting Laura is Mockingbird, Hawkeye's ex-wife (but current girlfriend) from the comics. It's a lot to unpack, but hopefully, we'll get more on that in future episodes.
Yelena Belova has entered the chat
When Clint and Kate's mission turns toward the Rolex, they track it to a mysterious apartment. Kate gets herself inside and finds the watch reasonably quickly, but it's also sitting next to a piece of paper with the names and ages of Clint's family on it — another hint that Laura is directly connected to the Rolex. In the middle of the recovery, Clint realizes Kate is in Echo's apartment after discovering the mysterious strobe lights are a silent alarm. Kate is then surprised by Echo, and the two begin to fight in the apartment, while Clint is on the nearby rooftop also being attacked by someone he thinks is Echo.
The foursome all end up together on the rooftop, and a well-choreographed group fight ensues. Clint's assailant is fully-masked and remains a mystery to him and us until the end. We get the sense he has an idea of who he's fighting based on their attack style and weapons used, and the big reveal is given just before the episode ends. Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) has made her way to New York and seems hellbent on taking out Clint as vengeance for the death of Natasha (Scarlett Johansson). After her mask is off, she escapes by launching herself off the building and is gone into the night. Clint tells Kate that someone has hired a Black Widow assassin and tells her things have "gotten very real, very quickly." It's here that there is a rift in the relationship between Kate and Clint, as he declares they are not partners and never were.
The appearance of a Black Widow has brought out the grief in him yet again, and this debacle is now so much more than squashing the Ronin identity. However, he does not appear to know that this is Yelena, but did Nat even tell him about her sister in the past? There are too many questions to be answered, but hopefully, we get some in Episode 5.