The Avengers: Endgame Callback In Hawkeye Episode 6 That Means More Than You Think
Contains spoilers for the "Hawkeye" episode "So This Is Christmas?"
"Hawkeye's" season finale is here just in time for Christmas, and while the festive-themed episode is certain to get plenty of viewers in the mood for the holidays, the finale is so much more than that. Aptly titled "So This Is Christmas?," the episode follows Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and protege Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) as they track down Eleanor Bishop (Vera Farmiga) to a holiday party at Rockefeller Center, where they battle the cronies of Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio) on the iconic Rockefeller ice-skating rink.
Their fight is interrupted by the appearance of Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), sister of Natasha Romanov (Scarlett Johansson), and fan-favorite character from "Black Widow," who confronts Clint about Natasha's death. The two battle on the ice in one of the most emotionally-charged scenes in the whole series, each grieving the loss of Natasha in their own way.
In the end, Clint convinces her to stand down, and Yelena leaves him alone on the ice, still clearly furious at him for letting her sister die, but finally accepting that he is also traumatized by the loss of Natasha. However, there's one small detail in their final conversation that you might have missed. It's one that references an iconic scene in "Avengers: Endgame," and which ties in thematically to the entire story of "Hawkeye" and of Clint Barton himself.
The finale references Clint's scene on Vormir
After Clint explains how Natasha sacrificed herself (despite his best efforts to stop her) he and Yelena share a heartfelt moment expressing how much they loved her, and how difficult it is to go on living without her. In the scene, Clint is on his knees, directly paralleling the scene in "Avengers: Endgame" when he fell to his knees after Natasha's death. In that scene, he kneels in a puddle of water on the planet of Vormir, tears falling down his face as he looks around and finds himself utterly alone. In contrast, the scene in Episode 6 of "Hawkeye" sees Yelena extending her hand to help lift him to his feet.
Not only does this callback reinforce the impact that Natasha's death had on these two characters, but it also symbolizes just how far Clint has come since the events of "Endgame." Being pulled back up to his feet is a moment of redemption and closure, showing that he is finally beginning to heal from that loss, and reaffirming that Natasha's death was not in vain. It's a powerful, poignant little detail that emphasizes the end of Clint's story arc, and as such, it fits in perfectly in the season finale of "Hawkeye."