DISCLAIMER: This recap of the Hawkeye episode “Partners, Am I Right?” has spoilers. Proceed at your peril. 

Welcome, Avengers! Hawkeye returns with “Partners, Am I Right?” an explosive outing that finally brings Florence Pugh as Yelena into the fold. The fight sequence featuring Clint, Kate, Maya and Yelena is my favorite on the show thus far. 

We know Valentina Allegra de Fontaine told Yelena in the Black Widow end-credit scene that Clint is responsible for Natasha’s death, and her debut on Hawkeye did not disappoint. 

Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld churn out touching, mesmerizing performances. This episode boasts some of Renner’s best work as Clint Barton. Steinfeld is sensational as Kate Bishop, and I can’t wait to see more of her in the MCU. 

Ready to delve into “Partners, Am I Right?” Let’s get to it. 

RELATED: Hawkeye Recap: (S01E03) Echoes

We open with Jack (Tony Dalton) pressing the Ronin, a.k.a. Hawkeye, sword against Clint’s (Renner) throat. Kate (Steinfeld) rushes to his aid after getting locked out of her mom’s laptop. Eleanor (Vera Farmiga) recognizes Clint as an Avenger, causing Jack to lower the sword. 

Next, the quartet sits at the dining room table for a chat. Eleanor not-so-subtly grills Clint regarding his association with her daughter. While Kate insists the pair are partners and friends, Clint disentangles himself from those labels. 

Before Eleanor sees Clint out, she urges him to leave Kate out of whatever case he’s working. When Clint’s in the elevator, we see he surreptitiously stole back his Ronin sword. He texts his wife, Laura, asking her to look into “Sloan LTD.” 

Still of Hailee Steinfeld in Marvel's Hawkeye Season 1 Episode 4 Partners, Am I Right?

Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) in Marvel Studios’ HAWKEYE, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

After that conversation, Eleanor contacts a mysterious someone and asks them to return her call. 

Meanwhile, Clint calls Laura (Linda Cardellini), who reveals that Sloan LTD is a front for the Tracksuit Mafia. Jack serves as the CEO, laundering money for the Mafia. Kate’s instincts regarding Jack are on point (Swordsman point!).

Laura switches to German so that the kids won’t comprehend her following sentence. She inquires whether anything else of value was stolen from the Avengers compound. What about the Rolex? We know someone bought the Rolex at the black market auction in the first episode. 

Next, Jack and Eleanor discuss Kate’s Hawkeye obsession, while the latter stares into space on the couch. Eleanor encourages Kate to assist her with planning the Bishop holiday party. Kate looks on while Jack and Eleanor dance to Christmas music, and we see Kate’s defenses melt away.

Clint returns to Kate’s aunt’s apartment and applies a bevy of frozen daiquiri bags to his sore spots. He also drinks out of a “Thanos Was Right” mug, which makes me question Kate’s aunt. 

Suddenly, Kate barges in with Lucky the Pizza Dog, bringing a slew of Christmas movies, decorations and ugly sweaters. Kate hopes to inject some holiday cheer into Clint’s life despite the case at hand. Clint thanks her and notes that her suspicions regarding Jack are valid. 

Kate and Clint assemble a Christmas tree, and the latter teaches her a neat coin trick. They even discuss boomerang arrows, a conversation plucked from the comic books. Well, except Clint makes a case for them in the source material, whereas, on the show, Kate throws her support behind boomerang arrows. It makes sense, given the significant changes to Clint as a character.

Then, Clint discloses a story wherein he “didn’t take the shot,” and he vaguely dives into how he met Natasha (it’s all connected). Clint reveals that losing Natasha is a devastating side effect to the life he chose. Kate guesses Clint is Ronin, to which Clint responds that everyone dealt with the Blip in their way. That was how he coped after losing his family. 

This scene is heartbreaking, with Renner and Steinfeld delivering the goods with nuance and vulnerability. 

Still of Hailee Steinfeld in Marvel's Hawkeye Season 1 Episode 4 Partners, Am I Right?

Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) in Marvel Studios’ HAWKEYE, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

After Kate goes to bed, we see a flashback to Natasha’s death, and it’s clear Clint blames himself for it. 

Later, the following morning, Clint asks Kate to retrieve his trick arrows from his LARPer friends — one of them is a cop. Meanwhile, he meets with Kazi (Fra Fee) and urges him to refrain from searching for “a ghost.” Maya’s hunt for Ronin will endanger everyone involved. 

RELATED: Hawkeye Recap: (S01E02) Hide and Seek

Next, Clint arrives at the apartment to find Kate commissioning costumes from one of the LARPers. The cop enters the fray with Clint’s trick arrows. 

Then, the archery duo winds up on a stakeout of sorts, observing the apartment across the street from them. Clint discovers that the Rolex is inside the said apartment, so he will break in and steal it back quietly while Kate stands guard. Unfortunately, staying on the sidelines isn’t Kate’s style. She proceeds to enter the apartment via the front door and helps an older man with his groceries so that she doesn’t look suspicious. 

Kate notices something amiss upon entering the apartment — a notebook containing the names of Clint and his family. However, she spots the Rolex and snatches it up. 

But before she can depart, Maya (Alaqua Cox) appears, and the two engage in combat. The place belongs to Maya. Meanwhile, Clint starts fighting a masked figure on the rooftop, believing he’s squaring off against Maya. 

Clint shoots an arrow with a zipline so that Kate can escape, but she gets stuck right in the middle of it. Thankfully, she makes it across to Clint. Kate dukes it out with Maya on the rooftop while Clint fights the mysterious figure. This masked someone unleashes some electrifying weaponry, which certainly gives one pause. 

Still of Alaqua Cox in Hawkeye Season 1 Episode 4 Partners, Am I Right?

Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez in Marvel Studios’ HAWKEYE. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

The mysterious fighter attaches a wire to Kate and hauls her over the side. Clint hurriedly catches her, mirroring his memory of holding onto Natasha while she dangled over the cliffside on Vormir. Clint notices Kate has something to land on, so he snaps the wire and orders her to leave. 

But, again, that’s not Kate Bishop’s style. 

Kate returns to the fight, and, after shooting her with an arrow, Maya leaves voluntarily. Clint rips off his opponent’s mask, and we see it’s Yelena Belova (Pugh).

She’s back, baby!

Yelena shocks Clint, and Kate brandishes an arrow at her. However, Yelena silently urges Kate to stand down and gracefully leaps over the edge of the building. 

From the attached wire to the head nod, Yelena tries to save Kate from harm. 

Clint orders Kate to leave again, citing a Black Widow now pursues him, meaning it’s all getting too real. He reasserts they’re not partners or friends. 

RELATED: Hawkeye Series Premiere Recap: (S01E01) Never Meet Your Heroes

“Partners, Am I Right?” is a humorous, heartfelt amalgam of Marvel goodness and holiday cheer. It’s what the doctor ordered, folks. It deepens the bond between Clint and Kate while introducing an exciting character into the equation and continuing to honor Natasha Romanoff. 

I love that we’re not sweeping Clint’s grief under the rug — Natasha was his best friend. Hell, he named his son Nathaniel after her. 

Who do you think Eleanor was calling at the beginning of the episode? Clint mentions if the Rolex falls into the wrong hands, it could spell the end for his friend. That said, to whom does it belong? Could it be an Avenger? Will Kingpin show up on Hawkeye, or am I setting myself up for inevitable disappointment?

New episodes of Hawkeye are available to stream every Wednesday on Disney Plus. 

Who Are Young Avengers: KATE BISHOP aka Hawkeye!

 

 

Melody McCune
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