‘Hawkeye’s fifth episode sets up an intense finale

This article contains spoilers for episode 5 of Hawkeye

It’s been just a few weeks since Hawkeye debuted on Disney Plus and it’s already almost over. The penultimate episode ‘Ronin’ has just landed and sets all the pieces in motion for a killer finale. Along the way we got some key information about returning MCU heroes, some meaty character development, and a long-awaited full look at a returning villain.

Spoilers follow.

The episode opens with what’s essentially a Black Widow epilogue. We pick up on Yelena in 2018, where she’s trying to assist brainwashed Widows. But 2018 is a big year for the MCU and as Yelena stares into a mirror she explodes into dust and instantly reforms… five years later.

We’ve already seen the blip from a dusted character’s perspective in WandaVision, though Yelena’s disorientation at being hurled into a strange future is tinged with tragedy as she immediately asks where Natasha is.

The remaining episode sees everyone discovering various truths about the others. Kate reconsiders what she knows about Clint and his dark past, Yelena spills the beans on why she’s on a roaring rampage of revenge, Clint puts on the Ronin gear one more time, Echo learns the real identity of who killed her father and the dark secrets surrounding his death, and – just before the credits roll – we finally learn who Kate’s mother really works for…

It’s not much of a surprise given the very heavy hints dropped through the series, but it’s thrilling to see Vincent D’Onofrio back as Kingpin – with Clint closing out the episode by specifically referring to him as such.

Presumably, Fisk will play a big role in the finale, with all the plotlines converging on him and Vera Farmiga’s Eleanor Bishop. So, does Kate have what it takes to bring down her mother? I guess we’ll find out in next week’s explosive-looking Hawkeye.