Clint and Kate go on the run from the Tracksuit Mafia, but Clint is certain he can handle the issue without Kate's help. He infiltrates a LARP to recover his stolen Ronin suit, while Kate returns to her worried mother for a family dinner with Jacques.
Tropes:
- Abandoned Warehouse: The Mafia takes Clint to one when they "capture" him. When he comments about it, one of them named Tomas complains how hard it is to find one in New York in modern times; they're all being converted into lofts.
- After-Action Patch-Up: After fleeing the Tracksuit Mafia, Clint tells Kate they're going to need "supplies". She assumes this means Avengers-level tech but it actually means basic first aid supplies to treat their wounds. Clint later shows Kate how to properly dress and clean the cut on her forehead to avoid infection.
- Answer Cut: Kate asks how Clint lost his hearing, and we cut to a montage of Hawkeye getting thrown through windows, surviving explosions, etc., before cutting back to Clint saying it's too hard to say.
- Armor-Piercing Response: It kind of breaks Kate's heart to learn that Clint is really unhappy with her.Kate: When did your heart shrink three sizes?
Clint: When a little girl in a ninja costume stole my Christmas. - Backhanded Apology: Eleanor demands Kate apologize to Jacques for being so aggressive toward and suspicious of him.Kate: Fine. Sorry I scared you into telling the truth.
- Batman in My Basement: Kate's "THE Hawkeye! In my place!"
- Batter Up!: One of the Tracksuit Mafia goons hits Hawkeye with a baseball bat to incapacitate him before the others grab him and bundle him into their van.
- Bavarian Fire Drill: Clint sneaks into Kate's apartment to recover his Ronin suit by casually waltzing onto the scene and borrowing a firefighter's jacket and hat; nobody questions him at all.
- Blindfolded Trip: The Tracksuit Mafia throw a bag over Clint's head when they kidnap him. As they shove him into their van, he tells them that he can still see through the bag.
- Broken Pedestal: Downplayed, but Kate is disappointed that Clint is a cynical old spy with PTSD rather than the flashy hero she thought she saw when she was a little girl.Kate: You're not as cool as I thought you'd be.
- Call-Back:
- When Kate asks Clint about his hearing aid, a short montage of clips from The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Avengers: Endgame plays of Hawkeye in proximity to very loud, eardrum-damaging explosions.
- Clint plans to deal with the Tracksuit Mafia using a technique he calls "Catch and Release". Laura recognizes it as one of Natasha's trademark moves, and it plays out as a clumsier version of Black Widow's introductory scene in The Avengers.
- Captured on Purpose: Clint allows the Tracksuit Mafia to kidnap him so he can get close to their boss and try and end the ensuing feud. Unfortunately, Kate doesn't realise this, and her clumsy attempt at rescuing him wrecks his entire plan.
- Catch and Return: When the Tracksuit Mafia throw Molotov Cocktails through the window of Kate's apartment, Clint easily catches the third bottle and throws it back at them.
- Chekhov's Gun: In the scene where Kate enters Armand's home and finds him dead on the floor, she notices that he has monogrammed butterscotch. Later, Jack offers Kate one of the same butterscotch.
- Cliffhanger: The episode ends with the reveal of the leader of the Tracksuit Mafia: Echo.
- Continuity Nod: Clint mentions that Tony Stark sold off the Avengers Tower, as shown in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
- Cover-Blowing Superpower: Kate believes that Jack is letting her win during their fencing bout, and proves it when, after he removes his mask, he effortlessly parries her surprise attack and disarms her.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Clint slowly warms up to Kate, teaching her how to properly bandage her wounds, for a start (she'd put on a bandaid instead of a butterfly bandage, for one thing).
- A Dog Named "Dog": Kate has yet to name the Golden Retriever she rescued, and simply calls him "Pizza Dog". She tells Clint that Pizza Dog is a title of nobility, like Earl of Sandwich.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Clint's whole behavior during the LARP screams this.Clint: I fought Thanos.
- Flynning:
- The LARP is full of the most gloriously cheesily awful form of this.
- The duel between Kate and Jacques does not follow the tournament rules for foil.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus:
- Moira Brandon's name is on the old movie posters in her apartment.
- One of the LARPers is wearing Clint's classic costume from the comics.
- Goldfish Poop Gang: The Tracksuit Mafia are pretty much this to Clint. They're a serious threat only because Kate interferes with his scheme.Clint: Guys, I can see through the hood.
- The Grinch: Subverted. Kate teases Clint's grumpy attitude by asking what made his heart shrink three sizes. Clint shuts her up by explaining that he loves Christmas but her actions ruined his plans.
- Hand Signals:
- Clint's superheroics have rendered him partially deaf, and he's learning ASL with his kids. When he sends his children off to the airport, little Nate signs, "I love you, Dad," and Clint signs back, "I love you more."
- When one of the Tracksuit Mafia tries to tell Echo (with exaggerated mouth movements) that they have both Clint and Kate, she dismisses him with just a "shoo" motion with her hand.
- Heroes Love Dogs: Kate and Clint both seem very fond of Pizza Dog.
- Heroic BSoD: Kate has a minor one after the fight's over and she's confronted by THE Hawkeye. The adrenaline wears off and she realizes she saw a dead body and almost got killed by thugs.
- Hypocritical Humor: Clint tells Lila and Cooper not to lose Nate on their way home, only to realize that they've lost track of him in the rush to get packed and in the cab.
- I Am Not Left-Handed: Jack is holding back and letting Kate win during their impromptu fencing match until she tricks him into revealing his real skill by parrying her unexpected attack without even looking at her.
- I Hit You, You Hit The Ground: Clint offers the LARPer in the stolen suit two options.Clint: Either I pretend hit you with this pretend sword and you pretend die and I take the suit, or I real punch you and you real fall down and I take the suit.
- I Just Want to Be Special: Grills holds on to the Ronin suit for this reason, as it gives him confidence during LARP sessions. Clint has to agree to let Grills kill his character in order to get it back, as Grill wants the badass reputation it will bring him as a result.Grills: You're already a superhero in real life. This is the closest I'll ever get to one.
- Immaturity Insult: Clint repeatedly calls Kate a kid. When hearing that she has an apartment, he assumes she's only 18 years old. When she tells him she's 22, he says it's the "same thing". Later, when she tells him that she learned martial arts when she was five, Clint sarcastically remarks "So a year ago?" in response.
- Impossibly Tacky Clothes: Kate has to borrow an outfit from her aunt's closet after the fire destroyed all her clothes. It's... not great.
- Innocently Insensitive: Clint treats Kate as Just a Kid and doesn't fully realize that, to her, she's hanging out with not only her favorite Avenger, but the hero who saved her life during the Battle of New York. It's a real gut punch when she tells him that he inspires people (without outright stating that she's one of them), only for him to be dismissive and tell her when they part ways that that'll be the last time they'll see each other.
- Instantly Proven Wrong:
- At Kate's apartment, Kate assures Clint that the Tracksuit Mafia have no idea who's wearing the Ronin suit, since she kept the mask on like a pro. Seconds later, the Tracksuit Mafia call her name from outside the building, and she realizes that they followed her when she dropped Pizza Dog off and her name's on the buzzer.
- After Clint finally gets "kidnapped" by the Tracksuits, they want to know where Kate is.
Tracksuit: Where is Kate Bishop? [sound on roof]
Clint: I've never met her. I have no idea. [more sounds on roof]
Tracksuit: Come on! Where is Kate Bishop?
Clint: Who are you talking about?
Kate: [falls through skylight right in front of Clint]
Ivan: Bro, I found her. - Irony: Kate has no idea that she is speaking to the owner of the Ronin mantle.
- Jaded Professional: Clint's definitely getting too old for this shit. After Kate opens the door to her place, he briefly turns around and leans his head against the door out of frustration with her... just all of her everything.
- Just Toying with Them: During Jack's fencing match with Kate, he's very clearly letting her win and she knows this. She finally gets him to show his real skill when she attacks him unprovoked after he removes his mask and he easily parries and disarms her.
- Knight in Sour Armor: Kate lampshades that Clint is one.
- LARP: Clint finds out that a LARPer took the Ronin costume and has to participate in LARP himself (in costume and everything) to get it back. He agrees to do it because crashing in might cause a scene, given that most of the LARPers are NYC cops and firefighters.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Kate refers to Clint's Hawkeye identity as a "brand", and that his aloof and distant persona lacks the appeal of other, more colorful superheroes. This series in its own right is a form of brand remediation for the MCU's version of the Hawkeye character, taking him from the cynical, cool early 2000s action hero model to a warmer and more sincere everyman.
- Mentor in Sour Armor: Clint really doesn't want to step into this role, but the danger Kate's in and her unrelenting enthusiasm forces him into this role.
- Mundane Made Awesome: The LARP session runs on this, full of slow motion and epic Celtic music to show how seriously everyone (other than Clint) is taking the session.
- Mundane Utility: Clint uses his close-range combat skills to defeat the other LARPers with total ease.
- Mythology Gag: Kate is contacted by Detective Caudle after her apartment is burnt. In the Hawkeye comic, Kate has an encounter with Caudle while trying to bring a corrupt botanist to justice.
- Never Bring a Knife to a Gun Fight: Kate only has access to her bow and arrow and she lacks Clint's experience, so she's completely out of her depth when the Tracksuit Mafia pull their guns on her. She lampshades this herself, admitting that she hadn't been expecting to come up against that kind of firepower.
- Noodle Incident: When Clint tells Laura that he has to deal with the Tracksuit Mafia, Laura knows exactly whom he is talking about, meaning that Clint's run-ins with them predate the Snap and his stint as Ronin.
- Offhand Backhand: Kate gets Jacques to reveal his skill by forcing him to do a parry without even looking.
- Oh, Crap!:
- The Track Suits know where Kate lives. And her name's on the buzzer.
- Kate's reaction when Jacques offers her a piece of Armand's monogrammed butterscotch, implying that he was at the scene of Armand's murder.
- Only Sane Man: As the rest of the Tracksuit Mafia are ranting about warehouses and peppering their speech with "bro", Kazi sits at a distance, completely silent. Clint recognizes this, as he asks Kazi directly about the boss of the Mafia, assuming he will be most likely to deliver a message to them if he wasn't the boss himself.
- Outdated Outfit: After her place is destroyed in the fire, Kate moves into the apartment of her out-of-town aunt. Since she had to leave her clothes behind, Kate goes through most of the episode wearing mink stoles, shoulder pads, and other outfits that would have been the height of fashion in Aunt Moira's younger years.
- Product Placement: Clint and Kate are walking through Times Square, and the Disney Store can be clearly seen in the background; Disney owns Marvel Studios, and Hawkeye streams on Disney+.
- Race Lift: Detective Caudle and Grills are both portrayed as African-American men instead of Caucasian as was the case in the Hawkeye comic.
- Red Filter of Doom: The room is lit up in red light when Echo is introduced at the end of the episode.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Jacques is trying really hard to be one. He bought a book about being a stepdad. He mostly comes off as goofy, but with Kate's suspicion of him there's that extra layer of maybe something else to it.
- Related in the Adaptation: Moira Brandon appeared in one issue of West Coast Avengers and had no connection to Kate. Here, she is Kate's aunt.
- Saying Sound Effects Out Loud: During the LARP, observers of the "duel" between Clint and Grills vocalize all the different sword strikes, adding to the vast amounts of cheese.
- Serious Business: The LARP. Everyone there takes it so seriously.
- Shout-Out: While walking outside, Clint and Kate encounter a group of people dressed as the Avengers, plus a Katniss Everdeen.
- Shrine to Self: Downplayed example; Aunt Moira is apparently a former B-movie actress and decorates her apartment with large movie posters that have her name visible on them.
- Slipped the Ropes: While he's interrogated by the Tracksuit Mafia, as he starts asking to see their boss, Clint casually reveals that he'd already freed himself from the rope that tied his hands behind his back. This freaks out the goons quite a bit, and they all pull out their weapons.
- Suspect Is Hatless: Kate's description of the Tracksuit Mafia, doing little to support her scribbly doodles of them, is that they have "doughy faces" and are "very white".
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome:
- Clint's hearing aids are explained with Occam's Razor: with all of the fights with the Avengers he has played a part in (which involves Made of Explodium most of the time), it was in fact a wonder he only needed his hearing aids now.
- Contrary to what Kate was probably expecting, puncturing a fire extinguisher does not cause it to explode and cover the room in fire retardant. With all the pressurized air escaping from a single hole, it instead bounces around the room before shooting straight out the window, putting barely a dent in the fire surrounding them.
- Kate proves that Jack is lying about his fencing skills by tricking him into knocking the blade out of her hand... but since she did this by attempting to stab him in the face, her mother is less than willing to listen to her.
- Turns out, doing Natasha's trademark Three-Point Landing is not that easy. Unlike Natasha and Yelena, Kate had zero experience doing it and just falls flat on her face.
- Terrible Artist: Kate has made a crude drawing of one of the Tracksuit Mafia members in a notepad, with "doughy faces" and "VERY white" written above it. Clint remarks, "I'm guessing you aren't an art major."
- This Is Gonna Suck:
- Clint can only sigh in resignation and dull disbelief that to find the Ronin suit, he's going to have to play along with LARPers and their hilariously cheesy medieval fantasy roleplay.
- This also sums up his facial expression when Kate flubs her attempted Unwanted Rescue of him, falls through the ceiling, and lands flat on the floor right in front of him and the Tracksuit Mafia, which ruins Clint's entire Captured on Purpose ploy.
- Three-Point Landing: Subverted when Kate drops into the Tracksuit Mafia's lair and tries to land this way, but screws it up and lands flat on her face instead.
- Two Decades Behind: The TV in Aunt Moira's apartment appears to be at least forty years old. Her clothes, too, match that decade, or worse.
- Unwanted Rescue: When Kate learns that Clint has been kidnapped by the Tracksuit Mafia, she immediately tracks him down and tries to rescue him, not realizing that a) Clint let himself be Captured on Purpose so he could get close to their boss, and b) the Tracksuit Mafia have guns. As a result, her rescue attempt quite literally falls flat on its face.
- Wham Shot: Jacques offers Kate one of Armand III's monogrammed candies, strongly implying that either he killed his uncle, or he was at least there when it happened.
- White-Dwarf Starlet: It'll be more clear in later episodes, but this is
- "World's Best" Character: Kate claims that some people have called her the world's greatest archer. Clint (who has also been called the world's greatest archer) flatly asks if she is one of those people. She sheepishly nods.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Kate insists that Clint needs better branding.Clint: Yeah, right, what am I gonna sell? Stuffed toys? Halloween candy?
Kate: Inspiration, Clint!
