This article contains spoilers forHawkeye.“Partners, Am I Right?” may not have been as action-heavy as its predecessors, but it is a pivotal episode for the remaining two episodes of Marvel’s newest series.Hawkeye’sfourth episode features a number of heart-warming and emotionally taxing moments, but it also featured the highly anticipated return of one Marvel star.
Following the release ofBlack Widowearlier this year, many have impatiently waited for Yelena to return to the MCU. She was last seen at Natasha’s grave in theBlack Widowpost-credits, where she was approached by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Valentina gave her a photograph of Clint, naming him as the person responsible for Natasha’s death. With a clear motive to pursue Clint, many have impatiently waited for Yelena to appear inHawkeye.
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Near the end of “Partners, Am I Right?” Yelena finally makes her long-awaited appearance. Originally concealed by an intimidating mask, Yelena’s familiar face is seen shortly before the credits ofHawkeye’sfourth episodebegin to roll. Though her arrival may not have been exactly what people envisioned for her character, Yelena’s arrival was prefaced perfectly throughout the episode. This is largely due to the scenes in “Partners, Am I Right?” that act as a deliberate callback to significant Marvel events. Many of these callbacks help establish why Yelena is here and what makes her inclusion in the series such a significant one.
Amidst the final scenes of “Partners, Am I Right?” a rooftop battle breaks out between Kate, Clint, Maya, and Yelena. During the fight, Kateis pushed from the rooftopby Yelena. Unbeknownst to Clint, Yelena has clipped a harness to Kate’s belt, keeping her from falling to the streets below and suffering a major injury. Plagued with a horrible case of deja-vu, Clint dreadfully looks over the edge and surprisingly finds Kate dangling there out of harm’s way. As innocent as the result of Kate’s fall is, the image of Kate dangling from the side of the building forces Clint to relive the moment he saw Natasha in the same position inAvengers: Endgame.
The parallels between Kate’s fall and Natasha’s death continue in the dialogue and action that follow.InEndgame, Clint gripped Natasha tightlyin an attempt to save her from falling onto the rocky terrain below. Aware of what retrieving the soul stone costs, Natasha tells Clint to let her go. Naturally, Clint refuses, forcing Natasha to kick herself out of his grip. He is forced to watch helplessly as she falls onto the rocks below, suffering a gutwrenching death. InHawkeye’srecreation of the scene, Kate gazes up at Clint before asking him to pull her up. Her tone suggeststhat the logical choicewould be to pull her up so that they can continue fighting together. Kate’s suggestion clearly differs from Natasha’s sacrifice, though both women were placed in different life-altering situations. To further separate the moments (and to continue to advance Clint’s guilt), Clint decides to cut Kate loose in an effort to protect her. On Vormir, there was nothing he could’ve done to stop Natasha from making her choice.
The action and dialogue that followed Clint’s unfortunate spell of deja-vu aren’t the onlyEndgamereferences in this scene. Yelena’s decision to clip a harness to Kate without her knowledge is alsoa callback toEndgame. During Clint and Natasha’s battle with one another on Vormir, Natasha pulls a similar maneuver on Clint, keeping him from sacrificing himself for the soul stone. While Yelena and Kate do not share the same emotional bond that Natasha and Clint did, Yelena’s decision to guarantee Kate’s safety makes it clear that she has no intention of harming anyone that isn’t Clint. It also proves that despite her Widow background, she has made a heroic stride, much like Natasha. Should Kate continue to get in her way, Yelena’s feelings toward her may change.
The references toEndgamearen’t the only callbacks made in “Partners, Am I Right?” InKate’s impromptu holiday celebrationwith Clint, she asks him about the best shot he had ever taken. Clint responds by telling her it was the shot he didn’t take. He goes on to explain that it was when he was sent after Natasha and made the decision not to shoot her when he had the chance. While Katestruggles to fully understand Clint’s sentimentat first, she experiences the feeling firsthand by the end of the episode. Near the end of the battle on the roof, Yelena loses her mask. Kate is faced with a perfect opportunity to shoot Yelena with an arrow but ultimately chooses not to do so. Her decision not to shoot Yelena is enough to allow the assassin to climb over the side of the building, out of sight.
Despite its slow pace, the strategic callbacks throughout “Partners, Am I Right?” were the perfect way tointroduce Yelena into the mix. The conversation between Clint and Kate explains how he felt toward Natasha the moment he met her, which sets up Kate’s own initial impression of Yelena. Kate’s startling tumble over the side of the building also forces Clint to relive the unfortunate moment he watched Natasha fall to her death inEndgame,which reminds everyone of the emotional reason that Yelena is here.
