The Marvel Cinematic Universe has returned with an unlikely gem in its new series: Echo. With the series being the tenth series apart of the MCU, Echo follows the aftermath of the 2022 series, Hawkeye. Following Maya Lopez, former assassin and adopted daughter of the villain Kingpin, as she returns home after deep emotional circumstances changed the landscape of her already convoluted life. Now home in Tamaha, Oklahoma, Maya must come to terms with her past as she reconnects with her native american roots and estranged family.
Stylistically this story takes fun liberties to portray Native American roots which is refreshing in the landscape of visual storytelling. Taking inspiration from silent films, black and white films, and many different Native American traditions, this story weaves intelligent storytelling elements and historical accuracy to create a heavily personal story for both its character and its audience.
Because the main character is deaf, there’s a lot of visual storytelling in the show. Many characters know and communicate with ASL, and facial expressions feel more impactful now that there are many moments when characters can’t communicate by speaking. The lead actress, Alaqua Cox, who is also deaf, does an especially great job of conveying what Maya is thinking through her mannerisms alone.
Echo’s main draw is its incredibly choreographic and action-packed fight scenes. Whether using weapons, hand-to-hand combat, or marksmanship, the action portion of this show was incredible and on the better side of combat in the MCU. A specific moment that really stood out was when Alaqua Cox’s character kills her first person. In the midst of her incredibly wild first interaction in the criminal underground, Maya has to result to choking a man out in a guillotine choke. The scene conveys a lot of the character’s emotion as the scene begins to lose audio showing her attacker’s heartbeat fade, and the cracking sound of his neck.
Echo is Marvel’s first television show under the “Marvel Showcase” banner, a description for its newer set of TV shows focused more on character-driven story telling. With this new device for storytelling in the wider MCU, I feel like Marvel Showcase is a great way to introduce and portray a character without giving them an entire focused movie. Despite this, I think this show has a few faults that hold it back.
Even though the show is unique in the way it tells the story, it hardly feels like a show at times because of its brisk, five-episode length. A lot of plot points, especially having to do with the motivation of the villains, are glossed over, leaving the show feeling half-baked. Also, the show was marketed as the first R-rated MCU TV show, but aside from the action scenes, it’s not hard to tell that the show is very family-centric. This leads to a lot of clash with the show’s tone, since it feels like it can’t decide between being a serious crime drama or a campy superhero story.
All in all, Echo seems like a rushed fragment of what could’ve been; but out of what we got it can only described as heartfelt, genuine, and occasionally brutal.
