Echo Series Review: It’s been a while since Marvel Cinematic Universe has truly made its fandom go ‘wow’. Since the phase four inception, there are only a handful of titles that have stood out. Marvel Studios’ new series Echo is on the verge of being one of them. A spin-off on Maya Lopez, first introduced in Hawkeye, Echo puts forward the story of an anti-hero played by Alaqua Cox.
A native American by birth, Maya has a hearing disability and has a prosthetic leg but that doesn’t stop her from being a badass. Having first met her in Hawkeye, we already knew that Maya was wounded and vulnerable. The spin-off picks off from that tangent and branches into several intricate subplots which helps Echo stand out.
Having seen three of the five episodes of the Disney+ Hotstar series, I can only describe the series as a slow-cooked meal that offers a variety of flavours and textures. Echo starts with callbacks to Maya’s introduction in Hawkeye. In an attempt to make the series stand out on its own, the makers pack in ample flashback scenes in the first episode from Hawkeye.
For those who’ve not seen Hawkeye, the flashbacks provide the context behind her rage and her motives. However, for those who’ve seen it, like me, it felt like most parts of the episodes were just recaps. It wasn’t until the second half of the episode that I could truly sink my teeth into the series. Echo serves as a great example of how to blend an anti-hero story that boasts of diversity and political history. Marvel scores high on the representational front in Echo. This adds several layers to the series, allowing it to break away from MCU’s recent trademark troupes and truly explore a story.
Kudos to the writers for putting together a strong, rich backstory while engrossing us. However, the writing does not keep you hooked from the word get-go. The series has its highs and lows, pace and thrills-wise. Echo offers a certain freshness and rawness that has not been seen in an MCU series in a very long time. However, due to the uneven writing, the pace takes a hit, especially in the second episode. You find yourself waiting to hit the high that you felt in the first episode and the wait gets a tad bit long.
Some scenes are written to wrap up quickly, others take time to brew and it impacts the story flow. Given that it’s only five episodes, the first three take their time to find its grounding. I hope that this doesn’t result in a rushed climax.
Nevertheless, the writing is well supported by the actors. Leading her first project, Alaque has a strong screen presence that makes it tough to take your eyes off her. It is difficult to believe this is just her second acting project of her life. She is brilliantly supported by Chaske Spencer and a hilarious Cody Lightning. They help her navigate scenes – from drama to comedy. I wish to see more of Tantoo Cardinal, hopefully in the final two episodes.
Echo was highly publicised as Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) and Daredevil’s (Charlie Cox) return to the MCU. The first three episodes have limited screen time for them. However, the fight between Daredevil and Maya is insane. I watched that scene thrice, once as an overall view and twice to see them individually because both of them were amazing in the scene.
The action scenes in the other portions of the series are also praise-worthy. Another detail that caught my attention was the use of sound and silence in crucial scenes featuring Maya. I want to applaud the creators for including those mute scenes. Those scenes let you get up close and personal with Maya and her struggle with her hearing disability.
I’m glad that Marvel Studios chose to drop all episodes at once instead of its weekly routine. Owing to the pace issue, if this series had split into weekly releases, it might have not sustained the audience’s attention. With the season release, Echo serves as the perfect binge-worthy series.
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