By: Jacob Doughty
The brand-new Marvel miniseries, “Echo”, follows the events established in Hawkeye (2021), delving into the journey of Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) as she struggles with the shadows of her past. Once the former leader of the “Tracksuit Mafia,” a group that worked under New York City’s notorious crime lord, Wilson Fisk, alias “Kingpin” (Vincent D’Onofrio), Maya embarks on a new mission to leave her past behind, hopeful for the chance to start a new path forward. Alongside the pursuit for redemption, she discovers the significance of family ties, undergoes personal growth, and learns more about her Native American heritage.
Echo’s main narrative diverges away from the city environment for some time and shifts its focus more on Oklahoma, specifically the Choctaw reservation, where Maya is given a chance to rekindle some relationships between her relatives and long-lost friendships. As the story unfolds, viewers are offered deeper insights into Maya’s past, particularly her relationship with her father, William Lopez, played by Zahn McClarnon. However, Maya’s attempts to distance herself from her former life and boss, Kingpin, are swiftly challenged when she discovers that his criminal empire extends even to her hometown.
As tensions escalate towards the series finale, Maya, driven by a determination to confront the pervasive influence of Kingpin, boldly sabotages one of the armed shipments. Anticipating the criminals’ response to the incident, Maya sparks a series of intense conflicts, harsh reprisals from Kingpin’s formidable henchmen. This decision to defy the criminal empire and disrupt their operation not only puts Maya at the forefront of a perilous battle, but also exposes her family to an imminent threat.
Personally, while Echo marks Marvel’s first TV-MA rated show, depicting a raw and gritty narrative centered around a former Native American assassin wanting to return to her former life and family, I find it lacking with its narrative coherence and potential. Although the show offers a more grounded reality compared to other series and movies produced by Marvel, regardless of the strong use of CGI in some scenes, this show is still equipped with well-choreographed, action-packed moments and characters that make believable decisions. Except for the main protagonist herself.
Overall, I found myself feeling confused with many moments throughout the episodes, considering the choices Maya made as a character. It appeared that Maya acted recklessly at times, disregarding the consequences for herself and her family. She seemed to take her own actions lightly, having been a former assassin, and endangered herself and those close to her without acknowledging the risks. She continued to do this throughout the show while simultaneously seeking help from people without a proper explanation or showing even an ounce of appreciation. Additionally, Maya frequently sought out help from others without offering proper explanations or showing appreciation. It became evident that her choices often impacted those around her more than herself as each episode concluded.