Caution: spoilers ahead for Hawkeye episode 5
Yelena Belova in episode 4, reports had episode 5 pinned as the real internet-breaker. Those rumors proved wholly accurate, as Hawkeye ticked two eagerly-anticipated gifts off MCU fans' Christmas lists - a one-on-one exchange between Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop and Florence Pugh's Yelena, and the official (second) debut of Vincent D'Onofrio as Kingpin.
Following the previous week's rooftop battle, Clint Barton resolves to end his business with Echo and the Tracksuit Mafia, donning the Ronin gear one last time to reveal the truth about her father's murder. Kate Bishop, meanwhile, languishes in the doldrums after getting benched by Barton. Watching Jack Duquesne get arrested improves Kate's mood, before a confrontation(?) with Yelena coaxes her back into the superhero fray. Reunited, Hawkeye and Kate (and their LARPer pals too) learn the situation has become even graver, with Eleanor Bishop and Wilson Fisk doing business in the shadows.
Hawkeye episode 5 is heavy on setup ahead of the Disney+ finale, but leaves no stone unturned on the never-ending hunt for MCU and Marvel Easter egg opportunities. Here are all the nods and references as Clint Barton finds himself needing a Christmas miracle to get home for the holidays.
Hawkeye's Black Widow Dialogue Flashbacks
Hawkeye episode 5 begins with snippets of audio from 2021's Black Widow movie. Yelena's voice recaps the red mist antidote used to undo the brainwashing inflicted upon Black Widow agents, while Scarlett Johansson's parting instruction that Yelena should liberate her fellow agents also plays over the snowy landscape.
A Movie Epilogue Follows Yelena After Black Widow
Before the episode proper, Hawkeye detours with a sequence that essentially acts as a Black Widow epilogue. The 2018 flashback begins with Yelena Belova and a second Black Widow (Sonya) spraying another assassin with the red antidote, which Black Widow featured as a MacGuffin. The speckled VFX on Ana's face mimics the same effect used on the big screen (or, indeed, Disney+), and the scene as a whole serves to complete Yelena's Black Widow journey. This time, however, the antidote fails because Ana isn't brainwashed after all. She's just filthy rich.
Hawkeye Continues To Explore MCU Character Blips
When half the universe disappeared in Hawkeye episode 5 shows events from Yelena's perspective. She disappears in Ana's bathroom shortly after the botched "rescue" and then returns 5 years later to find the former Black Widow has started a family and, for some strange reason, repainted her bathroom green. Hawkeye also confirms the widely-held assumption that Yelena was among Thanos' victims.
Ana's Adoption Line Highlights An MCU Blip Problem
When a stunned Yelena returns to greet an equally-stunned Ana, the new mother explains how she got married and adopted a child while Yelena was using the toilet. As established previously, Black Widow agents are deprived of their ability to bear children as part of their training. However, the line also alludes toward a wider snap problem the MCU has neglected thus far - kids left behind after their parents disappeared. During those intervening 5 years, adoption must've become far more common.
No Arrows In Hawkeye's Opening Logo
The Hawkeye title card in episodes 2 and 4 featured a pair of cartoon arrows firing into the letter "A," but for episodes 1, 3 and 5, the archery animation goes missing. The arrows seem to denote when a Hawkeye episode focuses squarely on Clint Barton and Kate Bishop's partnership. Episode 1 revolved around Kate alone, episode 3 was Echo's introduction, and episode 5 centers upon Yelena.
Hawkeye Posters In Kate Bishop's Bedroom
Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop makes little attempt to hide her Hawkeye fangirl status, and episode 5 reveals a selection of Clint Barton posters dotted around her old bedroom. The first sports a logo more reminiscent of Marvel's classic Hawkeye comics, and can be spotted while Eleanor cleans her daughter's wounds. The second is part of a magazine clipping titled "Hero Worship" and is pinned on Kate's noticeboard.
Yelena's Macaroni Love Comes From Black Widow
Most deadly intruders don't offer their target a hearty macaroni meal but, then again, Yelena Belova is not like most deadly intruders. Cooking up some pasta for herself and Kate Bishop, Yelena's love for macaroni traces back to the opening sequence from Black Widow, where the dish became one of her favorite meals growing up as an undercover agent in Ohio. Florence Pugh also drops the line, "My daddy says it's good for you," which pays tribute to David Harbour's Alexei Shostakov who also debuted in Black Widow, portraying the semi-fearsome Red Guardian.
Hawkeye & Grills Lived Together In The Marvel Comics
Having demanded Kate Bishop stop playing superhero, Clint Barton can't very well keep staying at her aunt's apartment. Needing somewhere to rest, Hawkeye turns to Grills - the LARPer he met in episode 2 played by Clayton English. Disney+'s Hawkeye is heavily influenced by Matt Fraction's comic book run, and Clint Barton living with Grills is another element borrowed from that series. Back then, Grills was one of Clint's neighbors, living in the same apartment building (but in separate rooms, mind).
Yelena References No Way Home's Statue Of Liberty
Describing all the New York tourist spots she intends to visit, Yelena namechecks the "new Statue of Liberty." This references Tom Holland's MCU return in Spider-Man: No Way Home, where the classic American landmark is being given an Avengers-themed upgrade, with Lady Liberty now in possession of Captain America's shield. Interestingly, the project in still under construction in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but Yelena implies the Statue of Liberty is once again open to the public, meaning Hawkeye must be set after Tom Holland's brush with the multiverse.
Yelena's Christmas Calls Back To Black Widow's Family Upbringing
Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova excitedly declares, "I love American Christmases... the tree, the presents..." While her festive spirit is certainly commendable, the line neatly pays off Black Widow's flashback scenes, where Natasha and her family were prepared for undercover duty by studying American culture and recreating family Christmases to their elaborate cover story. For most Black Widow agents, these fakes Christmases were the only ones they experienced as children, and despite the fallacy, Yelena and Natasha both treasured those memories into adulthood.