Is Hawkeye a Christmas show?

Does Hawkeye take place during the Christmas season?

While the trailers and teasers of Hawkeye essentially answered this, after watching the first two episodes it seems that the answer to this is pretty straightforward. Yes! Hawkeye certainly takes place over the Christmas season. First, there’s all the marketing. The promo images for the show are heavy in references to Christmas, whether it be Christmas lights or the red/green color scheme. The music in the trailers and teasers have also winked at the holiday season as well.

But let’s dive into the first two episodes to understand more. We know for sure that we’re in the holiday season by how New York looks — it’s winter, there are Christmas decorations all around town, and the Barton family go take a look at the most New York Christmas time tradition: the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Christmas has practically thrown up in New York City. Still, all those things could mean that Hawkeye is taking place in December, which isn’t inherently “Christmas”. They are closely tied together, but December doesn’t automatically mean Christmas.

It’s a conversation between Clint and Lila, his daughter (and later between Clint and his wife), that seals the deal. Clint promises his daughter that he’ll be home in time for Christmas, which comes up again when he talks with his wife, Laura. It’s in that conversation that we know the exact time frame we’re in—the week leading up to Christmas day.

It’s official—Hawkeye takes place not only during the Christmas season but the week leading up to the holiday. Christmas is a motivator for our protagonist — he’s got to put an end to this Ronin business and get home to… hold that thought for just a moment.