Marvel dropped all 5 episodes of its newest show, Echo, on Disney Plus on Jan. 9, 2024.
Echo tells the story of Maya Lopez and her entanglement with Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin - an infamous crime boss. The series focuses on Maya and her violent past and tendencies and her Native American heritage as part of the Choctaw Nation.
Though there are only five episodes in the entire series, the series does incredible groundwork to establish Echo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as plant the seeds for other upcoming works up Marvel Studios' sleeve. Though Hawkeye and Daredevil slightly tie into her story because of the Kingpin, you don't have to watch both shows to know what's going on - Echo does a pretty good job at explaining things on its own.
So, let's take a look at all five episodes of the MCU series and talk about them, and rank them from fifth to first place.
SPOILER WARNING FOR THOSE WHO DARE VENTURE PAST THIS SENTENCE: I will spoil the entire series for you if you haven't watched it yet. Do not read unless you don't care about spoilers.
Episode 1 - "Chafa"
We kick off with a mysterious scene where a bunch of people with what looks like clay for skin rise from water pools underground, like a super-secret club. They drink some ancient pool water (no, not your average pool party) and their hands mysteriously glow orange. But things go south really quickly as their hangout spot starts crumbling. They seem doomed, but don't forget that this is still a Marvel show – teleportation saves the day! They pop up in the wilderness, revealing themselves as Native Americans. Chafa, our lead character, steps up like the boss she is and they follow her.
Cut to Oklahoma, 2007. Sweet baby young Maya and her cousin Bonnie are soaking in this origin story. We see a heartwarming family scene with signing and bonding as we see Maya's parents and grandparents chatting by the fire while Maya and Bonnie play with shadows in their tent, but tragedy strikes. While going to the store for some hot chocolate, Maya and her mom get into a horrific car accident, caused by sabotaged brakes. This is also the accident in which Maya loses one of her legs and becomes an amputee. Who's the culprit behind all this sadness? The plot thickens.
Maya's life takes a dramatic turn. After getting an earful from his wife's mother, Maya's father whisks her away from her family to move to New York for a job, and she struggles to fit in. William, her father and a visibly sketchy character feeds her the tough-love speech about surviving in two worlds, hinting at his dicey dealings with Wilson Fisk - the infamous Kingpin.
Fast forward, and we see Maya, now with a prosthetic leg, owning the ring in a sparring match. Despite her pretty stoic face, she's got a storm brewing inside. I honestly wish I had the strength to look like nothing ever gets to me like she does, and I don't mean that in a bad way at all. She comes home just in time to witness a swordsman killing her father, and though she's late to save him, she's full of quiet rage at his funeral. Bonnie's supportive messages can't calm the storm inside Echo.
Then, in a bold move, Maya steals a bike from a dealership and goes on a destructive joyride, only to get arrested. But who comes to her rescue? None other than Kingpin, empathizing with her and offering her a way to channel her rage. Maya's new mission: join Fisk's goons to fend off a rival gang.
Enter Daredevil, and we're treated to a fight scene that's more dance than battle. Kingpin, however, is oddly impressed with Maya's skills and welcomes her into his "family." Has he been watching Fast and Furious? This ties into the events of Hawkeye, where Ronin (Hawkeye's emo alter ego) confesses to Maya that Kingpin had wanted her father dead. She then decides she's had enough and pulls the trigger on Kingpin, literally, taking him out of commission.
Maya's journey takes her back to Oklahoma, where we meet Biscuits - who is precious and must be protected at all costs - and we see a bit of the family life she's missed out on. She's also haunted by visions of her ancestors. She weirdly avoids Bonnie, which kind of irks me, and instead seeks out her uncle Henry, a staking rink DJ with connections - and is a horrible judge of character as he had one of the bad guys, Vickie, literally working under his roof for many years.
The episode ends with Henry refusing to help Maya do shady business involving exploding train carts and a shot of Kingpin still very much alive, breathing like he's Darth Vader, and recovering at a hospital.
Whoops.
Episode 1 ranking: Fifth place.
Episode 2 - "Lowak"
This second episode of Echo takes us on a journey, beginning with a nostalgic trip to 1200AD in Alabama. Here, we're treated to scenes of Native American tribes playing a game that kind of resembles lacrosse - but the tribe that loses has to give up the territory and move somewhere else. After an incredibly lengthy scene where we see one of the female players, Lowak, gets pretty tense about the match as she somehow ends up channeling the mystical power that Chafa, the first Choctaw, was given at the mystical underground pool. Lowak's tribe wins the game and they get to stay. Hooray!
With no explanation of why we saw what we saw, we fast forward to the present and find Maya waking up to a pleasant surprise - Biscuits waiting outside with a feast. Maya, ever the planner, hands over a shopping list and some cash to Biscuits, sending him off on an errand to the local store where he encounters Skully - their hilarious grandfather with a heart of gold. The entire scene in his shop is ridiculously entertaining and, sadly, pretty accurate.
Meanwhile, the plot thickens as Chula, Maya's grandmother, finds out Maya's in town as her family openly talks about her return. Chula, cautious yet curious, visits Henry at the skating rink to discuss the situation. Concerns are voiced, especially regarding Biscuits' impressionability under Maya's influence. Henry reassures her that Maya's just passing through town, stirring no trouble - but we all know better.
Cut to Maya, who decides it's time for action as she gets Biscuits to drive her to a certain spot. In a daring move, she jumps onto a moving train, performing a risky infiltration to plant some explosives that are headed straight to Fisk's men. But, of course, it's not all smooth sailing - her prosthetic leg gets stuck. Displaying her strength, channeling the mystic powers of her people as we get flashbacks of Chafa and Lowak, Maya frees herself and escapes, much to Biscuits' relief.
The plot takes a dark turn when the shipment Maya intercepted ends up in Fisk’s warehouse and the explosion ensues, causing chaos and presumably many casualties. Henry, learning about the explosion, urgently messages Maya for a talk. In a twist of events, Maya visits Skully, seeking repairs for her prosthetic leg and not even saying a thank you. Something that really bothers me in this show is how ungrateful Maya is towards her family, only using them as needed. Anyway, he tells her she should talk to her grandmother, as she can trace Maya's lineage all the way down to Chafa, the first Choctaw. Maya brushes it off and leaves, without ever saying thank you. Rude.
Meanwhile, Biscuits is being funny on the fire dispatch radio, joking with Bonnie - who is a firefighter. He slips up, accidentally revealing to Bonnie that Maya's in town. Drama escalates as Henry confronts Maya, accusing her of inciting war and chaos in their once-peaceful town. Maya stands her ground, claiming she knows what she's doing. But the question lingers - does she really?
The episode ends with Bonnie texting Maya, asking her why she's avoiding her, and that triggers Maya into shooting the swing set outside her old house - the one where she and Bonnie used to play together. Why so mad at Bonnie, Maya?
Episode 2 ranking: 4th place.
Episode 3 - "Tuklo"
The third episode opens with a black-and-white montage, throwing us back into Native American culture. Here, we explore the disparity between men and women in society, a theme reminiscent of the previous episode's focus on traditional games. The hero of the movie, Tuklo, decides to break away, braiding her hair in warrior fashion and joining the ranks of the Lighthorsemen. Guided by the same mystical powers Chafa and Lowak possessed, she shoots down the bad guys. This bold move leads her to vindicate her father's name and challenge societal norms.
We go back to the present, where Chula visits Skully to discuss Maya's return. Their banter is adorable and though they did divorce, things seem very amicable. The conversation is tinged with concern, especially over Biscuit's involvement and his wrecked car. Skully, maintaining his stoic demeanor despite having seen and talked to Maya, listens as Chula grumbles about listening to her granddaughter and tells her she should talk to her. When she declines, he suggests she listens to her for once instead.
Meanwhile, Maya's connection to her ancestors is visualized through vivid flashes, but these visions turn nightmarish when she finds herself kidnapped and bound in a skating rink. She's not alone in this - Henry is also captured, and Vickie, flanked by a middle-aged woman, watches over them. Unexpectedly, Bonnie arrives, sneaking in through a back door. She runs into Henry, who communicates the situation to her secretly in ASL. However, her attempt to call for help is thwarted, and she ends up captured alongside Maya. This entire sequence is so tense and so well done - and most definitely not for kids.
Resourceful as ever, Maya uses a concealed knife to free herself and Bonnie. As they plan their escape, they learn that Vickie, the guy who works for Henry at the skating rink and middleman in this plot, is expecting reinforcements. Preparing for a showdown, Maya improvises a weapon and plunges the rink into darkness.
What follows is a spectacular fight sequence. Maya confronts Vickie, who is negotiating with Kingpin's men. The situation escalates, leading to Vickie being shot in the head by Zane, Kingpin's ruthless enforcer. Maya, seizing the opportunity, engages the soldiers in a fight, displaying her combat skills. In a tense moment, Zane captures Bonnie, forcing Maya to yield. But an unexpected phone call to Zane changes the course of events, allowing Maya, Henry, and Bonnie to escape unharmed. Henry reveals a shocking truth to Maya: Kingpin is back and Henry is ready and willing to help her confront this new threat.
In a heartwarming gesture, Skully provides Maya with a new prosthetic leg and advises her to reconcile with Chula. Again, she doesn't even thank him. Amidst these personal developments, Maya decides to return home, only to find a nice surprise – Kingpin himself is waiting for her.
Episode 3 ranking: 2nd place.
Episode 4 - "Taloa"
The fourth episode takes us on a ride through time and emotions, starting with a flashback to 2008. Young Maya leaves school and encounters an unpleasant scene. A vendor mocks her deafness, which doesn't sit well with Uncle Fisk. He takes matters into his own hands, quite literally, and leaves the guy in a sorry state next to some garbage cans. Maya witnesses this brutal act and, surprisingly, adds her own kicks to the bloodied man. Fisk seems pretty impressed as he takes her hand and they walk away together.
Back to 2021, Maya's training shifts from theory to practice. A tense scene follows, where Fisk tells Maya her final lesson has been learned and dismisses the trusty ASL interpreter he hired to help him communicate with Maya. The interpreter is then shot and killed, as Fisk tells Maya that the only person they can trust is each other.
And just like that, we go back to the present, to the exact moment Kingpin surprises her outside her home. In yet another tense scene, Kingpin presents Maya with a special contact lens, a techy way to translate his words into sign language - which doesn't require an interpreter. They have a somewhat awkward-but-funny-but-still-tense "family dinner", a throwback to the good ol' old times. Kingpin, observing Maya's life, makes her an offer she's tempted to refuse: join him in New York and become a “Queenpin”. Vincent D'Onofrio, the actor who plays Kingpin, is phenomenal.
Meanwhile, Maya and Chula are simultaneously swept into mystic Native American visions, revealing more of their deep-rooted connections and truths. Henry, worried for Maya, brings her straight to her grandmother. After an awkward reunion, Chula shares her own past experiences and points to an unbreakable mother-child bond, and that Maya's mother, Taloa, was a healer. She blames Maya's father for past tragedies, but Maya's not ready to hear it and storms off. THEY ARE SO MUCH ALIKE AND STUBBORN.
The climax hits when Maya confronts Fisk at a hotel. Pointing a gun at him, she's frustrated by his failure to learn sign language, seeing it as a facade for his true intentions to manipulate her. In a dramatic gesture, Fisk offers Maya the same hammer he used on his own father, symbolizing a chance for her to break free. But Maya refuses to play his game. The episode wraps up with Maya choosing to leave everything behind. Fisk, alone in his jet, realizes his error too late and loses his temper. It's a somewhat predictable yet still exciting end to an episode full of twists, emotions, and revelations.
Episode 4 ranking: 3rd place.
Episode 5 - "Maya"
We start with another flashback, this time to Maya's childhood. We see her hit a woodpecker with a rock and bring it to her mother, claiming she didn't mean to hurt the bird but to only see if she could hit it from a distance. Her mother explains to her that "we don't harm living things", and tells her some Choctaw teachings. Taloa, Maya's mother, then heals the bird and we are forced to witness the car accident scene all over again.
And here we are, back to the present. We see Chula visit Skully at his store, looking for an old sewing machine. After some flirty moments, he gives it back to her and she goes about her business. She then goes to the postal office and bumps into none other than Kingpin. Since she doesn't know who he is, they strike up a conversation about the Choctaw powow happening later tonight. He sees her necklace - it has the ASL sign for "I love you" on it. She reveals she learned it for her daughter but, since she's gone, she maintains it for her granddaughter, Maya. But he already knows that.
Despite leaving town in episode 4, Maya heads back to Tamaha after receiving texts from Biscuits mentioning that Bonnie and Chula are both missing. A woodpecker's arrival reminds her of her mother's childhood lesson about the Biskinik seen in the beginning of the episode, signaling danger nearby. She goes home trying to find Chula but instead has a vision of her mother, who reveals a family legacy of special women with supernatural strength. This vision empowers Maya, connecting her to her Choctaw roots and the strong women in her lineage. Maya gets a new red suit designed by Chula, symbolizing her Choctaw heritage and honoring her ancestors. This suit is so much more than just a costume - it's a part of her newfound powers.
This is also when we learn where the name Echo comes from. Maya's mother tells her she's not alone, and that those who came before her echo through her. Maya is the echo of all the powerful women in the lineage, and she's able to channel them because they are one with her. And, without warning, the vision of her mother disappears again. We see Maya attend the powwow, dressed in the beautiful new red suit we saw her mother give her. She blends in with the dancers in a gorgeous scene, spotting where she needs to go thanks to the trusty woodpecker, or Biskinik. The scene quickly shifts to Henry and Biscuits talking about weapons and strategy - and Biscuits is still as precious and funny as always.
We're not surprised when Kingpin appears to confront Maya, and we learn that he has both Chula and Bonnie held hostage. During their confrontation, he uses Bonnie to interpret so they can talk since Maya threw away the special contact he'd given to her. The fact he makes Bonnie sign to Maya that he's going to kill her entire family is savage.
As Maya finally understands the assignment, she channels the power of all the women who came before her, telling Bonnie to just trust her. Maya transfers her powers to Bonnie and Chula, helping them fight Kingpin's men and break free. Biscuits destroys two of the bad guys' vans by driving over them with his new monster truck, while Henry completely ruins Zane's plans of attacking the event by shooting him instead. Then, Maya faces Kingpin, using her energy to confront him emotionally rather than physically.
Kingpin experiences a vision where he chooses not to repeat a violent act from his past. This encounter with Maya seems to change him, making him less violent, though he manages to escape before the police arrive. This is the big lesson here - people can change. One can break free from the cycle of violence, of abuse.
The episode wraps up with Maya and her family enjoying a "Fast and Furious"-style cookout, working to find peace and trust after these crazy events.
The post-credit scene
What a wonderful scene to leave us craving more and begging the gods of Marvel to hurry up and bring forth Daredevil: Born Again. Kingpin, now seemingly more empathetic, listens to a news report about the open race for New York mayor. This hints that Maya's actions might actually fuel Kingpin's political ambitions.
With The Man Without Fear's return imminent, it looks like the old rivals will face off in New York City once again. What's more is that it looks like the series may take some cues from Devil's Reign and feature the Kingpin as the Mayor of the city.
Episode 5 ranking: 1st place.