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After a pair of emotional confrontations in Echo's fourth episode, things come to a head in the season finale as Maya Lopez and Wilson Fisk face off with the safety of Maya's family and her home hanging in the balance. It brings to an end a series that kicks off what looks to be the MCU's most sparse release calendar in years, with only one film set to release in theaters and one other live-action series planned for Disney+.
*Warning: This article contains spoilers for Echo Season 1, Episode 5*
Recap
The finale opens on Chula, who has stopped by Skully's pawn shop to see if he still has a sewing machine she gave up to him after her daughter's car accident. Along with the sewing machine, the two appear to even start rekindling the romance they once had before the car accident that led to Maya and her father leaving Tamaha.
Chula's day continues on as normal at her post office job when, unknowingly to her, she encounters Wilson Fisk.
Meanwhile, Maya has left Tamaha ahead of the annual Choctaw Powwow where Biscuits is helping out. Zane, however, arrives at the Powwow posing as a tourist while Biscuits is left wondering where Chula and Bonnie are. He texts Maya shortly after to ask if she's heard from either of them, inadvertently alerting her that Fisk is up to something and everyone is in danger.
Maya rushes to Chula's home, only to find herself greeted by the spirit of her mother. Her mother reveals the true depth of Maya's connection to their ancestors, all the way back to the first Choctaw Chafa, and how the women of this family have served as protectors of the tribe that can call on the echoes of her ancestors in times of need.
The episode then cuts to the Powwow, which has started with tourists in town to witness the festivities, many of which are shown to be Fisk's men posing as volunteers while other wait for orders to gun down the gathering. Despite trying to find her, Maya is able to get into the Powwow donning the suit Chula had been making to represent Maya's connection to her ancestors.
Henry arrives shortly after, aware of the potential danger, and enlists Biscuits to help protect the people from whatever Fisk may be planning.
Maya splits off from the festivities and discovers Fisk, along with several of his men, waiting in one of the storage buildings on the festival grounds. He reveals Chula and Bonnie are being held hostage, leading to another heated exchange between himself and Maya where Fisk admits his role in the death of Maya's father.
Just as Fisk order's his men to attack Maya, she uses her powers to fight back, even imbuing Bonnie and Chula with the strength and skill to fight off Fisk's other henchmen. Henry and Biscuits take care of Fisk's other henchmen, as well, with Henry managing to quietly shoot Zane before he can fire an RPG into the central fairgrounds while Biscuits uses Chula's “improved” truck to crush the two vans carrying Fisk's other gunmen.
After fighting off his men, Maya turns her healing powers on Fisk to go inside his mind and discover the source of his pain. She tries to help free him from the painful memories of his abusive father, showing she still cares for her adopted uncle, though it isn't clear how successful Maya was in doing so. It is enough, though, for Fisk and his surviving men to flee the Powwow, with the rest of town and visitors none the wiser.
The following days, Maya reflects on her life in Tamaha when she appears to be heading out of town again. She instead arrives at a small family gathering at Chula's home, where Maya and her grandmother fully reconcile and embrace to bring Maya's story to a close.
As for Fisk, it is made clear the Kingpin has new plans to reassert his dominance in New York City once he is back home.
Review
On the whole, episode five is a strong sendoff to Echo due to the series' relatively short length not leaving room for any kind of filler. The most finale has to offer is at the very first scene between Chula and Skully, and even this serves as a purpose by closing their narrative thread with their relationship seemingly rekindled.
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It does, however, reinforce an idea that perhaps Echo could have been better with an additional one or two episodes. Some of the season's more emotional sequences aren't allowed to breath or sink in because of the five episode structure, which meant the narrative just had to keep moving forward. This isn't to say what director Sydney Freeman and the team behind Echo put out a subpar series, but rather the series could have had more emotional punch by diving deeper into some of Maya's familial relationships in one more episode.
That said, what the team put to screen delivers wholly thanks, in large part, to the performance of series star Alaqua Cox. Since making her acting debut in Hawkeye, Cox has been a standout who proves she can more than hold her own in scenes against established names such as Vincent D'Onofrio and Jeremy Renner, even outshining them at times.
Outshining D'Onofrio in some of their scenes is impressive considering Echo was a return to form for the actor, who seemingly picked Kingpin up right where he left the character off at the end of Daredevil season three. He reminded audiences why they became enraptured with his take on the Kingpin of New York City during his time on the Netflix shows which, in turn, reaffirmed what is to come for the character in future MCU appearances.
Speaking of which.
Ending Explained
The final scene of Echo sees Fisk on his private jet heading back to New York City, still reeling from the encounter with Maya and anxious to reaffirm his hold on his criminal empire. However, his interest is peaked by a New York City newscast talking about the upcoming mayoral elections, the lack of a real frontrunner, and voters desire for a “fighter” or “outsider” that can shake up the establishment. The gears begin to turn in Fisk's head as the screen cuts to black.
This mid-credits scene serves as the direct setup for Daredevil: Born Again, which will see the titular hero and Fisk attempt to put the rivalry to the side for the sake of New York City. Fisk's mayoral aspirations will be a central point of the series, though it remains to be seen how his criminal activities and conflict with Daredevil could end up harming these political hopes.
Should you stream Echo season 1 episode 5?
The season finale of Echo is a worthwhile watch that brings the relatively short series to a satisfying conclusion.
In a universe of planet-destroying demigods and multiverse-jumping oddities, Echo was a reminder that some of the most worthwhile stories to tell, even in comics, are ones that feel like they could be happening in someone's hometown. Add to this a cast of strong performances led by a revelation in Alaqua Cox, and viewers have a worthwhile series to enjoy to ring in 2024.
Echo is available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu.
