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The finale of Echo is here giving us a set up for Daredevil: Born Again, Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) political aspirations, plus a beautiful and powerful redemption arc for Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox). The episode starts off in the past, Maya as a child wounds a bird with a slingshot. She brings the bird to her mother hoping she can help the bird. She tells Maya that we aren’t to harm living things. Maya’s mother uses her healing powers to save the bird.
Back to present day Chula (Tantoo Cardinal) goes to see Skully’s (Graham Greene) pawn shop to reclaim her sewing machine to finish an important project. Chula runs into Kingpin at the Post Office, where he learns that she is Maya’s Grandmother. Stopping at a Roxxon gas station, Maya gets a text from Biscuits (Cody Lightning) asking if she’s seen Bonnie (Devery Jacobs) or Chula.
MAYA BECOMES ECHO
Maya is visited by the spirit of her mother Taloa (Katarina Ziervogel) who brings her back to the car case where she lost her life, helping to heal Maya of her trauma and move forward looking to heal rather than fight. Taloa reminds her that her and their ancestors echo through Maya, finally giving her a superhero name. Maya then finds the costume Chula crafter for her and she finally accepts her heritage and moves on from the violent isolation Kingpin always pushed on her.
At the pow-wow Kingpin’s men are waiting for Maya to arrive as she sneaks in along with the traditional dancers. Maya comes face to face with Kingpin once again, where he uses Bonnie to interpret for them. Again, using the sound design to see this interaction from Maya’s perspective with no sound was a beautiful choice.
WHEN I WAS A BOY
With the power of her ancestors behind her she brings Fisk to his knees with her newfound powers. She attempts to heal his heart, eye and childhood trauma. She takes him back to the infamous white wall he was forced to stare at as a boy when his father would beat his mother. The wall is cracked and fractures, just like his childhood.
Back in reality Kingpin still has his scar, seemingly not accepting Maya’s healing of his heart. But I think this moment did change him. The fact this series chose to have Maya fight Fisk with his trauma rather than with physical violence was a genius move. Especially seeing the last time they faced off violently, he survived a gunshot to the head.
THE KING’S NEW BEGINNING
Maya plants roots back in Oklahoma joining a family barbecue, Fast and Furious style. In the post credit scene we see Kingpin heading back to New York while a news broadcast reveals that the candidacy for Mayor is still vacant. That the people want someone who’s not afraid to get their hands dirty. Perfectly setting Fisk up as the big bad for Daredevil: Born Again, Spider-Man 4 and beyond.
While the pacing issues held this series back from being an absolute home run, this series was still very important. Flooded with beautiful Choctaw inclusion and a spiritual redemption arc for a badass character that will likely play a major role in the street level MCU for years to come. A beautiful journey of family and heritage used to heal rather than harm that was the perfect starting part for the dark, mature corner of the MCU.
