Don’t be deceived when people tell you that Marvels new show, “Echo” is like the others. It is in a different location, the writing is paced different and the overall atmosphere are a total different change than anything we’ve seen. This is a nice change, it even somehow manages to be different than the 2021 show “Miss Marvel” which some like and others didn’t. I believe this show will have the same amount of levity in that regard. In this show, we are viewing the world as Maya Lopez played excellently by Alaqua Cox. She resides in New York. Yet under certain circumstances I’m avoiding going into due to spoilers, she travels to Tamaha Oklahoma. As someone who lives relatively close to this town, it was quite nice to see someone who lives in the same realm as the Avengers, doing Avengers things so close to where I live but that is strictly bias. Regardless, she travels their and re-connects with her heritage and culture via past lives. In prior lives, she has trained and become a warrior with the ability to use super strength. What is interesting however, is that while Daredevil has enhanced senses, yet cannot see, it is established VERY early on, Maya AKA “Echo” has enhanced senses, yet cannot hear. She is mute yet communicates with sign language. This brings up an issue I have with the show that is detected early on, as if you have seen any of the John Wick films, (while drastically different than this) I do wish it was handled in that regard where subtitles where incorporated into the film itself. This show does not show subtitles, leaving the audience to sort of figure it out for themselves. While this works in the first 2 to 3 episodes, by the final fifth episode it makes the story somewhat hard to follow. While Disney+ has excellent subtitles as always, for someone with slow internet, it would not correspond correctly and was very hard to follow. Around the 5th episode very important plot elements occurred which I did not understand at all because the subtitles where down. Something that could have been fixed easily with a CGI approach of words on the screen. Similar to what the John Wick franchise did, especially in the third film. Speaking of action scenes, every one in this show from the first episode, all the way to the final fifth episode, are done EXCELLENT. It makes the show worth the watch. If nothing else, the action scenes make this show worth watching alone. One in a roller skating rink, to my personal favorite, the battle between Daredevil and Echo in the first episode. Speaking of Daredevil, he’s not in this, their is ONE SCENE with him. It is very much Maya’s story. What is interesting however is the antagonist of the film is Wilson Fisk. Episode 3 ends with a large cliffhanger, as he at one point was Echo’s guardian. This makes a very interesting and tense approach to the hero vs. villain dynamic. A very “outside of the box” approach to the extremely over used, good guy vs. bad guy dynamic, that is saturating the super hero market nowadays via “Superhero fatigue.” I will say, the scene with Daredevil is done perfect and at the very least watch the first episode to see everyone’s favorite lawyer again. I’m getting chills typing this just thinking about how excellently handled the character is done in this show. As far as my biggest complaint with the show, it’s very hard to follow, your so focused on the plot which is derivative of the action scenes complimenting it, all the way until the final episode, which makes the ending a bit mediocre, leaving a sour taste in the audiences mouth. Every action scene is near perfect, yet every plot scene is very much not, and theirs a lot of plot points. The plot is interesting enough to hold the show together but in the end, your really just wanting to get to the next fight scene, making each interaction between the characters feel like a drag. In the end, Echo is a enjoyable watch, but not a stand out. The plot is forgettable but the action is not. I’m going to give Echo, a 5 out of 10.
