*A few Clint-Kate-related spoilers.*
It seems like the most I’ve ever been invested in Clint in the MCU is through his relationships: with Natasha, with Wanda, and now with Kate. When he’s interacting with one of these characters, he works for me in a way that he often doesn’t on his own.
Clint Barton is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent superspy who, in the face of alien invasions or robot armies, usually just puts his head down and gets the job down. It doesn’t bother him that he goes up against superpowered individuals armed with a bow and arrow. He doesn’t scare easily, is what I’m saying. But when he first meets Kate, it’s not an exaggeration to say she’s probably not far from his worst nightmare.
Where Clint is discreet, Kate is an enthusiastic wrecking ball. Where Clint is taciturn, Kate overflows with a zillion questions, and as soon as she has his phone number, she will leave him endless voicemails (psst—he’s hard-of-hearing, Kate. If you’re gonna bombard him with messages, text him!) Where Clint is serious, Kate is excitable. As she gloms onto him as Hawkeye’s #1 fan, you can practically see the dismay behind his eyes.
So at first glance, this seems like a classic odd-couple duo. They’re such different people, and it might appear like Kate’s goal in life is to aggravate Clint and get in his way. But it doesn’t take long for their “just leave me alone, kid” relationship to develop into something more important for the both of them. Even though Kate is very green in the field and often blunders in before she’s ready, she absolutely has Clint’s back and is always willing to learn and improve. Once she wheedles Clint into showing her the ropes, she proves a relatively quick study, and she helps him out of a tight spot more than once.
But it’s about more than just fighting alongside each other. At a time when Clint is chasing some ghosts from his past, away from his family and not sure if he can take care of everything before Christmas, Kate is there. She helps him through a phone call from his son after his hearing aid gets smashed in a fight. When he feels down about being away from home (but won’t admit that,) she makes him take a few hours off for them to get into the holiday spirit: wearing ugly sweaters, watching Christmas movies, and listening to holiday music as they make margaritas. Once the truth comes out about the Ronin, she doesn’t condemn him but listens to his regrets and assures him that he’s still her hero.
And
Clint could use a little of Kate’s energy and enthusiasm right now. The
Tracksuit Mafia’s vendetta against the Ronin is stirring up a lot from his
past, and he’s dwelling heavily on the loss of Natasha while also missing home.
Kate’s goofiness and warmth helps draw him out, which in turn allows him to let
her in. He becomes the mentor she craves, teaching her to be a better archer
and showing her some of the skills (both hard and soft) that go into being an
Avenger. By the end of the miniseries, it’s entirely believable that he’d
invite her to come home with him for Christmas, which, considering where they
start out, is quite the journey for both of them.
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