Hawkeye Ep 5 Takeaways: Florence Pugh's Yelena takes center stage, a MAJOR reveal leaves us on a cliffhanger

*SPOILERS ALERT* Marvel's latest show, Hawkeye is getting fiercely intriguing with each new episode and now that we have already reached the penultimate episode, the picture is getting clearer by the day and we are finally coming closer to finally meet the big baddie, the Kingpin after he has been teased all through the season. The fifth episode of Hawkeye titled Ronin released on December 15 and well, it might as well have been one of the most exciting episodes of the season.

With only one episode to go until it's the big finale of Hawkeye, it looks like the makers packed the penultimate episode with all possible elements that make for an adventurous watch, enough to make it hard to look away from the screens. After Florence Pugh's Yelena was debuted in the final glimpse of the fourth episode, in the follow-up, she takes center-stage as the episode begins with her flashback which also answers one of the biggest questions that several fans had after watching Black Widow. 

Here are five takeaways from Hawkeye Episode 5:

Yelena Belova's fate during the blip 

Hawkeye's penultimate episode begins with Yelena's (Florence Pugh) flashback from before the events of Avengers: Endgame. While she's still trying to save Black Widows all across the globe with the antidote as seen in the Black Widow film, it's during the same that Yelena finds herself returning back five years after the blip in the same house that she disappeared from. On her return, her first reaction is to reach out to her sister Natasha (Scarlett Johansson) before learning that she is no more. So, finally the question that had left many fans curious of whether Yelena had survived the blip gets answered here. 

The Kate Bishop - Yelena Belova exchange 

Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop and Pugh's Yelena come face to face again in the new episode but unlike their last meet which was action-filled, this time the duo share a conversation over a macaroni. While Kate continues to defend Clint (Jeremy Renner) whom Yelena holds responsible for her sister's death, a major revelation happens after Kate finds out that Belova is not acting out of revenge but has been hired to kill Barton. One of the best moments in this scene is also the line where Yelena asks what's the meaning of the word "Avenger" and then says, "We are what we do."

Clint's emotional message for Natasha 

While it may take a while for Yelena to see it, Clint is beyond a broken man after losing Natasha and the fifth episode offers a poignant insight into their relationship. Before Barton decides to wear his costume of Ronin again and this time face Maya Lopez, he stands at the Battle of New York’s memorial site and tells Natasha how much he misses her and how he will do always do right by her after the big sacrifice she made. 

Kate and Clint are 'sort of' a team again 

After the fourth episode saw Clint asking Kate to stay out of his mess after things went beyond his control while fighting off both Maya and Yelena, Bishop redeems her position as Clint's protege again by turning up at a crucial moment to his rescue. It's a delight to see them back together as Kate continues to yap her way into returning as his partner. 

The BIG reveal 

After being teased from get-go, the series finally offers a glimpse of the Kingpin, who is the big baddie that Clint has been trying to get away from. Interestingly, it is revealed that Kate's mother Eleanor (Vera Farmiga) also happens to be holding some major secrets as Yelena reveals that she was hired by her to get rid of Clint. The cliffhanger ending seems perfect for the penultimate episode as it makes us even more eager for the finale. 

Which episode of Hawkeye has left you most impressed so far? Share your views with us in the comments below. 

ALSO READ: Hawkeye Ep 4 Takeaways: Clint Barton & Kate Bishop's 'partnership' struggles as an unexpected visitor arrives