It doesn’t have the immediate hook of Loki’s time-bending story or WandaVision’s surreal take on sitcoms. It also stars arguably the most forgettable of all the Avengers, one who is getting a big spotlight while other, more notable characters get movies that come years too late.
The two are forced together after Kate dons the costume of a vigilante known as the Ronin — formerly worn by Clint — putting her in the crosshairs of some very dangerous people.
The story is structured a bit like a detective story, at least at first, with the two investigating a bunch of shady people connected to the Ronin.
It’s unexpected primarily because, since the launch of Disney Plus and the new wave of MCU streaming series that came with it, the fate of the Netflix shows and characters has been a source of much debate.
The reveals hit a little harder if you know what’s already happened — I would recommend at least watching Black Widow first — but otherwise, the background knowledge isn’t strictly necessary to understand that Kingpin is a mob mastermind, and Yelena is a charming assassin.
There are maybe a few too many threads happening concurrently, though, particularly towards the end.
It works as a standalone story, a fun romp through Christmas in New York, while also weaving in multiple threads from various other Marvel stories and setting up at least two more.