Tonight, all five episodes of Echo—the latest Marvel TV series—will be available to watch on Disney+. You won't see any reviews ahead of time, because the embargo doesn't lift until the moment the episodes drop: 9 p.m. EST/6:00 p.m. PST. If you're a pessimist, you could take that as a bad sign. After all, why wouldn't Disney allow reviews to go up ahead of the drop date unless they were afraid of negative coverage?
Then again, Disney did give critics access to the first three episodes, which they likely wouldn't have done if Echo was a complete dumpster fire. Also, the studio is allowing social media impressions to go up earlier. They're already all over Twitter/X. So what do the people who have seen Echo early think about it? Let's take a tour of their opinions:
- MT: "It's...intriguing. While it can feel a little slow at times, the fight sequences are dope. VERY wise to release it all at once IMO. Don't go in expecting to watch Daredevil."
"Intriguing" could be taken as a polite euphemism for "bad." But there are plenty of unambiguously good impressions out there. For example:
- Samuel Leggett Jr: "Saw the first 3 Episodes of & I’ve got to say its SO GOOD! It is raw not just in tone & violence but with character depth, emotion, & connection. Some of the Better Non-CG Action TV Disney has ever done! If you loved the older Netflix Marvel films this may be up your alley!"
- Adam Hlaváč: "The first three episodes of ECHO play like a continuation of what many came to love from the Netflix era of Marvel. The action sequences are done very well, the character work is solid, and I think the MA rating was a good choice done tastefully here. Really enjoying it so far."
- Anthony • The Movie Podcast: "#Echo is BRUTAL, UNFLINCHING & RELENTLESS. Alaqua Cox & Vincent D’Onofrio bring a level of RAWNESS and DEPTH to the MCU not seen since the Daredevil series. Its storytelling is intricate and captivating, while the action is rich & ruthless, making it the first must-watch of 2024."
- K.E.V.I.N. Fenix: "#Echo brings back that Marvel grit that has been missing since the Netflix series have ended. It is a refreshing reminder that there are many other, darker and rougher, facets of the MCU yet to be explored. Alaqua Cox kills it as Echo/Maya Lopez in many senses of the word."
- Mark: "I was fortunate enough to get the chance to screen the first 3 episodes of this past week. Alaqua Cox seamlessly conveys Maya Lopez’s pain, anger and ambition through non-verbal communication. The show’s use of ASL is truly fantastic. Looking forward to seeing how it ends!"
Echo fights in Echo
Those aren't bad! People are praising the action scenes, the character depth, and the use of ASL; the hero of the show, Maya Lopez, is deaf. We last saw her in Hawkeye, when she shot her boss Kingpin in the head...or at least that's what it looked like. Apparently he survived, because plenty of impressions mention Vincent D'Onofrio's performance as the villain, whom he first started playing back on Netflix's Daredevil TV show. Charlie Cox will also show up as Daredevil, although this is mostly Echo's show, so don't expect them to play huge roles:
- Erik Swann: "After watching , I'd be lying if I said it wasn't great to see Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin and Charlie Cox's Daredevil again. They don't play big roles early on, but fans will be pleased nonetheless. And I know fans are going to be debating Maya and DD's fight."
So Echo and Daredevil will fight at some point! I wonder if Disney is upset about this spoiler dropping this early. I guess we'll all find out about it in a few hours anyway.
Let's end with a few middle-of-the-road impressions. According to these critics, Echo is a good show, but a bit slow:
- Richard Nebens - The Direct: "Thought the first three episodes of #ECHO were pretty solid. Good action, interesting character work, and I’m hoping for some more thrills and drama in the last two episodes (plus more Kingpin). The TV-MA rating definitely works here, looking forward to Episodes 4 and 5!"
- Russ Milheim: So far, #ECHO is alright. Not a home run, but certainly not the worst thing to come out of Marvel. Pacing seems to be its weak point. It also might be best to temper any expectations about certain characters like #Daredevil and go into it focusing on Maya first and foremost.
- Shahbaz 🍉 The Movie Podcast: "#ECHO is as BRUTAL and VIOLENT as they come. A story rooted in its Indigenous heritage, carried by the powerful performances of Alaqua Cox & Vincent D’Onofrio. It takes a bit of time to get started but once it hits… it HITS!"
You can judge for yourself what Echo has to offer when the whole of the miniseries drops on Disney+ tonight.
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