TV Review: Echo Season 1 (2024)

Echo Season 1 (2024) created by Marion Dayre and Amy Rardin based on the Marvel Comics character

Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) has gone back home after shooting Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio) in the head. Home is Tamaha, Oklahoma, a small town mostly populated by the Choctaw. They have ancestral culture but also a lot of the typical American small town culture, like the roller rink and a crusty old pawn shop owner (Graham Greene) who can fix things. Maya hasn't come back to settle down, she's still settling scores with Kingpin's empire. The town as a Fisk company that employs a lot of people and sends weapons to New York City. She sabotages a shipment, bringing some Big Apple wrath down on Tamaha. She's also having some weird flashbacks or dreams of previous Choctaw women which she does not understand. She could ask her grandmother about it but Maya still holds a grudge for grandma abandoning her when Maya's mom died. A lot of drama and action ensue.

Maya is an interesting character. Her mom died in a car accident with Maya in the car. Maya, already deaf, lost half a leg in the accident. When her father took her to New York City, she came under the influence of Kingpin, eventually becoming one of his thugs. Kingpin had her dad killed, naturally turning Maya against him. She's still angry and withdrawn at the beginning of this series. Reconnecting to her family helps her greatly, even though she resists. Her family is much bigger than the living relatives--dreams of her ancestors provide inspiration to change for the better. She gets to a better place almost kicking and screaming, figuratively and literally.

The show's ending relies a little to much on deus ex machina to resolve her final confrontation. The action in previous episodes was better because it was grittier and more realistic, not relying on magical powers to save the day. It also brought in a little bit of dodgy special effects. Cox gives a good performance though D'Onofrio still steals the show with his performance as Kingpin. The rest of the cast is good and the setting is a fresh change from the usual urban Marvel mayhem.

Mildly recommended.