ECHO is a better character study on trauma and heritage than it’s a Marvel series. And you know what? That’s a great thing! Audiences have been experiencing well-deserved superhero fatigue as of late. And that makes sense since we had eight superhero movies in 2023. So, it warms my heart to see one of the RESERVATION DOGS directors (Sydney Freeland) working with several of the cast members to make an intimate character study that happens to be set in the MCU.
As many readers know, I loved RESERVATION DOGS. And I’m not comparing ECHO and DOGS simply because they occur on the reservation.
Both shows have the following similarities:
- The cast! How fantastic was it to see Dallas Goldtooth (Spirit!), Jana Schmieding (Bev ❤️), Graham Greene (simply the best), Zahn McClarnon (One of my favorite working actors), and DOGS MVP – Devery Jacobs.
- The theme – DOGS, was about losing someone and how it affects the community. ECHO has an almost identical plot but in the confines of a superhero world.
- Spirituality – DOGS was notorious for having spirits, and the ancestors of the Muscogee Nation advise on how the past connects us to our future. ECHO does the same, but with the Choctaw Nation yielding fantastic results.
Besides the RESERVATION DOGS reunion, ECHO stands on its own thanks to the lead, Alaqua Cox, as Maya. Audiences should remember her from HAWKEYE, but if not, that’s okay since the first episode in the mini-series does a lot to catch the uninitiated up. With Maya in the lead, audiences are taken on a journey to trace her trauma while also “Pinning” it on the “King” of NY.
ECHO doesn’t do anything new in the way of Netflix-style brutal Marvel action, but what it does do differently is focus on a small story of one person’s trauma, making it worth your time. Yes, it falters towards the climax. However, what comes before it in the way of loss, grief, heritage, trauma, and so much more made me excited for Marvel again and somehow had me forgetting about superhero fatigue.
Not all heroes have to wear caps, and I’m glad that Marvel continues experimenting with diverse stories like ECHO.
The entire five-episode mini-series is available on Disney+.
