Last time, Maya didn’t let a tiny thing like physics stand in the way of her pulling off a train job.
Now, she’s ready to learn about the Lighthorsemen. Let’s talk about Echo episode three, the one with the skating rink brawl.
Meet Tuklo
Image: Marvel
As I mentioned last time, Echo’s episode titles reflect previous descendants of Chafa.
Each time we meet one, Maya somehow develops a small portion of their skill.
So, let’s meet a gunfighter named Tuklo, whose own father refuses to allow her to fight crime.
Image: Marvel
You see, Papa Tuklo is a kind of local police officer. He’s a member of his tribe’s Lighthorsemen, a group who protects the people.
At a young age, Tuklo proves she’s a crack shot. She, too, wants to protect her people.
When Tuklo asks her father if she can join the Lighthorsemen, he declines. He believes women should only make life, never taking it.
Image: Marvel
Soon afterward, a group of ruffians accost the Lighthorsemen and pin them down.
Tuklo’s father appears likely to die. Luckily, Tuklo is standing at a nearby stream when her Chafa senses trigger.
Tuklo’s Spidey sense somehow tells her that her father is in danger.
Image: Marvel
She takes a position with higher ground and proceeds to shoot like A LOT of them. At this point, her father cheers with pride.
I guess Tuklo’s excellent shooting overcame his blatant sexism.
How will this help Maya Lopez? Well, being aces in a gunfight seems useful.
All My Exes Live in Texas
Image: Marvel
Okay, let’s start with the good news. Graham Greene is back! And he’s in full-on seductor mode!
In the series premiere, Skully and Chula were dating before Chula’s daughter died in a car accident.
Apparently, true love couldn’t overcome this tragedy. They’re not a couple now.
Image: Marvel
Chula believes Skully has information about Maya, and his lack of a poker face quickly confirms her suspicion.
Weirdly, Chula dismisses Maya as being too much like her father, whom we’ve established Chula blames for her daughter’s death.
Skully quite likes Maya and cannot believe how stubborn and vindictive his ex is. Hey, we’ve all been there.
Image: Marvel
Meanwhile, Maya is wandering around and experiencing visions of Chula…and Tuklo! The young Lighthorseman tries to warn Maya.
Alas, someone kidnaps Maya before she can respond. She awakens, only to discover she’s dangling under the skating rink disco ball.
I think that’s everyone’s worst nightmare.
Image: Marvel
Anyway, part of what happens next is obviously a sign of the behind-the-scenes turmoil.
Some storyline got cut here, and I think it would explain a lot.
Vickie has performed the kidnapping and is awaiting the arrival of Kingpin’s lieutenant.
Image: Marvel
For whatever reason, Vickie has two allies who form a kind of Bonnie and Bonnie and Clyde throuple.
Frankly, Bonnie and Bonnie seem to know that they don’t need Clyde, and that dude should watch his back.
That statement applies to a lot of what happens to him in this episode. Most criminals are idiots.
Image: Marvel
Team Vickie takes Maya to the back and hogties her. The most threatening woman, Brigitte, promises to keep an eye on her.
Frankly, I’m more worried about the other woman, Grace, who seems like she might burn down buildings just for fun.
The Awkward Reunion
Image: Marvel
Maya’s processing a lot here, as she’s just been accosted and taken prisoner by three people, two of whom she’s never met.
The other cleans skates for a living. How threatening could that dude be to the woman who just took out Kingpin?
Alas, the situation takes a turn when Bonnie arrives on the scene. She wants to ask Henry a few questions.
Image: Marvel
Henry is currently imprisoned as well. Vickie sends Henry to persuade Bonnie to leave.
While they talk, Henry signals her with quick sign language.
Vickie doesn’t notice, but Psycho Grace does. Moments later, Bonnie has also smelt chloroform.
Image: Marvel
The two cousins who haven’t seen each other since childhood are now sitting five feet away from one another.
As far as emotional reunions go, it’s pretty high stakes.
“Hey, how are you?” “Hogtied. You?” “Also hogtied.” “Should we escape?” Yeah.”
Image: Marvel
Even though they’re both tied up, Bonnie is too angry with Maya to be that rational at first, though.
The two women declare a truce while they figure out why they’re in their current predicament.
Maya manages to untie both of them – thanks, hidden switchblade! – and then scopes out their assailants.
Image: Marvel
Meanwhile, Bonnie performs the angriest sign language I’ve ever seen to guilt Maya about her behavior for the past, oh, 20 years.
In the front of the skating rink, the dude who randomly survived the explosion has made his way to Oklahoma.
This guy doesn’t think much of Vickie and will later kill him. What I find amusing is that Psycho Grace finds him hot.
Image: Marvel
She kind of reminds me of Carol/Cheryl on Archer. Nihilism is her kink.
Henry watches everything in horror. He doesn’t hold Vickie in high esteem and realizes the idiot is about to get everyone in the building killed.
Skating Rink Showdown
Image: Marvel
The New York guy, whose name is Zane, has brought like 80 thugs. It’s an indeterminate number because they come and go.
At certain points, he has about eight. Then, others just randomly appear. I guess they all chartered a plane or something?
This strikes me as an overkill number of hired goons for one skating rink in Oklahoma.
Image: Marvel
I mean, Hans Gruber only needed, what, eight of them for the entirety of Nakatomi Plaza?
Then again, maybe I’ve underestimated Maya Lopez, while Zane hasn’t.
The Echo disables the lights and then wipes out Bridgette using junk from the skating rink, including a fire extinguisher as a finisher.
Image: Marvel
Maya texts Vickie from Bridgette’s phone to taunt him.
Grace takes this moment to investigate, but Vickie doesn’t get to follow.
Zane puts a bullet in Vickie instead. Well, several of them…
Image: Marvel
Henry watches this from his hostage position, actively disgusted by Vickie’s incompetence.
Bonnie doesn’t like seeing this dude’s dead body, but it’s about to get much weirder.
The skating rink starts flashing strobe lights as Robb Zombie’s Dragula plays.
Image: Marvel
A cat-and-mouse fight scene unfolds as Maya wrecks a Hans Gruber-ian number of hired goons. Alas, it’s nowhere near enough.
Another 25 randomly appear – is Zane using Wongers’ portals to bring these dudes in or something? – and overtake Maya.
For the second time, Maya has been rendered helpless. Zane points a gun at her and is about to pull the trigger.
Image: Marvel
Suddenly, I kid you not that Don Henley’s “New York Minute” plays. It’s Zane’s ringtone.
Zane uses that piece of music to identify that his boss is calling. It’s the Big Guy.
Image: Marvel
Zane’s boss tells her to leave, allowing Maya to send Bonnie home safely.
The entire building full of thugs also randomly disperses into whatever ether they apparated from.
The Boss’s Daughter
Image: Marvel
Maya and Henry proceed to have a conversation about the price on Maya’s head.
The Black Crow correctly deduces that “only one person” could have made all this happen.
Maya dismisses this possibility, confessing that she shot the Big Guy in the face.
Image: Marvel
Frustrated and at his wit’s end, Henry makes a decision. He chooses family.
In the previous episode, Maya asked whose side Henry picked.
Now that the Black Crow has seen all the pieces on the board, he is ready to help his niece.
Image: Marvel
“If the offer still stands, I’m helping you.”
Later, Skully visits Maya at her home. He presents her with an absolutely incredible artificial leg with immaculate styling.
The heritage of their people is visible on the frame of the limb.
Image: Marvel
The artisanship is amazing, and as a reminder, somebody in the real world made that for the show. That’s a gifted human being.
A grateful Maya Lopez puts on the leg. Then, Skully encourages Maya to visit her grandmother, just as he advised Chula to see Maya.
A brief hiccup will delay this interaction, though. As the episode ends, Maya notices a stranger at the home. It’s the Big Guy.
Image: Marvel
Despite recently being shot in the face at point-blank range by the descendant of Tuklo, the Big Guy is very much alive.
The Kingpin has arrived in Oklahoma.
We’ll get the showdown next episode.
Image: Marvel
Overall, this was my least favorite of the three episodes, but it was still a lot of fun.
Maya Lopez gave a dude a belly-to-back suplex through a pinball table. That’s really all I need from the show.
Thanks for visiting MarvelBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below, and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond-Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!
Featured image: Marvel
