Set tothe backdrop of holiday cheer,Hawkeyeis proving to be an entertaining watch. This six-episode series on Disney Plus has already featured epic car chases, disability representation, and teases of highly-anticipated crossovers — and only half of the series has aired.
One thing that left viewers scratching their heads was the inclusion of the character Grills in episode two of the adventurous comedy. While unfamiliar to the masses, the mere mention of the name caused those acquainted with the show’s source material, Matt Fraction and David Aja’sHawkeyecomic book run, to feel an anxious pit of dread in their stomachs. Here’s everything you need to know about Grills and the tragic fate that Fraction laid out for him.
Related:Hawkeye’s First Episodes Put An Emphasis On Clint’s Emotional Burdens
Who is Grills?
To understand the importance of Grills, one must first understand thecomplex dynamic of Fraction’s comic book series. The writer painted Clint Barton — superhero Hawkeye— to be the epitome of all things self-flagellation. He was a useless bachelor and neighborhood handyman who is slowly going down a path of self-destruction. In the critically-acclaimed comics, he resided solo in a beaten-up apartment complex in the gentrified neighborhood of Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn, in his attempt to regain his individuality from the Avengers. While the apartment complex left much to be desired, it was filled with friendly faces who socialized at rooftop parties and cheerfully welcomed Clint into their lives. But, much like in the Disney Plus series,the Tracksuit Mafiacomes into the picture and shakes things up.
They began to pose a threat to the apartment inhabitants, something that doesn’t directly affect Clint due to his Avengers-level security, however, the gang attempts to push out the inhabitants with lesser means. This leads to heavy conflict as Clint begins to investigate the Russian mafia’s illegal dealings while he attempts to buy the apartment building from them to protect his neighbors from crime and rent inflation.
Getting back to the main point here — who was Fraction’s Grills? Grills was one of Clint’s neighbors in the building, often seen taking over the grill at the rooftop barbeques. He has a distinct physical appearance, always wearing glasses and a trucker hat. He bonds with Clint throughout the comic as he calls him “Hawkguy” instead of “Hawkeye,” eventually striking up a fun camaraderie. It is also revealed that Clint assisted Grills with his relationship with his father as the superhero helped them protect their personal belongings when a hurricane struck the city. Disney Plus introduced Grills with a new image. In the streaming series, the character was revealed to be the firefighter who battled Clint during thelive-action role-playing event in episode two.
Escaping from Kate’s apartment building with the Ronin suit, the friendly firefighter used it as his armor during a local LARP event in Central Park. After Clint agrees to allow Grills— also introduced as Gilbert— to defeat him in the mock battle, the two have a brief conversation before splitting. Unlike the comic book character, the fight fighter has less of a “lackluster, middle-aged man with family baggage” associated with him and appears to be a cool, nerdy firefighter with a bustling social group (among his fellow LARPers). Due to this tonal shift, viewers are skeptical as to whether or not Grills' tragic fate in the comic book run will play out on the small screen.
What happens to Grills?
Unfortunately, in Fraction’s comic book, Grills does not survive the Tracksuit Mafia’s attack— something that weighs heavily on Clint’s consciousness. The evil group hires a villain named Kazimierz Kazimierczak, known by his alias Clown. Kazimierz hasa history rooted in circus lifeand commits his crimes while donned in white face paint. Clown’s mission is to track down Clint and kill him, but not before mentally terrorizing him. The mercenary decides to stroll around the apartment building and senselessly kill Grills. The murder took place in front of Clint as the two were rounding up a casual conversation before going their separate ways. After his death, Clint attends his funeral along with the other apartment inhabitants.
Will Disney Plus embark on this dark route? It is unknown. However, it shall be noted thatKazimierz has been cast in the series. Perhaps the streaming series will paint Grills to be a hero as he is a firefighter regularly subjected to physical training and he knows some combination of combat skills given his LARP history. Although, given his friendly and respectful demeanor around Clint, killing the character off would evoke similar emotions from the audience as intended with the murder in the comic book. Much can happen in the show’s final three episodes.
