**This review contains some minor SPOILERS**

Watch the SPOILER review on YouTube

Like its lead character was once described, “Echo” exists between two worlds. It wants to be a drama and a superhero show. It wants to be grounded in reality and be supernatural. It’s longer than a movie and but it’s also a very short TV series. While it struggles when stuck in the middle of these conflicting concepts, it works best when it finds one and sticks with it. However, the biggest flaw is that the show keeps you wondering what the point of the whole thing is. And after finally getting to the point, it’s a bit of a letdown.

The plot is practically non-existent. After starting off things off with Maya’s origin (featuring a mix on new material and footage swiped straight from the “Hawkeye” Disney+ series), the series seems to point us in the direction it’s going to take. Except it never really does. Whatever plan Maya had fizzles out immediately, and the blowback deescalates just as fast. And when we finally get the big face to face of Maya and The Kingpin, there’s really very little meat to it. We’re given no reason to fear what he wants or feel like he really entices Maya in any real way. And because he’s such an untrustworthy character, there’s no way the audience will believe him, so it’s clear neither will Maya. Ultimately, the finale does a solid job of building up the tension but wraps it all up in an unsatisfying and almost comical fashion.

Thankfully, the show is anchored by strong performances. While Alaqua Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio give what we expect from them as Maya and Fisk, it’s really the supporting cast that steps up and adds some depth. Tantoo Cardinal, Chaske Spenser and Graham Greene in particular bring a world-weariness to their performances that feels grounded and relatable. Even without out the Marvel connection, I found their interactions engaging enough that I could almost watch a show about their lives. The only downside is that none of them have much of a character arc outside of their relationships with Maya. (And just be aware, the big Marvel hero that was advertised as being in the show pops up in one scene and it feels completely tacked on.)

Overall, the show looks fine, with the Choctaw culture adding a fresh look to the small-town setting. Since this is all portrayed fairly down-to-earth, it makes it jarring when supernatural stuff happens or the show shifts into centuries-old flashbacks or even briefly becomes a silent movie. The action scenes are pretty good, with a couple nicely choreographed fight scenes. (However, there’s an action sequence on a train that falls flat because it’s clearly not actually happening on a real, moving train.) The series also drastically revamps Maya’s comic book superpower. While it could actually be a really cool take on her abilities, it’s not quite explained all that well and the execution turns into a WTF moment.

Solid performances and intriguing characters keep “Echo” afloat as it struggles to present a story that justifies its existence. A few fun action scenes balance out the drama, but the supernatural elements often feel too out of place.

**1/2 out of *****