With this latest MCU show, I have to say this is turning into my favorite MCU so far. Loki and Wandavision are up there for me but this show has a way of just standing amongst those two. Again I am not fully knowledgeable about this character but I have read his basic comics and what they have done to adapt certain aspects of those into here has so far worked.
First and foremost I have to give it to Oscar Isaac for tackling this role with such great finesse. His ability to adapt multiple personalities has been astonishing and has provided such a mysterious and fascinating narrative. The beginning action sequence was some great fight cinematography and his phasing in and out just adds to the complexity and mystery of his character. This episode definitely showcased Moon Knight’s abilities the best so far.
Towards the end, we get a full-on action sequence of Moon Knight and it was just all-around amazing. It was a much-needed sequence as great as the show has been, it was needed to see the titular character in more action. I can probably watch Oscar Isaac conflict with himself all day as he puts on the performance of a lifetime but seeing him in action as the white caped crusader is such a delight.
Another great aspect of this episode is Steven himself. From seeing Steven’s ability to solve puzzles from his vast knowledge I had a feeling it was only a matter of time until that was put to use and it starts here. I found Steven to be a bit of a nuisance in the previous episode but now he is starting to actually come into play better with this episode. Basically, we have Marc/Moon Knight as the warriors and Steven/Mr. Knight as the puzzle solvers. It’s an excellent character choice to give the personalities meaning beyond just fighting for control of one body.
Then we have the continued evil narrative of Arthur Harrow who continues to be quite the antagonist. What’s crazy about his character is that his methodology continues to make more sense in its own twisted sense. It kind of reminds me of why I enjoyed Thanos as he had his own twisted ideology and even though it was sinister it made sense but in a diabolical way. Harrow has similar notions and the character continues to be one of the better-written villains in the MCU’s long list of rouges explored. The ending dialogue of Harrow makes for an interesting reveal to him and I hope that we get to explore the backlash of Harrow and Khonshu’s relationship before this season is up.
We also get a little bit more of Layla in this episode who still is a bit of a mystery. But if the writers are determined to adopt her into Moon Knight’s love interest from the comics then most comic fans know the secret Marc is keeping from her but only time will tell where that goes. Regardless she has a greatly choreographed fight sequence and honestly shows why she would be a worthy avatar to Khonshu.
With half of this show over already, we get some well-established plot points, great choreographed fight sequences, and some amazing performances not to mention some great philosophic writing for Harrow’s nefarious motivations.
Review by Jacob Sunderland