Moon Knight (Full Season Review)

The multiverse might be open but nothing beats horror more than chaos amongst the victims of a ruthless god's avatar. Marvel Studios adapts Moon Knight for Disney + in a 6 episode series, diving deep into slightly spookier and thrilling elements of the superhero genre. Last year, writing a review for each episode each week for a Marvel Disney + show was hectic which is why this time, I decided to review Moon Knight in its entirety by the end of its run. 

Oscar Isaac leads this series as Marc Spector who has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) when one has different personalities residing within him. The alter we meet on a weekly basis is Egyptian enthusiast, Steven Grant who dons a British accent while Marc is a Jewish mercenary who has a lot to hide. The series focuses on the two alters being the avatar for the Egyptian moon god, Khonshu. Whenever the story involves Marc's secret that hinders his connection with his ex-wife or a villainous Ethan Hawke attempting to reawaken yet another sinister Egyptian god, Moon Knight is the truthfully the perfect segue into undiscovered corners of the MCU. 

Moon Knight is first and foremost an origin story. The episodes adapt various comic book storylines to properly encompass an introduction to a really interesting and tortured character. Combining genres like psychological thriller and fantasy, the show is a bold direction taken by the franchise with yet another group of new, talented writers and directors at the helm. One thing fans will find familiar with Moon Knight is that the pacing and the theorizing-each-week were similar to the experience we had when watching WandaVision. This was, in a way. proven right with the penultimate episode spending its time telling Marc/Steven's traumatic backstory and like Wanda-centric miniseries, this episode will leave you in tears. 

I know this sentence has been thrown around a lot but Moon Knight indeed abandons the Marvel formula. In fact, this is the first Marvel title that does not reference the wider MCU despite being considered a part of the ever-growing franchise. There are one or two nods but that's all we get which makes this show all the more refreshing and has the capability to stick the landing as a worthwhile solo act since the first Iron Man. 

Are all the episodes enjoyable? The simple answer is yes. I think it is safe to say that Moon Knight had the best first episode thus far amongst the many episodical Marvel features we've had since the start of last year. Viewers are expected to have left breathless and sweating by the time the credits roll. The second episode was more about introducing the characters, which included Layla and Arthur Harrow's intentions while it gave a first good look at Mr. Knight, the suit-like opposite to the Egyptian threads Moon Knight dons. Every episode has a filler but with the Marvel Disney + shows, distinctly unmissable. In this case, Episode 3 happens to be the perfect example. It will interest viewers with  entertaining and mind-boggling sequences and shed light on a plot point but it is only Episode 4, the likely fan favorite, that really gets things going where it strays away just a bit from the premise's mythology to look and feel like an Indiana Jones movie and a horror adventure all at once. The cliffhanger we are left in this episode is where the show gets bonkers and that makes whatever seen until then more exciting and worth investing your time in. 

Episode 5 is the best amongst the 6. This episode reveals to us the reason why Steven Grant was formed and how Marc comes across Khonshu and on top of all of that, we learn the reason why he internally blames himself for the death of Layla's father. To, summarize, this episode will strengthen an emotional attachment toward both Marc and Steven. The last episode, like all the others before, is really the third act of an MCU film. With that said, this finale really delivers some of the best action and CGI scenes within the franchise, let alone the Disney + shows. Considering the finale airs the same day as Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, the only similarity or 'connection' these two MCU entries had was that their endings were abrupt. Luckily, that misconception was changed almost immediately as the end credit stinger which will expectedly encourage viewers to want to rewatch all six episodes the minute its over.

I cannot talk about this series without emphasizing how talented Oscar Isaac really is in this role. His on and off the portrayal of Marc and Steven should be considered one of the best portrayals in his career or at least, one of the best portrayals in the franchise. The best part of his performance is that viewers can be able to differentiate the mannerisms and characteristics when he switches alters. May Calamawy is no damsel in distress. It is clear Marvel wants to change the narrative when it comes to female love interests and her portrayal as Layla is the perfect example. Not only is she integral to Marc/Steven's story, but also to the future of the MCU going forward. Her character is newly made for the show, combining elements of Marc's love interest and a forgotten villain from the comics. Infusions like this may have been done before but it does still feel original and fresh. 

Another fact about the Disney + shows is that there is never only one villain in the crosshairs and we all know that Marvel has its history with forgettable ones when it comes to the films. The shows, however, have at least two villains in play, with one more fleshed out than the other... and surprisingly, it's never the big bad. Ethan Hawke does not break this pattern with this portrayal as Arthur Harrow, a forgotten character given much more to do in this adaptation. Despite his sole motivation being to 'release' the big bad, his first-hand experience with the Moon God himself not only drives his involvement but makes him more interesting in the already gripping plot. He was not terrifying but he proved himself a worthy adversary for our mentally crippled hero. I can also guarantee fans will enjoy Khonshu's looming presence whenever he's onscreen. F. Murray Abraham's voice may boom in a godly manner but his snarky annoyance and impatience towards his avatar make his double-crossing intentions forgivable because he's just so enjoyable to watch.

Moon Knight spends more time with its characters with longer episodes to dive into as opposed to the previous Marvel/Disney + shows. You would expect the opposite treatment considering those shows at least had two leads to keep up with whereas this one had only one even if we are meant to think of Marc and Steven as the dynamic duo, this time around. Moon Knight is exciting, engaging and at times, terrifying but it is most importantly, the best adaptation this character could have.