Review: Marvel’s “Moon Knight” Episodes 5-6

Marvel’s Moon Knight has been, perhaps, the most vexing series that Disney+ has debuted for the MCU thus far, and this is doubly true for episodes 5 and 6, which recently concluded the show (perhaps for good) with all the excitement and fireworks fans have become accustomed to. However, while they greatly improve the overall storylines by finally providing the necessary context for the series as a whole, it really is just too little too late, as the major reveals (with one notable exception) simply fall flat, and the series slow jogs over the finish line in rather disappointing fashion.

The real issue is the one that has been plaguing the show from the very start: audiences don’t have a reason to care. And that’s essential for getting audiences invested in the story and keep them tuning. And it’s probably the reason that Moon Knight didn’t become the phenomenon that other offerings like Loki and WandaVision did. Simply put, it took far too long for the show to explore the past of Marc Specter/Steven Grant and get audiences invested in the characters, which is the real reason most of the movies and shows thus far have found such rollicking success. It’s not enough for something to just be a Marvel property (see the wild misfire that was ABC’s Inhumans or the abject failure that was Netflix’s Iron Fist), just like anything else, viewers need compelling stories to get invested.

Even so, these final episodes did an excellent job at showcasing just how Specter transformed into the man audiences have seen in the show, particularly when it comes to his tragic backstory and the heartache he has over his relationship with his mother. That’s a plotline that anchors the show in emotion and makes the character relatable. Seeing what Marc Specter had to live through, it makes complete sense that he’d need to find a way to protect himself, and his brain’s way of doing that was to create an alternate personality. And while this doesn’t wipe away the lackluster middle that was something of a slog to get through, it does give fans a chance to really understand the character’s motivation.

Moreover, Oscar Isaac continues to be a standout with his performance. He’s so captivating that it’s the missteps of the past are temporarily forgotten. The way he’s able to bounce between Marc and Steven, with each feeling fully fleshed out is amazing to watch. And again, Ethan Hawke is an excellent foil for the character, providing a subversive psychology that’s just as understandable as previous villains like Killmonger and Thanos. It’s a shame he’ll go down as a one-off villain, though, as Harrow had a lot more to offer.

On the opposite end, though, is May Calamaway’s Layla, who’s been somewhat infuriating because of a lack of development. Again, it seems that Marvel wants audiences to care about the character simply because she’s set as the female-lead against a hero. But there is nothing to really grab onto and her character continued to just kind of be there throughout the episodes, not because she was needed, but because the script said she was there. It’s unfortunate because there was a lot of potential for her character. But by the time her story comes full circle, and she transforms into the Scarlet Scarab, the MCU’s first Egyptian hero (which is cleverly noted in the show itself), it’s easy not to care, because just like everything else, there hasn’t been a reason to.

The final fight scene, though, while being yet another giant monster battle sequence between Khonshu and the Goddess Ammit, who’d finally been released, is still quite good, particularly as it is juxtaposed with Moon Knight taking on Harrow. It allows for a climactic showdown that has more emotional resonance because of everything that happened. And that fact that’s it’s bookended with Khonshu setting Marc/Steven free, only to bring in the secret 3rd personality Jake Lockley, who’s still the avatar of the erstwhile Moon God, was a stroke of genius. It puts a nice bow on the story of the show, but gives the character of Moon Knight an avenue to explore if/when he shows up again. It’s an interesting dynamic that’ll be unlike anything else that’s happened in the MCU thus far.

The final episodes were definitely better than those that came before, with more heart, intensity and action than everything else since the first episode. And they reframe the series in such a way that repeated viewing will perhaps have more meaning. But audiences shouldn’t have to go back and rewatch to care about a series. Moon Knight, while providing a unique story and interesting mystery, failed at getting the audiences truly invested. It’s not a bomb by any means, but it certainly live up to the weighty expectations that had been set for it.

Rating: 3/5

Review: Episodes 1

Review: Episodes 2-4