Moon Knight episode 3 review: Surprise, the gods are here

Surprise: Moon KnightIt is about Gods. In its third episode, “The Friendly Type,” the series widens its scope considerably, bringing Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac) and everyone in his head on a trip to Egypt, where, among other things, we find out that the Egyptian pantheon is real, and they all hate Khonshu.

It’s a turn increasingly common in a Marvel Cinematic Universe that’s starting to contemplate the divine, from Eternals’ exploration of its everlasting heroes’ relationship with their Celestial creators, to Shang-Chi’s hidden land of folkloric magic, and Loki’s continuity-worshiping time cops. As thIt is phase of the MCU moves in directions beyond the Avengers, it’s exploring the idea of heroes and villains as avatars for otherworldly cosmic forces, agents in a divine chess match where the players are shrouded in mystery and frustratingly indirect.

That’s especially true when it comes to Moon Knight’s version of the Egyptian gods. Much like the Eternals, they’ve taken an oath of non-interference in human affairs. However, unlike the Eternals, they’re not even present on Earth, instead inhabiting a plane of existence known as the Othervoid. They’d be completely absent if not for their practice of choosing avatars — human stand-ins that observe the world for them — mostly to make sure their domains remain unperturbed and the true nature of the gods remain hidden. Therefore, it’s not unusual that Khonshu (voiced by F. Murray Abraham), the moon god, has chosen Marc Spector to do his work, but it isThis work is very direct, which is rare. However, when Spector — who is now in control, with occasional interference from Steven — is summoned to a tribunal by the other avatars, we learn that Khonshu is the other gods’ temperamental kid brother, and none of them believe his warnings about Arthur Harrow’s (Ethan Hawke) attempted resurrection of Ammit.

Photo: Gabor Kotschy/Marvel Studios

Here is the place. Moon Knight gets messiest, asking the viewer to suddenly buy into an under-explained system of deity with an internal logic that just beggars belief, especially when the tribunal’s primary reason for dismissing Khonshu’s argument is asking the accused if he did it, and a simple “nuh uh” from Arthur Harrow is apparently enough for them. However, there’s something potentially meaningful here too — it’s not merely Harrow’s testimony that sours the gods on Khonshu, but his choice in avatar. When Spector’s mental health is brought into question, Spector collapses and admits it; he’s not well. This is enough for the gods to pronounce judgment upon Khonshu. He will not be allowed to get off line again.

This is the limit. Moon KnightThe company has not revealed its intentions regarding Marc’s mental well-being. Marc hears from gods that Marc is suffering and is in danger of being told the same thing Steven Grant fear everyday people will say about him. And in his brokenness, he can’t be trusted. It’s a gutting moment, undermined slightly by the nonsensical circumstances that bring it about. Fortunately, “The Friendly Type” has one more trick up its sleeve.

Following this tribunal, Marc — with the help of his ex-wife and only remaining ally, Layla El-Faouly (May Calamawy) — goes on a hunt for another way to stop Harrow, by beating him to his goal. This episode switches into adventure mode and stops at Anton Mogart, an antiquities collector (the late Gaspard Uliel), for an old clue about where a desert ritual took place. Marc and Layla have to understand the appearance of the night skies 2,000 years ago in order for this clue to work.

Image: Marvel Studios

Marvel’s next project is often praised simply for being better than its predecessor. This kind of praise is empty: There’s a richness and variety in cinema that is still foreign to the MCU, and many things will be new to it for years to come. That’s fine! What’s more worth discussing is whether the aesthetic theming of a Marvel production is ever used to different ends, or in the service of exploring different ideas. It is rare. This is the reason why every MCU production feels very similar.

The final moments of “The Friendly Type,” however, gesture at a world where this doesn’t have to be the case.

Marc and Layla are unable to find the right clue in the night sky. Steven, however, can. Marc reluctantly gives Khonshu control. In an act that he knows will result in him being imprisoned Steven is able to rewind his night sky. This supernatural phenomenon can be seen by everyone. It’s a climactic moment not predicated on violence, but on the episode’s twin themes of deity and mental illness. Marc and Steven’s psyches are still at odds with each other, but trust each other in a moment where they have no one else. Through them, Khonshu — potentially also another inhabitant of Steven’s mind — exerts incredible power over the natural world.

Steven noted earlier that ancient Egyptians, who were a desert people had to use stars as landmarks for navigation. To put it another way, why not venerate them? What’s the harm in having a god or goddess of night? In the final moments of “The Friendly Type,” Khonshu gives the world a glimpse of that awe, an expression of myth as a way we understood and interpreted the world around us in our earliest days.

Khonshu has left, Moon KnightThe status quo is restored for the third consecutive episode. The halfway point Moon Knight, it’s still unclear where This is what the show is hoping to achieve. It’s well-crafted, with good performances and confident direction from Mohamed Diab elevating a perplexing script. Tonally, it’s quite distinct from other MCU fare. Each episode is slightly different, but with “The Friendly Type,” Moon KnightIt seems like the audience is settling for an adventure tale vibe. It is possible that this could quickly change. This is an encouraging, though messy shift.

Moon KnightDisney Plus now streams episode 3. Each Wednesday new episodes will be released.