"Laters Gators" Moon Knight Recaps: "The Friendly Type" & "The Tomb"

 Moon Knight

These six episode seasons are a trip. This is only the second "Moon Knight" post, but we are already halfway through the season. This episode features one of the last on screen appearances of Gaspard Ulliel who plays Anton Mogart. The actor was tragically killed in a skiing accident. RIP. Let's get to it.

"The Friendly Type"

Marc Spector: "So? What about the other gods? Are they just gonna stand by and allow somebody to unleash Ammit?"

Khonshu: "To signal for an audience with the gods is to risk their wrath."

Marc Spector: "Why? What's the worst that could happen?"

Khonshu: "Anger them enough and they'll imprison me in stone."

Marc Spector: "That doesn't sound so bad to me."

Marc/Steven head to Egypt to try to track down Harrow and stop him from awakening Ammit. Things get crazier when Marc starts having black outs that have nothing to do with Steven. Khonshu seeks an audience with the rest of the Ennead to try to get them to intervene and stop Harrow, but Khonshu's unhinged behavior coupled with Marc's mental illness fails to sway the group. Marc seeks help from Layla but when all else fails, Khonshu teams with Steven in a last ditch effort that will have lasting ramifications for the god.

Rearranging the sky.

One thing I don't really talk to much about here is how important I think it is to have more than just white men involved in these sort of productions, particularly when we are talking about other cultures. If you don't think that matters, then just look at the depiction of Egypt in "Wonder Woman 1984" compared to how it is shown in "Moon Knight." In "Wonder Woman 1984," it feels like a cliché, where every Middle Eastern stereotype is on display. I mean, there is a sheikh for goodness sake. Whereas, the Cairo of "Moon Knight" feels real. It feels like there is respect shown for the city and its people. It doesn't feel like a stereotype come to life. That is because of the involvement of Mohamed Diab, an Egyptian filmmaker who helmed four out of the six "Moon Knight" episodes, this one included. His eye and experience and own cultural background really enhances this episode and just further proves that things like that matter.

Oscar Isaac continues to shine in this episode. I love watching Isaac act against himself and the flashes of Steven in various reflective surfaces and the two of them talking to each other is extremely entertaining. It's really difficult to play multiple characters and make it seem effortless and its really a testament to Isaac's acting skill that he makes it look so easy.

We really get more of a feel for Khonshu in this episode. In the first two episodes, Khonshu was just this menacing figure but he becomes more three dimensional in this episode. We get an idea of his relationship with the rest of the members of the Ennead, which is... spoiler alert... not great. The meeting of the Ennead is one of my favorite parts of this episode. We've seen something like this before, a group of powerful beings who are ignorant to a threat that seems obvious to the rest of us. I think this episode does a great job of taking this sort of cliché scenario with the way Khonshu acts. I love Isaac as Khonshu just shouting at the Ennead. He does sound unhinged. And Harrow pointing out Marc's mental illness is the final nail in the coffin.

I kind of wish that we had spent a little more time with the other avatars in this scene. The only one we really get to know is Yatzil who is the avatar of Hathor, the goddess of love, beauty, music, dancing, fertility and pleasure. Yatzil is basically a plot device. After the Ennead decline to help, Yatzil gives Marc a lead, telling him to look for the sarcophagus of Senfu, a medjay who also knew the location of Senfu's tomb.

I think from the outside looking in, it's easy to say, why would Marc serve Khonshu? He seems kind of awful, but I think this episode tries to show us that Khonshu is willing to do what needs to be done even if it is going to be a detriment to himself. It's a really cool scene when Khonshu and Steven as Mr. Knight rearrange the night sky so the stars appear as they did the night Ammit was imprisoned. It could seem silly, but I think the show really commits to it and it makes it a lot more impactful. It causes Khonshu to be imprisoned as a stone statue by the Ennead and it hammers home the commitment Khonshu has to stopping Harrow and Ammit.

The action in this episode is really great. I love the rooftop fight between Marc and the ruffians who are working for Harrow. A new wrinkle is thrown in as Marc starts to lose time and wake up to some brutal scenarios. If you're a fan of the "Moon Knight" comic, you probably know what this is all about but the show does a great job of throwing out these breadcrumbs. We get a nice extended fight scene with Moon Knight when Layla and Marc head to the home of "collector" Anton Mogart. There are some Marvel fans who want MCU properties to be more "adult" which to them translates as more violent. I will never think that is necessary and I think this fight showcases why it isn't really necessary. This is a pretty brutal fight with Moon Knight killing folks and getting stabbed multiple times and I personally don't think that upping the gore factor would make it any more impactful. 

The episode ends with Khonshu imprisoned, Harrow gloating and Steven passed out in the desert with Harrow's followers approaching. Things aren't looking great. 

Grade: A-

"The Tomb"

Steven Grant: "Like, if they like just sprang to life and asked me a riddle for passage, I'd be thrilled. I'd shit myself but I'd be thrilled."

After shaking off Harrow's goons, Layla and Steven head to the location of Ammit's tomb where they find undead priests killing Harrow's followers. Layla takes on one of said priests and has an eye opening conversation with Harrow concerning Marc and his involvement with the death of her father. Steven locates the sarcophagus of Ammit's last avatar which turns out to be Alexander the Great. Just as Steven pulls Ammit's stone statue out of Alexander's throat, Harrow shows. Marc gets shot. And then things get really weird.

Lovers in a tomb.

As I like to do, I feel like we need to start at the end of this episode. The episode really shifts when Marc is shot by Harrow and we get the transition from HD to SD. Suddenly we are seemingly watching a grainy VHS tape of an old Indiana Jones style adventure show. Who's the lead of said show? Well, it's none other than famous archaeologist, Steven Grant. The camera pulls out and we are in a stark white day room of a mental health facility. Quelle surprise!

I think that if you know anything about the character of Moon Knight, this transition isn't a huge shock, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't work. It really does. I'll admit that I am sucker for episodes of television like this where the main character is put in a position where it seems like the fantastical things that we've been watching might be all in their head. I immediately think of the "Buffy" episode "Normal Again." And, "Moon Knight" is a series that really lends itself to this and they really kill it. 

This day room is littered with characters that we've seen throughout the show. There is Donna, Steven's boss at the gift shop. There is one of Mogart's bodyguards, Bek, from the last episode as an orderly. It's a fun scene to just scrutinize and see if you can pick out all the things from the last three episodes that we've seen and how they are integrated here. Arthur Harrow is, of course, Marc's psychiatrist. It's great to see Ethan Hawke as this version of Harrow. It's different from the villainous version of Harrow that we are used to, but it feels like he is still there right under the surface.

 

Marc escapes and the chase scene that ends the episode. Marc finds a sarcophagus that is closed and shaking as if someone is inside and that is terrifying. I don't like the idea of being in a closed coffin still alive and it freaks me out. Who's inside? Well, it's Steven, of course. And I hope you all caught the third sarcophagus shaking that they don't open. It's a wonderful moment to see the two parts of Marc's personality that we've met full bodied and embracing. The episode ends with the pair being confronted by a hippo walking upright dressed in Egyptian regalia. It's one of the best Marvel television cliffhangers yet.

The ending of this episode is for sure the best part of it, but the rest is good, but it doesn't feel as urgent and special as the ending does. The beginning and middle portion of the episode is focused on Steven and Layla's exploration of Ammit's tomb. These couple of episodes have really showcased the chemistry between Oscar Isaac and May Calamawy. Isaac's Steven Grant is so charming and I love the comedic bits of Marc being jealous of Steven flirting with Layla. It's great.

Layla continues to shine in this series. My other favorite moment in this episode is when Layla is fleeing from the undead priest. I love the horror aspect of it as the priest drags her into the dark multiple times. Layla is a badass though and she rips the arm off of the priest. Watching that priest try to stab Layla with the jagged end of his broken bone gave me nightmares. I just love Layla. And I will say that at every opportunity so be ready.

After lots of hinting around, it is revealed that Marc was part of the mercenary group that killed Layla's father, Abdallah El-Faouly. Marc tells Layla that he didn't realize they were going to kill everyone and that he tried to stop them, but couldn't, but it's clear this is no consolation to Layla and you're not going to be surprised when I tell you that Calamawy murders this scene. 

This episode really kicks things into overdrive and I have a feeling we are in for a ride during these last two episodes.

Next up, we get a tour of Marc's past and tortured psyche and the fight to stop Ammit comes to a conclusion.

How are you all enjoying "Moon Knight?" Do you want more Moon Knight? Less? Are you surprised that you're liking it? Wish you liked it more? Let me know in the comments.