(Again, Spoilers!)
Anddd, we’re back with another Disney+ series! Moon Knight premiered earlier this week, so you know it’s time to recap and discuss my thoughts with you all. I’ll mostly talk about the character of Moon Knight from the comic books in my final thoughts. From the series' trailers, we knew about Steven Grant, Marc Spector, and of course, Moon Knight. I'll sprinkle a few nods in the recap, though. I want to hold in as much as I can about the character because the first episode is 10x better if you went in blind, in my opinion. The first installment out of six was remarkable. I don’t know if it is recency bias, but that was the best first episode of any Disney+ series. It made me super excited for the rest of the show. Enough of that, though. Let’s get into the episode itself!
What an opening, right? A man with a tattoo of a balance scale of justice on his arm used his cane to break a glass. He placed the broken pieces in his sandals. Talk about walking a mile in a man's shoes. What a pain. Later on, we will learn that the use of Bob Dylan’s song, Every Grain of Sand, fits perfectly. The man was Authur Harrow and served the ancient Egyptian Goddess, Ammit. Let me get back in order, though. Steven Grant woke up with an ankle restraint on one leg, sand around his bed, multiple locks, and an additional line of tape on his door. Steven must be a heavy sleepwalker, huh? Oh boy. He called his mother to check in while feeding his one fin goldfish, Gus. He is already lovable, isn’t he? His place of work was at a museum. You would have thought he was a tour guide because of his conversation with a young girl, but no, he works behind the counter. Also, how weird was the young girl’s question about the Field of Reeds? Did she really think Steven was dead? And no, we aren't talking about Donna, Grant’s boss. What a nob. A tour guide reminded Steven about a date, but he had no idea he had a date with her. Ouu, how bizarre. A vegan at a steakhouse is even weirder. Steven knew a ton about Egypt and its Gods. Put him as a tour guide, Donna! Steven talked to a street performer about his daily life. It was adorable, haha. Funny enough, the street performer was cast as Crawley. One of Moon Knight’s informants in the comics. How cool! The big takeaway from the scene was the reflection! Amazing shot but with immense meaning.
Steven did his daily night routine. Ya know, the sand, locks, and ankle restraint. He doesn’t want to sleep because he wasn’t sure what happened when he slept. He read a lot of Egypt history, so that’s how he learned so much. Then bam! He woke up somewhere in Europe, that wasn’t London, with a dislocated jaw. Ouch. A mysterious voice in his head told Steven to surrender the body to Marc. Hmm. He held a scarab, which he had no idea how he got it. A mysterious being that looked like a mummy began to walk towards him. But it was nothing. A living storm started if you know you know. Men shot at Steven, and he ran into a cult? Harrow judged the soul for the ancient Egyptian deity, Ammit. She didn’t want to wait for sinners to commit crimes or wrongdoings, so she would kill them before based on the past, present, and future. The balance scale on his arm moved with his cane. If it is green, you’re judged good. If it is red, you’re considered poor in the soul. Arthur noticed Steven and called him a mercenary. Oh, it is lining up now. Arthur wanted the scarab. Steven was willing to give it to him, but his other body, Marc, and the mysterious voice weren’t. Every time Steven was in trouble, he would blackout, and Marc would save him. And Marc was brutal. It was so good. I loved that aspect, especially if you knew what was happening. The chase ended when Steven woke up from his dream. Was it a dream, or was it real?
Steven noticed Gus had two fins now. How could that be possible? Well. At the aquarium shop, the woman told Steven he was there yesterday. Could Marc have replaced the fish? He was probably the one who set up the date too. Speaking of the date, he had to get ready quickly. Another reflection with three of him. How splendid! His date never showed up, though. Steven didn’t show up either. He thought he was dreaming. But in reality, he was away for two days. The look on Steven’s face was depressing; I loved Isaac’s performance here. The sad, lonely Grant spent his night at home. He did notice something, though. There were marks on the floor where the table was placed. He found an open board with a phone and key. The mystery started to crack. There was a contact listed on the cell as Layla with many messages and missed calls. The phone rang, and it was her. She was worried about him; it was like he never existed anymore. Marc must have been friends with her. Marc started to talk to him in his head. Steven was confused and scared. The lovable man didn’t understand what was going on. The reflections moved on their own. The other body was genuine. The elevator had more reflections. Three of him as well. The mysterious being from earlier showed up. As it got closer to Steven, he woke up on the bus. The mysterious being from his dream stood outside, and Arthur Harrow followed him. The imagination was starting to feel like it wasn’t a dream. It’s spooky.
A restless Steven was paranoid at the museum. He had no help from the museum employees, so he had to look out for himself. Arthur quickly found him. He wasn’t aggressive or angry. All Arthur wanted was the scarab that belonged to Ammit. After explaining Ammit’s purpose to Steven, he grabbed his hands to judge him. A bit tricky for the guy, though. There is chaos in him because of the other body. Steven is a sweet innocent man, but Marc doesn’t seem to be like that. Who are you judging? He escaped him before anything else could happen. Later at night, when Steven was working on inventory, something uncanny began to occur. Grant searched for the dog or a wolf howling. Another reflection that moved once Steven passed. Gosh, it’s excellent! It turned out it wasn’t a dog or wolf. A mixture of creatures, maybe. Arthur probably unleashed the beast to attack Steven. He ran to the bathroom filled with mirrors and reflections. It was beautifully shot. The hopeless man had nowhere to turn until Marc spoke to him. He wanted to save them, but Steven couldn’t fight back anymore. So does Steven fight off Marc voluntarily? A bit strange to me. But with no choice, Steven let Marc take over. It was stunning to witness the hieroglyphics on the wall, the performance, and the score! They cut away from the suit up, which was understandable. It was Steven’s POV, not Marc’s. Any time they cut away from Steven, we never fully saw Marc’s actions. It isn’t focusing on Marc yet. I love that. Either way, it was a thrilling way to end the first episode.
Final Thoughts
I rewatched the episode for this review, and yeah, it’s the best start to a Disney+ series. I’m not saying it will be the best MCU show, but I hope the momentum stays throughout the six-episode event. Oscar Isaac was the star. His range as an actor has me excited about what’s to come. Ethan Hawke is also an excellent actor, so both of them as leads will be a treat! I appreciate the showrunners changing locations for the show. New York gets boring at times. I like how the viewer had to guess whether it was a dream or real. Everyone is confused, like Steven. Does anyone else think he isn’t talking to his mother? She never picks up when he calls. It’s a bit sad. The Bob Dylan song was perfect for both characters. “There's a dying voice within me reaching out somewhere.” “In the fury of the moment, I can see the master's hand." "Sometimes I turn, there's someone there, at times it's only me," don’t you agree? So, I have some knowledge of Moon Knight. I’m currently reading Vol 9 of the Moon Knight comic series, and I have a couple of old comics. Most notably, the first issue of his first solo run. From what I do know, Marc Spector was a Marine before a mercenary. He died in front of Khonshu, and he believed Khonshu wanted him to be the moon’s knight after he was brought back to life. He has dissociative identity disorder. Steven Grant, a businessman on Wall Street. It is where he made his fortune. Jake Lockley, a street cabbie. It allowed him to hear everything on the streets. Moon Knight is the Fist of Khonshu, the mysterious being following Steven in the show. Mr. Knight is different from Moon Knight; he is the investigator. We’ll see him later in the series as well. I don’t think we will see Jake Lockley, though. The series seems to be going backward. Marc Spector is his original identity, not Steven Grant. The mystery must be how Grant got where he is now. Remember he fights off Marc? I very much love that idea. It made everything more suspenseful. I believe Arthur Harrow has only had one appearance in the comics, so there is room for a new backstory for him. Moon Knight is one of Marvel’s most complex characters in the comics. I’m so hyped to see how the MCU handles him. Later, gators!
Hello there! I’m happy you took the time out of your day to read my post. Remember if you have any questions or want to have a discussion, leave a comment! The next newsletter will be on Moon Knight episode two, and possibly, a Comic Reading for the Week. It depends on time, though. Stay tuned! Happy days and take care!