(Spoiler Warning!!)
Whew, this is very late. I hate when I’m behind schedule, but work has me too tired to type everything out. I had the Comic Reading for the Week newsletter ready since I went on a trip, so I had little control over this Moon Knight Finale. But we’re here! Thank you for sticking around. Let’s get to it, lovely people!
Moon Knight left everyone gutted with their penultimate episode. It was a heartbreaking episode learning about Marc’s abusive childhood and dissociative identity disorder. One of my favorite technical aspects of the installment was the transitions. They were edited seamlessly. Of course, the acting was top tier. As for the actual story, Steven was frozen in the sand while Marc would live out the rest of his life in the Field of Reeds. Layla witnessed Marc’s death. Can she finish Arthur by herself? Khonshu still awaits Marc’s help to free him from his ushabti. Harrow continued to carry out Ammit’s work. With her ushabti, it seemed easier to send souls into the underworld. How will the series conclude with so much left to tell? Let’s hop in!
Arthur Harrow stood above Marc’s dead body and took Ammit’s ushabti. With the ushabti by his side, he gained more powers in his cane. If it’s an upgrade, you know his job just got easier. They were ready for the world to be saved from evil doing. I’m still not on board with the execution, but we move! Layla was devastated by Marc’s death. Even if they weren’t on the same page, she still loved him as he loved her. Layla knew Arthur was capable of doing worse things to countless innocent people, so she went after him only. I wasn’t sure of her game plan, but she knew she had to stop the chaos before it arrived. Harrow showcased his new powers and judged multiple souls at once. They must have been the souls we saw fall into the underworld. Taweret kept her word and spoke to Layla as a dead man. Layla didn’t know what was happening, but Taweret, in some way, had to convince her. She even proposed an offer of being her avatar. But Layla wanted to face Harrow alone; she was determined. In the Great Pyramid of Giza, the other Gods felt a disturbance. Someone was trying to free Ammit. Wouldn't it have been nice if someone warned them about that? How are these Gods so gullible? Anyway, Harrow took them out with ease and summoned Ammit by breaking her ushabti. The crocodile-looking goddess was finally free. And she looked stunning. You would think Harrow’s scales were balanced by being Ammit’s avatar, but they weren’t. She didn’t mind it either. He was the avatar she needed to execute her purpose.
Layla went to find Khonshu’s ushabti and freed him. It would have been cool to see the other Gods free, too. Khonshu was left without an avatar to protect the night travelers. He asked Layla, but she quickly declined. She witnessed what Khonshu put Marc through, and she didn’t trust him. Again, it would have been crazy to see Layla in Moon Knight attire. Ammit’s first action was to purify the souls of Cairo and then the world. Time was ticking! Khonshu was ready to fight Ammit with no avatar. God v.s. Goddess. How exciting! Marc stood in the quiet Field of Reeds. It was something he never felt but always wanted. It didn’t feel right without Steven, though. With no return, he left the Field of Reeds to the Duat to find Steven. He found him in front of the Gates of Osiris. He looked into his frozen eyes and poured his heart out. No matter what power Marc possessed, Steven was his true superpower. Their frozen heart glowed because of Osiris’s affection. Taweret was right; my guy is a softy. We love it because Steven with a V was back. Khonshu swiftly sensed Marc and gave him life once again. Khonshu needed Marc’s help, but Steven had to be considered in the agreement now. It’s a package deal now! The switch is so darn good too. If they helped, Khonshu promised to free them. Yeah, okay, we’ll see about that. Khonshu turned the day into night for their powers to work best. Moon Knight flew across the night sky. The moon-crest-shaped cape looked badass. One of the fellow Gods informed Layla that they had to imprison Ammit in a mortal form instead of a statue. But they would need more avatars. Layla called upon Taweret to be her temporary avatar. Let’s go!
In Cairo, the followers of Ammit judged everyone. How scary was that? I mean, for a human in the MCU? It was like the Snap all over again. One event to another. Layla went through the falling rock and looked beautiful as ever. Taweret was right about two things; Layla’s father being proud of her and having a fabulous costume. She was named the Scarlet Scarab, a character from Marvel Comics. His name is Abdul Faoul in the comics, and as the Scarlet Scarab, he protected Egypt. It fits perfectly. Back to the action! The avatars and Gods fought side by side. I know it’s another CGI fight between the Gods, but they looked spectacular. A giant Ammit and Khonshu? Hell yeah, sign me up for that. In another part of town, Layla came to rescue Marc. The surprised look on Marc and Steven was heartwarming. What a powerful duo this could turn out to be. The hand-to-hand combat was nothing short of greatness. The switch between Mr. Knight and Moon Knight was incredible. They were bouncing off of each other. It worked so well. Layla wasted no time saving the people of Cairo; she's a true hero for her people. When a young girl asked if she was an Egyptian hero, that was so sweet. The two weren’t enough for Harrow, though. He held Moon Knight down. Before killing him, Marc switched to another identity. This man did not hold back at all. He pretty much killed everyone and destroyed most of the place. Marc and Steven had no idea who it was. Oh, the tease! I just love when they leave the audience processing what happened. You know it was raw. How everything happened was up to you.
Marc and Layla took Harrow’s body to imprison Ammit in him. They held each other’s hands to perform the spell the Gods used to imprison Khonshu into stone. Ammit’s last declaration was her containment wouldn't do anything. She will not be stopped. Hm, sure, Jane. The last thing to do was killing Harrow, but Layla stopped Marc from committing the act. He had to do it to be set free from Khonshu’s agreement. Marc had a choice, though. He couldn't kill someone who could potentially kill again. It would be similar to Ammit’s judgment. If Khonshu wanted Harrow dead, he could do it himself. Nicely done, Marc. Khonshu honored his agreement with Marc and Steven, and they were set free. Not only was he free from Khonshu, but Marc and Steven were also set free from their space in Dr. Harrow's office. They don't need help for now. I loved the switch between Mr. Knight and Moon Knight, but the close-up shift between Marc and Steven was phenomenal. The facial expression and voice change were insane. And lastly, they woke up in Steven’s flat still wearing an ankle restrain. How lovely. There was a mid-credit scene! A mysterious Spanish-speaking person picked up Harrow from a psych ward. An easy job to do if you murder the employees. He pushed Arthur into a limo. Khonshu looked sharp in his white suit. Love that. He spoke about Marc being more troubled than he thought. He didn’t need Layla or anyone else to be his avatar when he has… Jake Lockley! Jake didn’t waste a second ending Harrow’s life; you were destined to lose, Arthur. And that ends Marvel Studios’ Moon Knight!
Final Thoughts
Well, well, well. And just like that, Moon Knight’s six-episode event ends. I thoroughly enjoyed this series. I have to put it up there with LOKI and WandaVision. I think we are all in agreement when I say Oscar Isaac’s performance in the show is a top 5 performance in the MCU. This is an introduction as well, so it makes it even better. Shoutout to the directors, Mohamed Diab, Justin, and Aaron. All the writers and crew. The composer for this series Hesham Nazih. Also, the cast, especially Isaac, Hawke, May, and F. Murray Abraham. They all shaped a splendid show. One problem I had for the finale was resolving all the loose ends. I was shocked when I saw the runtime for the episode too. It was the shortest of the season! But they delivered. Every loose end was talked about or shown in a way to close that chapter of the story. It was pretty fast pace because of the runtime, though. I would have been happy with a few extra minutes, but it all worked out. I know Layla said she was only a temporary avatar, but I hope she continues to be Taweret’s avatar. She looked so great in her armor. The wings and sword added more badassery to it. One of the few well-written female characters in the MCU. As for Moon Knight, will we see him again? I sure do hope so. Isaac said he only signed on to do the series, though. I like how Marvel is done long contracts. It gives actors more freedom to work outside the Marvel Universe. I just think there are more stories to be told with Moon Knight. I don’t care if it is a second season or a solo movie. Moon Knight is a great character. An appearance in the upcoming MCU film, Blade, would be awesome. I did appreciate the separation from the MCU. There weren't many tie-ins. It felt like a standalone series, and I thought it worked pretty well. Lastly, I loved how they introduced Jake Lockley. I wanted it to be clever, and it was. Marc and Steven wanted to be set free, but not Jake. Khonshu does what he does. Jake also speaks Spanish, which is very cool since I’m a Spanish speaker. I still need to see more of him to conclude if he is just a violent man. The Jake Lockley that I know of is just a cabby, so I’m interested to see why they made him so violent compared to the others. I think that’s it from me! The next MCU Disney+ series is Ms. Marvel set to premiere next month! I’m not very familiar with her character, so I’m excited to learn about her!
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 a Comic Reading for the Week then I’ll continue the Amazing Spider-Man run! There aren’t scheduled, so it gives me more freedom. Stay tuned! Happy days and take care!