Marvel’sMoon Knightwrapped up itssensational first seasonthis past Wednesday. Marc, Steven, and Layla (with a little help from third personality Jake Lockley) were able to defeat Arthur Harrow and his followers of Ammit. With Khonshu playing a role in the fight, they were able to save most of the world from having their souls judged and possibly taken from them.A new direction from Marvel, dealing with one of their darker and lesser-known heroes, along with deep themes of mental health,Moon Knightentertains some of the better scores and ratings so far for Marvel television shows, with an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.6/10 on IMDB. That puts it above bothThe Falcon and The Winter SoldierandHawkeye.
Now that season one is finished (with season two unannounced so far), critics and audiences alike are now available to analyze and critique the overall story ofMoon Knight, along with each individual episode, going over character and story arcs, editing, cinematography, visuals, all the things that madeMoon Knightthe show it is. There arespoilers ahead, for those that haven’t seen the show. Here’s what worked in favor ofMoon Knight, and what didn’t.
Related:Two Crossover’s That Were Cut from Moon Knight
What Worked: The Acting
Featuring a star-studded cast of Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke, and May Calamawy, the performances were a strong suit forMoon Knight. Oscar Isaac successfully plays a man with Dissociative Identity Disorder, giving both personalities (Marc and Steven) their own unique charm and style that differentiated them from one another, despite being the same man. The emotions Isaac puts into Marc when it’s revealed that his younger brother was killed, and his Mom blamed him for it, were absolutely heartbreaking for audiences.
Hawke’s Arthur Harrow, another obscure character deep in Marvel’s lore, may have been one of the better villains to exist in the MCU. His stoic behavior, his trauma with Khonshu, the world’s problems, and his unsettling magnetism all combined for a fantastic villainous performance. The other protagonist of the show, May Calamawy’s Layla, was an excellent addition to the story, providing a solid rock between the instability of Marc’s mind and Harrow’s plans. Her dynamic with both Steven and Marc was also a highlight, providing some deep, emotional moments.
What Didn’t Work: The Confusion around Marc’s Dissociative Identity Disorder
In the comic source material, a core part, and possibly the most well-known part of Marc Spector/Moon Knight’s character ishis Dissociative Identity Disorder, which is when two or more personalities exist within the same mindscape, and is usually caused by heavy trauma. Marc Spector has four personalities in the comics: Himself, Steven Grant, Jake Lockley, and Moon Knight. Of course, only two of the personalities were shown (Marc and Steven). But instead of outright saying that Marc has D.I.D., the showrunners decided to make it a mystery to add another storyline to the show.
This caused a lot of confusion for audiences unfamiliar with the character, with many wondering if they were two separate people, or if Steven was being possessed. It didn’t help when the asylum story came into play, with Marc and Steven being separate people (and Steven “dying” at the end of episode five). In the D.I.D. community, opinion is split on how Marvel handled the treatment of the condition on the show. The ambiguity surrounding Moon Knight’s mental health and conditiondid not do the show any favors.
What Worked: The Deep Look into Marc Spector’s Trauma
Tony Stark’s (Iron Man) parents were killed in a car crash. Captain America was trapped in the ice for almost seventy years. Bruce Banner’s father abused him. For the longest time, Marvel didn’t go very deep into its characters' backstories and traumas. Starting withWandavision, Marvel Studios has been diving deeper and deeper into the psyche of its characters, and it all cultivates into the most tragic backstory seen so far in any project.
In episode five ofMoon Knight, it’s revealed that Marc Spector had a younger brother, who got stuck and drowned when the two were out on an adventure. After, it’s shown that Marc’s mother blamed Marc for what happened, and continually blamed and traumatized him for years after the incident, causing Marc to leave home, with his father trying to stop him. Having this trauma revealed to both the audience and Steven, along with Marc having to relive those memories, caused one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the show, with Marc trying to keep it together and Steven telling him it wasn’t his fault. This was one of the most well-done origin stories in the MCU.
Moon Knight: Does the MCU Character Have Powers?
What Didn’t Work: The Pacing
WithWandavisionandWhat If?,Marvel went with more episodes (around 7-8) with a shorter runtime (20-30 minutes). WithThe Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Loki, Hawkeye,and nowMoon Knight,Marvel opted for six-episode seasons, with episodes running about 40-50 minutes each. With the amount of story and the plot points inMoon Knight, the amount of time and episodes were not enough and felt mishandled.
The first two episodes are spent introducing the main plot and characters at a slow and steady pace. The next two raise the stakes, with Layla and Marc in Egypt trying to stop Harrow. Then, at the end of episode four, and all of episode five, the show introduces the asylum arc. The asylum story is very well done, giving audiences some character building, and bonding time with Steven and Marc. However, withHarrow and his acolyteson the verge of freeing Ammit, Knonshu still stuck, and Layla helpless, it left audiences wondering how the season finale was possibly going to wrap up all the plot threads. Luckily they did, fairly well and satisfactory, but the finale felt rushed and could’ve possibly used a longer runtime or a part two.
With almost any show or movie, some part of the production or story is going to have its problems and its successes. The same goes with Marvel’sMoon Knight.Though only four were listed above,Moon Knighthad many more outstanding moments, and a few other head-scratching ones. Overall, it was another hit in thebooks for Marvel Studios.
