As the second episode of Moon Knight begins, Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac) has a nightmare and rushes out of the bed, but the restraint leaves him facedown on the ground. He looks in the mirror and tries to talk to his other self. He doesn’t get a response. Steven goes to work where he finds JB (Alexander Cobb) installing a security barrier because of burst pipes. He asks JB if he has looked at the security footage. Since he hasn’t yet, they decide to go watch it together. Steven warns him that what is going to see will melt his brain because it is like Area 51 like MI6 bonkers. They watch the footage as Steven hides and runs away from the monster, but they don’t see the monster. JB suspects Steven messed up the loos so he warns him that Larry in maintenance is going to shoot him.

Steven explains an Egyptian jackal was chasing him, but JB doesn’t believe him. They fast forward the video to the part where Steven comes out of the bathroom. When Steven comes out of the bathroom, JB says it is still him. Steven argues it isn’t him though. Moments later, Steven’s boss tells him that the museum has no desire to press charges. He knows it has been a struggle for Steven lately. Steven learns about doctors that have a relationship with the museum. His boss gives him a pamphlet and tells him he isn’t alone. Steven knows that is part of the problem. Steven has to give his name badge back. After that, Steven goes to the gold statue man and tells him about getting sacked. He doesn’t blame them because he is a vandal and should be arranged.

Steven also explains that he found things in his flat. He believes that is worth exploring. Finding the storage locker would be the one way to prove to himself that he isn’t mad. When Steven visits the storage locker facility, the receptionist there recognizes him and says he is in number 43. Seconds later, Steven enters the storage locker and finds a cot and a bag containing a handgun. The bag also has money and an American passport for Marc Spector. When Steven pulls the scarab out of the bag, he realizes it was real all along. He touches it causing its wings to extract and the scarab to float. Then, Marc or the man in the mirror begins talking to him.

Steven asks whether he is a secret agent or possessed. Marc explains they’re in danger, but he can save them. He just can’t have Steven interfering with him. Marc recommends going to sleep on the cot. Steve says he is never going to go to sleep again. Once Steve demands to know what he is, Marc reveals he serves Khonshu as his Avatar. Steve is as well. They’re responsible for delivering Khonshu’s justice to those who hurt them. Steven knows that Khonshu is the Egyptian God of the moon, but he thinks that is the stupidest thing ever. Marc made a deal with Khonshu and it is contingent on Steven not interfering. Marc wants to use his body so he can finish this and Steven will never have to hear from him again.

Steven threatens to take the bag full of illegal stuff straight to the authorities to make them put him away. He hopes NHS will fill him with enough pills to get Marc out of his head. Once Steven steps out of the storage locker, he is chased by something. He eventually ends up behind it as it calls him a fool and urges him to give it back. Steven makes it outside where he nearly gets run over by a motorcycle driven by Layla El-Faouly (May Calamawy). She calls him Marc and asks where he has been. Layla thinks Steven is his latest identity and he wanted her to track his phone when he turned it on. She thought he had been kidnapped, but believed he’d be okay because he has the suit.

Steven is shocked when he learns that Layla is his wife. Layla encourages him to drop the act and stop using the accent. Steven promises to tell her everything once she gets him back to his flat. Once they return, Marc warns Steven he is out of his depth and should get her out of there. Steven says he just wants to get his life back. When Layla calls him Marc, he reminds her that he is Steven. She asks whether he is living with someone, but he says no and that flat is his mother’s. She notices he has a book of Marceline Desbordes-Valmore poems so he says she is his favorite poet.

Layla says no, but she is her favorite. Steven calls that mental. She discovers he is learning French and hieroglyphics although he doesn’t think that is a big deal. He tries to show her a few. He is surprised by the fact that she already knows them. Layla refuses to believe he is Steven and just wants to get this over with. She has papers he sent and never signed. Once Steven learns that they’re divorce papers, he says he’d never divorce her. Steven says she seems lovely while Marc seems like a twit. He doesn’t know how to explain what is happening. As he begins showing her what he found in the bag, Marc tries to talk him out of it. He stops when Marc warns him that he is going to get her killed.

She pushes him out of the way and grabs the scarab that points to Ammit’s ushabti. Steven tells her to take it because he doesn’t want it. He says his name is Steven Grant, he worked in a gift shop, and he believes she might be the only one who can help him. Layla asks if he can remember why they wanted it, their adventures, or their life together. He wishes he could. A knock at the door scares Steven as he worries they’ve come for him because he vandalized the toilet. He learns it is DC Fitzgerald and DC Kennedy. When they barge inside, Layla is already gone. He thinks it is about the toilet. Bobbi Fitzgerald (Ann Akinjirin) and Billy Kennedy (David Ganly) quickly search his flat. When Bobbi looks outside, we see that Layla is hiding on the roof.

They ask whether he has a stolen item, but Steven insists it isn’t here. When they find the passport and declare it fake, they decide to take Steven with them. As they drive, Bobbi claims they’ve got themselves a full-blown international fugitive. She explains that Marc Spector was part of a team of mercenaries that hit a dig site in Egypt. They zip-tied and executed the archaeologists. Steven promises he didn’t do that before he learns they’re not taking him to the police station. He is left in the car. A woman hits the window with a ball. He begins asking for her help only to learn that she is one of them when he sees her tattoo. Marc tries to convince Steven to surrender control.

Steven is never going to let him control again after seeing what he did to those people. When the door opens, Steven finds himself on the ground with Arthur (Ethan Hawke) walking around him. After the handcuffs are removed, Bobbi and Billy leave. Arthur says it must be difficult having all those voices in his head, including Steven Grant, Marc Spector, and Khonshu. Arthur wonders whether Khonshu picked him as an Avatar because his mind would be easy to break or because it was already broken. Steven claims he isn’t broken although he needs some help. Arthur claims he is there to help. When Steven sees Khonshu, Arthur asks what he is saying since he lost the privilege of seeing him.

He knows he is telling Steven to kill him. Arthur wants to show him around and insists Khonshu can only blow things around without his help. As Arthur shows him the neighborhood, he says it used to have the highest crime rate. Now, people feel safe enough to keep their doors unlocked. He claims people don’t want to hear good news before Steven learns they speak Mandarin. Arthur explains they aspire to learn three languages. He tells Steven the food is free. Since both are vegans, he recommends Steven try the lentil soup he made this morning. It is Victor’s recipe. He is from the Yucatan and very funny. Arthur knows he wants to be on the right side of things since Khonshu picks people with a good moral conscience. Khonshu tells him he has no conscience before knocking stuff over nearby.

Arthur claims the other gods do not respect him, but Khonshu says he only punishes those who have already done harm. Arthur repeats what Khonshu says about him being real justice. Arthur says he was his fist of vengeance and Avatar before Steven. Steven says he isn’t the fist of anything although the American man living inside of him might be. Arthur argues that Khonshu punishes people too late since they’ve already done something evil. By the time his vengeance arrives, people have already suffered and Ammit knows this too well. She casts her judgment before any evil is done. That is why they want to resurrect her.

Steven asks whether that is dodgy though. Arthurs wants to know about the scarab since it will lead them to Ammit’s tomb. She is waiting to be freed while the cruel masses deserve her judgment. It’ll be heaven on earth when the evil is eradicated. Arthur wants to know where the scarab is and who has it, but Marc tells Steven not to mention Layla. Arthur wants to talk to Marc. He warns him that Khonshu is lying about this being his last mission and going free. Steven suggests Ammit is judging an innocent person if she is judging them before the act. He asks if she’d kill a child for something they might do in 30 years. Arthur says the cure is sometimes a taste of the disease. The difference between medicine and poison sometimes is only the dosage.

He uses a diseased limb as an example. Although amputation is grotesque, it is necessary for the larger health. Steven insists a child isn’t a diseased limb before trying to make sure they’re not into child killing. Arthur shows him the cane which is Ammit’s gift to her first Avatar. It contains a tiny sliver of her power and he doesn’t want to use it. Eventually, Layla shows up to show them that she has the scarab. Khonshu warns Marc that there is no deal in this while Layla urges Steven to summon the suit. She gives him the scarab and tells him to keep it safe because they run from Arthur and his people. Arthur begins using the cane while Layla beats up a man so they can escape.

Steven and Layla lock themselves in a room with bodies as she encourages him to bring out the suit. When the jackal bursts through the door, Steven is knocked through the window. Khonshu urges him to summon the suit. He does before hitting the ground. Marc doesn’t like the suit he picked though. He asks about the scarab, but Steven isn’t sure where it is. Layla catches up with him before the jackal begins attacking Steven. She can’t see it but tries to help anyway. Marc tells Steven to give him control because he can’t handle this. Steven says otherwise. He punches the jackal and begins celebrating only to get knocked into the street seconds later.

They fight for a bit before they’re hit by a car. As Steven gets up, Marc tells him to look around. People are going to get hurt unless he lets Marc help. Marc takes control. Layla tells him to get it out of there so he climbs a building as the jackal chases him. After Marc takes care of the jackal, Steven realizes that he has lost the scarab. Layla watches as a disheveled guy picks up the scarab and Arthur takes it from him. He tells the man he wishes he could live to see the world we make before he is killed. Steven talks to Marc about what it is like being on the inside and being able to scarcely move. Steven tries to take the body back but can’t. Marc says something has changed so the one who controls the body has become stronger.

Steven complains he has been eating away at his life like a parasite. Marc says they wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for Khonshu. He promises he won’t see him again after he finishes his debt. Steven argues he hurts people and even abandoned his wife. Marc denies that. He says Khonshu wants Layla as his replacement and he is never going to let that happen. They argue as Steven says he will never give him a moment of peace. Marc breaks the mirror in front of him. Khonshu reminds March he swore he wouldn’t interfere. Marc insists he’ll handle it. Khonshu calls him ungrateful for altering the terms of their agreement. Khonshu (F. Murray Abraham) laughs at the idea of Marc owning the body since he was a corpse when he found him.

When Khonshu says Harrow has the scarab, Marc suggests they can get to Ammit’s tomb first. Khonshu insists he’ll protect Marc because he is worth it. He knows Marc enjoys the work and argues that they need each other. Marc is warned he might not like his next candidate since she is near and dear to him. He asks where they’re going before Khonshu asks where he thinks. Marc wakes up in Egypt with a bottle of alcohol.

 

Moon Knight Review

I can see that Moon Knight is going to get better as it continues. Right now, the series is really focusing on the backstory and trying to explain what is going on with Steven and Marc. I think this episode wrapped up that stuff since we can see what is happening with Khonshu, Marc, and Steven. The story is genuinely interesting for a series like this although it might be unnecessarily complex.

I’ll say that I surprisingly think I like Steven a bit more than Marc if that even matters. Regardless, I have enjoyed both episodes of Moon Knight a lot more than I did Halo. The episode scores a 7 out of 10. Recaps of Moon Knight are available on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support Reel Mockery by clicking this link.