Spoiler Free Review
Although this is a spoiler free review of Moon Knight Episode 3 all images used have been taken from the episode.
The episode takes things up a notch and spends its runtime developing characters and themes with just a small scattering of action sequences. For most of the episode we see Marc Spector (Isaac) have his mental health questioned as he comes to terms with living with Steven on the inside. What is particularly interesting is that the episode hints at more personalities in the System than perhaps they both realise. While I wont share details on what happened (because spoilers) it’s safe to say that Jake Lockley is likely going to make a dramatic appearance sooner rather than later. Isaac continues to do an exceptional job playing both personalities. We see the more fragile side of Marc as his issues are thrusted into the light.
Moon Knight Episode 3 is set exclusively in Egypt and what sets Moon Knight apart is it shows us both the usual scene of dessert and pyramids, but also thriving cosmopolitan cities. This is a refreshing take and it’s nice to see a more realistic portrayal. The whole episode has an Indiana Jones vibe which makes the whole thing a lot of fun. The humour continues with Steven being the real source of comedy lines.
May Calamawy returns as Layla El-Faouly and shows us all that she is just as interesting and capable character as Marc / Steven. What’s cool is seeing her handle herself in an extended fight sequence where I won’t lie – she stole the show.
Things develop with the villainous Arthur Harrow played by Ethan Hawke. Hawke continues to play up to the sinister cult-leader vibes he’s given us in previous episodes. Now more than ever his evil plans are revealed as he gets closer to his goals. One moment had me shouting at the TV because Marc was discredited in favour of Harrow.
Khonshu continues to blur the lines between good intentions and being a jerk. There’s a few moments which are excellent visually and show the character’s true nature. As an Ancient Egypt history buff, it’s always a delight when the show leans hard into the myths and legends. Moon Knight episode 3 didn’t disappoint. Gods, mummies, and pyramid interiors all feature in this episode and are portrayed in a way that doesn’t really seem out of place with the MCU. This isn’t exactly easy to do considering the topic, but it really does work well. While no other part of the MCU is even remotely referenced, you very much believe it to be apart of this bigger universe.
Moon Knight makes a brief appearance for an extended fight sequence that is honestly brutal. I hope we get to see more of the titular hero in the back-half of the series. While the character study and action-adventure nature of the series is fantastic; this is still a superhero show. It should feature the hero, in costume, for a lot longer than it has so far. I suspect things will now move more in that direction as the story begins its climax and descent to conclusion. What we do get, however, is seriously cool and very rewatchable.
Is Moon Knight Episode 3 a strong midway episode?
Moon Knight Episode 3 can be summed up with a line from Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger – “searching for trinkets in the dessert”. Ok, that’s an oversimplification. It’s a fantastic 53-minute romp of action, adventure, magic, character study, ass-kicking, and Egypt mythology.
