REVIEW: ‘Moon Knight,’ Episode 6 – “Gods and Monsters”

Moon Knight Episode 6 pulls off more than a few miracles during its run. Not only tying up all of its loose ends, but also delivering on both the action and the emotion. “Gods and Monsters” winds back the clock to when Marc Spector (Oscar Isaac) was shot and left for dead by Arthur Harrow ( Ethan Hawke). His wife Layla El-Faouly (May Calamawy) intends to kill Harrow before he can free Amnit and let the goddess pass her twisted version of judgment on the world. However, she is contacted by Taweret (Antonia Salib), who asks her to free Khonshu (F. Murray Abraham) from his imprisonment so that he can re-empower Marc and halt Amnit’s ascension.

“Gods and Monsters,” much like the finales of Loki and What If…?, manages to bring all the elements of the series to a close. The Marvel Studios shows on Disney+ have often stumbled when it comes to their finales. It feels like the writers and directors are rushing to tie up all loose ends or, in WandaVision‘s case, leave some dangling. Thankfully, that doesn’t happen here. Marc and Steven’s escape from the Duat, their reunion with Khonshu…even the mystery figure in the sarcophagus from “The Tomb” is addressed. Comic fans are more than likely to lose their minds when they see that figure in action.

The episode also features some stellar action sequences courtesy of director Mohamed Diab. Marc and Harrow finally have it out, with Marc and Steven switching between bodies and plowing through Harrow’s followers. The episode also features a battle between Khonshu and Amnit, with both gods growing to the size of skyscrapers. Not only does this inject some Godzilla VS. Kong level awesomeness into the episode, but it also gives both gods a chance to voice their respective beliefs. Amnit believes in judging all potential evildoers, regardless of whether they choose to do evil or not. Khonshu only passes judgment when he’s witnessed evildoers in action.

In fact, it’s the theme of choice that resonates the most in this episode. Though Marc has found peace in the afterlife, he chooses to leave behind paradise to save Steven. When they reunite with Khonshu, they both come up with a new bargain rather than let the lunar god dictate the terms of their arrangement. Even Layla tells Khonshu that she won’t become his avatar and she’ll find another way to stop Harrow. Showrunner Jeremy Slater, alongside series writer Sabir Pirzada and Peter Cameron, bring the series full circle by letting Marc and Steven have autonomy over their lives. This is reflected in a scene that doubles as a beautiful homage to Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood’s Moon Knight run.

All of this wouldn’t work without the performances of Isaac and Calamawy, who continue to infuse their characters with humanity. When Marc reunites with Steven, Issac delivers a stirring speech that brought a tear to my eye. For her part, Calamawy nearly runs away with the entire episode, as she gets some major action beats and a surprising character turn that will no doubt please viewers.

If Hollywood isn’t knocking down Calamawy’s doors after this, then they’re sleeping on an actress with genuine talent and screen presence. Hawke continues to be a sinister presence to the very end, proving that his words can be just as deadly as the staff he uses to “judge” others. It’s also extremely satisfying to watch Marc defeat Harrow, who’s attempted to gaslight him multiple times.

Moon Knight Episode 6 closes the series out in style, balancing action and emotion with stellar performances across the board. It remains to be seen whether this is the last we’ve seen of Moon Knight, but the cast and crew have delivered a golden example of how to handle Marvel Studios’ streaming shows going forward.

All episodes of Moon Knight are now available to stream on Disney+.