Don’t you hate it when you ask someone a question and they answer you with a question?
Moon Knight Episode 2, “Summon the Suit,” definitely moved the series out of the bewildering fog of the premiere episode, but, in the end, it left us with even more questions. We are still unclear on how Marc and Steven (Oscar Isaac, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) are sharing a body, why Konshu (F. Murray Abraham, The Grand Budapest Hotel) chose Marc to be his avatar, how Harrow (Ethan Hawke, Training Day) moved on from being Konshu’s avatar to Ammit’s (Sofia Danu, Silent Witness), and then there are a million questions about Marc and Layla’s relationship.
It’s understandable that since Steven is our surrogate (or avatar if you think about it), we’re left in as much bewilderment and confusion as he. While this does heighten the suspense of the episode, it is not great during the gigantic exposition dumps that happen throughout the episode. Less confusion and more focus are needed in these scenes, which is an unfortunate trait in the MCU television world.
While the questions are constant and at times frustrating throughout the episode, that doesn’t mean the episode is a dud. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
The action sequences in the episode are absolutely phenomenal — minus the subpar CGI that has plagued the series so far. These scenes are tense, visceral, and, at the right times, comedic. Oscar Isaac is as brilliant as he always is, and his performance as Steven in the episode is light years better than his performance in Episode 1. Episode 1 was more twitchy and steeped in physical comedy. In Moon Knight episode 2, Isaac imbues subtle confidence into Steven. When he comes back to Ethan Hawke’s Harrow about Ammit’s form of justice, it’s a giant (and earned) character leap for Steven. Normally you would think he’d cower and fold, but here he stands his ground, and it’s an impressive moment in the series.
On the literal other side of the coin, Isaac’s acting choice with Marc Spector is the right one. Isaac could’ve easily played Spector as an arrogant mercenary who’s dismissive of Steven and Layla. He could’ve played it cold and stoic, but instead, he plays Marc as wildly conflicted and more emotional than expected. This choice allows for us to not only have sympathy for Marc but also question the motivations of Konshu. When Harrow talks about Konshu’s shortcomings and lies, it’s not easy for the audience to buy. Harrow is the villain after all – he’s going to try and cast doubt onto both Steven and the audience. However, when we hear it straight from Marc’s mouth, it means so much more.
We’d be remiss in not talking about May Calamawy, who is introduced as Marc’s wife Layla. Calamawy’s performance 100% outshines the material given to her. She’s deployed simultaneously as an “Exposition Jones” character who just dumped a whole lot of plot at once, and at times as the object of rescue for Marc. Luckily, Calamawy breathes so much life into this very ill-defined character. Her Layla is both courageous and a terrific fighter, but she’s also someone wounded by her husband and just as bewildered as Steven at everything happening in the series. Yet, instead of playing bewilderment in a manic state like Isaac does with Steven, she instead plays Layla as someone who is logical and emotionally strong and serves as the perfect anchor for Steven. Hopefully, future episodes will be much kinder to this character, flesh her out, and give her more depth.
Moon Knight episode 2, “Summon the Suit,” was a brilliant display of action, delivered an enthralling amount of origin story…but ultimately left us all still bewildered and wondering what in the actual hell is happening in the series. Episode 3 is vital for the series. We need answers to big questions, and that will allow the audience to move forward with the story and ultimately get us to Moon Knight’s role in the MCU.
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