Marvel Studios' recent Disney+ push has proven rather divisive among fans. From WandaVision to Moon Knight, every series has had plenty of highs and lows along the way. Despite the overall inconsistency in quality, all six streaming projects have certainly had their fair share of fans - leading to each attracting consistently big numbers on Disney+.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness just recently broke new ground for the MCU as it turned WandaVision into the first Disney+ series to directly influence a big-screen event. But in this age of an increasingly interconnected MCU, Moon Knight stands apart as the most standalone superhero outing since 2008's Iron Man.
Moon Knight introduced fans to Marc Spector, somebody who not only suffers from dissociative identity disorder but has also been possessed by the Egyptian moon god Khonshu to do his bidding. The series went back and forth from profound character exploration to action-packed adventure across its six-week run, leaving something for every viewer to love.
With the entirety of Moon Knight now streaming on Disney+, The Direct has ranked all six episodes of the debut season.
6.) Episode 2: Summon the Suit
"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, my name is Steven with a V." - Steven Grant
Despite being Moon Knight's weakest chapter, "Summon the Suit" is still a strong follow-up to the premiere and a true testament to the quality of the series. Perhaps the most successful elements of the second episode are the development it offers towards the villainous Arthur Harrow and the introduction of love interest Layla El-Faouly.
While "Summon the Suit" certainly maintains a sense of intrigue as Steven Grant attempts to uncover the mystery of Marc Spector, it doesn't do much to further progress the overall story. Although the action segment featuring both Marc's Moon Knight and Steven's Mr. Knight in costume was one of great momentum and excitement.
The biggest flaw of the episode comes in it predating the powerful bond between Marc and Steven. At this point, Grant still refuses to accept the existence of his mercenary alter and is instead in direct conflict with him, something which at times comes across as a little frustrating.
5.) Episode 3: The Friendly Type
"Your torment forged me. I owe my victory to you." - Arthur Harrow
"The Friendly Type" is where things really kick off for Moon Knight; Marc Spector and Steven Grant have begun to develop their bond and the story has shifted to Egypt. To some degree, the third chapter is when the series starts to feel much more like a product of Marvel Studios due to its faster pace and drastic increase in action.
Both the first two installments followed Steven Grant in London as he began to learn about Marc Spector and his whole second life. This episode jumps across the sea to Egypt for an adventure with Marc and his wife Layla as the power couple begins their efforts to stop Arthur Harrow from freeing Ammit.
Layla quickly establishes herself as the perfect candidate to accompany Marc and Steven on their heroic adventure, proving to be among the most interesting love interests ever to grace the MCU, and May Calamawy performs the character excellently.
The Egyptian mythology connections quickly ramp up within the third chapter as viewers are introduced to more gods, learn about the concept of avatars, and spend time with Khonshu. Not to mention, the visual of rewinding the night sky is truly something to marvel at.
4.) Episode 6: Gods and Monsters
"Meet my friend, Jake Lockley" - Khonshu
Marvel Studios has always struggled at wrapping up its stories satisfyingly, particularly when it comes to its Disney+ finales. Moon Knight breaks that pattern with the strongest season finale to date. "Gods and Monsters" has plenty of the blockbuster crowd-pleasing moments from Layla's Scarlet Scarab suit-up to Khonshu and Ammit's grand-scale battle beside the pyramids of Cairo.
After a season of mysteries and build-up, Moon Knight's finale wrapped up all the major loose ends, brought its character arcs to a satisfying point, and left plenty open to be continued in the future. The climactic episode also delivered the biggest action moment of the series, as Spector's Moon Knight and Grant's Mr. Knight bounced back and forth to take down Arthur Harrow - with some much-needed help from Jake Lockley.
Speaking of Lockley, the long-awaited reveal of Spector's third alter in the post-credits scene set the stage for plenty more adventures with Moon Knight. But that cryptic tease for the future of the character didn't stop Moon Knight from concluding as the self-contained story it was always meant to be; no MCU crossovers, no cameos, just the tale of a mentally ill man and his connections to the gods of Ancient Egypt.
3.) Episode 4: The Tomb
"Why do all men like you feel it necessary to be just so condescending?" - Layla El-Faouly
With Khonshu having been imprisoned, "The Tomb" doubled down on Layla by taking her on a tomb-raiding adventure with Steven Grant, exploring her relationship with Marc Spector, offering a taste of her complicated backstory, and even giving her some action of her own.
In the run-up to Moon Knight, Marvel fans were promised an Indiana Jones-inspired adventure tale, and the fourth installment delivers that more than any other. Marc, Steven, and Layla's quest to uncover the treasures of an Egyptian tomb proved to be a thrilling ride full of action, surprises, and plenty of well-placed character moments scattered throughout.
Even with all the greatness in this episode, "The Tomb" will go down in history for its shocking cliffhanger that changed the game of the series. After Marc Spector was shot dead by Arthur Harrow, the hero was seen to be being treated in a mental asylum before escaping, meeting Steven Grant face to face, and running into the hippo goddess Taweret. The game-changing moment left viewers doubting everything they thought they know about the series, making it the perfect twist.
2.) Episode 1: The Goldfish Problem
"Every day I wake up, then I start to break up. Lonely is a man without love."
Moon Knight not only delivered Marvel Studios' strongest Disney+ finale yet but also the best opening as it cleverly established its main character and the key concepts of the series. "The Goldfish Problem" introduces viewers to Steven Grant - a museum gift shop worker living in London who suffers from blackouts that lead him to awaken in strange locations and situations.
With the premiere putting Marc Spector aside completely to focus on Steven Grant, both the audience and the main character simultaneously unravel the mysteries of his life as they begin to understand the confusing concept of his dissociative identity disorder.
The most common criticism of "The Goldfish Problem" comes down to its lack of action. With the episode putting all the focus on Steven Grant - only introducing the heroic Marc Spector in the final minutes - almost all the action gets skipped over as the Londoner blacks out, and his alter takes control.
Between intriguing mysteries and compelling characters, "The Goldfish Problem" set the tone for the episodes to come and had viewers hooked on the series' concept.
1.) Episode 5: Asylum
"You try taking a life. See how quickly you forget." - Marc Spector
In a series filled with greatness, "Asylum" goes above and beyond the rest in exploring the titular hero, whilst also going deeper into Egyptian mythology than any other chapter. Marc and Steven's journey through the underworld serves as a suitable pretext for a flashback-centric episode that answers questions, raises more, and sets the stage for a blockbuster finale with a shocking cliffhanger.
"Asylum" reveals to the audience everything they could want to know about the story of Marc's life, the origin of his mental health struggles, and how he came to be enslaved by Khonshu. With Spector forced to relive his tormented past while Grant discovers it for the first time, Oscar Isaac gets to deliver two greatly different and compelling performances in the same episode - with Steven acting as the vessel for the viewer to uncover this mystery with him.
Ultimately, "Asylum" shines through the depth it gives the main hero, the stellar performance of Isaac, the new sides of Egyptian mythology it dives into, and how exceptionally it sets up an even bigger ending. After all, there's nothing better to predate an action-orientated finale than a profound character piece.
Is Moon Knight Marvel's Best Disney+ Series?
Moon Knight stands out from the rest of Marvel Studios' Disney+ series through its unique and compelling main character, creative storytelling, and award-worthy performance from Oscar Isaac. All six of the series released so far have had their highs and lows, but none maintain such consistent quality from beginning to end as Moon Knight does.
Fans can only hope there will soon be more to come from the Fist of Vengeance, but Marvel Studios has yet to officially confirm a second season or reveal when Isaac will next be back in the MCU. But for now, all six episodes of Moon Knight are streaming exclusively on Disney+.
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