Coming into the finale, many were worried that there was no chance Moon Knight could pull off a satisfying conclusion in the short runtime the episode presented. Yet, somehow, it seems the story pulled it off, for the most part. Despite being the shortest finale of any MCU Disney+ project to date, its breakneck pacing allowed for the story to hit nearly all the beats it needed to.
Warning - the rest of this article contains spoilers for Episode 6 of Moon Knight.
A lot happened in the span of less than 40 minutes. Marc and Steven were revived, Khonshu freed, Ammit defeated, and Harrow stopped.
Many might complain about how it all devolved into the usual last act brawl, and those complaints wouldn’t be wrong—but there was a sprinkling of unique content in there to make it land better, such as two massive Gods duking it out by the Pyramids as all of Cairo watched.
Despite the last installment of the series being the usual superhero affair, there was still plenty to love.
The Layla Twist
One of the biggest surprises that the finale held for fans was the unique turn of events for Layla: she became Taweret’s Avatar. The unique part of it all is how she isn’t a pre-established hero from the comics. One could even say she became the MCU’s first original superhero—an Egyptian one at that!
Marvel.com revealed that her superhero moniker is Scarlet Scarab, a nod to her father's alter ego from the comics.
While hesitancy towards the idea would be understandable, the execution worked for the most part. Taweret’s initial communication with her was jarring, but once she became her Avatar, all the pieces started to fit more smoothly.
It is a little annoying not to have been given any semblance of closure for that particular storyline. Is Layla still the Avatar? Did she end it off-screen? What is she even up to by the end of the series now that Harrow is defeated?
Lots of questions that probably won’t have answers anytime soon.
Moon Knight Throws the Punches
After a few episodes of little to no action, that finally changed in the finale. In fact, it was seen in many avenues.
For one, audiences got to witness Khonshu and Ammit trade blows—a satisfying surprise that offered some unique Kaiju action, something the MCU hasn’t seen much of. What made it even better is how the CGI was notably great, with very few flaws to be seen.
Then there was both Marc and Steven, who got back into the suit after two episodes without it. They didn’t miss a beat, and the two shifting between personalities and move sets mid-fight was fantastic.
One of his most notable moments was Mr. Knight's great sequence beating up goons with his Moon Sticks, which contained some impressive choreography that was reminiscent of sequences in Daredevil.
Even Layla was able to join the fun, with a move set that combined the talents of Wonder Woman and Falcon into one person.
As for the show's main villain, it was admittedly confusing to have Arthur Harrow take part in the fistfights—nothing about him seemed to indicate that he’d be any good against a supernaturally powered-up Marc. Though, at the end of the day, he was once Khonshu’s Avatar, so it isn’t completely out of the question. The magical staff probably didn’t hurt either.
The Jake in the Room
After so much teasing, the third persona was finally revealed.
Having been hinted at throughout the whole series, his inevitable reveal was expected by fans. While they had to wait until the post-credits scene, Marvel fans for their first glimpse at Jake Lockley.
It is frustrating how viewers will have to wait God knows how long before having his side of the story explored. But, at least he’s finally confirmed to exist, and is no doubt going to be a thorn in Marc and Steven’s sides, especially when it comes to the parasite that is Khonshu.
It was rather odd that the titular hero was violently saved at the last minute by Jake, with the story choosing to still leave all the details to mystery. The tease seemed unnecessary and could have served as a more solid reveal instead of another vague reminder of Marc’s reclusive brutal alter ego.
Khonshu’s Deal Comes to a Head
When it comes to the ending, it all worked for the most part. What felt the most strange, and off-putting, was the revisit to the asylum. It didn’t really fit the moment, and going back to that plotline brought up more questions than closure, like intended.
As for the Egyptian bird-headed Moon God, It’s a good move for the show to confirm Khonshu hasn’t gone anywhere. The trope of losing one’s superpowers, even though everyone knows they’ll come back, is one best avoided.
The biggest question is: what comes next? It sure seems like the story has been set up for a second season, so much so that it’s honestly a little strange there wasn’t another stinger confirming a continuation like in Loki.
Fans truly have no idea when the character will pop up next. The jumping-off point would indicate a Moon Knight-focused project is likely the best pick, but seeing as one isn’t announced just yet, it’s more possible he’ll show up in someone else’s project first.
Could fans see him in the upcoming Werewolf By Night special? Perhaps Blade? Only time will tell.
Moon Knight is now streaming on Disney+.
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