The Marvel streaming-TV train keeps rollin’ with Moon Knight, a deep-cut Marvel comic selection that is quite uneven through the first four episodes. This one is sure to have its share of detractors—and it will leave some viewers totally confused.
But stick with it: The show gets better with each episode.
I was able to preview four of the six episodes (which will be released every Wednesday on Disney+ through May 4). I’m not saying that everything makes a whole lot of sense by the end of the fourth episode, but the show will definitely trip you out by that point.
Oscar Isaac stars as Steven Grant, a knowledgeable and introverted museum souvenir-shop employee. He has a very bad time while sleeping, and he sometimes blacks out during the day, winding up in a completely different location when he wakes up. He chains himself to his bed to avoid sleepwalking—but nothing seems to help.
It turns out he’s got another personality, the adventurous Marc Spector, who takes over Steven’s body when he’s in peril—and sometimes dons an ancient suit when his fighting skills require an uptick. Marc is an avatar for an ancient Egyptian god … or some nonsense like that. Steven and Marc look alike, so Isaac is able to play both parts, with the distinguishing difference being Steven’s English accent.
Ethan Hawke pops in as Arthur, that same god’s former avatar; Arthur is generally soft-spoken … and perhaps evil; his true intentions aren’t entirely clear after four episodes. I’m sure comic geeks are well aware of this character and know whether or not he’s a supervillain, but us non-comic heads who knew nothing of Moon Knight before watching this show will have to wait to find out (or read somebody’s spoiler review).
Moon Knight started really losing me in the third episode, especially when the action moved from the U.S. to Egypt; I had no freaking idea where the show was going, or what it was trying to do. An interesting “twist” in episode 4 gave me hope that this series will wonderfully take flight in its final two episodes. It might all make sense in the end.
That twist, along with the work by Isaac and Hawke, have me interested in what happens next. The final verdict on Moon Knight is still pending.
Moon Knight is streaming on Disney+, with episodes being released on Wednesdays through May 4.
