Like WandaVision, what began as a subversive, wholly original series exploring new themes and concepts within the familiar Marvel universe has ended with the same tired trope seen in not only every other MCU project, but almost every other comic book adaptation. And on top of all the ass-whoopings handed out by Moon Knight, Layla gets her own set of superpowers and a godly suit to summon. Knight eviscerating a series of goons in suave style. There’s an awesome unbroken tracking shot of Mr.
The initial slow-motion confrontation between Marc and Harrow on the side of a pyramid is silhouetted against a giant full moon in the night sky.
“Gods and Monsters” has all the Moon Knight action fans could hope for, and it’s shot beautifully. Plenty Of Moon Knight Actionįans who decried the lack of Moon Knight action in previous episodes will be happy with the action-packed season finale. He wants what the hero has – to be the superpowered avatar of an ancient god – which is a classic villain role, and his “god complex” and delusions of grandeur explore a classic villain theme seen in countless Bond movies: the dangers of “playing God” (in this case, literally). Harrow is one of the best-acted and best-characterized MCU villains yet. His magical cane lifts people’s souls out of their bodies, which he uses to give his new godly partner a hive mind. In the finale, Harrow’s tangible threat finally presents itself. The actor is unsettlingly calm and sinister, both as the mystical cult leader plundering the pyramids and as the therapist in Marc’s imaginary mental institution. Ethan Hawke still gets a chance to shine as the villainous Arthur Harrow. Since the final episode is made up of mostly action, Isaac is largely confined to delivering snappy one-liners from behind a full-body suit of computer-generated bandages. Oscar Isaac had more opportunities to flourish as an actor in previous episodes than he does in the finale. In the episode’s sweetest moment, Marc tells Steven he’s “the only real superpower I ever had.” It flips the Fight Club split-personality trope on its head by developing a heartwarming bond between the two personalities. Over the course of the series, Steven has gone from being oblivious to Marc’s existence to fighting him for control of the same mind to loving him like a brother. Moon Knight has arguably the MCU’s most interesting – or, at the very least, most unique – buddy dynamic with Marc and Steven, two polar-opposite personalities sharing a body with a lunar deity. All those examples were typical “buddy cop” duos bickering in the midst of high-octane action sequences. Nearly every Phase Four streaming show has revolved around a central buddy dynamic: Sam and Bucky, Loki and Mobius, Clint and Kate. But, as far as standard superhero actioners go, it’s pretty darn thrilling. “Gods and Monsters” is more of a standard superhero actioner setting up an external conflict and then resolving it with violence. It’s nowhere near as trippy or experimental or mind-bending as the last two asylum-set episodes. The last episode is less focused on the psychological thrills than its predecessors. RELATED: Moon Knight: The MCU's Most Brutal Superhero Yet Credited to Jeremy Slater, Danielle Iman, Peter Cameron, and Sabir Pirzada, the finale’s script brings the story to a close without resorting to any detours or disappointing anticlimaxes.
This Show Ends the Same Way Every Marvel Show Ends, With a Big Battle?”).īy comparison, for the most part, “Gods and Monsters” – the final episode of Moon Knight, now streaming on Disney+ – pulls off a satisfying ending. The What If.? finale takes all the most interesting multiversal variants from previous episodes and crams them all into a messy, disjointed battle sequence (the episode could’ve been called “What If. The Loki finale abandons all the show’s established story arcs in favor of an hour of exposition setting up the franchise’s next big bad. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier culminates in a tacked-on battle with a totally unearned redemption for John Walker. Six finales in, there’s a clear pattern of Marvel struggling to stick the landing with the last episodes of its streaming shows. Over a year into its official foray into streaming on Disney+, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has aired its latest season finale. Warning: This article contains spoilers for Moon Knight episode 6.