“Summon the Suit”

Moon Knight continues to play up the duality of Steven Grant and the mysterious Marc Spector as more details start to come to light.

The core of this show so far is the confusion surrounding Steven Grant’s dissociative state. He is aware that another person periodically takes control of his body and lives a very dangerous life when he does. There’s a lot about Marc that he doesn’t know and attached to that is a great deal of fear around what his body is being used for. That fear is backed up by nuggets of information provided to him such as Marc being near the top of a Most Wanted list and having an apparent trail of bodies in his wake. For now the show is dining on the mystery surrounding this with a lack of clarity around how this happened and whether the Steven persona is a secondary one created by Marc as an elaborate cover.

Such questions raise really compelling considerations around identity. My knowledge on Dissociative Identity Disorder is far from extensive but the context of this show is that Steven and Marc both live full lives so there are automatically questions around who the original persona is and what resulted in such a seismic split. The focus on Steven does a lot to establish him as a sympathetic character overwhelmed by circumstances he has no control over where Marc is an unknown disruption in his life. Steven is the point of view character and the viewer is led down the path of supporting his desire to have a quiet life free of drama. As such Marc is an antagonistic presence of a sort who appropriates his body and facilitates losses for him. The clearest example is Marc’s exploits in the previous episode resulting in Steven losing his job. Added to that is Steven being wanted for murder because he and Marc have the same face. Without more information Marc is to be regarded by suspicion because of how difficult he makes life for Steven.

This episode looks to start answering some of those questions though still retains much of the mystery. There are more moments where Marc talks to Steven using various reflective surfaces. The request is always the same; for Steven to relinquish control and let Marc deal with the situation. Steven is naturally reluctant to do so because he has no idea what transpires when Marc is in control so wants to learn more about this life being lead when he’s unconscious. Early on he expresses a fear of falling asleep and pledges to never sleep again in order to prevent Marc from taking over. It’s of course impossible for him to remain awake indefinitely but the sentiment can certainly be understood.

Lack of context is what drives the Marc Spector mystery. There are snippets of information surrounding his exploits but the detail is lacking so it’s clear that he takes over and commits violent acts but what isn’t known is why. Steven simply wants answers and wants his life back. His impassioned plea to Marc details mundane and relatable things that he’s missing out on. He mentions being unable to go on a date or even something as simple as keep a fish alive. His life is in complete chaos to the point that he doesn’t know what day it actually is because of the gaps in memory. Curiously Marc doesn’t address those concerns and remains entirely fixated on being in control so that he can complete his objective.

He does give Steven a little more information as to why it’s so important to be in control. He reveals that he’s an avatar for the Egyptian God Khonshu -the owner of the booming voice in Steven’s head- and having an urgent mission to complete on his behalf. This explains the source of his powers and starts to flesh out the surrounding situation. On the surface it seems like a simple case of Marc being tasked with stopping a great evil of some sort and Steven standing in the way of that with his frustrating desire to exist and live a quiet life. It’s not as simple as Marc makes it seem though in fairness to him it’s possible that he’s unaware of the complexity or is too naive to see it for what it is.

Complications are added through Arthur Harrow’s perspective. He tells Steven -and Marc who is watching via reflection while begging to be put in control- that he is a former avatar for Khonshu and calls the integrity of the God into question by stating that there is no end to the requirements he has of people. Not much is known about Harrow and Khonshu’s prior relationship and Harrow is far from trustworthy but it’s reasonable to believe him when he says that Khonshu has an unknown agenda. This positions Marc as an unwitting pawn in a much larger plot that he has no awareness of and Steven’s general doubts allow for Harrow’s perspective to get an airing where Marc would most likely attack without taking the time to hear him out.

Not that Harrow is any better as his plan involves freeing the Goddess Ammit so that she can pronounce judgement on the guilty before they’ve even committed a crime. Khonshu is all about the traditional notion of the punishment coming after the crime which doesn’t sit right with Harrow as he seeks to eradicate stray evil thoughts. It’s something of a mystical Minority Report in concept and allows for a well executed moral debate. Steven makes a couple of valid points such as the dubious nature of trusting the judgement of an Egyptian God without any concrete information as to the basis of that judgement. He also points out that “evil” thoughts don’t mean evil actions and uses the example of thinking about killing his boss without intending to actually do it and speculates as to whether it’s fair to pronounce judgement on a child who might do something considered evil in the future.

Like all extremists, Harrow has answers to those questions however abstract they may be. He acknowledges that Ammit pronouncing judgement on people prior to them taking action could be considered evil but sees the cure as being a taste of the disease itself with dosage defining the difference between medicine and poison. The example he uses is a limb being amputated so that the rest of the body doesn’t get infected. This demonstrates Harrow’s absolute belief in Ammit and the path he has committed to. He has accepted that a large chunk of the Human race will be extinguished so that the pure can continue to build a better world. The debate isn’t resolved because it never can be as Harrow believes that he is right. Ethan Hawke plays that conviction brilliantly and there’s a persuasive quality to him that almost allows his point of view to make sense. Steven is the perfect foil for him with his very direct logical questioning of what Harrow sees to be objective fact.

Part of what makes Harrow so initially persuasive is that he offers Steven answers where every other avenue invites more questions. Supplying a lifeline is a tactic employed by many cult leaders and a definite reading of the interactions is manipulation on Harrow’s part. He provides tangible examples of his way of life working through the neighbourhood free from crime and mistrust. He presents Steven with a working community that help each other which seems ideal on the surface but becomes more twisted when Steven learns what they all stand for. It’s a fascinating dynamic that helps craft Harrow into a fascinating antagonist who fully believes that his way is the best way. Every action he takes he considers to be justifiable as it will result in a good outcome -at least from his point of view- so he doesn’t feel guilt over any harm caused since those being harmed are against him and therefore evil.

Once it becomes clear that Steven won’t join him and that Marc is going to be a continued obstacle he is able to justify pronouncing judgement on them and summons another Jackal to remove the problem. This leads to an extended version of the ending to the previous episode. From a structural point of view this makes sense as the longer sequence supports Steven learning more and taking control of his life again though the execution of the sequence itself doesn’t quite disguise the familiarity though detailing a complete set piece is welcomed. Steven taking control by generating his own version of the Moon Knight costume makes for an effective tension breaking gag and the riff on the Mr. Knight costume is excellently done. The enjoyment Steven experiences as he fights the Jackal knowing he has the power to take it on is a satisfying victory for a character routinely beaten down before this point and the surrender to Marc has an air of tragedy to it because Steven is once again resigned to being a passenger who will wake up with no knowledge of what has happened.

The resulting sequence is impressive and the Moon Knight costume looks great in motion as Marc takes on the Jackal. Following this, the ending where Marc wakes up in Egypt with Steven living inside the reflection is an expected but fascinating reversal on their dynamic. It further signifies Steven taking control of his life as he now has a way to be aware of what transpires when he isn’t in control even if he can do nothing to influence what is going on. Oscar Isaac’s performance in both roles is excellent. This episode presents a strong showcase of both characters with Oscar Isaac making them impressively distinct. Marc is the picture of confidence as evidenced through his physicality and voice where Steven is the opposite. It’s clear at a glance which of the two is being portrayed thanks to Isaac’s command of mannerisms.

Marc and Steven’s final conversation where Marc promises to fade away once he achieves his objective is an interesting reference to Harrow’s comment around Khonshu not being one to let go. It calls Marc’s sincerity into question though that may be naivety driven as Marc could be deluded into believing that being Moon Knight has a shelf life where Khonshu has no desire to let go. Similarly Marc may have convinced himself that he will let Steven live his life when he’s done but won’t actually be able to do so. Reversing the dynamic with Marc being in control and Steven being the observer is an interesting prospect with plenty of potential. The shift in setting to Egypt is an opportunity to see Marc’s world in detail while Steven possibly provides moral commentary on it. This progression is welcome as the confusion surrounding the missing time and the identity of Marc has been taken as far as it can so the expansion comes at the right time.

Another notable aspect of the episode is the -in the flesh- introduction of Layla (May Calamawy). Lots of information is provided about her very quickly while maintaining the overall mystery. She is Marc’s estranged wife with an unfinished divorce hanging over them. Layla knows that he is Moon Knight but is confused over his disappearance as well as the divorce proceedings and refuses to believe Steven’s story about being a different person. She connects with Steven over their shared love of French poetry and hieroglyphics. Either Steven has maintained those interests when Marc created the personality or vice versa depending on how the split came about. Signs point to ghosting her and the beginnings of the divorce process being Marc’s way of protecting her from the dangers he’s facing though her appearance indicates that his efforts had the opposite effect. Her dynamics with Steven and Marc are compelling and distinct from one another. Layla’s presence injects excellent energy into the episode that really helps ramp up the pace. Some of her dialogue strays heavily into exposition which is painfully noticeable at times but May Calamawy mitigates that to some degree thanks to her excellent performance. Layla is a welcome addition and it should be interesting to see how she fits into the overall plot.

---

Verdict

A strong episode that furthers the Steven/Marc duality, presents a compelling moral debate and furthers the overall plot in impressively character driven ways. The depiction of the duality of Steven/Mark is fascinating. Steven being the point of view character means that Marc is regarded with suspicion as he represents an antagonist of sorts because he appropriates Steven’s body and facilitates losses for him. This episode looks to start answering some of the questions while still retaining the mystery. Marc’s request is always the same; for Steven to relinquish control and let Marc deal with the situation. Steven is reluctant to do so because he has no idea what transpires when Marc is in control so wants to learn more about this life being lead when he’s unconscious. Lack of context is what drives this mystery. There are snippets of information surrounding his exploits but the detail is lacking. Steven simply wants answers and wants his life back. His impassioned plea to Marc details mundane and relatable things that he’s missing out on. He does provide Steven more information such as his role as an avatar for the Egyptian God Khonshu and having an urgent mission to complete on his behalf. There is a suggestion of a lack of understanding of the complexity or naivety on Marc’s part. Arthur Harrow’s perspective adds further complications as he calls the integrity of Khonshu into question by stating that the end of the mission is never actually reached. This positions Marc as an unwitting pawn in a much larger plot that he has no awareness of and Steven’s general doubts allow Harrow’s perspective to get an airing. Harrow’s objective is concerning as it involves judging the guilty before they’ve committed a crime. This allows for a brilliantly executed moral debate. Steven’s points are all valid but Harrow is fully committed to his beliefs and has abstract interpretations allow him to justify his own evil actions. Ethan Hawke plays the conviction brilliantly and there’s a persuasive quality to him that almost allows his point of view to make sense. Steven is the perfect foil for him with his very direct logical questions. Part of what makes Harrow so persuasive is that he offers Steven answers where every other avenue invites more questions. He provides tangible examples of his way of life working before it becomes more twisted through revealing what goes into making it exist.

The Jackal being summoned to chase Steven is very similar to the sequence at the end of the first episode. It’s deliberately similar and makes sense from a structural point of view as it supports Steven taking more control of his life but the execution doesn’t quite disguise the familiarity though detailing a compete set piece is welcomed. Steven taking control by generating his own version of the Moon Knight costume makes for an effective tension breaking gag. His enjoyment as he fights the Jackal knowing he has the power to take it on is a satisfying victory for a character routinely beaten down before this point and the surrender to Marc has an air of tragedy to it because he is once again resigned to being a passenger. The resulting sequence is impressive and the ending where Marc wakes up in Egypt with Steven living inside a reflection is an expected but fascinating reversal of their dynamic. It further signifies Steven taking control of his life. Oscar Isaac’s performance in both roles is excellent with the episode making a strong showcase of both characters. Marc’s promise to fade away once he accomplishes his objective is an interesting reference to Harrow’s comment around Khonshu not being one to let go. It calls Marc’s sincerity into question and supports his potential naivety. The shift in setting and flipping the dynamic is a welcome progression as the confusion based storytelling has been taken as far as it could so the expansion comes at the right time. Another notable aspect is the -in the flesh- introduction of Layla. Lots of information is provided about her very quickly while maintaining the overall mystery. She is Marc’s estranged wife with an unfinished divorce hanging over them. Layla knows that he is Moon Knight but is confused over his disappearance and refuses to believe Steven’s story about being a different person. She connects with Steven over their shared love of French poetry and hieroglyphics. Sings point to ghosting her and the beginnings of the divorce process being Marc’s way of protecting her from the dangers he’s facing. Her dynamics with Steven and Marc are compelling and distinct from one another. Layla’s presence injects excellent energy into the episode though some of her dialogue strays heavily into exposition which is painfully noticeable at times but May Calamawy’s excellent performance mitigates that to some degree. Layla is a welcome addition and it should be interesting to see how she fits into the overall plot.

We’d love to know your thoughts on this and anything else you might want to talk about. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter or just leave a comment in the comment section below. You’ll need an account for Disqus but it’s easy to set up. Don’t forget to share your rating in the “User Review” box

If you want to chat to me directly then I’m on Twitter as well.