“The Tomb”

Moon Knight has two parties embroiled in a race to find Ammit as uncomfortable truths become known to Layla.

There are a few different elements making up this show. The psychological aspect is foundational with the dual -for now- personalities being a major hook that carries the show. Circling that is Ancient Egyptian mythology, morality thought experiments and Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider style adventuring. The last part doesn’t come into play significantly until this episode but it’s encouraging that it naturally fits in with what the show has delivered so far.

Much of this episode focuses on the Tomb Raiding aspect with Layla and Stephen dodging traps, fighting off strange supernatural creatures and solving puzzles in order to beat Harrow to Ammit. It makes for engaging viewing and the various jeopardy sequences are executed really well though there’s a distinct air of familiarity to it. Nothing about these set pieces stand out which makes them seem like more of an empty homage rather than something that sets Moon Knight apart. They are competently handled and there is believable threat, particularly with Stephen/Marc not having access to Khonshu. The episode also capitalises on the danger by “killing” Marc; albeit with the knowledge that he can be brought back and undoing it almost immediately.

The Tomb Raiding was a great catalyst for strong character work. Stephen and Layla’s dynamic continues to be excellent as does Stephen’s dynamic with Marc. Oscar Isaac has natural chemistry with May Calamawy and with himself which more than carries the episode and goes a long way towards making up for the familiar adventure elements. Stephen is equally excited and terrified about the adventure he’s caught up in. On one hand discovering the secrets of an ancient lost tomb is everything he has dreamed of and on the other having his life be at risk is a lot to take in. Despite that he handles himself well and demonstrates an ability to think on his feet when in danger. It would have been so easy for Marc to be the go to action persona while Stephen is useless when under threat but he is allowed plenty of agency and it factors into the episode nicely.

Stephen and Layla’s relationship is furthered with their playful connection being used to great effect. The attraction between them appears naturally and them acting on it isn’t forced. Marc taking control of one arm to slap Stephen after the kiss was a great detail and made for a fun comedic beat that adds to the pseudo-antagonistic connection that Marc and Stephen have. The closest analogue is that they regard each other as irritating co-workers that they have to work with.

More texture is added to the Marc and Layla relationship by repackaging information that is already known while expanding other aspects of it. The repackaged information is Marc’s decision to push her away out of fear for her safety. Stephen tells Layla this out of genuine desire for Marc not to be misrepresented and for Layla to get an answer to a question that was weighing on her. She now understands the context of Marc believing that she is the first choice for Khonshu’s next avatar and his desire to protect her from that. Layla isn’t someone who feels like she needs protecting but she can at least understand why Marc made the decision to shut her out.

Stephen being honest with her has the unintended effect of endearing him more in her eyes. She sees him as a genuine, compassionate and honest while also being careful in how he conducts himself. That coupled with their shared intellectual interests makes her drawn to him. Marc is someone she would rather not interact with because she sees him as reckless and considers him to be a liability. The previous episode provided a minor indication of the basis of their marriage though a lot of questions remain unanswered as there is limited evidence that they were in any way compatible as a couple. Leaving the audience to fill in the blanks by themselves on this is a valid choice as their incompatibility in contrast to her clear compatibility with Stephen could continue to be an interesting aspect of both relationships.

Layla is also encouraged to question her perception of Marc when Harrow gives her enough information to connect the dots between him and the mercenaries that killed her father. He doesn’t explicitly implicate Marc but very much points her in that direction and leads her to doubt his honesty. It’s another great use of Harrow with his ability to read people and exploit their weaknesses being on full display. He calmly makes his case and preys on a particular vulnerability of Layla’s in order to suit his own interests. He knows that he’s in control and that Layla is pliable in that way.

She confronts Marc and learns that he didn’t kill her father but was a member of the group of mercenaries who did. Layla isn’t comforted by the technicality because she still blames him for exposing her father to the man who murdered him which is something Marc can’t deny. He also points out that he was supposed to die that night but was saved by Khonshu. This introduces the resurrection idea in a way that feeds into Layla and Marc’s relationship therefore preventing it from being relegated to clunky exposition. It’s so naturally presented that Marc being shot registers as a shock as it isn’t immediately evident that he can be resurrected by Khonshu. In addition to that is the fact that Khonshu is currently imprisoned though any viewer will be aware that it’s a temporary inconvenience. Killing off one of the personas is conceivable as a possibility however unlikely but the shock of Marc’s apparent death works because the resurrection possibility isn’t overtly signposted since the focus when it is brought up is the Marc/Layla relationships and Marc making the mistake of keeping this information from her as it prevented her from achieving closure.

The transition to the asylum was appropriately jarring and leans into an idea that comes up in many science fiction or fantasy TV shows; the notion that the protagonist is insane and the show is a construct created by that insanity. Notable episodes in other shows is Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s “Normal Again”, Smallville‘s “Labyrinth” and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s “Far Beyond the Stars” among many others. It’s a common story idea because it interrogates the premise of the show itself and exploits the fact that it exists in a world where impossible things are possible as the basis for convincing the protagonist that it couldn’t possibly be real. This happens here with characters that have appeared in the other episodes being part of the population of the asylum and background details that could feed into the delusion that Marc may be experiencing. Harrow appears as a doctor trying to convince Marc to reject the false reality so that he can get better. It’s all compelling with Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke playing their roles to perfection.

Unfortunately the episode doesn’t spend long exploring the idea of the events of this show being an elaborate delusion in the mind of Marc Spector before moving the plot forward. A more striking cliffhanger would have been to establish the asylum before exploring it in the following episode. Potentially engaging content is bypassed in favour of reintroducing Stephen and having him team up with Marc to find their way back to what they understand to be reality. The tease of the sarcophagus likely hiding the third persona was a nice touch as a reminder of that possibility without making a big deal out of it at this point but ticking the expected boxes in the asylum setting before promptly moving on strongly suggests the opportunity to truly play with this idea is being squandered. Admittedly this is said without knowing what comes next but this part of the episode was rapidly paced to an unsettling degree as if to move forward quickly. The ending showing the Hippo did work as a tension breaker and makes for a striking setup for the next episode.

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Verdict

Another strong episode that delivers fun adventure based sequences while never losing sight of the engaging character dynamics. Much of the episode focuses on the Tomb Raiding aspect with Layla and Stephen dodging traps, fighting off strange supernatural creatures and solving puzzles. It makes for engaging viewing but the set pieces themselves don’t stand out which makes them seem like more of an empty homage rather than something that sets Moon Knight apart. They are competently handled and the threat is believable. The episode also capitalises on the danger by “killing” Marc; albeit with the knowledge that he can be brought back and undoing it almost immediately. The Tomb Raiding was a great catalyst for strong character work. Stephen and Layla’s dynamic continues to be excellent as does Stephen’s dynamic with Marc. Oscar Isaac has natural chemistry with both May Calamawy and himself which more than carries the episode and goes a long way towards making up for the familiar adventure elements. Stephen is equally excited and terrified about the adventure he is caught up in. Despite his fear he handles himself well and demonstrates an ability to think on his feet when in danger. Stephen is allowed plenty of agency. Stephen and Layla’s relationship is furthered with their playful connection being used to great effect. The attraction between them appears naturally and them acting on it isn’t forced. Marc taking control of one arm to slap Stephen for kissing her was a great detail and made for a fun comedic beat that adds to the pseudo antagonistic connection that they have.

More texture is added to the Marc and Layla relationship by repackaging information that is already known while expanding other aspects of it. Stephen tells Layla the reason Marc pushed her away out of genuine desire for Marc to not be misrepresented and for Layla to get an answer to a question that was weighing on her. Being honest with her has the unintended effect of endearing him more in her eyes. That coupled with their shared intellectual interests makes her drawn to him. Marc is someone she would rather not interact with because she sees him as reckless and a liability. Layla is also encouraged to question her perception of Marc when Harrow gives her enough information to connect the dots between him and the mercenaries that killed her father. He doesn’t explicitly implicate Marc but very much points her in that direction and leads her to doubt his honesty. It’s another great use of Harrow with his ability to read people and exploit their weaknesses being on full display. She confronts Marc and learns that he didn’t kill her father but was a member of the group of mercenaries who did. Layla isn’t comforted by the technicality because she still blames him for exposing her father to the man who murdered him which is something Marc can’t deny. He also points out that he was supposed to die that night but was saved by Khonshu. This introduces the resurrection idea in a way that feeds into Layla and Marc’s relationship therefore preventing it from being relegated to clunky exposition. It’s so naturally presented that Marc being shot registers as a shock as it isn’t immediately evident that he can be resurrected by Khonshu. The transition to the asylum was appropriately jarring and the idea is presented well but very little time is spent exploring the idea before moving the plot forward. It does result in an excellent tension breaking ending that makes for a striking setup for the next episode.

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