Moon Knight Gods and Monsters – Episode breakdown and review

Moon Knight's godly episodic run came to an end this past week in what was promised to be an epic conclusion for the titular character, for now. The latest episode tied up loose ends left from previous episodes while seeing heroes emerge and a satisfying ending which opens the doors to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Marc Spector and company.

We'll be breaking down Moon Knight Episode 6, Gods and Monsters while providing some final thoughts on the final episode. We'll be highlighting significant plot points, characters and details; with a spoiler alert if you have yet to watch the latest episode on Disney+.

Moon Knight Episode 6 – Breakdown: An epic showdown between gods and mortals

After Marc Spector gets fatally shot and sent to the Egyptian underworld, he finds Steven Grant inside a sarcophagus. The due had to navigate their way to balance each other's hearts while uncovering secrets that ultimately changed their lives (hopefully for the better).

Marc, still riddled with two bullets lodged in his chest, had his body searched for Ammit's ushabti that he found in Episode 4. Arthur Harrow left the scarab on Marc's chest, which we aren't sure if it has another purpose other than locating Ammit's tomb, but Layla did take the scarab in the end.

While Harrow and his followers are racing across the desert to reach the city of Cairo, a blockade momentarily slows them down. However, he uses Ammit's power to take the souls of the security forces at the blockade, except for one in which Layla receives an unexpected visitor, Tawaret.

Speaking through one of the soulless bodies, she informs Layla that Marc needs Khonshu for him to be brought back to life. In destroying his ushabti, located at the Chamber of the Gods, she also asks Layla if she can be her Avatar, to which Layla shrugs off the offer.

Harrow arrived at the chamber when the other Gods and their Avatars realised that Marc had told the truth and that he wanted to release Ammit before taking them out. Layla finds Khonshu's ushabti just as Harrow destroys Ammit's, releasing her after 2000-year imprisonment.

Ammit, wanting to thank Harrow for releasing her, informs him that his scales are unbalanced; however, they can be balanced as long as he becomes her Avatar in servitude to her. Releasing Khonshu from his ushabti, he proposes to her to be his Avatar which she declines as he cited that Marc's lack of focus ultimately cost him his life.

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Khonshu reveals a plan to Layla that the only way they can defeat Ammit is to have her rebound with her Avatar, like when they bound her to an ushabti. The only downside is that this can only be done by another Avatar, which neither Khonshu has and Layla not being one.

Ammit, Harrow and his followers travel to Cairo to "purify the souls of Cairo" before the rest of the world. Khonshu and Ammit reunite while Marc is still at the Field of Reeds with Tawaret; he asks where is Steven before being told that he's gone.

Marc expresses the desire to rescue Steven from the sands of the Duat, knowing that it will cost him to be forever lost, and he won't be able to return to the Field of Reeds. Khonshu and Ammit argue that Harrow remains loyal to her at the expense of Khonshu's jealousy as he reprimands that they'll only "inherit an empty world", making loyalty rather pointless.

Marc eventually finds Steven near the Gates of Osiris after Tawaret upsets him that he doesn't need Steven; seeing him puts Marc emotional at a loss. Marc opens up to Steven, even more, telling him how he "saved him" as he only survived because he was "never alone" as Steven was "always there".

WTF MARC I CANT BREATHE YOU CANT DO THIS TO ME U HAVE NO RIGHTS #MoonKnightpic.twitter.com/OGdA3yifwV

— 🌙💭 (@mknighthinker) May 4, 2022

Seeing as Steven was "full of hope", Marc admitted he failed him by protecting him from the truth just as he slowly started to freeze in the sands. Marc then promises never to abandon him again as he tells him that Steven was the superpower he ever had as he places his heart in Steven's hand.

As Marc and Steven are frozen in the sands, forever lost in the Duat, the Gates of Osiris open and both men are brought back from their frozen state. Marc and Steven embrace each other once again before the Gods start fighting inside the chamber, and the sands start to chase them like a tsunami.

Racing to reach the gates, they receive some help from Tawaret, who uses her boat to slow down its momentum, allowing them to return to Marc's body. Back from the dead, Khonshu senses and feels the pain within him, asking him if he wishes to live or die, prompting Marc to regain the ceremonial Moon Knight armour.

Reuniting with Khonshu at the dig site, Steven emerges in the Mr Knight suit to bargain a deal with the deity. Telling Khonshu that he and Marc are now part of a "package deal" and that they "saved his life", Khonshu agrees to release Marc and Steven in a new agreement before giving Marc control.

Still, inside the chamber, Layla speaks with Osiris' Avatar, Selim, who informs her that imprisoning Ammit within a mortal body is the only way to stop. With no other option, Layla calls out to Tawaret; her screams alert Harrow to her location.

With Layla now the "temporary Avatar" for Tawaret, Marc finds Arthur atop a pyramid while Artfollowers judge the people of Cairo, sending their souls to Ammit. Khonshu similarly finds Ammit as the Gods and their Avatars fight to save the people from their untimely damnation.

Marc and Steven are surprised by Layla's newfound abilities after she protected Marc from having his soul taken away. Steven gushes over her appearance as he teams with Layla in putting their abilities to take down Harrow and his followers.

As Marc and Steven swop out throughout the battle, Moon Knight and Mr Knight, together with Layla, overwhelm Harrow. A small error costs them their advantage as Harrow uses Marc's trauma against him to take him down.

With both Khonshu and Marc pinned down, Harrow attempts to take his soul until Marc blackouts, waking up to see Harrow unconsciously, asking Steven if he had any involvement in what had happened. Nevertheless, they take Harrow back to the chamber to rebind Ammit to Harrow's body, where Khonshu calls on Marc to finish the job.

Layla tells Marc that he has a choice not to kill Harrow, and he tells Khonshu to do it himself before calling him to release him and Steven. Steven wakes up at the psychiatric hospital with Dr Harrow beside him, looking dejecting as he states that this is what his reality looks like now.

He asks Dr Harrow if the Gods are real, to which he calmly says no, as Marc and Steven appear to believe otherwise. As Dr Harrow walks away, he leaves bloody footprints behind and wonders why his bleeding; Marc and Steven think Harrow doesn't know as much as he leads on.

The duo promptly informs Dr Harrow that they refute his diagnosis in favour of saving the world before Steven proudly chants "Lators gators". They wake up in Steven's bed in the London apartment, surprised that their plan has worked.

#MOONKNIGHT SPOILERS
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THE TWO FISH BEING A METAPHOR FOR STEVEN AND MARC LIVING IN HARMONY >>>>>> pic.twitter.com/THuTLgZIAA

— And MEGGY! || 🌙🎵Lonely is a Man Without Love🎵🌙 (@andmeggyhash) May 4, 2022

They take in the familiar site of Steven's London apartment, which includes two goldfish now appearing in the fish tank. Marc complains to Steven that they now have to "live in this fricken mess" before forgetting that they still have the ankle restraints on, smacking face-first into the floor as the series closes out or does it…

Moon Knight Episode 6 – Breakdown: Post-credit scene

In tune with most MCU projects, except for Avengers: Endgame, Moon Knight got the complete treatment with a post-credit scene appearing. Now receiving treatment at a psychiatric hospital, Harrow knocks over a cup prompting a nurse to take him to bed.

However, an ominous figure appears, letting the nurse know that he'll take Harrow away instead. Oblivious to the identity of this figure, Harrow gets whisked away but not before noticing bodies lying across the hospital.

#MoonKnight spoiler
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ladies and gentlemen, jake lockley pic.twitter.com/8brujF4Dj3

— lov (@lovgarfieldd) May 4, 2022

He ushers Harrow into a vehicle, to which he is surprised to find Khonshu awaiting him, boasting that he can't harm them. Khonshu explains that since Marc had been freed, he was under the suspicion that Layla was meant to be Khonshu's next Avatar.

While he believes he doesn't need anyone else, Khonshu lets Harrow on a secret: Marc does not know how deeply troubled he is. He reveals Marc's other identity, Jake Lockley, who shoots Harrow before driving away in a limousine with SPKTR licence plates.

Moon Knight Episode 6 – Breakdown: Review and Final Thoughts

Over six weeks, we have broken down, reviewed and offered our unique perspectives on this limited series, and it certainly hasn't disappointed. Sure, it had its fair share of hiccups and character rewrites, but the essence of what made comic book fans love Moon Knight was beautifully translated into live-action.

The season finale of Marvel Studios’ #MoonKnight is now streaming on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/6AcONPGJJk

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) May 4, 2022

We could've criticised Marvel Studios for the lacklustre CGI displayed throughout episode two or for granting Steven control of the Mr Knight persona. Taking a step further, we could've ridiculed how cringe the British accent was utilised for Steven Grant, and it could've been much worse.

While all these concerns are (or were) warranted, they also made the series so intriguing and memorable now that it has concluded. I have actively tweeted my thoughts and shared in the delight of the hilarious memes that have taken the internet by storm and fangirled.

But I think what made Moon Knight, both the character and the series, so widely popular is the one-person show its lead gave us. We can go into specifics on just how brilliantly talented and stunning his performance as Marc Spector and Steven Grant has been an amazingly comic-book accurate the suits were.

But it's often the more minor details he brought to both characters that made them endearing and popular and became one of the best things we loved about the series. The nuances and the attention to detail he delivered for each character made them so distinct that we surely hope he does well during this year's awards season.

On the other hand, some real criticisms regarding the series were that Marvel Studios had promised that Moon Knight would be "brutal", but just how? Yes, in terms of a tonal shift, it had its moments, but I think for many, we're expecting it in a more violent setting, and that was noticeably diluted.

We didn't get to see it, especially during Episode 1, when Steven fought off Harrow's followers at the Alpine village. A blackout prevented us from seeing the character's violent nature, which was a letdown.

While beating the living daylights out of the jackal at the episode's conclusion may have helped in some regard, we never quite saw the extent of just how "brutal" Moon Knight can get. Not even in Episode 6, when introducing Jake Lockley, we never see defining "brutal" moments.

Returning to Marc Spector's Jewish backstory was quite divisive as many argued Marvel Studios handled representing Marc's Jewish heritage rather casually. While the references were done well without blowing them out of proportion, others expected a more direct and meaningful approach.

Casting may or may not have played some factor into this, as some have stated online, but whether that's the issue is undecided. Whether Marvel had intended to introduce Marc's Jewish background in small doses in the series before expanding it is something that I'm unsure of.

The series may be not directly connected to the current MCU continuity, but they established Marc's Jewish background and DID as separate backstories rather than being connected. Depending on how one sees things, Marvel Studios could either be skirting around his religious backstory or finding different ways to approach them but doing it carefully.

But in light of the fun interactions I've had during the six weeks of the series' run, there were a few moments from the final episode that I truly enjoyed. Our frustrations from previous episodes on how dissimilar and chaotic they were paid off as Marc acknowledges Steven as they worked well together during the climactic battle.

Rather than fighting for control of the body, they worked in unison to overwhelm Harrow, swopping out between Moon Knight and the charming yet dapper Mr Knight. As Steven/Mr Knight told Khonshu, he and the Mr Knight persona "come as a package deal now", but Khonshu, being the God that he is, still sees him as a "worm".

We knew Marc's traumatic past would give Harrow an advantage over them, which nearly happened, even as he was about to rip Marc's soul from his body. But he had to blackout, as he did in the first two episodes, before waking up and seeing Harrow almost restless on the ground, which forces Marc and Steven to confront what they had done.

Seeing Marc regain his (and Steven's) free will from Khonshu, killing Harrow wasn't an option, giving him the seemingly redemption arc we hoped to see. Freed from Khonshu's control, Marc wakes up in Steven's crappy London apartment as the pair are finally at peace while Marc banters over the state of their living arrangement.

Somehow, they forgot about the ankle restraints once again as Marc first hits the ground while their one-finned friend looks on. But their world is about to become more troubling thanks to the post-credit scene, in which, at long last, we witness the arrival of Jake Lockley.

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OF COURSE THEY LEAVE HIM FOR THE CREDITS pic.twitter.com/APrzZq5BPg

— Len ☾ (@LENNIEC0N) May 4, 2022

This does indeed open up future appearances for Oscar Isaac and his multifaceted characters appearing in the MCU, so this isn't the end for him nor Marc Spector, Steven Grant and now Jake Lockley. Where and when we'll be seeing this motley crew of characters are the questions we are asking ourselves, especially given the proximity of Marvel Studios' next project, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

After six weeks of turning our lives upside down, Jake Lockley's introduction to the MCU opens up many possibilities. Where it will lead next is guaranteed to have legions, including myself, follow Marc/Steven/Jake in the subsequent adventures.

Relive all the action as all episodes of Moon Knight are available to stream on Disney+. The Marvel Studios: Assembled – The Making of Moon Knight will premiere on 11th May 2022 at 12 am PT / 3 am ET.

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Featured image courtesy of Marvel Studios.