This is a SPOILER Review of Episode 5 of Moon Knight so if you haven’t watched it yet, please go and watch the episode and then read.

This episode is amazing but extremely heartbreaking at the same time. It takes some time to start kicking but when it starts it doesn’t stop. It deals with some very dark and adult themes, the likes of which Marvel has never featured beforehand which provides for an emotional journey and leaves the series on another cliffhanger, leaving only a few hints along the way on how the series may end.

This episode an awesome emotional voyage. Which breaks down Marc Spector and takes him through the demons of his past to balance his heart. We get some necessary insight and explanation into the setup for the series. Following the common episode structure of traveling through the main character’s memories for them to gain closure and stability. Similarly to WandaVision episode 8 this episode perfectly takes us through his origin of abuse, trauma and accurately portrays how a DID system is created.

But make no mistake, this isn’t WandaVision Episode 8. This is truly bonkers! Marc is dead in the underworld and his other alter Steven now has his own physical form as they both get their hearts plucked out from their chest and weighed on a boat going through the underworld. The setup alone is quite fantastical. It also keeps us guessing on the validity of the reality as we see him switching between his reality in the underworld and him in the Asylum with Arthur. Which leaves you guessing as to which is real.

However, it all takes a very dark turn. As Marc is faced by all his trauma which has him face up to everyone he has ever killed. These are things he’s hidden off and secluded from Steven and has hidden off in his mind. It really poses a question about the morality of the Fist of vengeance Khonshu turned him into.

Then comes a little boy who takes us to place which is sure to break your heart.Taking us through how Marc blames himself for the loss of his brother. Which gives us the heart breaking origins of “Laters Gators” and takes us through a cycle of abuse which caused Marc to develop DID and which was the abuse that Marc endured, hiding it all from the Steven alter. We see the crushing portrayal of how DID is created in live action as his Mentally ill mother continues to blame him for his brother’s loss and we see Marc’s painful denial to face up to the memories of his mother who physically tortured him.

Oscar Isaac and the young actor’s portrayal is just breathtaking. How they seamlessly transition between the alters. DID is caused when someone is mentally or physically abused by someone as a child. Which causes them to dissociate as to not feel the pain of the abuse any longer. They make you feel the mental, physical and emotional tone that this has had on him. And it’s painful and crushing to watch.

We also gets great scene near an Egyptian tomb which is straight from the Moon Knight comics as he is an ex military mercenary in Egypt killed by his partner Bushman, but saved by the Moon God Khonshu right before it happened, becoming his Fist of Vengeance.

The ending sees Marc’s final piece of the puzzle in balancing his heart being the death of Steven so as Steven sacrifices himself to save Marc from Egyptian sand zombies Marc’s heart balances and he’s left in the field of reeds or the Egyptian heaven.

This ending leaves me questioning how they will wrap up the series but if they manage to pull off what they’ve been doing in the last two episodes, we are in for a treat. We also have them sending a message to Layla to free Khonshu which will most likely be his path out to deal with the Gods and Monsters of the next episode.

Also read my Spoiler Review and Breakdown for Episode 5 of Moon Knight.

The most mind-blowing, shocking and dark episode of Moon Knight or any Disney Plus show yet was just released on Disney Plus. This is a Spoiler Review for the episode so if you haven’t watched it go and watch the episode first.

Opening Thoughts (Non-Spoiler)

So first some thoughts on the episode. I loved the pacing of this episode and just the general eeriness of it all, it keeps you gripped into the episode even when not much is happening. A surprising amount of gore and sequences straight out of a horror movie. The directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead really are at their best with horror which is so expertly directed that it is sure to make you scream.

Breakdown and Spoiler Review

So we start of with a great rotating shot, which is a classic shot of Benson and Moorhead showcasing all the Ushabtis of the other gods the Ennead has trapped. This presents a frightening message and the music by Hesham Nazih just so brilliantly punctuates the horror of this message. The Marvel Studios logo is also played with this same music continued and extended which just sets the tone for the episode.

Next we are taken back to Steven and Layla as they are being followed by Arthur’s goons and as they escape we get a great conversation with Steven and Marc as Steven denies Marc control which mirrors Marc denying Steven control in Episode 2 and 3. This also gives us a great conversation between Layla and Steven as she talks about her having agency in her choices, this truly makes her character fully rounded. We also get a great kiss between Steven and Layla which shows that she still wantss Marc’s love, also providing for a hilarious scene as Marc punches Steven of the cliff.

Next we get a sequence straight out of Horror movie which truly had me shrieking, screaming and constantly at the edge of my seat. This was the sequence which truly gripped me into the episode just the sound design with those dotted noises and the amazing horror directing, even after having watched the episode numerous times I found myself extremely stressed for Layla and just plain scared. The gore here is also just shocking as actual organs are pulled out of a man.

May Calamawy’s performance really just stands out this episode as she steals every scene, in particular her conversation with Arthur is just heartbreaking. Really shows her wanting to believe in the good Marc but also within herself feeling like she had a feeling it was true.

Breaking down that ending

MARC/STEVEN IS DEAD!!!! Noooo But wait what, where are we? WTF?! These were my reactions and I’m guessing everyone’s reactions during the ending section of the episode. As we see Arthur shoot Marc but Marc continues falling into or out of his dream as he wakes up in a mental asylum. Where we see a TV film about a Dr. Steven Grant which shows us what Steven’s creation in Marc’s mind was inspired by.- see all the ingredients Marc could have used to make up all the events of the past 4 episodes in his mind. As we see Donna as a fellow patient , we see Arthur’s goons as nurses. We see that Moon Knight itself is just a toy. We see a fellow patient make drawings of what could’ve inspired Khonshu and we finally see Dr. Arthur Harrow the head of this establishment who Marc could’ve made into a villain in his mind. We see Layla as a friend of his also a patient. The show gives us all these clues, not explicitly telling us but inferring to us that all of this was a dream, a concoction of Marc’s mind and trauma. That Marc thinks of as real as he leaps and asks for Steven. Marc is clearly very mentally broken as he can barely understand everything around him as Arthur talks to him, telling him that all this was false. This is the only part that makes me doubt that all this was fake since Arthur has been setup as an unreliable narrator. We end on Marc escaping and freeing Steven from his sarcophagus as they pass another sarcophagus also banging to let whoever is inside out. Hinting at the third alter, possibly Jake Lockley. Here we also finally get Marc’s acceptance of Steven and it is truly heart warming. As Marc longs for Steven, he needs him and the relief he feels when he gets him back is wonderfully expressed by Oscar Isaac. Next we end on an even crazier scene as a cartoonish Hippo runs in to them and says hello in the most cartoonish way possible.

I absolutely loved this episode and it is by far my favorite song f the first four. It just blends horror, emotion and surprises expertly together. It keeps you gripped with the horror and emotion and gut punches you in the end with uncertainty.

What did you think of the episode tell us now on our socials. Moon Knight Episode 4 is streaming exclusively on Disney Plus right now. Also check out our Non-Spoiler Review for the full series.