Moon Knight (1×05) Asylum Review

For our spoiler-free review of the first 4 episodes of Moon Knight, click here.

Questions were answered and feelings were felt in this otherwise intense penultimate episode as the origin of the Mark and Steven dynamic was revealed in heartbreaking fashion. That being said, one can’t help but still hold at least an ounce of skepticism regarding where the series will ultimately go come next week’s finale. With that set aside, this episode is still the best episode of any MCU series thus far while Oscar Isaac delivers the best performance of any MCU series thus far as Mark and Steven as both characters are definitely put through the ringer here to say the least.

The last episode ended with a face-to-face reunion of Mark and Steven and a certain hippo named Tawaret (Antonia Salib) and this episode picked up from there. They found themselves in what was essentially a purgatory in the form of a mental asylum on their way to the afterlife but their ultimate fates rested on whether they could balance their souls. To do so, they would have to travel across their memories and confront their past traumas. However as the episode went on, it became clear that those memories were Mark’s thus creating an existential crisis for Steven as he tried to make sense out of his experiences. Mark and Steven’s minds were pendulums moving at alarming rates between different realities as they tried to reconcile with what was happening. As they talked to Harrow, a doctor in charge of the asylum who tried to mind the gap between Mark and Steven, viewers must do the same as they decipher each reality while they increasingly bled into one another.

A huge character development opportunity, these memories took up the bulk of the episode and were quite the journey. For those wondering who the primary personality was, this episode established that it was Mark as the root of his dissociative disorder was a means to cope with an abusive childhood following a freak tragedy. Distancing himself from it ever since, he used Steven as a means to escape the pain. This revelation walloped Steven who was forced to come to terms with who/what he was in the midst of supporting Mark and his journey. Meanwhile, the latter’s dark path led him to becoming a mercenary which only added to that darkness. Vulnerable, in pain, and on the brink of ending it all, Khonshu took advantage of Mark by giving him a reason to live and a purpose by doing his bidding as the Moon Knight. When it came to the present, it was clear that Harrow was up to something in the world of the living but the Moon Knight was not available at the moment.

However things were going to end, Mark and Steven had to work together to get there. Their arcs over the course of the episode were so captivating to watch because of some strong writing and Isaac’s aforementioned phenomenal performance, giving each character unique emotional depth, vulnerability, and nuance in their different approaches. Though the end result was inevitable with Steven making the ultimate sacrifice to save Mark and balance his soul, this did not make it any less emotional after everything they’ve gone through, especially here. Salib’s cutesy voice as Tawaret was there for the most part to deliver exposition which was fine.

Mark has no one to hide behind anymore therefore it will be interesting to see where he goes come next week’s finale which will surely have a few more tricks up its sleeve.

still courtesy of Marvel Studios

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.