Moon Knight Episode 1 is the first instalment of a six-part American television miniseries created by Jeremy Slater for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Moon Knight is ostensibly a superhero with psychological horror elements, as the character is suffering from dissociative identity disorder (DID). There is also a supernatural aspect to Moon Knight as he is the avatar of the Egyptian god Khonshu.
S P O I L E R S
Entitled “The Goldfish Problem”, Moon Knight Episode 1 introduces us to Steven Grant (Oscar Issac), an awkward English man working in a London museum gift-shop, obsessed with Egyptian deities, who experiences blackouts and lost time. In the opening minutes of the episode, we see that Grant has tied himself to his bed and seals up his apartment door as well. Something is amiss. In his work life, he is a bit of a loser, constantly belittled by his superior and clearly unhappy with his lot in life.
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Subsequent, there is an entire sequence where Grant finds himself inexplicably in Europe – Germany, most likely (with an inner voice telling him to surrender his body to his alternate personality Marc Spector, an American mercenary – DID remember?), whereupon he meets Ammit cult leader (and main protagonist) Arthur Harrow, who desires a scarab in Grant’s possession, and in several violent encounters Grant zones out to rewaken to dead bodies and blood on his hands. Harrow and his death cult eventually track Grant down to his work place and while threatened by a fantastical monster is urged by Spector (in his mind) to let him take over, which Grant eventually does and the episode closes with the first appearance of Moon Knight himself.
As introductions go, Moon Knight Episode 1, does its job effectively. There is sufficient exposition, action sequences (and of course, humour) to keep the audience interested. But it is Issac’s superb acting chops that seal the deal and promises to make Moon Knight the best Marvel Studios streaming series thus far. Recommended.
Now streaming on Disney+.
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