If you haven’t read my review of episode one, click here to read it, as it contains much of my criticism of the series thus far.

In the second episode, the series doubles down on the exploration of Steven’s psyche, and I am here for it. Not only does it double down on the more psychological elements, but it also showcases the consequences of what happened at the end of the previous episode, something that is sorely missing from most comic book adaptations nowadays. Consequences are what make comic books adaptations relatable. If Superman flies through a building and kills hundreds of people, there should absolutely be consequences for his actions. The way in which this manifests itself in Moon Knight episode two is brilliant. I won’t say exactly what they are because I don’t want to spoil any of Moon Knight for anyone who isn’t caught up, so I’ll say that the consequences are tied directly to Steven’s dissociative identity disorder.

None of these consequences would be understandable without Oscar Isaac’s performance. Whenever he’s onscreen, I am completely captivated. The particular highlights of his performance in this episode are in a segment straight out of a horror movie (I’ll discuss this later in the review) where he’s completely terrified and a short action sequence where Isaac fights in the streets of London.

On the same side of the coin, I think Ethan Hawke’s character, Arthur Harrow, deconstructs the consequences of Steven’s actions through the lens of whether or not it lines up with the greater good. This fascinating stance on things doesn’t reduce Harrow to someone to defeat in a grand, third-act battle involving some kind of sky beam. Instead, the nature of how to defeat Harrow is to outthink him and prove without a doubt that his way of thinking has caused irreparable damage to his followers and has not, in fact, bettered the world. Though, I’m sure we’ll see some fisticuffs happen, based on his glowing cane.

A new addition to the main cast is May Calamawy’s character, Layla El-Faouly, who I’ll simply say her relationship with Steven is not one either of them understands. This dynamic leads to some truly fascinating situations. For example, there’s this moment where the two recite a poem, and Steven doesn’t realize that it’s actually her favorite poet, not his. She also seems to unlock a side of Steven that finally feels like a respite from the craziness of life that he’s been experiencing lately.

All these tiny nuances are reflected in the script by Michael Kastelein. There are moments of horror, elation, suspense, fist-pumping action, and mystery. The biggest change in the writing from the pilot episode is the change of focus (which I’ll take about more in-depth when we get to talking about the direction of this episode) from a primarily mystery-based story where Steven is trying to figure out why he has gaps in his memory to a story primarily about self-discovery and love. Yes, those previous elements are still there, but they take more of a back seat in this episode as Steven, Arthur, and Layla find out more about one another through conversations about their pasts and how that affects their present lives.

This shift in tone from the pilot episode also really comes to play in how this episode is directed by Aaron Moorhead & Justin Benson and shot by Gregory Middleton & Andrew Droz Palermo. Where the pilot episode used a color palette of grays, blacks, and other dark colors, there’s a ton of color introduced in this episode. There are light greens, yellows, reds, whites, and a whole gamut of colors. This decision gives the impression of Steven slowly starting to learn more about his other personalities. There are also small but appreciated changes, like how the reflections are used. Instead of being simple locked-off shots where Oscar Isaac could easily have been running through the scene at least twice and have the video flipped, we see Steven in a wide shot having a full-on conversation with one of his other personalities. I don’t know who’s tried to do that before, but it’s tough to do, especially when the camera is moving around the set on what I imagine is a handheld rig. The reflections also aren’t as restrictive to just mirrors anymore, which is a fascinating addition to the formula. It’s hard to see Isaac’s face in these new types of reflections, but I appreciate how willing the production is to experiment with how these reflections work.

Getting more into the direction of the episode, Moorhead & Benson focus on the pasts of these characters (or, at the very least, sow the seed for further exploration of these implied pasts) and the consequences of each of the characters’ past actions. It’s refreshing to see a comic book adaptation have these consequences front and center because it’s not all that common to see explored. Most times, the heroes defeat the baddie(s), go home, and that’s it. Yes, there are movies like Captain America: Civil War, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and a few more that explore the consequences of the heroes’ actions, but even those are neatly wrapped up by the end of the film and have no larger impact on the franchise at large. I can’t speak for larger implications quite yet. Still, I think this could be the start of actually witnessing consequences in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I hope it continues.

One last note before I go on to writing my review for the third episode - I appreciated the editing within this episode. Specifically, in a horror-styled sequence where Steven is running down a hallway (you’ve seen it in the trailers), where all the lights are flickering, and all of a sudden, Steven looks up, there’s a freeze-frame as a light flashes that illuminates Steven’s terrified face, and there’s a slam cut to Steven outside. It’s one of the better edited horror-styled sequences I’ve seen in mainstream media in recent years. Props to series editors Ahmed Hafez, Joan Sobel, and Cedric Nairn-Smith.

So, if you’re up for a heady but rewarding character study on the meaning of consequences and how different people examine the consequences of their actions, check out the second episode of Moon Knight.

★★★★★

The second episode of Moon Knight is streaming now, exclusively on Disney+.

Until next time!

Thanks to Thomas Stoneham-Judge from Movies For Reel, Shane Conto, Joseph Davis, David Walters, Ambula Bula, and Matthew Simpson for supporting Austin B Media on Patreon!