The conclusion to Marvel’s latest miniseries, Moon Knight, has landed on Disney+. “Gods and Monsters” is the sixth and final installment of this series, bringing us back to the moments after Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) shot Marc Spector (Oscar Isaac) dead in Episode 4. A finale that begins with the protagonist dead is quite a creative choice. Harrow retrieves the ushabti to complete the ritual in an underwhelming finale that remains satisfying enough to wrap up one of Marvel’s most fascinating ventures into the superhero genre.
Tawaret stops Layla from attacking Harrow, saying they need Khonshu’s help. This is the episode that develops Harrow’s power as a villain, as we finally get more of the power he and his cult have. Harrow kills several of the Avatars and releases Ammit. Layla refuses to become Khonshu’s avatar, as for once, the show spends a considerable amount of time without the protagonist. This establishes the events of Episode 5 as events that took place in Spector’s head, offering more context for the show’s twist while remaining an exciting show.
Spector stands in the Field of Reeds, and he decides to go back for Steven Grant. Their relationship is quite fascinating, as is their evolution throughout the show. It can sometimes feel like a buddy cop dynamic happening within one person, which is an original idea that can only be expressed through this character. The two escape Duat, and Khonshu brings Moon Knight back under the condition that he free them after Ammit is no longer a threat. It is lovely to see Moon Knight and Mr. Knight back in action and work together as a unit as they deliver a very well-choreographed fight scene that director Mohamed Diab helms with great precision.
Meanwhile, Layla accepts Tawaret’s offer to become her temporary avatar. Layla becomes the Scarlet Scarab in a surprise turn, fighting alongside Moon Knight as superheroes. There is a moving wide shot action sequence reminiscent of Oldboy and having Moon Knight, Mr. Knight, and the Scarlet Scarab take on Harrow on the ground while Khonshu fights Ammit leads to a thrilling final action sequence that should have been longer. Unfortunately, the battle only lasted about five minutes, and there could have been more done with the action because the action we do get is phenomenal.
The most disappointing aspect of the episode is when both Spector and Grant blackout, waking up to find that Harrow has been defeated. This is how the writers chose to tease the idea of a third personality, but this should have been done much earlier in the show. If the writers were going to have the third personality defeat Harrow, it would have been much more satisfying to see the fight go down, and then we discover that it was neither Spector nor Grant who defeated him. Having the character blackout feels as if the episode skipped over what could have been the most exciting moment of the show.
As Khonshu urges Spector to kill Ammit before she can kill more people, Spector realizes that Khonshu is trying to prevent Ammit from doing the very thing he is doing himself, taking away her choice. The philosophical question at the heart of the series is raised again, and after we get a brief scene in the asylum again, Spector wakes up in his apartment again. The episode ends, but it feels like there was more to resolve. There should have been more resolution with Layla and how she has responded to her powers, as well as her relationship with Spector. The show feels like it spent all its character moments on the previous episode and didn’t bring any of it to fruition in the finale.
The mid-credits scene features Harrow getting executed by the third personality, Jake Lockley. This moment was set up throughout the show, and it’s the most interesting part of the episode. Overall, the Moon Knight finale did everything it had to do while still feeling rushed. It’s odd that the season finale was the shortest episode of the show when it had a task more extensive than any preceding episode. However, the show is free of connections to other Marvel Cinematic Universe properties, introducing a fresh, exciting hero for an ever-expanding universe. We can only wait with bated breath to see if there will be a second season and which familiar faces we may see if and when the time comes.
SCORE: 7/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.
