Review: ‘Moon Knight’ S01 Ep.4 ‘The Tomb’

(+++WARNING: There are spoilers in this review of Moon Knight S01 Ep.4 ‘The Tomb’ +++)

For a series called Moon Knight you get surprisingly very little of the titular character appearing. And in this latest episode, he doesn’t make a single appearance. But the again, Konshua has been imprisoned in stone, I suppose. 

What we do get in his stead is a Raiders of the Lost Ark style archeological romp as Steven (Oscar Isaac) and Layla (May Calamaway) travel to the burial site of Ammit and tussle with a rather creepy ancient Egyptian zombie in a suitably dark and cavernous burial tomb. For a show aimed at a multigenerational audience, it’s a rather scary and horrific scene, but one of the best moment of the show. Well, aside for the set designs that are rather impressive in this particular episode and the final scenes especially. 

Steven’s knowledge and understanding of archaeology and Egyptian history comes in handy, as you would expect, while Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) returns only to shoot Steven, plunging him into a surreal scenario that hints heavily at not being real. A call back to Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood’s run on the comic book series in which the self same mental asylum Steven suddenly finds himself in is rather more a symbol of his mind that anything concrete. And there’s plenty of visual hints to this being the case too. After all, part of Moon Knight’s USP is his ability to resurrect himself. And the longer we spend with Steven arc in this state of conscience the more bizarre it gets, with Steven eventually coming face to face with Marc Spector, whom bursts forth from a sarcophagus. So, while Steve’s shooting will be dramatic to viewers unfamiliar with the Moon Knight backstory, comic book fans will be well clued up on going-ons here.

The major surprise to everyone will be the closing shot which reveals yet another Egyptian god, or rather goddess, Tawaret (Antonia Salib), the goddess of fertility and childbirth. The more strange of cliff-hangers I’ve encountered in the MCU to date. 

So, while the first portion of this show was a tomb raider based adventure, it’s the final part set in this mind-prison that will have most people talking. That, and the continued absence of Moon Knight. Or, is that just me? 

Moon Knight is streaming on Disney+ with new episodes every Wednesday.