It hasn’t been officially announced yet whether or not “Moon Knight” will return for a second season on Disney+, but we definitely are feeling confident that we haven’t seen the last of Marc Spector in the MCU.
What does that mean? Wasn’t he dead at the end of the last episode, having finally achieved balance after losing Steven Grant to the sands of the Duat and achieving his own eternal peace in the Field of Reed? Well, yes, but–
Look, this is supehero stuff and nothing is ever as easy as it looks. After all, Marc and Steven’s guide through the afterlife was none other than a chipper British-sounded Egyptian goddess with the head of a hippopotamus. We left normal ages ago.
But, as we said, we also left Marc and Steven in the afterlife while their body was bleeding out after having been shot twice by Arthur Harrow and his followers. With Marc out of the way, for the time being, that meant there was nothing to stop Harrow from reviving Ammit.
And so he did.
In all honesty, the events of this episode were pretty straightforward, which is surprising considering how trippy and wild the series had been to this point.
As expected, Marc and Steven managed to escape the afterlife, after Marc rejected the Field of Reeds to reunite with Steven. We’re still not quite sure how they pulled it off, but it had something to do with their connection and Marc’s perfectly balanced heart, full after Steven died last week.
While they were doing that, Layla had followed Harrow’s group to the pyramid where Ammit was revived, and also conveniently where Khonshu’s ushabti (statue) was also being held. She freed the god, and rejected his offer to be her new Avatar with Marc/Steven dead.
However, when she found out they’d need more Avatars to be able to defeat Ammit by trapping her in a human body, Layla finally agreed to a deal — with hippo-headed Arewet. She then joined forces with an integrated Moon Knight after he came back to life and the two superheroes gave us a good old-fashioned superhero v. supervillain brawl with Harrow and his Ammit-transformed staff.
We got some very cool action sequences with Moon Knight and Mr. Knight consciously switching places. But ultimately, they were none of them enough to defeat Harrow, who managed to trap Layal and stab Moon Knight.
But that’s when Marc blacked out again and we jumped ahead to a scene of destruction, all of Harrow’s men dead and Harrow bludgeoned pretty badly and unconscious. Even Layla seemed shocked by what she’d seen — and it wasn’t Steven.
So what’s really going on with Marc and Steven? We’ve seen hints of a third personality for weeks now, and this was our final clue that this third alter does exist within them — and he’s utterly terrifying.
This personality is just one of the areas we still have questions about. So while we ponder all of the following queries, we’ll also be awaiting word that Moon Knight will return.
Why did Harrow give up the scarab?
The whole beginning of this season was all about securing the golden scarab Marc had stashed away in Steven’s apartment. So why after Marc’s death did Harrow just lay it on his chest and leave? Even if it’s usefulness to him was over with Ammit freed it seems a little reckless to just abandon it. What if he would have need of it again? Is it just simple overconfidence? Was the scarab on Marc’s lifeless body significant in some way? And who has it now? We saw Layla pick it up, and even seemingly poise it to attack or something. So where is it and what else can it do?
How did Marc and Steven reach balance together?
We’re a little confused as to how Marc and Steven escaped the afterlife. Marc achieved perfect balance only after Steven died. So how, after he rejected the Field of Reeds, were they able to achieve whatever they needed to in order to open the gates and escape. And how did the gates open just by them touching and Marc’s heart disappearing? What happened to Steven’s heart, too? Did it merge with Marc’s? If Marc was in perfect balance without Steven, how can he be in balance with him? Is it because they are parts of the whole — but we also know they are not the entirety of the whole!
How did the third alter defeat Harrow?
Marc and Steven have different skillsets and a lot of super-strength and other powers between them, but Harrow was mopping up the floor with them. We don’t now how long they were blacked out, but it was clear that this third alter vastly outstrips them in power. How was he able to take down Harrow and all of his men so quickly? And with Layla right there watching, what did she see? Did the costume change to a third look, considering Marc and Steven are rocking different garb right now?
What is the psychiatric hospital?
After the battle ended with Tarwet and Khonshu working with Layla and Marc to imprison Ammit inside of Harrow’s battered body, we suddenly find this more integrated and connected version of Marc and Steven back in the hospital with Dr. Harrow still talking to them. So what is this place? Is it just a dream place where they can interact a little more cleanly, or something else? It was before a place for them to reconcile their true past, so could it be that they’re still going there because that work isn’t done?
What is Harrow in the psychiatric hospital?
Is Dr. Harrow some manifestation of Marc or Steven? How is it that when his feet left bloody footprints, he didn’t seem to understand what was going on. Is he some entity outside of their mind, or is his confusion indicative that they still don’t fully know their own mind? Is Dr. Harrow possibly a fully-existent fourth identity who only exists, so far, in this mental hospital they keep putting themselves in?
Where did Layla go after defeating Ammit?
While we followed Marc and Steven after the defeat of Ammit, and even Harrow and Khonshu, we never checked in again with Layla. She is, after all, still married to Marc. Did they say their goodbyes and decide to live separate lives? Or did the fact the Marc abruptly was in the hospital and then abruptly back in Steven’s apartment suggest that he lost time and maybe he doesn’t know what happened, where she went or how he got back to the United States?
Did Tarewet let her free, or will she continue to be Egypt’s superhero?
A scene we spent a few moments living in was when a little girl asked Layla while imbued with Tarewet’s power if she was an Egyptian superhero. Layla said yes, and seemed touched at the thought. So despite her temporary agreement with Tarewet, has Layla opted to continue being her Avatar and serving as an Egyptian superhero? Marc got Khonshu to agree to let him and Steven go, but we never heard Layla demand to be let go. Now that she’s tasted this power, can she let it go?
Why did Marc and Steven still shackle themselves to the bed?
When Marc and Steven woke up at the end of the episode in Steven’s apartment, we got a repeat of the first episode, with them again shackled to the bed, which was surrounded by sand. Considering they’re integrated, why did they do that? How long have they been back that they’re already doing that? Is it out of concern for what the third alter might get up to? It didn’t seem to stop Marc from coming and going as he pleased.
Why didn’t Marc recognize the apartment?
Marc was criticizing Steven’s apartment as if he had no recollection of it, and yet he must have seen it. Steven started shackling himself to the bed because Steven left. Plus, Marc planted the burner phone and all that stuff up in Steven’s walls, so he has to have been there. And then there’s the fact there are now two fish in the tank, suggesting their hybrid existence. But if they have two fish, then this isn’t their first morning back, so why is Marc picking on the place now like they just got there?
How long has Khonshu known about Jake?
The biggest shock ending that we all saw coming a mile away happened after the credits as we finally got our first real glimpse at the third alter, Jake Lockley. A cab driver in the comics, he’s Khonshu’s limo driver when Khonshu frees Harrow/Ammit from the psychiatric hospital. Apparently, Khonshu can’t kill Harrow/Ammit, and Marc and Steven had already refused to do so. We’ve no idea how much time has passed, but he finally got someone willing to do it: Jake Lockley. So how long has Khonshu known about Jake? He didn’t use Steven for any missions, but did he alternately use Marc and Jake, depending on the mission? We already know Jake is far more dangerous and powerful, coming across almost villainous here.
Did Ammit die along with Harrow?
Can a god actually die? Jake shot Harrow point-blank — even though we didn’t see it, we can speculate that much — but does that mean both Harrow and Ammit are dead? It seems a little odd to be able to just kill a god like that, but perhaps that’s what happens when you put the spirit of a god inside of a human being. Nobody tell Thor!
Who owns the limo Jake was driving?
We see a SPCTR license plate on the limo Jake is driving, so does that mean it’s Marc’s limousine? So does that mean Jake thinks he’s Marc’s driver? Marc and Steven didn’t used to know about each other; or at least Steven knew nothing about Marc. Does Jake know about either of them? We’re not sure how he could drive for Marc if he’s Marc, so maybe there’s another Spector? Maybe the Spectors are rich and he works for the family — but then wouldn’t they recognize him as Marc?
Where do Marc and Jake live?
We’ve seen Steven’s apartment, but clearly Marc has another place of his own he was living in; possibly with Layla. So where is that? Is he Batman rich, not unprecedented in the world of “Moon Knight,” and so Marc lives in a huge manor somewhere while Steven sweats it out in this apartment. If Marc has a life of his own, how did he explain his own long absences. After all, Steven was able to maintain a job, meaning he was there a lot. On top of that, what about Jake? Where does he live that he has access to this limo, and what is his awareness of time lost when things like Steven holding a job are factored in. Is Jake a driver, and so he also holds down a job? No wonder they’re so disoriented. With all those jobs, how would they sleep? And how could Layla not know about any of these alters if she was married to Marc? Did they not spend much time together?
As you can see, we’re still scratching our heads about so many things, they’re just going to have to bring back Marc and Steven and Jake (and Layla, too)!
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