Moon Knight is a game-changing moment for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It feels like a fresh take on the superhero genre and is bringing us a story that feels completely lived in and rich with possibilities. Now that we’re halfway through the first season—with today’s release of the third episode, “The Friendly Type”—we get to see a bit of Khonshu’s return to Egypt as Marc, Steven, and Khonshu go to talk to the gods in an attempt to stop Harrow from bringing forth Ammit.
In “The Friendly Type,” we watch as Marc takes Khonshu to meet the gods and warn them of Harrow’s plan. The avatars for the Gods are there to listen to Khonshu’s plea about Harrow, and yet, they do not believe Khonshu or Marc because Harrow uses his dissociate identity disorder against him, forcing the Gods to ignore his warning. But it throws Marc and Khonshu into a sort of limbo where they know what is happening and know that they have to search for answers themselves—with Layla, who also came after them.
And it takes us into Egypt on the ground, with characters who love and appreciate the culture they’re being embraced by, with Layla being an Egyptian woman who is returning home (even if her name makes some people angry in Cairo).
Egypt comes to life
Director Mohamed Diab was set on avoiding an Orientalist take on Egypt from the start, and this episode in particular gives a look at Egypt outside of the lens Hollywood has often used in the past.
If you need any sort of information on how the show represents the SWANA region and the power that Diab’s direction has, I highly suggest following Swara Salih. The show did bring us an Egypt like we’ve rarely seen in western media. It was rich with color, a celebration of the people there, and not through the lens of a white savior there to help.
I also suggest following critic Hanna Ines Flint and seeing her take on the show.
It was Diab’s goal to show Egypt for all of its beauty, rather than the image of pyramids in the middle of nothing but desert that Hollywood has so often displayed.
Could it be Jake Lockley?
In “The Friendly Type,” there’s a moment when Marc and Steven are fighting over their body, and Marc is suddenly holding a bloody knife and asking Steven what he did. When fans saw them both admit to not having control, it instantly brought a name to mind: Jake Lockley.
I thought it was a bit weird how Steven, who proudly claims he cannot drive, figured it out in the first episode, but given that Jake Lockley, in the comics, is a cab driver, I thought that maybe he was helping Steven and Marc without their knowledge. And now, in this episode, as there is bloodshed without either of them knowing who was in charge? It’s seeming more and more likely that we might get a glimpse of Marc’s other alter, Jake, at some point in the series.
Gaspard Ulliel as Anton Mogart
It was a heartbreaking day when news broke that French actor Gaspard Ulliel had passed away. Knowing that he was set to play Anton Mogart in Moon Knight (also known as Midnight Man), we were excited to watch the star take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
And after this episode, it’s even worse seeing just how good he was as Anton. He played a rich man who thrives on history, with Layla knowing he’ll have an answer for them in his collection, and while it doesn’t go as planned for the characters, he still played Mogart in a way that made us want to see more.
“The Friendly Type” was also dedicated to the memory of Gaspard Ulliel.
Layla’s strength
We met Layla in episode 2, “Summon the Suit,” and we instantly saw the way she felt about Marc and the life they had shared. even if she didn’t understand what was going on. In “The Friendly Type,” we see a different side of Layla, an even more determined one, who wants answers and wants to know what’s going on with him.
Her strength, though, lies in her ability to explore, and the history of Egypt that she knows and loves so well. Her determination drives her, but it’s her history and her knowledge that proves her abilities, even though Marc never second-guesses her.
The episode also shows how Layla knows how to get Marc to listen. For the first two episodes, Marc and Steven fought over their body, but we start to see them share the body a bit more willingly in this episode, with the help of Layla telling Marc that they need Steven. And if Layla continues to be the beacon of reason in their battle, she’s going to be an important part of this journey despite what Marc wants.
Is Khonshu okay?
Khonshu is seemingly gone. To get answers, he changes the night sky to find the constellations they need and, in turn,it means that the gods are imprisoning him. That leaves Marc and Steven without the suit, and the body lying in the desert, with Layla searching to find answers and a way to save them.
Does this mean Khonshu is gone for good? No. He tells Steven to tell Marc to release him from prison before they begin, and so, in theory, Marc and Steven can free Khonshu again. But it’s just now a matter of when we’ll see him again.
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This is the halfway point for Moon Knight, and what a ride we still have to go on!
(image: Marvel Entertainment)
