The season finale episode for Disney+ and Marvel Studios’ original streaming series Moon Knight has dropped on the streaming platform. Entitled “Gods and Monsters,” the sixth and final episode follows up on the events of “Asylum” where Spector remains in the Field of Reeds while his counterpart Steven remains in the Sands, frozen in time. Additionally, the episode reintroduces Layla once more into the series’ lore back at tomb of Ammit.
While Spector and Steven were dealing with past memories and revealing their true backstories, Layla had to witness in the living world Harrow carrying out the wishes of Ammit by summoning the Egyptian god again. After revealing his dedication and work to Ammit, the God enlists him as his new Avatar while also arriving at the temple of the other Egyptian Gods and their avatars while fatally injuring them. Layla observes this all while also being greeted by Khonshu and offered to take upon the role of his avatar due to Marc’s passing, yet she denies it due to the emotional, physical, and mental pain that her husband has had to go through.
Marc, on the other hand, carries out a conversation with Taweret and insists on leaving the Field of Reeds and reviving Steven, and returning to the living world to combat Harrow and Ammit’s mission. Marc returns to find Steven and passes over some of his powers to his counterpart and Steven returns to life while Taweret guides the duo back through the Gates of Osiris and awakens from the previous shooting in episode four. Due to this action, Khonshu is alerted of the returning Steven and Marc to the living world and arrives to greet them, restore them of their powers, as well as enlist them in the fight against Harrow and Ammit to which the duo bargain for the release of their duty as his avatar to which he agrees.
In the midst of this reunion, Layla is informed by a dying Egyptian god’s avatar that several avatars will need to be present with Ammit contained in a living body which leads to her temporary role as the avatar for Taweret. While Ammit and Harrow begin their plan, the followers of God begin their sweeping of the imbalanced souls in Cairo, Egypt. Due to this, Khonshu, Marc, Steven, and Layla, in a new Taweret-avatar suit, arrive to combat Ammit and Harrow in the midst of their similar mission of Thanos. The battle ensues with Ammit attempting to sway Khonshu over to their side while Harrow easily dispatches Grant, Steven, and Layla’s attacks before another blackout similar to the ones in episode one occur and it cuts to Steven and Marc in command of a severely beaten Harrow. Marc and Steven exchange conversation admitting that neither of them was responsible for the destruction.
Afterwards, the trio and Khonshu trap Ammit in Harrow’s body and are preparing to kill the two at Khonshu’s wishes and orders. However, Marc states that he has earned his freedom and that if Khonshu wishes death upon the two he can do it himself. Khonshu acknowledges these requests and frees the two. Upon being relieved of their avatar roles, Marc and Steven arrive back at the asylum where they begin to potentially accept this as the actual reality they exist in before noticing the blood trail on Dr. Harrow’s shoes and the two deny this and return to Steven’s cluttered British apartment. The series concludes here but not before a post-credit scene where it is revealed there is a third avatar Jake Lockley who is carrying out Khonshu’s wishes and murdering Harrow in the asylum, ultimately revealing that these blackouts and the chaos spree have been carried out by this third party.
“Gods and Monsters” perfectly wrapped up the series’ first season and left the door open for a potential second one in the making. For one, this episode and the season displayed the talented acting and dual performance of Oscar Isaac in his introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Additionally, it was interesting to engage in an entirely different new storyline within the Marvel comic book universe, without the typical avenger engagement. Furthermore, Egyptian mythology proffers an extension of the MCU and also storytelling techniques for Kevin Feige and his fellow Marvel Studios’ executives.
Rating: 9.0/10