Moon Knight Episode 4: Reality Blurs as Mystery Deepens, Echoing Legions Mind-Bending Narrative

Moon Knight episode 4 — now available on Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar — continued the trend of rather unremarkable episodes that this series has developed, yet by the conclusion, I found myself more intrigued than in previous installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe series starring Oscar Isaac. Naturally, I’m also cautiously hopeful for a few reasons. Firstly, there are only two episodes remaining in Moon Knight‘s season. Balancing a significant distraction while also planning its finale is quite a challenge within just two episodes, especially for a show that has frequently delivered 50-minute episodes where not much transpires. Moon Knight has yet to inspire confidence in its potential, but it still has the chance to deliver something truly outstanding and groundbreaking.

The direction that Moon Knight is taking isn’t exactly groundbreaking. The fourth episode concludes by implying that Marc Spector (Isaac) has essentially been dreaming his experiences thus far. He’s merely a patient in a psychiatric facility, inspired to develop the Steven Grant persona by an ‘80s film playing on TV, with everyone else in his life being either fellow patients or staff members. This premise feels like a nod from Marvel Studios to the opening of FX’s Legion — Noah Hawley’s visually creative series that kicked off in a bewildering manner — albeit with a twist. Or is it? We’ll only find out when we tune in for next week’s Moon Knight episode 5.

I sincerely hope that Jeremy Slater, the creator of Moon Knight, knows the direction he’s taking, as otherwise, this series risks sinking to the bottom of the MCU offerings on Disney+, where it might already belong.

Moon Knight episode 4 — named “The Tomb”, helmed by Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, and scripted by Michael Kastelein — continues from where we were left, within the Great Pyramid of Giza. Osiris’s avatar, Selim (Khalid Abdalla), positions the stone Khonshu, entombed within what’s referred to as a ushabti, beside a clay lamp. As Selim departs and the shot zooms out, we glimpse the numerous other gods who seem to have been encased in stone throughout history.

Also seeMoon Knight Review: Oscar Isaac’s Marvel Series Is a Snooze Fest

May Calamawy as Layla El-Faouly in Moon Knight episode 4
Photo Credit: Disney/Marvel Studios

Post title card, Moon Knight episode 4 returns to Steven and Layla El-Faouly (May Calamawy) in the desert where the last episode concluded. While Steven remains unconscious, shots ring out toward them. I assume it’s the goons of Arthur? Layla abandons the unconscious Steven to head to their truck and hides inside. This surprisingly works — the attackers discover Steven’s body and mistakenly believe he’s deceased. At that moment, Layla reappears with a red flare to draw attention, then ducks behind the truck once more, but when the henchmen pursue, they realize she’s vanished. Using the distraction, Layla throws another flare to ignite the armaments in the vehicle.

As the ruckus ensues, Steven awakens in a daze during Moon Knight episode 4. On their journey toward Ammit’s tomb the next morning, Marc — through the truck’s side mirrors — advises Steven to relinquish control of the body. However, Steven reminds him of their agreement: once Marc concluded his business with Khonshu, he would step back. Since Khonshu is no longer present, in a sense, he’s fulfilled that agreement. Layla, seated beside Steven, points out that she should have been informed about this arrangement, as Marc is part of her life as well. Nevertheless, she concedes to herself that Marc would naturally prefer to tackle everything alone. If you haven’t been keeping track, she’s really warming up to Steven.

Upon reaching Ammit’s tomb in Moon Knight episode 4, Steven and Layla notice considerable progress has already been made by Arthur’s crew. They will need to devise an alternative method to access the tomb before Arthur’s team does. While searching for resources, Marc urges Steven to feel fear. With Khonshu absent, there’s no armor, protection, or healing left for them. Thus, he needs to yield control to Marc, who is more battle-ready, but Steven counters that it’s the same body, so he believes he can pull it off through muscle memory. It’s not the most sensible reasoning, but okay. He also mentions Layla’s presence, which undeniably offers more support.

Also seeMoon Knight Episode 3 Recap: Giza, Ennead, and Turning Back the Night in Egypt

Oscar Isaac as Steven Grant, May Calamawy as Layla El-Faouly in Moon Knight episode 4
Photo Credit: Gabor Kotschy/Marvel Studios

As Layla prepares Steven for the descent into the tomb, she remarks that he smells like Marc, and unexpectedly leans in for a kiss as Moon Knight episode 4 progresses. Wow, Marvel teased a couple of small hints and then jumped into this? I must say it doesn’t feel organic to me. Just before the kiss occurs, Steven loudly claims that Marc is attempting to shield her from Khonshu. Oh dear, can someone rescue him from his own antics? As a bewildered Layla watches, Steven elaborates that Marc is trying to protect her because Khonshu desires her as his next Avatar. This is fine, exception being that Khonshu is currently locked in stone, making that point somewhat irrelevant. Layla, growing frustrated with both Marc and Steven, states that she needs honesty, not protection.

In the next scene of Moon Knight episode 4, Steven and Layla uncover six pathways within the tomb. Thanks to his understanding of ancient Egyptian culture, Steven deduces that the entire structure is modeled after a symbol: the eye of Horus. Six paths represent six senses, he explains. Together, they conclude that the Avatar would serve as Ammit’s voice — so they opt for the path that leads to the tongue. On their journey, they come across bullets and what appear to be pieces of flesh, which is rather foreboding.

While Steven ascends partway to search for another exit, they detect someone approaching and do their utmost to conceal themselves. A creature enters, carrying a human body, places it on a surface along with bloody remnants, and begins probing it. However, this creature quickly spots Steven and Layla, forcing them to scatter in opposite directions during Moon Knight episode 4. Steven accidentally knocks something down from above, thinking he has crushed the creature, but its voice is soon heard, suggesting it is alive, or that there might be more lurking around.

Moon Knight episode 4 then follows Layla as she enters a hollow area that drops into infinite darkness. As she presses herself against the wall and attempts to maneuver through, a creature seizes her and pulls her into the shadows. Surprisingly, Layla appears relatively unharmed, swiftly using a flare to stab the creature in the eye and pushing it into the abyss below. She nearly falls but manages to regain her footing just in time. As Layla ascends back up, she catches sight of Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) standing across from her in the distance.

Also seeMoon Knight Episode 2 Recap: The Wife, Mr. Knight, and the Villain’s Big Plan

Oscar Isaac as Steven Grant in Moon Knight episode 4
Photo Credit: Csaba Aknay/Marvel Studios

Switching to Steven, he has arrived at an inner sanctum. There, he discovers Macedonian symbols adjacent to a sarcophagus, which seem unfamiliar to him as such a knowledgeable character. Addressing himself and the audience in Moon Knight episode 4, Steven observes that “he” insisted on being recognized as Egyptian. The only Macedonian pharaoh, he notes, indicates that he has stumbled upon the legendary chamber of Alexander the Great. Oh terrific, the Egyptian cliché train keeps rolling. First Giza and now Alexander. What could possibly follow — a chase down the Nile?

In any case, Moon Knight episode 4 then shifts back to Layla and Arthur, who are discussing her archaeologist father. Arthur asserts that he would be thrilled to learn that Egyptian deities exist among us, before shifting the conversation back to Marc. “Your husband bears pain greater than he can endure, yet he still hasn’t shared the truth with you.” An irritated Layla retorts: “You’re clearly eager to share, so why not go ahead; the floor is yours.”

Just before Arthur can proceed, Moon Knight episode 4 transitions to Steven, who is now panicking over his significant find. “Every part of me is screaming not to open this,” he exclaims, provoking Marc to reply through the reflection: “Do you want Harrow to reach Ammit first?” That persuades Steven, and he opens the sarcophagus. Since it was noted earlier that Alexander was the voice of Ammit, he tears apart his throat and face to uncover the ushabti.

Returning to Layla and Arthur, “Your father was killed by mercenaries,” Arthur informs her during Moon Knight episode 4. Layla responds incredulously, “Are you implying Marc was involved?” Arthur claims Marc remembers everyone from that day but particularly recalls one man sporting a fuchsia scarf adorned with scarab motifs. This information brings Layla to tears, and she asks rhetorically if Arthur is done before walking away. Arthur shouts for her to wake up — just as his minions arrive to inform him they have discovered another route to Ammit’s tomb.

Also seeMoon Knight Episode 1 Recap: Oscar Isaac’s Steven Meets Oscar Isaac’s Marc

Oscar Isaac as Steven Grant, May Calamawy as Layla El-Faouly in Moon Knight episode 4
Photo Credit: Csaba Aknay/Marvel Studios

Layla finds herself in the same room as Steven, who is elated after discovering the ushabti. However, Layla is in a conflicting mindset now during Moon Knight episode 4, still unsettled by her earlier talk with Arthur. She expresses a desire to converse with Marc and wonders if he can hear her. Before Steven can utter anything, Layla exclaims: “I need to speak with you, Marc,” prompting him to manifest over Steven. Oh wow, that’s an interesting maneuver. Layla wants to confirm if Marc was responsible for her father’s death. “Absolutely not,” Marc insists emphatically. Yet Layla understands that he was present when it occurred. Marc shares that his partner grew greedy and ended up executing everyone at the site, including him, but he survived against the odds. It heavily implies that Khonshu saved him. «That’s why we met; you just carried a guilty conscience,” Layla fires back, clearly taken aback.

Before their discussion can advance any further, they are interrupted by the impending entrance of Arthur’s men. Marc directs Layla to make a quick exit while he holds them off — wielding Alexander’s axe. I couldn’t help but chuckle; he’s literally come to a gunfight with a knife. As Arthur enters behind his armed men in Moon Knight episode 4, he realizes it’s just Marc. Khonshu is gone. “You’re a free man, and with freedom comes choice,” Arthur informs Marc, stretching out his hand for the ushabti. “Right now, you face a significant decision.” But as expected, Marc takes on two of Arthur’s approaching minions. In response, Arthur shoots him through the heart. As the second bullet finds its mark, Marc collapses backward into the small pond behind him.

Moon Knight then transitions into a different realm. Marc’s body sinks into the water, despite its shallow depth, before fading into the darkness below. From this gloom emerges an adventure film in a 4:3 aspect ratio featuring a middle-aged character and a teenager named Rosser, who stumble upon a lifeless body. Rosser muses whether this indicates the treasure is lost, but in the distance, the man spots a statue of Coyolxauhqui, calling it the Aztec lunar goddess. (Khonshu is the Egyptian lunar deity, by the way.) Rosser expresses his ignorance, “But you’re Dr. Steven Grant.” Wait, what? Pardon? Is Steven’s character fundamentally derived from a movie?

Also seeEverything You Need to Know About Marvel’s New Series, Moon Knight

Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector in Moon Knight episode 4
Photo Credit: Disney/Marvel Studios

It appears to be so, as the camera pulls back on a distinctively different Moon Knight episode 4, revealing it to be a film being screened for patients in a psychiatric institution. “Donna” (Lucy Thackeray), Steven’s supervisor from the museum, is present. The guy who portrayed Anton Mogart’s bodyguard Bek (Loic Mabanza) is also there, alongside a woman sketching something reminiscent of Khonshu. Even one of Arthur’s minions (David Ganly), who pretended to be a cop in episode 2, is here, looking after our protagonist, who is now a patient. Layla is employed as a nurse there. Marc — who is restrained with ankle bracelets that tie him to his wheelchair — identifies himself as Steven while gazing at his own reflection, but he’s referred to as Marc by the attendant.

Wait a minute, has Steven/Marc fabricated everything? Have we suddenly drifted into Legion season 1 territory? Shortly thereafter, in Moon Knight episode 4, Arthur — his physician in this setting — engages him in conversation, although he’s really speaking to us, attempting to clarify the situation. He mentions that Marc struggles significantly to distinguish reality from illusion. The sedated Marc has confused himself with a film titled Tomb Buster — which may echo Tomb Raider, but is styled like an ‘80s flick akin to Indiana Jones — everything Marc articulates seemingly derives from this movie. Be it his Steven persona or his association with a lunar deity.

As the heavily sedated Marc cannot respond, Arthur resumes in Moon Knight episode 4: “We don’t inhabit a material world; we exist in a psychic one.” For instance, take the pen which can function as either a writing implement or a chew toy depending on who is using it. Marc suspects he’s being manipulated — after all, everything in Arthur’s office carries an Egyptian theme. Has the cultist Arthur placed Marc in an unusual metaphysical situation, or has Marc perpetually resided in an asylum, paralleling Legion’s David Haller?

Also seeMoon Knight, Death on the Nile, and More on Hotstar in April

A still from Moon Knight episode 4
Photo Credit: Disney/Marvel Studios

As Marc attempts to flee from Arthur, he rushes out the door. The ceiling lights begin to shift — hinting that something isn’t quite right — before Marc conceals himself in an empty room as Moon Knight episode 4 nears its end. However, there’s a sarcophagus present there, and his doppelgänger emerges from within it. Marc and Steven appear to occupy different bodies now, seemingly validating the “odd metaphysical space” theory. As Marc and Steven navigate through the hospital, they notice a trembling sarcophagus in another room but choose to ignore it and carry on. As they cautiously proceed, a hippopotamus dressed like an affluent ancient Egyptian steps through a swinging door and cheerfully greets them, startling both Marc and Steven. What on earth is happening? We will learn more in next week’s Moon Knight episode 5.

(For those curious, the end credits song for Moon Knight episode 4 features the Egyptian trap artist Wegz’s 2019 single دورك جي, which loosely translates to “Your Turn Is Here.” It is available on Apple Music and Spotify.)

Moon Knight episode 4 is now streaming on Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar. New episodes are released every Wednesday around 12:30 pm IST/12 am PT.

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