Moon Knight Review: Asylum (Season 1 Episode 5)

Moon Knight Season 1 Episode 5, “Asylum,” proves a long-standing theory of mine; Marvel isn’t nearly as invested in telling a complete, condensed story as it is emotionally decimating its viewers.

Sadly those two elements align as Marc Spector is in desperate need of a tragic backstory, and we are due to have that pesky “shock value” dagger plunged deep into our hearts yet again.

It’s our fault. We should know by now not to love things.

“Asylum” is, for all intents and purposes, an exploration of grief and childhood trauma. But it is also peculiar in its efforts to be that classic adventure-fantasy, complete with a loveable cue-card-holding hippopotamus and godly quest.

Its Pirates of the Caribbean meets Percy Jackson as Steven and Marc dive into the wackier elements of this mythology. Yet, it is their personal lore that continues to anchor the plot.

Moon Knight‘s humility in serious situations knows no bounds despite that heaviness. It’s not concerned with coming across as composed when dealing with characters who have mental states in complete disarray.

This means repetitive dialogue that assaults us with words like “hippo” until that is all anyone is saying, accents that are disarming in their absurdity, and a lead who isn’t afraid to explore the benefits of over-acting in this mind palace of nonsense.

This series can frustrate; it’s convoluted and brooding. But with Marc and Steven’s endearing weirdness yet to falter, none of the typical pacing and tonal issues are enough to stop us from enjoying the ride.

Emotional Damage

Never thought I would have to say this, but thank god Mr. Robot broke me before Moon Knight could.

Suppose you are familiar with the Rami Malek-led series. In that case, you know the reveal that Steven is a byproduct of his mother’s abuse is eerily similar to Elliot’s Dissociative Identity Disorder, and you know just how rough this reveal will be.

Moon Knight opening the door on Steven’s origins presents a dark, unflinching examination much more in the vein of Mr. Robot than what we expect from Disney. That’s what makes the tonal shift potentially groundbreaking for this series.

No, Marvel does not need more devastating character backstories. One could say trauma is all it knows how to do. However, Marc Spector’s unrelenting backstory means more because it comes from a heavy practical place.

“Asylum” confirms Marc’s DID is not a byproduct of gods or superheroes; it is the brain’s response to unthinkable trauma.

The series continues to drill home the practicality of mental health struggles, never letting the supernatural give Marc an easy pass from a disorder that was present long before some bird god started yelling at him to kill people.

It’s surprising, just as Hawkeye surprised us when it devoted time to exploring Clint’s hearing loss. You are sold promises of a hero’s humanity, but even the strongest efforts eventually cave to the franchise’s longevity.

Moon Knight is not caving when it comes to Marc’s inner struggles.

This episode is brutal, but every piece of his backstory feels significant in ways superhero shows never are. The small nods to Marc’s brother in Steven crack this character study open, whether it is a love for silly sayings or their favorite fictional explorer. Acknowledgment of Marc’s Jewish heritage is long overdue too.

“Asylum” does so much to make our lead tangible that it doesn’t feel right when Harrow calls him a superhero. Marc Spector is just a man, extraordinarily flawed and entirely human.

Steven Grant Lives, Dammit

Steven Grant is dead, and in many ways, I am too because this beloved comfort character never got to see the Field of Reeds.

Marvel has gotten too good at creating incredibly likable characters just to have them killed off and tortured for shock value. We would stay clear of such a pure character in most cases, but Oscar Isaac had to go and make him so darn pleasant.

In this case, the choice to leave Steven’s fate in such a final, devastating place is warranted. Moon Knight has chosen to focus on its dueling personalities. So, taking Steven from Marc just as they learn to get along is the most effective emotional gut punch heading into the finale.

But for one brief moment, they are just two besties on a boat learning to overcome the unbelievable loss. Steven is kicking ass, and Marc is learning to let Steven in. It’s all so wholesome!

I refuse to believe Steven is dead, though. There’s no way Marvel is about to squander the potential of Mr. Knight’s super-suit.

The Final Phase

As far as backstory episodes go, this one hurts in all the right ways.

It demonstrates just how much of a force Isaac is in this role, chewing up the scenery with sincerity and insanity so captivating that the rest of the plot becomes background noise to Marc and Steven.

Moon Knight sidelines the external conflict to dive into Marc’s abuse, which will force the finale to work overtime to catch up. However, the plot is alive with potential as Isaac’s accent slips and his outbursts reach feral levels in the opening scene, suggesting a first look at Jake.

Fake Harrow is intriguing, and his prying suggests he could be Ammit in disguise. Even Taweret’s humorous cue cards indicate a rift between the gods that left these departments severely understaffed.

This alludes to Moon Knight having a real shot at solving Marvel’s finale problem as the first character study to commit to the bit. But there’s no denying a lot has to align for this story to stick the landing.

Alas, if it all goes downhill from here, at least we will always have “Laters Gators.”

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The final episode of Moon Knight streams Wednesday, May 4th on Disney+.

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